There are many great things I love about my home area of Storrs, Connecticut. Wonderful schools, wonderful family neighborhoods, and great day trips for amazing budget-friendly family entertainment. Now that it is finally getting cooler, all I can think about is enjoying the great outdoors. The Storrs, CT area offers abundant outdoor, active adventures, all within a day’s drive. (more…)

Storrs is a picturesque area to live, yet offers big city amenities and entertainment just minutes away. One of my favorite things about the Storrs, CT area is that even though I can enjoy a small town atmosphere, wonderful neighborhoods, plenty of space, and unique local flavor, I can also enjoy many different experiences without really having to travel. The Storrs, CT community is ideally located to offer residents many options of entertainment, all within a day’s drive.

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Storrs Ct Festival on the Green

Tom and I love the Mansfield Festival on the Green held in Storrs Ct every year, we get to see so many people we know, the atmosphere is great and we try to have a fun, vibrant booth.  As Realtors and life long residents in this wonderful community we look forward to being a part of many community events throughout the year and this is one of our favorites.

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I love this upcoming weekend! We are one of the sponsors of the Mansfield Downtown Partnership’s  ”Festival on the Green”  which is taking place this Sunday, September 13th from noon to 5PM. 

Festival on the Green Weekend in Storrs, CT

The entire weekend is filled with activities in Storrs CT, and Tom and I will have a booth set up on Sunday at the festival. Look for our banner – “The Burns Real Estate Group”  as we will be  handing out free popcorn and holding a contest with a $100 gift certificate to the winner!  

The festival will be kicking off with a parade and the UConn marching band. Don’t you just love them? I grew up going to every UConn event imaginable and loved it when the UConn band played at  football games. How DO they play and march perfectly like that?  (more…)

$712,500 in Infrastructure Financing from Budget Bill Signed by President Obama for UConn Area Downtown Center 

The town of Mansfield, CT announced substantial funding in the amount of $712,500 has been approved for the Storrs Center Downtown Development. This is yet another important step in moving forward with the first phase of the development.  The appropriation bill signed on Thursday by President Obama was sponsored by Senator Joseph Lieberman and Congressman Joseph Courtney and was initiated by a request from the Town of Mansfield in February 2008.  (more…)

New downtown project enhances quality of life in Connecticut university town.

Storrs / Mansfield is widely known for high quality education and a sought after, relaxed lifestyle with all the cultural, educational and state of the art resources only a university community can offer.  The University of Connecticut has, in recent years, been improved and enhanced with a 20 year state investment known as UConn 2000.  This is important to the UConn area real estate market and  the surrounding communities as property values have not decreased as significantly as some other regions in the country.  Properties are still highly desireable in Storrs Mansfield as well as the surrounding communities and will be  further enhanced as UConn rises to a new level of quality in academics, research and campus infrastructure.  

For many years there has been much discussion about the  lack of a “town center” typical to an area with a large and highly regarded University such as UConn.  Some residents are concerned as they see the town changing and growing while others feel the addition of restaurants, services and amenities will significantly enhance the area that is home to UConn.  We at The Burns Real Estate Group have been excited and pleased to see the plan progress and now look forward to the next phase.

The planning for the development has now progressed to a proposed groundbreaking date for early 2010.   The Mansfield Downtown Partnership has announced The Storrs Center is now actively recruiting businesses, retailers and restauranteurs to move to the new downtown.

Real estate developer Cushman & Wakefield and Live Work Learn Play are spear-heading the “casting process” to find a diverse array of businesses to grow the welcoming and lively atmosphere of Storrs Center. Designed by Leyland Alliance, Storrs Center envisions 150,000 to 200,000 square feet of ground-floor restaurants, cafes, shops and nightlife experiences with an additional 40,000 to 75,000 square feet of second-floor office space adjacent to the University of Connecticut’s main campus on Storrs Road.

Designed to be the center of college town life for the 30,000 students, faculty and staff of the University of Connecticut, Storrs Center is planning up to 800 residential units for the burgeoning housing need in Downtown Mansfield. With a $2.3 billion, 20-year investment in the University of Connecticut’s infrastructure by the state (UConn 2000) and over 200,000 annual visitors to the University’s School of Fine Arts events and venues, Storrs Center’s integrated usage vision makes the new downtown a great place to live, work, learn and play.

We feel that the  positive contribution to this university town’s quality of life will have a positive impact on local real estate .  As a UConn alumni himself, Tom Burns understands that many more alumni and visitors will be enticed to stay and play when they attend their next sporting or fine arts event on campus with more dining, shopping and entertainment options next door to the campus.  With a strong focus on quality,  ”boutique”  type businesses rather than big box companies, the interaction and dynamic feel of the area will be further enhanced.

Check out our Storrs Center page or give us a call at 860.429.2853 to explore how the new commercial and residential real estate opportunities in Storrs Mansfield and the surrounding communities may be a perfect match for you!