A development team presented a preliminary concept Nov. 17 to convert a formerly blighted factory at 245 East Elm Street into a three‑story, 45‑unit mixed‑use building using Torrington’s incentive housing overlay (IHZ).

Marty Connor, a certified planner working with the owner, said the IHZ is designed to encourage reuse of underutilized historic buildings near transit and services. The project team — including owner Artie Seferi, engineer Ron Wolf, architect Peter Amara and contractor William Massetti — described a layout with roughly 45 units (a mix of studios, one‑ and two‑bedrooms), about 71 parking spaces for residents, and added green space; the first floor would retain Vinnie’s Pizza in its current location.

Staff and the team discussed environmental constraints. A speaker on the record said the city received a $1,000,000 brownfield grant in 2022 to remediate the site, that the first floor abatement was complete, and that further interior abatement of the second and third floors was planned under that grant. The team said an underground contamination strategy would involve capping in place with parking and appropriate land‑use restrictions to meet residential criteria; a remedial action plan and approval from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) were noted.

Connor said the IHZ proposal contemplates a minimum affordable unit set‑aside and that the overlay would allow more units than the underlying Local Business zone normally permits. In the meeting some numbers were discussed inconsistently: the IHZ language presented referenced a 20% minimum affordable set‑aside for 30 years, while during discussion a staff member or participant said '9%' in reference to the affordable units; final affordable percentages and term lengths will be set by the overlay application and by any grant requirements if the project pursues DECD funding.

Commissioners expressed general support for advancing the IHZ application to a formal zone‑change package and public hearing, subject to meeting life‑safety, parking, and remediation requirements. Staff indicated the next step would be submission of a formal overlay zone application and subsequent site‑plan review if the overlay is approved.

What happens next: the project team will prepare a formal overlay application for the commission to review and schedule public hearings; remediation, parking solutions and grant applications to DECD will be part of the subsequent application package.