David Trachten, Viking Kitchens: “We remain active in multi-family projects. We are wrapping up the Tellus project on Bloomfield Avenue in Bloomfield with Chris Nelson, and doing a townhome project with Chris in Granby. Both projects Chris is building for others. We are also working with AP Construction on a large project in Noroton Heights; with Associated Construction on Hunters Chace townhomes in Litchfield, Blueway Commons apartments in Haddam and a new building at The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp… We worked with Enterprise on a project in Unionville, and I have contracts on my desk for Corbin Phase II in Darien with A Pappajohn, Blueway Commons in Haddam with Associated, The Residence at Fort Trumbull in New London with Callahan Construction and a few others.”
Vagner Poloniato, A&B Painting: Winner of the 2021 Remodeled Home of the Year in Greenwich, Vagner is currently renovating two homes in Greenwich for friends of his remodeled Home of the Year client, and A&B is doing a whole house renovation on Hillspoint Road in Westport. As with a number of other Connecticut builders, Vagner has expanded his contracting business to South Carolina, where he says, “we can’t build them fast enough.”
Chris Nelson, Nelson Construction: “We are building a single family for rent project and contracted work, one 75 rental homes and another 100 homes for rent. Construction costs are up 40% in the last 2 years. A lot of developers are working with investor money until they can flip the projects. Finding carpenters and laborers is a huge issue”
Eric A. Santini, Santini Homes: Eric S. Santini Sr. invented the townhome rental concept in Connecticut back in the 80s, and Santini Living has built several large townhome rental communities with clubhouses in Vernon and Ellington. Now his son, Eric A. Santini, who is current Chairman/President of the HBRA of CT, has approvals for a new 240 unit townhouse apartment community in Tolland.
Bob Wiedenmann, Sunwood Development: Is building 36 townhouse apartments at 88 Woodhouse Avenue in Wallingford. Rents start at $2,300 per month for these 2 bedroom, 2½ bath townhomes.
Jerry Effren (Greyrock Companies) & Clay Fowler (Spinnaker Real Estate Partners): The development partners are building a gated 40 unit rental development, The Cottages at Pepperidge on the Westport side of Norwalk. The age restricted rental development with single floor living is a combination of duplexes and single family detached homes. The partnership built the Cottages at Richards Avenue, 10 duplex homes on Five Mile River in Norwalk, which is fully leased at an average $7,000 per month.
