Developer proposes buying city lot behind Cronin Building to support market and apartments

Developer presentation and neighbors' access questions dominated a 6:00 p.m. finance committee meeting as Eric Goodman outlined plans tied to the Cronin Building conversion.

Goodman said his team plans 25 residential apartments in the Cronin Building with the nonprofit New London Public Market on the first floor and wants to buy the adjacent city-owned lot to provide a loading zone and a common trash enclosure. "We're proposing to purchase it from the city, do just that with it, and hopefully that'll complement the market," Goodman said. He told the committee the purchase-sale agreement includes a restriction that the parcel "can never be built on," which the developer said they do not intend to challenge.

Councilors focused on access and existing easements. Victoria Mueller, chairing the finance committee, asked whether abutting property owners would keep the access they've "enjoyed for as long as the city has owned it." Goodman replied his title search found multiple recorded easements and that "all those easements stay in place. We can't get rid of them. We don't want to get rid of them." He and his team said they have discussed shared maintenance and shared trash costs with abutters but that any formal agreement would require ownership of the lot.

Staff and councilors also noted the proposal remains subject to planning and zoning review and that the proposed site plan calls only for low fencing and lighting. Goodman estimated the purchase at appraised value and said the project would spend roughly $100,000'$200,000 on cleanup and improvements beyond the purchase price. The committee took no vote; the matter may appear at a future council meeting or the 7:00 p.m. public hearing referenced by staff.