Former Granby School Could Become 120-Unit Housing Development

GRANBY, CT — The former Kearns School could become a 120-unit housing development under a proposal now before town officials.

Granby selected Hartford-based 7 Summits Construction as the preferred developer for the property at 5 Canton Road. A proposed terms sheet presented to the Board of Selectmen lays out a three-phase project with senior, workforce and market-rate housing.

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The first phase would add 40 senior housing units. The second would include another 40 units of workforce or market-rate housing, and the final phase would bring 40 more senior units to the site.

Each of the first two phases would be expected to open within three years after the necessary approvals and the start of the project. The third phase would follow after the first senior building is occupied and financially stable, with all 120 units expected to be completed within six years.

The development could include between 90,000 and 240,000 square feet of building space and at least 130 parking spaces, according to the proposal presented to selectmen.

The deal offers two possible paths for the property. The developer could buy it from the town for $500,000 when construction financing closes, or enter into a 50-year ground lease for a one-time payment of $1. The lease could include an extension or an option to purchase the site later.

The town would keep the rear portion of the roughly 33.8-acre property. The exact amount of land included in the development still has to be settled.

Instead of traditional property taxes, 7 Summits has proposed making annual payments to Granby equal to 10 percent of the development's gross revenue. The 30-year payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement would not begin until three years after the first residents move in.

The terms sheet is not a final development contract. It gives the developer a framework to begin seeking grants, loans and other financing while signaling that the town supports continued work on the plan.

Town Manager Mike Walsh said the developer would return with a firm financing package before the town negotiates a final agreement. No total project cost or public subsidy amount has been released.

Under the proposal, 7 Summits would be responsible for financing, permits, environmental cleanup, infrastructure work and sewer connection fees. A land development agreement and either a lease or purchase-and-sale contract are targeted for completion by March 31, 2027, although that deadline could be extended by six months.

The project would still require several town approvals, including reviews by the Board of Finance, Board of Selectmen and Planning and Zoning Commission. Voters would also have a say at a special town meeting before any final transfer or long-term lease of the property.

The former elementary school has been closed for years, leaving Granby to decide how to reuse the property. The housing proposal would put the site back into use while adding units aimed in part at older residents and people who work in the area.

For more Northern Connecticut news, follow Patch editor Jay Kenney.