Key Points
- Wilton’s Planning and Zoning Commission approved minor design modifications to Kimco Realty‘s 168-unit mixed-use redevelopment at 15-21 River Rd.
- Kimco told commissioners it expects to break ground on the project within 90 days.
- Changes include modest building expansions, a larger trash facility, additional entrances and code-required access improvements.
Why It Matters: After years of planning, hearings and redesigns, one of Wilton’s largest redevelopment projects appears poised to move from approvals to active construction, potentially reshaping a key gateway into Wilton Center.
Wilton’s Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) unanimously approved Kimco Realty’s request to make minor modifications to the approved architectural design of the Wilton Campus redevelopment plans at 15-21 River Rd., clearing the way for construction on the long-planned mixed-use project as the developer prepares to begin within the next three months.
During the Monday, Jun. 8 meeting, Kimco Vice President for Development Nick Brown told commissioners that the company anticipated breaking ground on the project within 90 days.
The redevelopment of the property will replace portions of the existing commercial complex with two mixed-use buildings containing 168 apartments, ground-floor retail space and public gathering areas.
The approved changes include five-foot extensions to the footprints of both buildings; a new, larger trash dock for retail tenants; additional building access points closest to River Rd.; and an exterior staircase required by code. Commissioners agreed the revisions were minor enough that they did not require a public hearing.
“Our mandate was to stay as close to the approved design as possible,” Seelan Pather, a principal with Beinfield Architecture, told the commissioners during Kimco’s presentation. “I think we have done that as we completed the construction documents.”
P&Z Vice Chair Mark Ahasic agreed.
“This is just natural design development, design evolution,” he said. “It’s natural that a project like this will change a bit like this, and I don’t think the changes are very significant in nature.”
Code Requirements, Aesthetics Drove Modifications
Pather explained that as he and his firm began drafting the floor layouts for the residential apartments, some of the units “were feeling a bit tight” and the five-foot extensions gave those apartments room to “breathe a little bit.” Because the proposed extensions to both buildings constituted less than a 1% increase in the total square footage of the development, the changes fall within the scope of a minor modification to Kimco’s special permit.
The Beinfield design for Building A, the building located along River Rd., incorporates a larger trash room for the retail spaces on the back side facing away from the street. Pather explained that the original internal trash room was deemed not to be large enough. The updated design will also include an additional external staircase from the swimming pool deck to meet code requirements, and a second street-level entrance to the residential portion at the southern end of the building.
The five-foot extension along one side of Building B, the smaller building located at the back of the property, will be cantilevered — that is, the extension will be an overhang beginning on the second floor.
“There’s not going to be, because of the addition on the back of Building B, any additional removal of trees or slope or anything like that?” commissioner Anthony Cenatiempo asked. “It’s not impacting anything to the rear of the building in terms of the earth back there?”
“No, and that’s specifically why we cantilevered it, to avoid any impact,” Pather explained.
“Ultimately, I Think We’re All Really Proud of the End Result”
Brown told the commissioners that Kimco has had difficulty retaining retail tenants at Wilton Campus due to low demand from local businesses that prefer the adjacent property where the Stop & Shop is located. Kimco has also had difficulty leasing office space due to the post-pandemic trend toward greater emphasis on remote work. In fact, in a separate application that has since been withdrawn, Kimco said that the remaining tenants of the other remaining office building have announced they are leaving, and the building is expected to be empty by year’s end.
Those factors, Brown said, are what drove Kimco to seek to demolish part of the existing buildings and replace them with two multi-story mixed-use buildings with 168 apartments and ground-floor retail spaces. The building closest to River Rd. will also feature a public promenade with a corner plaza. Kimco will allow community events to be held periodically on the new Village Drive that will lead to the site from River Rd.
P&Z approval of Kimco’s special permit application in Nov. 2024 was the culmination of a three-year review process that saw numerous changes to the design and a reduction in the number of median-income units from 16 to three as the result of an oversight on the part of the P&Z subcommittee that drafted the Greater Wilton Center Master Plan zoning overlay.
Following P&Z’s approval, Kimco brought in Beinfield to prepare the detailed architectural drawings that would be used to construct the new buildings. Bozzuto, a Maryland-based real estate firm that develops, builds and manages apartments and condominium/townhouse residences, will undertake the construction.
Recalling the “extremely lengthy and thorough review process” of the special permit application by the Architectural Review Board (ARB) and P&Z, Brown said, “ultimately, I think we’re all really proud of the end result that was designed here in partnership with the town.”
