Map_-_Downtown_Development_Opportunity_-_022223_(1).pdf

This is a Request for Proposals map document prepared by the Town of Manchester, Connecticut, for a downtown redevelopment opportunity. The project involves two adjacent parcels totaling 2.38 acres located at 942 and 1050 Main Street in Manchester's Central Business District, an area zoned for mixed-use development. The Town is soliciting proposals from experienced real estate developers to create a transformative mixed-use urban development that may include multi-story buildings with ground-floor retail and residential or office units. The development site consists of a 1.59-acre lot at Forest Street containing 116 existing parking spaces and a 0.79-acre vacant property that was cleared following demolition in late 2024. The RFP was released on January 29, 2025, with proposals due on April 24, 2025, at 2:00 pm. The Town will evaluate proposals based on development approach, project experience, financial capabilities, proposed structure, management experience, and overall community benefit rather than cost alone.

The Town of Manchester is open to either selling or leasing the property and may offer incentives including tax assessment agreements or reduced purchase or lease prices. A Living Wage Certification requirement applies to bidders, with potential exemptions for nonprofits, smaller employers, and contracts under $25,000. No set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises are explicitly specified. A conceptual economic analysis by Goman+York Advisory Services provides development cost guidance, with one proposal estimating total development costs of $45,909,682 for a 154,988 square foot mixed-use building containing 99 residential units (including 20 affordable units) and 7,750 square feet of commercial space. Desirable project elements include traditional mixed uses, transformative tenants, rideshare and transit amenities, and mixed-income housing with potential affordable components. The site is strategically positioned as a gateway development within a federal Opportunity Zone in Manchester, a community of approximately 60,000 residents.