The good news is Connecticut is willing to support a proposal to redevelop two empty hospital buildings into apartments and commerce by helping Newtown gain national historic status for its Fairfield Hills campus. The bad news is the state’s historic preservation office wants a commitment from Newtown to keep all the other vacant former hospital buildings standing on the town’s 180-acre campus for at least five years after the completion of the redevelopment project. The federal credits, which Rosenthal estimated at $10 or $11 million, are what make the developer’s investment possible in World War II-era hospital buildings that have been vacant for decades, leaders said. Without tax credits, Newtown’s deal with WinnDevelopment would be off, and the redevelopment prospects would be as bleak for Kent and Shelton houses as it is for the campus’ other large buildings.
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