As planned, the portion of what was formerly 1700 Asylum Avenue that will become ‘The Residences at Heritage Park’ was sold to Garden Homes, which will develop and then manage the property.

By Ronni Newton

A significant real estate transaction was finalized in West Hartford this week – the next step in the commencement of development of the eastern side of the former UConn campus property – with the $22.7 million sale of just under 15 acres by WeHa Development Group East LLC to West Hartford Developers LLC.

The newly-created entity, West Hartford Developers LLC, is managed by Eli Pechthold, managing director of Garden Homes, a longtime member of the West Hartford 1 LLC Development team. An Affidavit of Interest was filed as part of the application to the Town of West Hartford for establishment of a Special Development District and rezoning, indicating that Garden Homes planned to take over ownership, development, and management of The Residences at Heritage Park sometime this summer, following the approval of the application.

“We are excited about the growing regional presence of Garden Communities CT and look forward to being part of the West Hartford community,” said Pechthold in statement to We-Ha.com.

“Today’s sale of part of the 1700 Asylum Ave. property to our apartment development partner, Garden Homes, clears the way to bring The Residences at Heritage Park to life, giving the people of West Hartford welcoming new apartment homes that will fit the size and scale of the surrounding neighborhood,” Dominic Carpionato, principal of West Hartford 1 LLC, said in a statement provided to We-Ha.com.

The sale was recorded Tuesday, with the Town of West Hartford receiving $56,800 as its share of the conveyance tax.

“The people who live and work in this area have waited a long time for the empty campus to re-emerge in a way that befits the size, scale and natural features of this iconic property and its surrounding neighborhood,” said John Cafasso of Colliers, the broker representing Carpionato of West Hartford 1 LLC. “This is a project that will connect new residences for West Hartford with the existing neighborhood, Trout Brook Trail and ballfields. This will be an iconic, first-class rental community that West Hartford can be proud of.”

In April 2024, the West Hartford Town Council approved, 8-1, an application to establish a Special Development District for the entire 23.787-acre property at 1700 Asylum Avenue. At the same time, 14.866 acres of the northern portion, most of which is currently an 1,100-space parking lot, was rezoned as RMMS (residential multifamily, multistory). The rezoned portion of the property will become the 322-unit multifamily residential development The Residences at Heritage Park – which will include four buildings as well as a community green and a variety of amenities for residents and the public – while the southern portion of that property, which is 8.921 acres, will remain a residential zone R-10, with approved use as ballfields, playground, and associated parking.

Garden Homes, a New Jersey-based company established in 1954, owns more than 55,000 apartment units in nine states, including developments in Simsbury, Hamden, Manchester, Bloomfield, and a brand new property in Trumbull. Pechthold was present at the Town Council meeting in April when the application was approved, and the team indicated that Garden Homes has been looking for an opportunity in West Hartford for a long time and plans not just to develop the apartments but also to be a long-term owner.

A development timeline from Garden Homes is not yet available.

“West Hartford is one of the best places to live in the country, and this sale represents a tremendous vote of confidence in the future of our community,” Mayor Shari Cantor said regarding the ownership transfer of the 14.866 acres. “I am proud that the Town Council included a robust affordability requirement in approving this project, and I expect the proceeds will be an important resource for the owner in the remediation and clean up of the parcel on the western side of Trout Brook Drive.”

Prior to the sale of the 14.866 acres, WeHa Development Group East LLC received approval from Town Planner Todd Dumais for a request to split the 1700 Asylum Avenue lot. The area that has now been sold is now known as 1360 Trout Brook Drive according to the special warranty deed filed with the Town of West Hartford.

The remaining 8.921 acres with the address of 1700 Asylum Avenue, where the ballfields and playground are located, remains under the ownership of WeHa Development Group East LLC.

“This is a very big day for West Hartford, and a major step toward our goal of creating an open, walkable neighborhood village,” Carpionato said. “In the meantime, we continue the stewardship of the ballfields on the remaining portion of the property and work to advance the development of Heritage Park.”

Earlier this month, the Town Plan and Zoning Commission (TPZ), in its capacity as West Hartford’s Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency (IWWA), approved the wetlands application for 1800 Asylum, the western portion of the former UConn campus.

It is expected that WeHa Development Group West LLC will submit the formal application for 1800 Asylum – Heritage Park – for receipt by the Town Council in September. It will then be set for a formal hearing by the Town Council, likely in November.

Plans for 1800 Asylum call for demolition of the remaining buildings from the UConn campus, and construction of 12 buildings of one to four stories, including a total of 211 residential units – reduced from an earlier submission of plans for 247 units on the western side of the development. Residential units include townhomes, apartments, and 90 units of assisted living.

The proposal also includes a 26,488-square-foot organic grocery store, several restaurants, and a destination spa.

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