East Hartford’s long-range plan for revitalizing the Silver Lane corridor may be getting a boost from developer Nam Hue 351, which wants to build a three-story apartment building on a vacant tract near Rentschler Field.
Farther east, another developer is proposing to convert part of the former Stop & Stop into a trampoline park.
If the town approves those plans, they’d become the latest signs of progress along East Hartford’s once-thriving commercial and entertainment corridor. Silver Lane began falling out of favor with shoppers and businesses in the ’70s, though, and gradually devolved into a dreary line of failing shops, empty storefronts and trash-strewn vacant lots.
A turnaround began several years ago, though, when Brian Zelman and Avner Krohn announced an ambitious plan to turn the empty Showcase Cinemas site into about 400 market-rate apartments. The town has since spearheaded a redevelopment of the shabby Silver Lane Plaza, and National Development has constructed two mega-warehouses near the western end of Silver Lane that are expected to create 1,000 jobs.
Part of the East Hartford’s long-range plan to restore Silver Lane banks on smaller-scale, less-splashy projects and infill development between successful businesses along the route. Municipal Development Director Eileen Buckheit said Nam Hue 351’s apartment project would be a significant boost.
“This would fill in a gap on Silver Lane along the development corridor from Forbes Street to Main Street. It would be right near the Rentschler entrance, a great place for some housing,” Buckheit said Monday. “And it shows a renewed interest in this corridor
Nam Hue 351 LLC proposes a three-story building at 351 Silver Lane with about 3,400 square feet of ground-floor retail space for a store or quick-service restaurant. The project would include 20 one-bedroom apartments, five studios and 10 two-bedroom units.
The property just east of Warren Drive used to have a deteriorated house that was torn down in 2019, and has stood as an empty lot since then. Nam Hue 351 proposes to put in 67 parking spaces along with landscaping and lighting.
The proposal would create a planned development district for the property, which would allow mixed-use multifamily residential housing.
The project would “serve to encourage the economic development and fiscal health of the community,” the company said in its proposal. “The parcel is in a prime location that affords pedestrian connectivity to the nearby Charter Oak Greenway, Rentschler Field, Pratt & Whitney and Silver Lane’s commercial corridor.”
The developer noted that East Hartford already has sidewalks connecting to the property, and that CT Transit operates bus service along Silver Lane. The developer plans to install bike racks if the project is approved.
At the struggling Charter Oak Mall, the former Stop & Shop supermarket has been vacant since the chain moved out at the start of 2022. Nova Adventure Park is now proposing to remodel the building into an indoor trampoline park.
That would include a playground for toddlers, trampolines, a ropes course, dodgeball, basketball and a foam pit, along with a children’s party room, the company said. Nova has locations in Plymouth, Mass.; Rochester, N.Y.; and Nashua, N.H.
In its request for zoning approval, Nova identified Jai Min Chen of East Lyme as its principal.
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