The front of 33 Elizabeth St. in Derby.
DERBY — Members of the city’s planning and zoning commission approved an application on Tuesday to allow 32 market-rate apartments to be constructed within a large building at 33 Main St.
There will be 22 studio apartments and 10 one bedroom apartments. The studio apartments will range from 475 square feet to 689 square feet. The one bedroom apartments will range from 594 square feet to 736 square feet. The building owner is hoping to set starting rents somewhere between $1,000 and $1,200 a month.
The building has 36 off-street parking spaces, which satisfies Derby’s zoning requirements.
The building — formerly home to United Illuminating and dubbed “Derby’s skyscraper” in 1930 by The Evening Sentinel when it housed Derby Gas & Electric — is owned by 33 Elizabeth St., LLC.
The principal members of that limited liability company — Joseph Voll and Jonathan Dentz — have owned the building for more than 25 years. Voll said he’s been losing money on the building because there’s just no demand for office space in Derby or anywhere else at the moment.
“There’s no demand for office space, to be quite frank,” Voll said. Voll’s comments are similar to what office building owners have said in Ansonia, where two multi-level office buildings on Main Street have received approvals to convert into apartments.
The office market situation became worse after COVID-19 started circulating in Connecticut in March 2020. Voll said tenants that once occupied space in the building are now opting to give up the space and work remotely.
Meanwhile, new apartments across the Housatonic River on Canal Street and Howe Avenue in Shelton have tenants lined up even before construction is finished.
“If you look at Shelton, it’s incredible what’s happening, and they are getting really good rents,” Voll said.
The four-story building at 33 Main St. is a beauty. The rear of the building has an enclosed walkway that leads to an attached building on Minerva Street, which will also be converted into apartments. The Elizabeth Street side will retain a commercial space in a former ballroom dance studio.
Members of the planning and zoning commission noted they want to see the structure’s two parking lots on Third Street and Minerva Street spruced up. They also want ugly fencing around the parking lots replaced.
The developer plans to repave and restripe the parking lots, in addition to replacing the fence.
Voll was represented in front of the commission by attorney Dominick Thomas, who said Derby needs to get people downtown so that businesses will invest. He said that’s what’s happened in downtown Shelton, where he represents many developers. Thomas noted the new, market-rate apartments will bring people to Elizabeth Street restaurants, and will give the tenants easy access to bus and rail service.
Mayor Rich Dziekan spoke in favor of the apartment project, as did Carmen DiCenso, the city’s economic development liaison. Both said Voll has a good reputation, a statement backed up by Dan Blizman, a member of the commission.
“I’m very ‘for’ this project, so there will be much more foot traffic down there,” Dziekan said.
Back in 2014, 33 Main St. was identified as a property that was under-utilized. A consultant in 2015 recommended converting the rear of the property into apartments.
