942 MAIN STREET DEVELOPMENT

The Town of Manchester is requesting proposals from experienced real estate developers interested in executing a transformative downtown project on a key gateway parcel. The Town seeks to select one proposal from a qualified entity or team in keeping with the preferred goals, objectives and uses outlined in this document. Manchester is a forward-thinking community of nearly 60,0000 residents and the commercial, entertainment and residential hub of the east-of-the-river Greater Hartford region. This Request for Proposals outlines important information regarding the site, the context for this project, the qualification documentation and other information to be submitted. The development site includes two adjacent parcels totaling 2.38 acres within a federal Opportunity Zone. The Forest Street lot (1050 Main Street) is a 1.59-acre parcel that occupies a prime downtown location at the corner of Main Street and Forest Street. The lot currently contains 116 parking spaces and can be accessed from driveways on Main Street and Forest Street. The second parcel, 942 Main Street, is a vacant .79 acre property. After purchasing the property, the Town demolished the one-story building in late 2024 in and has since cleared the site in preparation for redevelopment. The site is abutted by a condominium complex to the west, an Army/Navy club across Forest Street to the south, and St. James Catholic Church across St. James Street to the north. Together, the project parcels equate to a full Downtown block on Manchester's iconic Main Street. The site is zoned Central Business District (CBD), a mixed-use district that allows a wide variety of residential and commercial uses. Off-street parking standards and dimensional requirements are extremely permissive and intended to bring about denser urban development.