Fort Trumbull - John Brooks: The Project Manager

The Editorial Board invited participants in the Jan. 28 Fort Trumbull roundtable to write some of their own thoughts about the discussion and what they would like to see happen next. Read the full package here.

The recent interest in development at Fort Trumbull is occurring almost exactly on the 10th anniversary of the project's approval in February 2000. This is a good time to review what the project proposes, what has been accomplished to date, and what the prospects are for development in the foreseeable future.

When the Fort Trumbull Municipal Development Plan (MDP) was approved, the area included 32 acres of shuttered Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) property, a closed oil terminal, a decaying railroad yard, and streets that were in shambles.

No public waterfront access was available. The state was already constructing Fort Trumbull State Park (on 16 acres of the former NUWC site), and Pfizer had already topped off structural steel at what would become Pfizer global research and development headquarters.

The MDP proposed a mix of uses for approximately 30 acres as recommended in the Environmental Impact Evaluation: hotel and residential, office and/or research and development, space for the National Coast Guard Museum, potential recreational facilities, and other complementary development. The MDP as adopted provides a flexible mix of development opportunities. Projects would be constructed by a private developer, and subject to design review, planning and zoning approvals and all other required permits.

Subsequent to the zone changes, several projects received P&Z approvals, including a hotel and an office project. The hotel project was not built, but the office project broke ground in early 2006. Now completed, 1 Chelsea St. is the 88,000 square feet office complex developed by Corcoran Jennison at Chelsea and East streets. It opened early last year, and brought the Coast Guard Research & Development Center, the International Ice Patrol and the Coast Guard Marine Safety Lab to New London. More recently, ABS Consulting, a maritime engineering firm, has moved into the complex. Originally built for the Navy, 1 Chelsea St. required all new mechanicals, roof, interior and site work, including approximately 5 acres of parking and landscaping.

While the Fort Trumbull project was approved nearly a decade ago, legal challenges and the economy stalled progress. As the economy recovers, the New London Development Corp. anticipates there will be interest in residential development first. Hotel development will likely be delayed until there is progress on the Coast Guard museum, as well as a buyer or tenant for the Pfizer property.

In September 2008, the NLDC issued a request for developers at Fort Trumbull, and a month later the stock market began falling and the realities of the recession set in. So it is not surprising that we did not receive any proposals. This past December, the NLDC released another request for developers, and this time got a response from a firm interested in a residential project at Fort Trumbull. The developer's qualification statement is being reviewed by the NLDC, with an expected report due out later this month.

To qualify, a developer will have to prove its project is financially feasible, architecturally attractive, complementary to the city, and be a desirable place for both natives and newcomers to call home. Design and site planning will be developed in concert with the city's P&Z commission, with design review involving the City Council, city staff and the NLDC.

As the economy begins to rebound, and developers are able to step forward, the NLDC looks forward to working with them and with the New London community to ensure that proposed development complements the downtown area and adjacent neighborhoods, providing new residences and jobs for New London.