A Storrs Center Update

Storrs Center Scheduled for Completion in 2016, Fulfilling Vision for a Walkable Main Street Community in Storrs

2016 has ushered in an exciting new year for Storrs Center as the final development components near completion for this acclaimed Main Street community. The manifestation of a vibrant, walkable downtown where

people come together to live, work, and play is revealed in such simple tasks of everyday living as picking up a bottle of milk at the local grocery without getting into your car, enjoying a meal at one of the downtown’s quality restaurants, or joining in the incredible experience of the entire community coming together for the Celebrate Mansfield Festival in the Town Square.

This is Storrs Center.

Construction is expected to be completed in 2016. When finished, the new downtown will include a vibrant Town Square; approximately 170,000 square feet of retail space; 618 apartment homes in The Oaks on the Square; the Nash Zimmer Transportation Center; surface and structured parking for 1300 vehicles; and the “Main Street Homes,” a 42‐home neighborhood that offers a mix of townhomes and condominium flats for sale.

Storrs Center is designed so that many activities of daily living can occur within walking distance. To date, fifty businesses have opened or have signed leases to open, offering everything from a grocery store, health care services, restaurants, shops, a variety of personal and business services, childcare, and automobile repair. Among the newest tenants are Wingstop, Hair Cuttery, The UPS Store, E‐Fix & More, BLiSS, Educational Playcare, Dunkin’ Donuts, and ThinkItDrinkIt, all of which opened in 2015. 2016 tenants include Gansett Wraps, Blaze Pizza, Tea More Café, NICABM, Pearl, Salt, Tang, and Kathmandu Kitchen. A limited number of retail spaces are available for lease.

Storrs Center includes a range of housing types and price levels so that people of diverse backgrounds, ages and incomes can live in the downtown and interact on a daily basis, strengthening the personal and civic bonds essential to an authentic community. Storrs Center includes both rental apartments and for sale townhomes and condominiums. The Oaks on the Square was completed in 2015 and is offering 618 rental homes, including one, two, or three‐bedroom units, all of which are fully‐leased. Main Street Homes is a 42‐home residential neighborhood that includes a variety of townhomes and condominium flats ranging from the mid‐$200’s to the $500’s. With 70% of these homes already sold, the remainder of the homes are expected to be purchased before construction is completed by the end of the year. Residents will begin moving into the first homes this month.

Storrs Center is located within walking distance of transit stops, permitting public transit to become a viable alternative to the automobile. With the addition of the Nash‐Zimmer Center, alternative modes of transportation such as bus and bicycle transportation became more convenient and new routes both locally and regionally became readily available.

Storrs Center enhances concentrations of civic, institutional, and commercial activity within the community. Storrs Center includes a variety of retail, office, service, and residential offerings within the new downtown and connects seamlessly with the Mansfield Town Hall, the Community Center, E.O. Smith High School, the Post Office, and the University of Connecticut.

Storrs Center is framed by architecture and landscape design that celebrates local history, climate, ecology, and building practices. Special Design District Design Guidelines for Storrs Center ensure that the closely knit community of streetscapes, buildings, and site improvements are based upon time‐tested urban design and architectural design concepts. All buildings work together to create a well‐defined sense of place and a coherent, livable public realm with an enduring appeal to people. The Storrs Center Sustainability Guidelines ensure that Storrs Center is developed using intelligent land use guidelines, improving site resource management, conserving materials and resources in the construction process, improving energy efficiency, enhancing indoor environmental quality and creating a healthy, vital neighborhood for sustainable living.

A vibrant, walkable downtown where people come together to live, work, and play at the crossroads of the Town of Mansfield and the University of Connecticut – this is Storrs Center.