On Wednesday, the planning and zoning commission recommended that the town sell its 27.38 acres — the bulk of which is the site of a former shopping plaza known as “the dark side” of the Parkade. The purchase price in a development agreement that the board of directors approved last month is $1.7 million. The planned $140 million commercial project calls for 480 apartments, a 120-room hotel, 98,000 square feet of office space and 63,00 square feet of retail space. The development is intended to make the surrounding area – a 148-acre neighborhood now occupied by small businesses — a draw for greater commercial and recreational activity while increasing tax revenue. Last year, on the recommendation of the redevelopment agency, the board of directors voted unanimously to enter into a memo of understanding (MOU) with Manchester Parkade I. The company’s principals are Michael Licamele, owner of a New Milford-based development company, and Harry Freeman, a former economic development leader in Hartford and Windsor.
https://www.courant.com/community/manchester/hc-news-manchester-parkade-sale-20200911-mmrn3bnzj5d7vbwgawlacibxee-story.html