The 6 developments to watch across Connecticut
Originally published by CT Insider. Reporting by Sandra Diamond Fox, Andreas Yilma, Mark Zaretsky, Alexander Soule, Staff Writers
Point Stratford Renewal developers are crafting a master plan for a $1 billion mixed-use redevelopment at the former Stratford Army Engine Plant site at 550 Main St. The plan is expected to be submitted in December. - Courtesy of Point Stratford Renewal
Development news in Connecticut this week included two former Cheshire schools put up for sale, a pair of developments proposed in Southbury, and word that a master plan for the $1 billion redevelopment of Stratford's former Army Engine Plant is expected to be revealed in December.
Cheshire
The former Chapman and Darcey elementary schools in Cheshire helped to educate and launch generations of Cheshire kids into the world, but soon the properties will be put to new uses — and the day after they were listed for sale, agents were already getting plenty of interest. Toby Brimberg, vice president of the commercial/industrial and retail group for O,R&L Commercial real estate in Branford, said he had already received "dozens" of feelers from developers in the first two days the properties were listed. But any decisions on what the former schools might become next are still a long way off, he said.
Fairfield
Fairfield Housing Corporation's Judd Homestead, a 40-unit affordable apartment complex still under construction, received more than 1,000 pre-applications from prospective tenants just over a week after opening its application process, underscoring the demand for affordable housing in Fairfield. Construction of the five-building, three-story development at 980 High St. began in May and is expected to be completed in January. The Fairfield Housing Corporation began accepting pre-applications Sept. 28 and will accept them through Oct. 26.
Hamden
Developer John Ranciato Jr. understands that not everyone in the neighborhoods along and near Old Coach Highway in Hamden likes the idea of his proposed 150-unit Paradise Woods affordable housing complex, which was filed under the state's 8-30g affordable housing statute. He met with about 30 neighbors in the Hamden Elderly Services senior center in the Miller Memorial Library recently to try to bridge the differences. Some neighbors made it clear that they believed the proposed development on a forested 33.5-acre parcel off the west side of Old Coach Highway would turn their neighborhood into something different from the place they moved into, and they did not consider that to be acceptable. But people generally listened to one another and acted in a civil manner.
Southbury
If a pair of Southbury developments come to be, the town could see dozens of newly built houses and townhouses. Both proposals were scheduled for an Oct. 14 hearing before the Zoning Commission. At 295 Old Woodbury Road, developer Scott Volpe’s Connecticut Residential would build 18 multifamily townhouses, with a commission agenda not specifying how many units. Under Charles Spath Jr., Burr Farm Properties is planning a cluster subdivision with 18 homes on wooded land fronting Kettletown Road, just over a mile north of Kettletown State Park and near the Willow Creek Estates development where 20 houses are included in a third phase of construction.
Stratford
Developers planning a $1 billion redevelopment of Stratford's former Army Engine Plant expect to submit a master plan by December after unveiling the first comprehensive vision for transforming the 77-acre waterfront property into a mixed-use district with housing, parks, shops and public gathering spaces. Point Stratford Renewal presented the concept during a Sept. 28 joint meeting of the Town Council, Traffic Authority, the Planning and Zoning Commissions and the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission for the brownfield at 550 Main St. The project team said it expects to spend the coming months refining the plan through additional public input before filing its development proposal.
Wilton
The applicants behind a controversial plan for a 280-unit senior living community on the site of a former convent on Belden Hill Road in Wilton have withdrawn their proposal and instead plan to restart the process by seeking a pre-application review. In a letter to the Planning & Zoning Commission, attorney Lisa Feinberg said the applicants, Hines SL Wilton Associates LP and SSND Real Estate Trust, "believe that slowing the process down and having an opportunity to hear from the commission is important. This commission is not comprised of the same members who provided feedback in 2025."
Oct 16, 2026
Reporter
Sandi Fox is a reporter who covers development for the mid Fairfield County towns. She also covers breaking news throughout Connecticut.
Reporter
Andreas Yilma is a reporter with CT Insider covering development in Stratford, Bridgeport, Trumbull and Fairfield since 2025. He has a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Southern Connecticut State University. Andreas is a New Haven native and previously was a Republican American and Citizen's News reporter covering part of the Naugatuck Valley.
Reporter
Mark Zaretsky is a reporter with the New Haven Register. Zaretsky is a Chicago native and longtime New Haven resident and an award-winning reporter and music writer for the New Haven Register and Hearst Connecticut Media Group. His beats include East Haven and Branford, regional issues and occasional blues and roots music stories. He also makes a point of knowing where all the good ethnic and hole-in-the-wall restaurants, bars and bakeries are -- and is an unapologetic Cubs, Bears, Blackhawks and Bulls fan. In addition to his work as a journalist, Zaretsky is a front man for The Cobalt Rhythm Kings and The Chicago Dawgs and occasionally performs with Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Mark Naftalin and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band.
Reporter
Alexander Soule is a staff writer with Hearst Connecticut Media focused on business, development and the Connecticut economy. Alex is a Maine native who served a two-year enlistment in the U.S. Army before attending Connecticut College. Before joining Hearst Connecticut, Alex started a growth economy website called Enterprise CT chronicling Connecticut startups, with previous work including the Fairfield County Business Journal, the Boston Business Journal, the Rochester Business Journal, Mass High Tech, InsuranceTimes and the MIT Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
