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Developer updates commission on multiple downtown projects, including 104-unit Center Square phase and new elder‑care plan
Summary
A Carrier representative told the Economic and Community Development Commission that a site plan for 894 Middle Street was approved Feb. 26, Center Square Village will begin phased move‑ins in April, and Carrier is pursuing several downtown projects including a 25‑bed elderly care schematic at the Eagle Federal Building and new residential work at 233 Main Street.
Mister Cobbins, a developer speaking to the Economic and Community Development Commission, gave a multi-project update on Carrier’s downtown work, saying the site plan for 894 Middle Street was approved Feb. 26 and that Carrier must close on or before March 11 to keep its schedule.
“We received a site plan approval last Thursday, February 26, and are currently working on getting a closing,” Mister Cobbins said. He told commissioners phase 1 — the first four buildings — is expected to start construction in late summer or early fall, weather permitting.
Cobbins said the Center Square parcel across the street has been released to a realtor and already has eight leases secured; he said an initial temporary certificate of occupancy is targeted for March 15 with the first round of move‑ins around April 1, and that residential occupancy will be phased in over roughly six weeks. “We’re targeting March 15 for [a temporary CO], with an anticipated April 1 of initial move in date for the first round of tenants,” he said.
He described other projects in design or early construction: exterior facade work and interior storage‑unit conversion at the Funk Building with a goal of completion before year‑end; schematic design for a roughly 25‑bed elderly‑care facility at the Eagle Federal Building, where regulatory requirements from the state could affect the interior schedule; and plans for about 24 new residential units on a vacant lot at 233 Main Street, which Carrier will use as a staging area if the Eagle project faces delays.
Cobbins also said Carrier closed last week on a narrow parcel between Center Street and Main Street (a transaction with Tom Zip) to resolve cross‑easements and utility encumbrances and to provide staging and parking for nearby projects; that acquisition allowed Carrier to expand the 233 Main proposal from about 15 units to 24. He said the company will seek a zone change for 380 Main Street to allow a six‑unit multifamily building and plans to appear before the commission in the coming months for a recommendation to the zoning authority.
On demolition, Cobbins said hazardous‑material abatement at the Jake Miller building is complete and that a demolition permit has been issued. “The abatement is done. All of the hazardous material has been removed. The demolition permit itself has been issued. Once we cut the check, pay the fee … it’s ready to go,” he told commissioners, while noting snow and weather may delay the start.
The commission asked several clarifying questions about unit counts, phasing and regulatory timelines; Cobbins said Carrier is preparing 3‑D renderings of the Main Street corridor and expects to return to the commission in April with additional visuals.
Why it matters: The projects together add dozens of downtown housing units, retail and storage uses and a proposed elder‑care facility — developments that commissioners say will affect parking, staging and downtown foot traffic. The Eagle Federal Building plan in particular could face additional state oversight that would change the interior work schedule.
The commission took no formal vote on the Carrier updates; staff said they will continue to coordinate permitting and will expect more detailed presentations at future meetings, including the promised renderings.
