Our work to redevelop Downtown Storrs

In 1999, the Town of Mansfield formed a volunteer committee to look at ways in which the town could support existing businesses, attract new businesses, and expand its commercial tax base. As its work progressed, the committee identified the area just south of the main campus of the University of Connecticut as an area prime for development: The area already had some commercial buildings, infrastructure, the regional high school, the post office, and the town hall all within walking distance of the university.

One challenge with the area was that a great deal of the land belonged to UConn, so Town officials worked to share the vision with university representatives. In 2001, the Town and UConn formalized their efforts and created the Mansfield Downtown Partnership as an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization tasked with overseeing the redevelopment of Downtown Storrs.

In 2003, the Partnership selected LeylandAlliance, LLC through a competitive process to be the master developer of Storrs Center, a new mixed-use development in the heart of Downtown Storrs. The Partnership chose LeylandAlliance due to their experience in mixed-use development and commitment to smart growth practices. Together with their development partner EdR (now part of Greystar), LeylandAlliance developed eight mixed-use buildings with commercial spaces on the first floor and residential units on the upper floors. Storrs Center also includes four commercial buildings, including an automechanic’s shop, a daycare facility, and a grocery store as well as a residential neighborhood, Main Street Homes, which features 42 townhomes and condominium flats.

A key part in the redevelopment of Downtown Storrs was the creation of new zoning regulations to allow mixed-use buildings, shallower setbacks, wider sidewalks, and other features of vibrant, walkable town centers. The Partnership worked with LeylandAlliance to create the “Storrs Center: Special Design District Guidelines,” which double as both design guidelines and zoning regulations. The SC:SDD Guidelines were developed over the course of several years through a public process that began with community charettes and culminated with four nights of public hearings before the Town of Mansfield’s Planning and Zoning Commission. The PZC unanimously approved the new zoning regulations in 2007.

The Partnership and LeylandAlliance also developed an innovative set of sustainability guidelines for the Storrs Center project. The Partnership’s former Planning and Design Committee not only helped to develop the guidelines, but they also used the guidelines to evaluate each phase of development to ensure requirements were met. The guidelines cover topics including:

• Project Siting and Intelligent Land Use

• Improving Site Resource Management

• Conserving Materials and Resources in the Construction Process

• Improving Energy Efficiency

• Enhancing Indoor Environmental Quality

• Creating Healthy, Vital Neighborhoods for Sustainable Living

Read the full set of sustainability guidelines here.

To prepare for the construction of the Storrs Center project, several existing buildings in Downtown Storrs were demolished. These aging buildings were typical of suburban sprawl: one and two-story commercial buildings with surface parking and chronic vacancies. The Partnership worked to assist the existing businesses during the transition, and federal relocation funds were made available to the businesses. Of twenty businesses open at the beginning of construction, eight relocated within Downtown Storrs and an additional nine relocated elsewhere in Mansfield, while one relocated to another town and two businesses closed.

Demolition of existing buildings began in June 2011 and construction of the first phase of Storrs Center began soon after. The first phase opened in 2012 with three buildings. The first two buildings feature commercial spaces on the first floors and rental apartments by The Oaks on the Square on the upper floors. The third building is home to Storrs Automotive, a locally-owned, independent auto mechanic shop that has served Mansfield residents since 1975. From the first phase, The Oaks on the Square have been fully leased. The Oaks now consists of 618 total units which include studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom, market-rate apartments.

Construction of Storrs Center continued in phases through 2016, when the residential neighborhood “Main Street Homes at Storrs Center” was completed. This neighborhood consists of forty-two town homes and condominium flats. Within a year of construction completion, all of the homes had been sold.

The Oaks on the Square and Main Street Homes complement another established downtown residential neighborhood, the Courtyard at Storrs. This condominium community is located on the southern end of downtown, near the Post Office on Charles Smith Way. In total, approximately 1,300 residents enjoy living in Downtown Storrs with easy, walkable access to the great variety of restaurants, services, and shops as well as the Mansfield Community Center, E. O. Smith High School, Mansfield Town Hall, and UConn.

The addition of the new commercial buildings as part of the Storrs Center project has helped to revitalize all of Downtown Storrs. As of January 2020, there are 76 businesses - plus the Partnership - open in the downtown district.

Downtown Storrs is home to a variety of independent businesses as well as national chains and locally-owned franchises. The Partnership and its development team had a goal of creating a vibrant mix of shops, services, and dining. As planning for the project progressed, the recession in 2008 and the rise in online shopping greatly reshaped the retail industry. Like many downtowns, there has been much more interest in services and restaurants than in traditional retail. The Partnership continues to work to retain the great shops it has and to recruit new strong concepts. In the meantime, the area has become a dining destination for residents and visitors alike with over two dozen different eateries offering cuisines for every taste and budget and from all corners of the world.

The Partnership has been able to help attract and maintain a healthy mix of local and national businesses. Downtown Storrs is home to:

• 39 Independently owned businesses

• 13 Franchises, of which 11 are locally-owned

• 11 National businesses

• 6 Regional businesses

• 4 UConn-affiliated businesses and cultural organizations (not including on-campus locations)

• 4 Non-profit organizations (including the Mansfield Downtown Partnership)

As of January 2020, there are four commercial spaces available for new opportunities. Please contact the Partnership with questions about opening a business in Downtown Storrs.

The redevelopment of Downtown Storrs is an investment in the community’s future. The Partnership’s work to oversee the planning and construction of the new Storrs Center buildings and improved public spaces has resulted in a physical structure that will continue to evolve as businesses come and go and residents move in or move on. And, the Partnership’s efforts to offer opportunities for neighbors and friends to meet and interact downtown have helped to strengthen the sense of community in Mansfield, making it an even more attractive place to live, work, learn, and play.