Image courtesy of Carpionato Group.
The first phase of a million-square-foot town center-style mixed use development in Avon got underway yesterday with a ceremonial groundbreaking.
Representatives from Carpionato Group and other dignitaries gathered to mark the start of construction on phase one of Avon Village Center. The project, which reuses the 97-acre former headquarters campus of the Ensign-Bickford aerospace company on Route 44, will be anchored by a 45,000-square-foot Whole Foods Market. The first phase will consist of 119,000 square feet of retail space in five buildings along new roads, plus medical and office space. Phase one is expected to complete by late fall of next year.
In total, according to the most recent traffic study filed with the town of Avon, the project will cover just over 1 million square feet, including just under 520,000 square feet of retail, around 45,000 square feet of office space, 372 residential units and about 20,000 square feet of arts space. Carpionato received master plan approval from the Avon Town Council for this project in 2015.
“We have worked for many years with the Town of Avon to ensure this gem of land becomes a planned lifestyle center / streetscape development. The project spans 97 acres and includes innovative public spaces including a park and the newly redeveloped Farmington Valley Bikeway. This represents what the town was looking for in the creation of a true town center,” Carpionato Group President and CEO Kelly Coates said in a statement. “Whole Foods is a best-in-class retailer and will provide a key amenity to the project. Many town officials have worked diligently to help us to design a new community experience for the Farmington Valley that will provide memories for generations to come.”
The Avon Village Center includes a number of large and small public gathering places, including a new 15-acre public park, which includes a passive recreation trail system and integration of the Farmington Valley Greenway Trail along historic Nod Brook.
“When my late husband Alfred Carpionato first saw this nearly untouched property, he fell in love with the possibilities of creating something special here,” Sheryl Carpionato, a trustee of Carpionato Group, said in a statement. “He recognized the elements that were here would make for a unique destination. The topography, magnificent views, Nod Brook, Farmington Valley Greenway and the on-site art center all signified a hidden gem to him. We are truly excited to bring his vision and that of the community to fruition.”
