Storm drain issue stalls Stickney Ave housing project

Plans to transform the dilapidated former Department of Transportation buildings off Stickney Avenue into 80 housing units have been held up because of outstanding questions about the condition and future of major city storm drains running underneath the property. 

The project received approval from the planning board in the spring of 2023 with several requirements, including determining the status and condition of major storm water pipes running under the property within a year. The developer has not done so to the satisfaction of the city engineer, according to a city report, and is asking the planning board to amend its approval so it can move forward with construction.

“The site sits atop some of the oldest and largest storm drain pipes in the city which are crucial to the function of the system in the downtown area,” a city report states. “All engineering comments have yet to be addressed and the project cannot advance to construction phase.”

Project leaders with the developer, Brady Sullivan, did not return requests for comment. The city declined to make someone available for an interview before publication. 

The Stickney Avenue site was a flashpoint for city leaders in the past, when the state sold the five DOT buildings, vacant for 17 years, to Brady Sullivan despite the city’s interest in acquiring it. The property sits between the highway and downtown, just off the end of Storrs street, which the city has visions of extending. 

In the more than a year since plans first got sign off from the planning board, some cosmetic changes have been made to the buildings, including new windows.