January 2010
MANSFIELD DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP, Inc.
FACT SHEET
The Partnership
The Mansfield Downtown Partnership, Inc. has been created as an independent, non-profit organization charged with coordinating the enhancement and revitalization of three of Mansfield’s commercial areas - Storrs Center, King Hill Road and the Four Corners. As a public-private partnership, the organization is composed of representatives from the community, business, town, and the University of Connecticut. The Partnership is governed by an 18-member Board of Directors with a strong committee structure. The Partnership’s six committees, Advertising and Promotion, Business Development and Retention, Finance and Administration, Membership Development, Planning and Design, and Nominating are one of the direct ways the public can participate in creating our new downtown in Mansfield.
Mansfield Downtown Partnership, Inc. Action Agenda
The Mansfield Town Council retained the national planning firm of HyettPalma in 1999 to develop an enhancement strategy for the revitalization of downtown Mansfield’s commercial areas. Following a collaborative community-consultation process, HyettPalma produced the Mansfield Downtown Partnership Action Agenda with a focus on Storrs Center.
Key recommendations from the Downtown Partnership Action Agenda are:
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Storrs Center History
Concept Master Plan - One of the Partnership’s first tasks was to commission the development of a concept Master Plan for Storrs Center. Working with the Partnership, Connecticut firm Milone & MacBroom completed the concept Master Plan in the summer of 2002.
The concept Master Plan includes three main elements: mixed-use development (retail/restaurant/office/housing), a town square(s), and market-rate housing.
Municipal Development Plan (MDP) – In 2002, the Town of Mansfield authorized the Partnership to serve as its municipal development agency to undertake the development of the Storrs Center area on behalf of the Town. A municipal development plan was prepared which includes a market study, an environmental report, proposed land uses, a financing plan, etc. The MDP was completed in 2005 and approved unanimously by the following local, regional, and state entities - Windham Region Council of Governments Regional Planning Commission, Mansfield Planning and Zoning Commission, Partnership Board of Directors, Mansfield Town Council and UConn Board of Trustees. The MDP was approved by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development on January 27, 2006.
Identification of Master Developer - In June 2004, the Partnership identified the firm of LeylandAlliance LLC from Tuxedo, NY, to serve as its master developer for the project.
Zoning, Design, Permits and Construction – In June 2007 the Mansfield Planning and Zoning Commission approved a Special Design District for Storrs Center. In October of the same year, the Mansfield Inland Wetlands Agency approved a wetlands permit for the project.
A set of comprehensive sustainability guidelines for Storrs Center designed to create an energy efficient project was approved by the Partnership Board in August 2008.
In the fall of 2008, the CT Department of Environmental Protection approved a permit for the project’s stormwater system, and the US Army Corps of Engineers approved a federal wetlands permit to mirror the local approval.
In June 2009, the Connecticut State Traffic Commission approved a certificate for improvements to Storrs Road. Work began in September 2009 on the design and engineering of the Storrs Road improvements and is expected to be completed in spring 2010.
Leasing - Preliminary leasing is underway for commercial space including restaurants, retail, and office for Storrs Center. If you are interested, contact Evan O’Brien with the Hartford office of Cushman & Wakefield at 860.249.0900.
Financing – The total project cost is approximately $220 million of which private financing will be at least 85 percent. Over $18 million in state and federal grants are in place for Storrs Center including $10 million from the Connecticut Bond Commission (chaired by CT Governor Jodi Rell) for the intermodal facility.
Events and Projects - The 4th Annual Winter Fun Day will be held on Saturday, February 13 from 11 am to 2 pm at the Mansfield Community Center. The 6th Annual Festival on the Green on September 13 featured children’s games and crafts, an art show, food from Mansfield restaurants, and great music from Kidsville Kuckoo Revue, and our headliner, the James Montgomery Band.
Contact Information
Your ideas, comments, and suggestions are encouraged. Please contact Cynthia van Zelm, Executive Director, Mansfield Downtown Partnership, PO Box 513, Mansfield, CT 06268, (860) 429-2740, mdp@mansfieldct.org.
