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March 23, 2022

New Britain’s former St. Thomas Aquinas High School to be demolished; single-family home development eyed

Photo | City of New Britain The former St. Thomas Aquinas High School in New Britain is being demolished to make way for the potential construction of 11 single-family homes.
By Robert Storace

The former St. Thomas Aquinas High School in New Britain is being demolished to make way for the potential construction of 11 single-family homes, city officials said.

The $2 million demolition is being performed by Wiese Construction and is expected to be completed by the end of April. The building, which sits on 2.2 acres at 74 Kelsey St., is owned by the city of New Britain and city leaders say their goal is to have single family homes built on the site and occupied by 2023.

A homebuilder has not yet been selected for the project, city officials said.

Mayor Erin Stewart said the building, which was last occupied from 1955 to 1999 as a high school, has been a blighted nuisance for the city for decades.

“The evolution of the former St. Thomas Aquinas sight is a landmark example of the block-by-block transformation we are seeing throughout the city,” said Stewart, who is serving in her ninth year as mayor. “We are turning what was once a dangerous blighted eyesore into a site for beautiful single family homes that will provide opportunities for first time homebuyers to move into our great city.”

The property, city officials said, contains hazardous materials, including PCBs and asbestos, which are being separated into piles for disposal out of state.

After demolition is completed, the project will move into the design, site preparation and construction phases. The city hopes construction will begin in June and July.

The total cost of the project is still to be determined, city leaders said. The project will be paid via city funds; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development HOME funds; and funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

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