New Britain project would add apartments

A New Britain business owner plans 49 apartments on Park Place, the newest of more than a dozen multifamily projects either recently completed or still under way in and around downtown.

Peter Delfino is tearing down a three-family house at the corner of West Main Street and Park, and announced he intends to put up an apartment building with ground-floor retail and offices.

Architectural images show a four-story building with some parking beneath the ground floor. Delfino intends to construct a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments to be leased at market rates.

Delfino plans to have contractors pour the foundation for the new building this summer, and hopes to open in about 16 months or less. He will name it Catarina on the Park in recognition of his mother.

"New Britain is where I grew up, Connecticut is my heart," Delfino said Wednesday. "When we bought that property, my dad and I had a vision to develop that whole corner. It took a lot longer than we thought, but I’ll be so proud and happy for my mom."

Delfino and his late father, Guiseppe, owned parcels along West Main for years. Delfino still manages Mister Joseph's hair salon on the corner, a building that was formerly a Friendly's restaurant. About eight years ago, he bought the vacant three-story house alongside it, and a contractor has been demolishing the house for the past week or two.

The new building will be a gateway to downtown for people coming in on West Main Street, said Mayor Erin Stewart, who called the location the dividing line between downtown and the West End.

"It's an interesting development for Park Place because of the proximity to the New Britain Museum of American Art and Walnut Hill Park," she said. "It will be built into the topography of the land so it will look like only three or four stories from some areas."

The neighborhood already has chiropractic and specialty medical offices, and Delfino's project will fit in well, she said.

"This falls perfectly under what we’ve been talking about with in-fill development, where you’re taking underutilized or vacant properties and using them," she said. "And there's no shortage of people who want to live by the museum and Walnut Hill Park. That area is very attractive to people."

Most of New Britain's recent new housing surge has been concentrated downtown. On Main Street alone, for instance, Jasko Development is adding 107 apartments at The Brit along with first-floor retail and restaurant space, while its second project — The Highrailer — will create another 114 apartments with more commercial and retail space.

Nearby, Amit Lakhotia is undertaking a $17 million conversion of the American Savings bank building into nearly 80 apartments. His plans include adding a third and fourth floor to the two-story building on West Main Street.

Daniel Czyzewski remodeled 222 W. Main St., a five-story building, into apartments with a popular first-floor dining area called The Assembly Room, and now plans another project on Arch Street.

"I’ve been contacted by former New Britain residents who want to come back and move in," Stewart said. "Some people ask ‘at what point does it become too much housing? Well, the demand is so high, the only way to bring prices down is to increase the supply."

Sign up for email newsletters