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Silverman Group mulls 540-unit housing expansion in Connecticut
Proposal would add to the former The Hartford headquarters
New Jersey developer Silverman Group is considering a significant expansion of The Ridge at Talcott Mountain in Simsbury, Connecticut.
The current complex, built on the former site of The Hartford’s headquarters, is composed of more than 170 townhouses and apartments. The proposed expansion would add over 500 new apartments and houses to the development, the Hartford Courant reported.
The Silverman Group’s plan, known as The Ridge at Talcott Mountain – South, focuses on rental housing and includes 448 new apartments. In addition, the company intends to build 70 one-family houses and 11 duplexes with22 separate units.
The expansion project was presented to town planners at a meeting Wednesday at Simsbury’s town hall. Although the presentation is informal, no permit requests or zoning applications have been filed yet.
The Silverman Group began transforming the area at Hopmeadow Street near Old Canal Way after acquiring the 172-acre property for $8.5 million in 2015. The company demolished more than 600,000 square feet of office buildings that was once home to 1,500 employees of the insurance giant.
The existing Ridge at Talcott Mountain development at the site currently offers apartments and townhouses, marketed as upscale mountain living. The two-bedroom apartments, with amenities such as balconies or patios and stainless steel appliances, are currently listed at $2,170 to $2,600. The complex features a pool, conference room, yoga studio, fitness center, game room, and a dog run.
Conceptual documents filed by the Silverman Group with the town suggest plans for an outdoor pool, a community building, and an open space section within the expanded development.
The proposed expansion includes 14 three-story buildings, each containing 32 apartments of varying sizes, and 70 single-family homes in the northern and southeastern sections of the property.
The Silverman Group’s initial proposal in 2015 included retail and commercial spaces, but the residential component at The Ridge at Talcott Mountain proved to be more successful. The company reported less interest in the other spaces, leading to their exclusion from the expansion plans.
Housing in Connecticut, particularly in Simsbury, has been an issue.
Earlier this month, Simsbury homeowner Dylan Gagne filed a suit alleging that a town commission illegally approved a 64-unit multi-family housing development by New York City-based company Vessel, CTInsider reported.
Vessel is already entangled in legal disputes with at least two other Connecticut towns — Glastonbury and Rocky Hill — that have also rejected the company’s requests for housing projects.
The Simsbury Zoning Commission already denied Vessel’s proposal, which the company’s CEO, Neil Rubler, said the company will appeal in Superior Court if a settlement isn’t reached.
— Ted Glanzer