SOUTH WINDSOR, CT — A long-running proposal to bring apartments and renovated retail space to the former Geissler's Supermarket plaza is moving forward again.
Town land-use records show a new application has been filed for the Sullivan Avenue property, calling for 125 apartments, a clubhouse, parking, stormwater improvements and associated utilities.
The Inland Wetlands Agency formally received the application, listed as 26-22W, on Sept. 2. A public hearing is scheduled for Oct. 7, according to the town's pending applications list and legal notice.
The mixed-use project centers on the former Geissler's plaza at 959 Sullivan Ave. Plans call for four residential buildings containing a combined 125 units, along with a separate clubhouse.
Two of the apartment buildings would contain 36 units each. The remaining buildings would have 41 and 12 units.
The new construction would replace the former Hot Leathers building at 1017 Sullivan Ave. Three other buildings within the shopping center would remain and undergo modifications, with approximately 61,000 square feet of commercial space retained.
Geissler's closed its South Windsor supermarket in 2025. The family-owned grocery chain had operated at the plaza for decades.
The redevelopment proposal itself dates back several years. Town records show the Planning and Zoning Commission approved a zone change and general plan of development in June 2021 for 125 apartments and the renovation of 60,740 square feet of commercial space across 959, 1017 and 1079 Sullivan Ave.
That approval included a condition directing the developer to work with the state Department of Transportation on a sidewalk connection between the plaza and Ayers Road. The developer later challenged the condition in court, arguing it depended on action outside the town's control.
The dispute was resolved through an agreement approved in 2023 that replaced the sidewalk condition with a requirement for an ornamental fence along Sullivan Avenue.
The newly filed application represents another required step before construction could begin. The Inland Wetlands Agency has not yet approved the project.
For more Northern Connecticut news, follow Patch editor Jay Kenney.
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