Newtown, Connecticut enhances infrastructure to attract development - by Betsy Paynter

Betsy Paynter, Newtown EDC

Newtown, CT is seeing development and expansion in most corners of town during this construction season. Located in northern Fairfield County, Newtown is strategically located in western Conn., consisting of 60 square miles of rolling New England landscape. Newtown is a prime location, positioned between Boston and New York City with easy connections off I-84, exits 9, 10, & 11 and intersected by U.S. Rtes. 6 and 25. Newtown provides an ideal business friendly environment and easy-access for most commercial and industrial companies.

Investment is being made with a sewer line extentsion to enhance Newtown’s Hawleyville business district. This area is located off Exit 9 of I-84 and offers prime opportunity for both commercial and industrial development. Newtown’s commitment to advancing the infrastructure in Hawleyville will attract private investment to over 130 acres of available vacant commercial/industrial land. With sewer hook-ups happening later this summer, Newtown’s Hawleyville business district is now on the map offering ideal development opportunities.

Marketed as Newtown’s “Medical Mile,” the corridor along Rte. 6/Mt. Pleasant Rd., in Hawleyville, is the new home of the Maplewood Medical Campus. Maplewood Medical Campus consists of approximately 60,000 s/f of medical office space. Western Connecticut Health Network has secured 15,000 s/f of pediatric medical space which is due to open later this fall. DaVita Dialysis’ Center of Excellence is also a new neighbor, now open and supporting patients throughout the surrounding area. Cushman & Wakefield has information for the remaining available medical space.

Maplewood Senior Living, an assisted living facility, is located next door to the medical campus, creating a community with services. The Woods at Newtown is an award winning, active-adult, luxury apartment-style, single-level residence development located in the Medical Mile neighborhood along with Liberty at Newtown another active adult community next door. This convenient location is attractive to the medical industry with easy connection to surrounding communities.

Newtown’s “Gateway,” off Exit 10 of I-84, along Church Hill Rd., continues to transform. Within the borough of Newtown and Newtown’s central business district, The Shoppes at Lexington Village is creating a beautiful professional and commercial landscape. The site previously was the home of Lexington Gardens, a longtime plant, home decorating and giftware retailer that closed in 2011. Today, seven buildings, consisting of 72,000 s/f of new retail, restaurant and office space are creating a new landscape. Mesa General Contractors of New Milford, Conn. have invested approximately $10+ million into the development which has evolved for the past 18 month. A December grand opening is planned with multiple businesses to open during October and November.

The tenant mix includes Dental Associates and Newtown Savings Bank as anchor tenants within the development. Creating a day and evening destination with the addition of two new restaurants, a day spa, a marketing agency, and more. The Villages of Lexington will connect its parking lot and sidewalks with the neighboring shopping plaza to allow shoppers to walk from one plaza to the other, while enjoying the village atmosphere. You can learn more on the Village’s website at www.villageatlexington.com.

Newtown continues to grow its pedestrian sidewalks, creating a walkable community. Utilizing a $900,000 Department of Transportation grant, Newtown with extend sidewalks within the borough of Newtown, central business district. The sidewalk extension will connect the residents within the borough, along Rte. 25, to the walking trails within the Fairfield Hills Campus. Providing a pedestrian friendly, residential and business community, creating a vibrant and healthy destination is another reason why Newtown is the right choice to run your business or raise your family.

Newtown offers opportunity for developers, businesses and families. We welcome you to learn more about our community of businesses and residents by visiting our website www.newtown.org.

Betsy Paynter is economic development coordinator for the town of Newtown, Conn.