Metro Center Project Moving Forward In Fairfield

FAIRFIELD, CT — Fairfield's long-awaited Metro Center development is getting closer to fruition. The project was discussed by the first selectwoman during a recent speech and is expected to be considered by town planning officials in February.

"We have a developer ready to put a shovel in the ground at our Metro Center," First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick told local business leaders at the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce 2020 Economic Outlook Breakfast.

The site at 219 Ash Creek Blvd. includes 10 acres of property available for development as well as a conservation easement with lowlands and walking trails near Ash Creek. A former metal foundry, the property has since been razed and remediated, and was purchased by Blackrock Realty LLC in 2001, according to town property records.

Blackrock Realty has plans for mixed development on the site, with up to 350 luxury apartments to be built in phases as the market demands, according to Fairfield Community and Economic Development Director Mark Barnhart. The developer has received wetland approval for the plan, which is set for a hearing before the Town Plan and Zoning Commission early next month, Barnhart said.

The first phase of the project would include a 120-room hotel, a residential building and a building with tenant amenities, according to Barnhart, while the second phase would consist of office space and possibly more residential construction.

Blackrock Realty has commitments for the residential component and was considering two options for the hotel as of mid-January, Barnhart said.

Kupchick said at the chamber breakfast she would work to connect the Metro Center area, near the Black Rock neighborhood in Bridgeport, to Fairfield's downtown.

"I will support revitalizing that corridor with streetscape improvements," she said at the Jan. 16 event.

Among the first selectwoman's other economic priorities for the town are the revitalization of Black Rock Turnpike, the development of the former Exide battery plant, and the modernization of town hall operations for residents and businesses, she said.