Wondering about Downtown Storrs?
Downtown Storrs includes the entire area from UConn’s south campus to the Liberty Bank building (1132 Storrs Road) and from the Mansfield Community Center (10 S. Eagleville Road) to Whetten Woods, a Joshua’s Trust property with trail access behind the Main Street Homes as well as at Hope Lutheran Church (62 Dog Lane).
The redevelopment of Downtown Storrs has been a public-private effort first initiated by the Town of Mansfield in 1999. The Town invited the University of Connecticut to partner on the project for two main reasons: 1) the area’s proximity to the main campus and 2) at the time, UConn owned a significant portion of the land identified as ripe for redevelopment. The Town and UConn formed the Mansfield Downtown Partnership in 2001 to oversee the redevelopment efforts. The Town, UConn, and Downtown Partnership comprise the “public” portion while the private developers and property owners represent the “private” piece of the public-private partnership.
All of the commercial, residential, and mixed-use buildings in Downtown Storrs are privately owned, managed, and maintained. Neither the Town of Mansfield, UConn, nor the Partnership own any commercial or residential property in Downtown Storrs.
Commercial leasing in Downtown Storrs is the responsibility of individual property owners. The Partnership helps to connect interested businesses with property owners but is not a part of any lease negotiations.
If you have questions about opening a business in Downtown Storrs or elsewhere in Mansfield, please contact the Partnership today!
As of June 2023, there are 68 businesses and organizations open and operating in Downtown Storrs.
See a full directory of downtown businesses here.
As of June 2023, 51% of the businesses in Downtown Storrs are independently-owned. Fifteen percent are locally-owned franchises. The remaining businesses and organizations are a mix of UConn entities (e.g. UConn Health), national businesses (e.g. Chase Bank), and non-profit organizations (e.g. the Mansfield Downtown Partnership). (Click the image at left to enlarge the pie chart.)
Housing in Downtown Storrs is market-rate and open to everyone. The Oaks on the Square consist of 618 rental apartments owned and operated by Greystar. There are also two neighborhoods consisting of privately-owned town homes and condominiums, the Main Street Homes at Storrs Center and the Courtyard at Storrs. Your local realtor can provide information for these homes as they come to market.
The Partnership has been instrumental in securing state, federal, and private grant funding for the redevelopment of Downtown Storrs. To date, the Partnership has secured over $25 million for planning, public infrastructure, multimodal transportation, and public spaces in Downtown Storrs on behalf of the Town of Mansfield.
The Partnership has received statewide and national recognition for its work on revitalizing Downtown Storrs, including:
2018 Revitalization Award from Windham Region Chamber of Commerce
2016 Award of Excellence: Public Space from CT Main Street Center for Betsy Paterson Square
2015 Finalist for ULI Global Awards of Excellence from Urban Land Institute
2015 Award of Excellence: Planning from CT Main Street Center
2013 Award of Excellence: Economic and Business Development from CT Main Street Center