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8 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | NOVEMBER 13, 2023 DEAL WATCH The company that builds and installs the critical systems in virtually every type of facility is the same company you can rely on to maintain them. For over over 50 years, our clients have trusted us to deliver end-to-end facilities solutions, so they can focus on their core business. We design, install, and maintain systems in: Industrial, Manufacturing, Commercial, Higher Education, Healthcare, and Pharmaceutical facilities. WE FOCUS ON YOUR FACILITIES— SO YOU CAN FOCUS ON YOUR BUSINESS. 860.871.1111 Toll Free: 800.741.6367 nemsi.com MECHANICAL | ELECTRICAL | PLUMBING | SHEET METAL | BUILDING AUTOMATION | FACILITIES SERVICES License #'s: E1-0125666 S1-302974 P1-203519 F1-10498 SM1-192 MC-1134 Developer proposing massive Amazon facility in Waterbury/Naugatuck gets extra year for due diligence By Michael Puffer mpuffer@hartfordbusiness.com A developer looking to build a massive Amazon distribution facility on a 157.1-acre site in Waterbury and Naugatuck continues to express confidence in the project, but also said it needs an extra year to vet the location and pursue local permits. Pennsylvania-based Bluewater Property Group in May 2022 reached a $2.5 million purchase agreement with Waterbury and Naugatuck for the mostly forested property, on which it proposed to build a warehouse as large as 3 million square feet. The deal gave the developer 18 months for due diligence, a timeline that was set to expire this November. However, the city of Waterbury and town of Naugatuck recently agreed to give Bluewater an additional year for due diligence and permitting. Thomas Hyde, interim director of the Waterbury Development Corp., said while Amazon has walked away from some projects in other states, the e-commerce giant has recently expanded its presence in Connecticut, opening new distribution facilities in Glastonbury and South Windsor. And, both Amazon and Bluewater have shown sustained interest in the Waterbury/Naugatuck site, he said. An Amazon-affiliated company last year paid $4.8 million for an 8.5-acre Naugatuck property abutting the 157.1-acre development site. That property was to be used as an access point, and its purchase seemed to indicate Amazon's commitment. Bluewater has agreed to give the city a $100,000 nonrefundable deposit in exchange for the exten- sion, Hyde said. "Amazon has continued to expand in Connecticut," Hyde said. "We just saw two new distribution facilities open up. They are not walking away from it. We are optimistic the project is going to continue to move forward." Bluewater has proposed a roughly 130-foot-tall, multi-level robotic-sort facility at the Waterbury/Naugatuck Industrial Park that could range up to 3 million square feet. Bluewater Vice President Chris- tina Bernardin said the need for additional time is understandable, given the site's "very challenging" topography that shifts by 250 feet. The company will also need more time to pursue local permitting, she said. "We are super confident about this," Bernardin said. "We are excited about moving forward and think the one year will get us to the finish line. We just require another year to assess it for construction feasibility and to obtain project approvals." RENDERING | CONTRIBUTED A rendering of the Amazon distribution warehouse planned for Waterbury/Naugatuck.