A local developer hopes to bring commercial opportunities to the corner of Bridgeport Avenue and Constitution Boulevard West in Shelton, Conn., a site that is presently under construction.
The developer, 22-24 Constitutional Blvd. LLC, seeks a zone change on 4 acres fronting Bridgeport Avenue, the under-construction Constitution Boulevard West and Blacks Hill Road, to a fully Commercial CB-2 site.
Currently, the vacant property is split zoned into CB-2, Residence R-1 District and Restricted Business District, the Shelton Herald reported Oct. 3.
The development's plans have been filed with the Shelton Planning and Zoning Commission, which will open a public hearing at a future meeting.
"The site is currently the ‘missing tooth' of the commercial corridor as a gap between the abutting commercial zones," the application read. "The site's current zoning stands out as one of the few breaks in the entire Bridgeport Avenue commercial corridor. This application rectifies this mistake while the physical features of the site, including the abutting roadways and wetlands, will ensure appropriate buffering to the surrounding area."
The registered agent for 22-24 Constitutional Blvd. LLC, is Fairfield, Conn., developer Alfonso Cammarota Jr.
The CB-2 requires a minimum lot area of 15,000 sq. ft. and 80 ft. or more due to its location on a public street. The property in question satisfies both requirements, with nearly 174,000 sq. ft. of lot size and 338 ft. fronting Bridgeport Avenue.
The application further states that wetlands exist between the area for commercial development and nearby residential homes.
Project to Develop Property, Relieve Downtown Traffic
Work on Constitution Boulevard West began again in earnest this past summer when the city finally received the required state permits.
John J. Brennan Construction Co., located in Shelton, is the contractor charged with completing the work.
Phase one of the development project, which includes construction from Bridgeport Avenue to the nearly 76 acres known as the Mas property, is expected to be completed by next spring 2026. Work on phase two — the internal roads within that property — is continuing.
The Constitution Boulevard West extension, until recently only a concept, will allow development of the landlocked Mas property, the Herald noted. Shelton municipal officials have already agreed to sell portions of the land to various companies, including Bigelow Tea.
The first two phases of road development also are a step toward connecting Shelton Avenue to Connecticut Highway 8, which is expected to relieve traffic downtown and in Huntington Center.
The city initially received $5 million from the state to complete the project's first phase, which calls for the connection from Bridgeport Avenue, including the lowering of Cots Street by eight to 10 ft. to meet the avenue, to the Mas property.
Construction first got under way in 2023, and Bridgeport Avenue was roughed out when work came to a halt that same year as the city waited for state officials in Hartford to sign off on the necessary permits.
"It has been a nightmare," Mayor Mark Lauretti told the Shelton news source in July.
Necessary state permits entered an administrative logjam, he explained, and it was during this forced hiatus that the city learned it had to buy the state right of way along Bridgeport Avenue where the city was to break through to connect the roadway.
As a result, Shelton purchased the strip of land, which was leveled, for $876,000.
The city also received a $1.6 million state grant to pay for the completion of the road work inside the Mas property, part of the project's second phase.
Lauretti believes the $6.6 million in total state grants should cover most — if not all — of the proposed road construction. He told the Herald that he plans to seek more state funding for this major development project as well.
He began the push to develop the property four years ago and expects it to bring long-term financial benefits to the city.
"The initial benefit is the sale of the land," Lauretti said. "We paid $600,000 [in 1996] for the land, and it is probably going to bring in $6 million."
But the land's eventual sale price is a minor part of the picture, he continued, adding that the more important thing is the tax revenue that the development will bring in over the next 40 years.
While the city bought the Mas property from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) almost three decades ago, it was not until about three years ago that Lauretti presented a vision to the Shelton Planning and Zoning Commission for developing the site into a manufacturing hub for the region.
The price for the land ranges from $85,000 to $125,000 per acre to various groups for use in industrial and retail capacities, he said.
