Council approves put option for Firestone parcel; receives Heart of Norwalk implementation update

The Norwalk City Council on Aug. 19 approved a two‑year put option giving Prime Store Development LLC the right to purchase the property at 12158 Firestone Boulevard for $1,150,000 and heard a staff and consultant update on the Heart of Norwalk specific plan and implementation tools.

City staff presented the put-option agreement as a strategic step tied to the Heart of Norwalk vision plan. Alex Hamilton, city staff, said the put option sets a purchase price of $1,150,000 and allows for capitalized costs—such as Phase I environmental studies and appraisals—to be added. The agreement also includes a provision for an annualized 10% return that compounds monthly on the sum of the purchase price plus capitalized costs and outstanding reimbursement fees, and staff said the term is two years with the ability to assign the contract to the city if needed.

“The put option agreement is just that. It's an option agreement,” Alex Hamilton said, describing the site as part of the Front Street historic district in the Heart of Norwalk project area and noting possible future uses such as residential development or public parking.

Councilmembers asked for a developer presentation and timelines; staff said they would arrange a developer briefing in the coming months and reiterated that the final end use is not yet determined.

Following the put-option discussion, the council received an implementation briefing on the Heart of Norwalk specific plan from consultants with the Arroyo Group and from city planning staff. Phil Burns of the Arroyo Group summarized near‑term implementation actions the city can take after the specific plan’s adoption—private development incentives, development‑triggered public improvements, local financing tools and state/federal grant programs.

Key figures presented by staff and consultants included estimated costs and priorities: roughly $6 million for Front Street streetscape improvements between San Antonio and Funston (or about $10 million for a full plaza-style alternative), an estimated $21 million for a corridor-wide Firestone Boulevard streetscape upgrade, and an early planning estimate of about $13 million for a 120‑space parking structure in the Front Street area depending on site constraints. Staff noted that integrating stormwater treatment into streetscape projects would make them competitive for water and transportation grants.

Consultants identified several competitive grant programs for those projects—including the Active Transportation Program, Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), Metro active-transportation funding and the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) program and infill infrastructure grants—and recommended pursuing a mix of developer contributions, potential developer impact fees, enhanced infrastructure financing district (EIFD) mechanisms and grant funding.

Staff reported that property-owner outreach earlier in August included 13 owners focused mainly in the Firestone corridor and that two additional property‑owner meetings were planned. The draft specific plan and draft environmental impact report circulated for public review June 24–Aug. 8, 2025; staff said they had received four written comments as of the meeting and expected Planning Commission review in November 2025 and City Council consideration in December 2025.

Public comment during the meeting raised landscaping concerns for the specific plan’s plant palette and urged more native species and removal of listed invasive plants; staff said they would incorporate feedback.

The council approved the put option by roll call and asked staff to arrange a developer briefing with timelines and milestones for Front Street and Firestone projects.