Groton ― While a date has not been set for Respler Homes to purchase the state-owned Mystic Education Center, Gary O’Connor, an attorney for Respler Homes, said Thursday he expects it will be soon.
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Groton The town said it is giving Respler Homes 30 days to fulfill obligations outlined in the development agreement for the Mystic Education Center or the town will consider terminating the agreement with the developer.
Attorneys for the town and for Respler Homes recently exchanged letters and are at odds over each other’s responsibilities for the proposed redevelopment process outlined in the development agreement for the former Mystic Oral School property.
Respler Homes’ attorney had sent a letter on July 13 requesting that the town file a proposed zoning amendment application for the property “as soon as reasonably possible.” Without a zoning amendment, it said, the developer is at a standstill and cannot finalize its development plan. The attorney claimed the development agreement outlines that the town is responsible for changing its zoning regulations, subject to reasonable conditions and approvals, for the project.
Groton When Jeffrey Respler, developer of Respler Homes, first saw the Mystic Education Center property, he intended to develop apartments in the Mystic Oral School building.
But when he went into the building, constructed in different stages and with small classrooms, along with “nooks and crannies” and hallways, he realized it was not laid out for a simple apartment conversion.
After thinking it over, he came up with the idea to instead create a “New England village” and style the Oral School building as a “Main Street USA,” with shops on the first floor and offices upstairs, and then build apartment units on the site. The 40,000-square-foot Pratt Building could be renovated with tax increment financing money and turned over to the town for recreational and community use by Groton residents.