Dorset Crossing Taking Shape

The October snowstorm and its subsequent power outage received much attention, so it was without much fanfare that Dorset Crossing officially broke ground in early November.

The master-planned, mixed-use development project, located at 1502 Hopmeadow Street in Simsbury, will feature 50,000 square feet of new Class A medical space in three buildings, with two retail pad sites and residential units. There are approximately 20 acres in Phase I.

The local and state approvals for the development of approximately 120,000 square feet of office and retail, along with 36 apartments have been obtained. The initial phase of development will have five buildings with a total square footage of about 70,000.

On November 9, Tony Giorgio, managing director of The Keystone Companies, LLC in Avon, project developer, gave a presentation before the Simsbury Chamber of Commerce. The informational presentation was held at Belle Terrace at Avon Old Farms in Avon.

The initial medical office building contains 15,000 square feet, with Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center under lease for 10,000 square feet. Construction of this building has an expected completion of September 2012.

A second 15,000-square-foot building is designed and construction is expected to begin by mid 2012 as leases are finalized. There is an additional 20,000-square-foot medical office building, as well as two retail pad sites of 14,000 and 3,500 square feet respectively.

Giorgio said he does not know what retail will be located in the development. He said he can see service retail in the buildings such as a sandwich or coffee shop.

In addition to the medical and retail components, the plan also includes a multifamily rental apartment component. There are currently 36 apartments approved, but in late 2011 a revised master plan was to be submitted to the town that will contain approximately 200 to 215 rental units. There will be studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments.

Giorgio was asked why not condominiums on the site. He said there is no market. People are still afraid to buy and prefer the flexibility of a rental. He said rents will run between $850 for a studio to $1,600 to $1,700 for the two bedroom. He said there is pent up demand for new, quality rental properties.

He noted that 6,200 people drive by the location on their way to work daily. Many are young professionals who are currently living with their parents. The idea is to get generations living side by side — the young professional next to an empty nester.

“We do need to get this approved,” he noted before getting too deep into the discussion.

Preliminary feedback has been positive and approvals for the modified master plan are expected during the first quarter of 2012, he said.

Broadly the land will have residential in back and the offices in the front piece, which is more visible from the road.

Giorgio went through the timeline of the project, which started as a gravel pit of Bourgeois & Shaw and has since had its ups and downs due to the economy, saying it was like “giving birth to a rhinoceros, tusk first.”

Giorgio said he was determined to see the project through. He said after years in real estate development a piece of land “winks at you.” He said he fell in love with the property and could see its potential.

“We are at a great point at Dorset Crossing,” he said.

He said the master plan process was endless, but today the plan that is becoming a reality. Along the way, many things collided with the project, such as the adoption of PAD (planned area development) zoning regulations in town and the Route 10 Corridor Study and its charrette. The Dorset plan includes right of ways for the possible road that was discussed as part of the Route 10 study that connects Wolcott to Hoskins and County roads, as it would go right through the property.

Part of what Saint Francis will offer is emergency room physicians at an urgent care center. It will be the second such center in the area, with the first being the newly opened center by Hartford Hospital on Route 44 in Avon.

“We’re excited about that,” he said.

It will not be open 24 hours a day, but will be open seven days a week. He said about 225,000 people are within a 15-mile radius of the site and 47 percent of those people designate Saint Francis as their primary care facility.

A large community room that is part of the Saint Francis building will be open to the public for activities.

State traffic control has issued its permit, and Route 10 stays two lanes although dedicated turning lanes are also part of the plan. There will be a signaled entrance.

The idea is to create a signature development in the northern part of town that acts as a gateway, he said. The buildings will be single story, with gable ends and gable entrances. The scale will be consistent with what is surrounding the development. And he has confidence that the spaces will be filled.

“The economy is going to turn around,” said Giorgio, a former economist.