Fairfield Hills Campus has much to offer business tenants and investors

Located immediately off Exit 11 of I-84, in northeastern Fairfield County, the Fairfield Hills Campus in Newtown has much to offer business tenants and investors. The main entrance to the campus is only one minute off the Interstate and is between Connecticut Rtes. 25 and 34. Available public utilities, shared parking areas, a variety of recreational opportunities and vast open spaces combine to make the Fairfield Hills campus a unique and attractive business opportunity. Newtown's beautiful setting combined with the convenience of access is an attraction for investors, businesses, employees and residents alike. The campus is town-owned and offers a range of lease options from building reuse to infill development. The buildings that are available include a complex of five duplexes surrounding an attractive green to larger structures that have unique architectural elements. The variety in the buildings enhances the character of the campus and increases the options for their reuse. The zoning is flexible and provides for uses such as offices, retail space, art gallery, educational or restaurant. The 185-acre campus once contained over one million s/f of building area and is being transformed into a modern, multi tenanted campus where open fields and forested land surround the main campus core. The reuse of certain buildings, removal of others and the new construction combine tastefully in this campus setting. The available infrastructure includes public water and sewers, natural gas, fiber optic and reliable electric service. Municipal uses and private business enterprises will combine on the campus making it function like a small town center within a larger town. Redevelopment at the Fairfield Hills Campus was advanced this past fall by the opening of the Newtown Youth Academy, the opening of a new ball field and the completion of a public walking trail. The Academy, an 86,000 s/f sports and fitness center was the first private development to be completed on the campus. Work is progressing on the renovation of Bridgeport Hall into a municipal office building where the Board of Education administration and several town departments will locate. Greenwich Hall is being demolished to make way for needed parking and landscaping that will enhance the campus. Another parking area should be completed this spring along with the utility upgrades. The design for a new municipal parks and recreation/senior center is underway. The new streetscape elements (lighting, benches, landscaping) combine nicely with the existing and new buildings to provide a cohesive look and feel to the campus. Plans for a new veterinary hospital advanced with the recent lease for Woodbury Hall. This former nursing staff residence will be converted into a state of the art veterinary hospital that will offer specialized surgery and treatment. The campus redevelopment is guided by a master plan and special zoning that provides for quick approval for the reuse of several buildings and provides opportunities for infill development that will reinforce the campus like setting. Additionally, the architecture and character of the preserved buildings will be enhanced by new development. The Newtown Economic Development Commission is excited to promote this unique opportunity and team up with the Fairfield Hills Authority who is charged with overseeing the redevelopment of the campus. The Commission recognizes that the redevelopment at Fairfield Hills has increased Newtown's capacity for economic growth and that the campus redevelopment has opened new opportunities for business development in the community. While Fairfield Hills offers some new opportunities, the Economic Development Commission is hopeful that the economy holds steady enough to allow other ongoing projects in Newtown to be completed and to move some newer projects from the drawing tables to development stage. The Commission is mindful of the stress that the global economy is having on the local economy and continues to support all business growth that will preserve and provide new jobs in the community. Even with the current economic situation, several commercial projects along the South Main St. (Rte. 25) corridor continue to move forward and new businesses have recently opened. Newtown's Economic Development Commission is ready to help businesses to grow locally and to provide assistance to new companies who seek a Newtown location. We are ready to help you get your business up and running as quickly as possible in a Newtown location. A listing of available properties is accessible from the Commission's web site at www.newtown.org. Elizabeth Stocker, AICP is director of planning and community development for the Town of Newtown.