Norwalk’s Glover Avenue holds the key to a future district

Norwalk’s Glover Avenue runs between the I-95 to Route 7 Connector and the Norwalk River. Across the river are the offices of Merritt 7 along Main Avenue. Building and Land Technology (BLT) is striving to turn what was once a little-known street near the edge of Norwalk into a burgeoning new residential and retail district.

“This building at 300 Glover Ave. is the third building of what we call The Curb,” Ted Ferrarone, BLT co-president, said during a tour of the recently opened and rapidly filling building. “This is about 294 units, we just opened it up and they’re leasing fast, which is great.”

The Curb is focused on providing high-end apartment units for a variety of professionals, but the name emphasizes its pet-friendly nature. With easy access to the Norwalk River Valley Trail, which runs right by the property, on-site grooming facilities in each building and a set of policies designed with pet owners in mind, younger dog owners have gravitated toward the apartments.

“After this, we’re going to work on the second phase of what we call North Seven,” Ferrarone said of BLT’s plans to continue developing the lots they own on both sides of Glover Avenue. “That’s our blanket term for this entire new development. We’ve got hearings coming up in Early June, and we’ve made really good progress in prior hearings.”

Ultimately, Ferrarone indicated, the development will include 1,300 units, including 130 affordable housing units. Public spaces, retail locations that offer essentials and easy access to transportation compose what BLT anticipates as a winning combination.

Undergirding the development are improvements to the Merritt 7 Train Station, which are currently underway and scheduled for completion this year. Not only will the new station serve six cars instead of just four cars along the Danbury Line, but it will also provide a footbridge across the tracks and pedestrian access across the river.

The end goal, according to Ferrarone, is to create a space reminiscent of BLT’s Harbor Point project in Stamford. The total amount of retail is expected to fall between 28,000 and 50,000 square feet.

The apartments in 300 Glover, which is already at 30% capacity, range from $1,940 for studios to $3,690 for two-bedroom corner units that feature a second bathroom. While all units with patios opening onto the courtyard with pool and communal grilling areas are already occupied. Many units with balcony space are still available on upper floors. The east side of the building features views of the lush valley surrounding the Norwalk River, which can also be enjoyed from the building’s gym and playroom.

Off of the courtyard are both office spaces, which allow tenants to “work from home” while still enjoying some separation from their personal space and a well-appointed game room. A smaller theater space equipped with an Xbox brand console and the latest peripherals allows for a community gaming space directly adjacent to a mailroom, which uses state-of-the-art digital locker systems to make receiving shipped goods simple and easy.

Ferrarone said that there is not a single target demographic for The Curb, and that it has thus far attracted a mix of older and younger individuals, including people downsizing from homes in Wilton and former New York City residents. For all interested parties, it represents an area with many of the conveniences of urban living with easy access to major cities, but with a sense of quiet remoteness.