Naugatuck's Downtown Development

Naugatuck recently won a six million dollar Connecticut Community Challenge Grant to help complete the revamping of Downtown Naugatuck. Here’s what to look for in the downtown area as we move forward in 2023 and into 2024: 

1. The Borough is using Federal ARPA funding to improve infrastructure in the downtown  area to accommodate our new construction projects and to remedy existing problems.  Storm water pipes, sanitary sewers and other utilities are being upgraded. In addition,  Church Street and Maple Street are being repaved and upgraded to the status of “complete streets”. The overall character and appearance of downtown will be  upgraded significantly. This project will commence later in the year and extend into  2024.

2. National Developers Pennrose and the Cloud Company have been selected by the  Borough as the developers for Parcel B (the vacant parking lot on Old Firehouse Road).  The site plan for Parcel B together with the new street alignment is shown in the  diagrams attached hereto. Construction of the first phase of Parcel B will begin in late  2023 or 2024. Parcel B will be developed in 3 phases as a mixed use, transit oriented  development project. The focus will be on residential tenants who can utilize public  transportation. The units are limited to one and two bedroom units. Additional people  living in the downtown area significantly improves our demographics and makes  Naugatuck more attractive to new stores and other businesses. 

3. The State of Connecticut is currently designing the relocation of our existing Waterbury  Branch Line train platform from its current location to the center of Parcel B. The State  is also building a new train station on Parcel B and they are also extending Water Street into Parcel B and back out to Old Firehouse Road. These projects are funded entirely by the State of Connecticut. The State design is currently underway and the funding has  been approved. Construction should be underway in 2024. 

4. The Borough has selected Corvus Capital as the developer for Parcel A – (The Naugatuck Event Center) to construct a 270 unit market rate, apartment complex with a  commercial component in order to bring additional vibrancy to our downtown. The  units are limited to one and two bedroom apartments. Renters with more disposable  income will enhance our demographics by shopping downtown and utilizing our  restaurants. The Waterbury Branch Line which now has 22 trains per day will also attract more tenants. The investment into the building by Corvus Capital will be in excess of 75 million dollars and construction is expected to commence in 2023. 

5. The Connecticut Community Challenge Grant award to the Borough will allow for us to  pay for the extension of Water Street from the center of Parcel B to Rubber Avenue and  along the Event Center to the intersection of Rubber Avenue and Old Firehouse Road.  See the attached road alignment diagram. The Connecticut Community Challenge grant  will also pay for the revamping of Old Firehouse Road in order for all downtown streets  to conform to the complete streets format. Bike paths, upgraded alleyways and other  street enhancements for the project will also be completed. The Connecticut  Community Challenge grant will also pay for other finishing touches on Parcel B. These  improvements will coincide with the development of Parcel B as well as the rest of the  downtown area. 

6. Also commencing in 2023 will be the Rubber Avenue upgrade project which is funded by  the State of Connecticut through the LOTCIP program. A total upgrade to Rubber Avenue will begin later this year. The State is paying for all of the upgrades. We will also  be selling the old Recycling Center on Rubber Avenue, the Street Department office and Ambulance Building as well as the Street Department building near the High School in  order to add new businesses to the grand list. The Street Department and Ambulance  Building will join the Recycling Center at the former Risdon site. The Street Department  relocation project will not commence until we receive State or Federal funding. Rubber  Avenue and other parts of downtown will also have a façade improvement program and  the entire character of the roadway will be upgraded significantly. Rubber Avenue is the  gateway to our newly renovated high school and it is due for a major facelift.

7. We acquired ownership of the 86 acre former Uniroyal Chemical site in 2022 and we are  currently designing an industrial subdivision for the site. These new parcels will add jobs  and create new revenue for the Borough. Construction may start in 2023 or early 2024  and this project will continue for many years.