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.

Manchester’s Downtown is in the midst of a positive transformation with millions of dollars in public and private funds over the past five years. While key incremental improvements have come steadily during that time, the Town’s efforts are about to be turbo-charged with a $50 million, 75,000 sf public library project now underway. The project envisioned in this RFP will sit directly across the street from the new library location and is intended to both compliment and benefit from this generational public investment. Downtown is an authentic mixed-use district, the great majority of which was constructed in the late 1890’s and early 1900’s. Existing buildings occupy all or most of the lot area on which they stand and represent a well-preserved collection of Victorian era commercial architecture including Classical Revival, Romanesque, and Queen Anne Revival styles. Main Street runs north and south from I-384 to Routes 6 and 44. The district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Main Street Historic District.

Downtown has endured several shifts in retail activity to other areas of town, first to the Broad Street area with the development of the Manchester Parkade shopping center in the 1960's. The opening of the Buckland Hills Mall in 1989 began the rapid development of the Buckland Hills area into a super regional shopping, entertainment and residential destination. Despite these shifts, Downtown’s access to Interstate 384 and State Routes 6 and 44, its historic significance, unique architecture, central location and flexible zoning regulations have allowed it to continue to remain a viable center of activity in the community. Recent interest in supporting local businesses, downtown living, walkability and vibrant quality of life have burgeoned Downtown as a true center of commerce, culture, and community.

Today, Downtown includes restaurants, specialty retail shops, and financial and personal service offices. Newer businesses including Silk City Coffee, Perennial, Urban Lodge Brewing, and the Firestone Art Studio and Café along with older, established businesses, draw customers both locally and from the surrounding region. The Town-owned-and-operated WORK_SPACE is a unique coworking and meeting space with multiple public art galleries that hosts entrepreneurs and small businesses while driving additional visitors to the area. Downtown sits between two of Manchester’s historic neighborhoods and is served directly by I-384 Exit 4. The district also benefits from CT Transit bus service and currently has over 800 public parking spaces. In 2024 the Downtown area was officially designated by the State of Connecticut as a Cultural District.

In November 2022, Manchester voters overwhelmingly approved a bond referendum for a modern, 21st century public library directly across Main Street from this property at 1041 Main Street and the surrounding area. The current, undersized Mary Cheney Library’s status as an anchor contributed heavily to the decision to ensure the new library remained Downtown, as outlined in the attached Goman & York Economic Impact Analysis. The Town now owns the site and is in the process of demolishing the one-story former bank with work on the new library expected to begin in spring 2025. Additionally, the Town’s planned $20 million dollar streetscape improvement project will result in pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure improvements, additional outdoor dining opportunities and public spaces and amenities in the coming years. The project site will directly and indirectly benefit from these improvements. More information is available here: https://yourvoicemattersmanchesterct.com/downtown-manchester-improvements-project