6 bids for Parkade development in Manchester

Austin Mirmina, Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
·1 min read

May 28—MANCHESTER — The town has received six proposals for development of the 23-acre Broad Street Parkade property, Director of Planning and Economic Development Gary Anderson said.

Anderson said he could not discuss the proposals or name the companies, citing a state statute that exempts town officials from publicly discussing potential real estate transactions.

A Redevelopment Agency subcommittee met on Friday to begin reviewing the proposals. They will make a recommendation to the rest of the agency, which will then recommend a preferred developer to the town's Board of Directors.

A request for proposals was posted in March and called for "high-quality development on the site as soon as possible." Last month, the town held a site visit with three or four development groups who were represented, Anderson had said.

The town initially set May 5 as the deadline for developers to submit a proposal, but decided to extend it to May 26 after two development groups asked for more time.

Only three proposals were submitted during the last RFP process in 2019, when the town chose Easton-based developer Manchester Parkade I LLC. That company is now suing the town for breaching its contract.

Reviewing the new proposals "will be a bigger job than last time, but hopefully a more enjoyable one with some good results," Anderson said.