Set in Stone

New Fairfield Development Aims for Empty Nesters and Commuters

by Natalie Keith

When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade, though in the case of the Stone Ridge at Fairfield condominium project in Fairfield, Conn., the project team was handed stone. So it made stone walls.

The 3.5-acre site had an abundance of stone - 11,000 cu. yd. of it was excavated - and it was that same stone that masons on the project used to hand-craft walls that are now a signature feature of the $55 million development. The effort reused 5,000 cu. yd. of stone overall.

"It really lends credence to the name 'Stone Ridge,'" said Dan Root, vice president of construction for TRITEC Residential of East Setauket, N.Y., the project's general contractor.

It so happens that the developer, Stoneridge Partners of Fairfield, Conn., had selected the name prior to the discovery of the large quantity of stone on the site, Root said. But removal of the stone soon became a major project hurdle, not only because there was more than originally anticipated but also because the site borders commercial and residential development on all sides, forcing the project team to ensure that blasting would not disrupt the neighbors.

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The 144,000-sq.-ft. project includes 70 condominiums in a trio of four-story buildings that have one-, two-, and three-bedroom units. The property also has 104 outdoor and 36 underground parking spaces; 45 storage rooms located in the cellars of the buildings; and the $1 million Ridge Club, a 5,000-sq.-ft. facility for residents that includes a business center, fitness center, club room, and outdoor entertaining space.

Construction on the complex began in June 2004. As of early this year, the project team had already finished two buildings - which are partially occupied - and was nearing completion of the third building.

The development came together as an effort to add a new housing option to the mix in Fairfield, a suburban town of 58,000 residents, said Robert Skolnick, who formed Stoneridge Partners with David Small, a partner on several multifamily housing projects in Manhattan. Skolnick said the goal was to create "an urban style of living in a suburban environment" in Fairfield, whose multifamily market primarily features three-story townhouses or garden-style apartments.

"The population is aging and one group of potential buyers is empty nesters," Skolnick said. "The last thing this type of buyer wants is to purchase a three-level home. It doesn't make much sense."

The development is located next to the $300 million Fairfield Metro Center, a mixed-use retail and office complex that is currently under construction, so Stone Ridge is also targeting commuters and young executives as potential buyers.

The condominiums range in price from more than $500,000 for a one-bedroom unit to just under $1 million for a three-bedroom unit. The first building is 90 percent sold, the second 70 percent sold and the third 40 percent sold, Skolnick said.

Under the project's original "New England-style" design, the buildings would have included clapboard siding and sloped roofs. However, the project team revised the design so that the architecture would reflect "a modern interpretation of a brownstone village," said Pat Rose, president of Rose Tiso & Co. of Fairfield, the project's architect.

"We changed the building façade by utilizing limestone and brick in a way that we could break up the façade to resemble individual buildings and neighborhoods," Rose said.

The design uses a wood trim called Fypon to separate the limestone and brick and add depth to the appearance. It also employs brickwork of varying thickness to create quoins and caps over the windows, Rose said.

The streetscape, designed by Abel, Bannison & Butz, a New York-based landscape architect, evokes an urban village setting with a central motor court, old-world lamp posts, paved walkways, trees, and gardens. Hand-laid stone pavers lead into an electronically controlled main gate.

The project team faced an aggressive timetable for completing the work. With the onset of winter looming just months after the start of construction, the team used an exterior bearing wall panelization system, instead of a more typical stick-frame system, to complete the frames of the three structures before winter.

The team also placed shrink wrap around the buildings so that interior work could continue during the cold winter months, Root said.

The buildings include high-end features, such as walnut wood flooring and custom crown, base, and case moldings. The kitchens have 42-in. custom-painted maple cabinetry with Shaker-style doors and countertops finished in Lagos Azul limestone with 2-in. backsplashes.

Skolnick said the interior design features and finishes were carefully planned, in part by conducting focus groups with potential buyers. The focus group participants stressed the importance of ceiling heights, lighting, storage space, and control over heating and cooling systems, Skolnick said.

Partly in response, the units have 10-ft. ceilings, 6-ft. windows, 8-ft. raised-panel interior doors, and individual HVAC units in each apartment.

"A developer should spend money in areas that are important to the end users," Skolnick added.

Key Players

Owner: Stoneridge Partners, Fairfield, Conn.

General Contractor: TRITEC Residential, East Setauket, N.Y.

Architect: Rose Tiso & Co., Fairfield, Conn.

Interior Design: Norma King Designs, Houston

Interior Design (Ridge Club): KL Design, Portland, Ore.

Landscape Architect: Abel, Bannison & Butz Landscape Architects, New York

HVAC: Main Enterprises, Stratford, Conn.

Electrical: Longo Electric, Stratford, Conn.