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Since 1970, Fischel Properties has built and renovated nearly two million square feet of commercial space, with one million square feet currently owned and managed. Our in-house construction team enables us to design and construct environments tailored to tenants' specific needs ... from an entire building to an individual office. Please contact us for your office or retail requirements, built-to-suit or construction management needs.
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IN THE NEWS
Developer Reinvents Former Fairfield Factory
By Genevieve Reilly staff writer Connecticut Post Updated: 07/24/2009
FAIRFIELD -- A downtown property that for decades hosted industrial operations is finding new life as a multifaceted fitness and recreation center.
Developer Harold Fischel, in his latest proposals for the former Fairprene factory site on Mill Plain Road, is asking permission to add a yoga studio and restaurant.
A hearing on Fischel's request to reduce the required parking for both uses will be held Tuesday during the Town Plan and Zoning Commission meeting in McKinley School. The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m.
Fischel has already received zoning approval for a rock-climbing gym, gymnastics studio, squash court, hockey training area and a fitness facility. The restaurant also had won approval last December, according to Assistant Planning Director James Wendt, but has since been downsized.
Wendt said that under a recent zoning regulation change, the TPZ can use its discretion regarding the number of parking spaces required by a multiuse property larger than 100,000 square feet with more than 300 parking spaces.
The former industrial site has 336 parking spaces, and the structure encompasses 125,000 square feet.
According to a letter from Jonathan Eckman from Fischel Properties, the developer has been approached by a yoga instructor who wants to lease a 3,000-square-foot studio in the building. The studio, which would specialize in Bikram-style yoga, would be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., and typical attendance was estimated at 10 students per session. The developer stated that 10 parking spaces should be more than adequate.
The proposed restaurant is being scaled back from 4,100 square feet to 3,600 square feet, according to Eckman. "Due to the continued erosion of the economy since the application was first approved, the restaurateur has been having trouble securing the financing necessary for him to move forward with his plans," according to Eckman, and backers have encouraged him to reduce the restaurant's size.
The restaurant will have 1,800 square feet of patron area that would require 45 parking spaces.
"We believe that with a 336-car parking lot on site, it would be appropriate to reduce the requirement in this instance as well," to 30 parking spaces, Eckman said.
The restaurant and yoga studio would be housed in renovated space in the building.
Fairfield Commercial Center A former industrial site at 85 Mill Plain Road, Fairfield Proposed: n Restaurant, 3,600 square feet n Bikram yoga studio, 3,000 square feet Already approved: n Squash court, 4,930 square feet n Rock climbing, 12,000 square feet n Gymnastics studio, 16,700 square feet n Hockey training center, 6,400 square feet n Fitness facilities, 4,000 square feet.
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