The city’s Common Council has agreed to sell a collection of city owned parcels to a developer, moving forward with the second phase of the Berkowitz building construction project. Alderman Robert Smedley said the city had previously entered into an agreement with Douglas Bromfield, Capital Restoration, the parcels of land would be available to purchase provided that the rehabilitation of 610 through 626 Main St. and 49 and 53 Beaver St. was completed. Smedley said because that promise has been kept, the city agreed to sell them the parcels. The sale of the collection of parcels will kick off phase two of the Berkowitz Building project. The 100-year-old Berkowitz Building at 608 Main Street had been empty for years, before it was purchased by the developer. The area will undergo renovation for a mixed-use building and parking space. In 2017, the developer struggled for a bit to find more financial assistance for the project. However, in 2019, Bromfield was able to utilize a combination of private funding, local and state tax credits to fund the construction. The renovation of the building is said to consist of 24 apartments.
http://www.newbritainherald.com/NBH-New+Britain+News/403532/new-britain-sells-parcels-for-65k-moving-forward-with-second-phase-of-berkowitz-building-construction-project-to-bring-parking-more-apartments