NORWICH — A representative from Electric Boat toured the new Lofts at Ponemah Mills on Friday, eyeing the massive apartment complex as possible future housing for employees.
Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, hosted the tour hoping to promote Ponemah Mills to EB, which hopes to hire thousands of employees over the next several years to build submarines in Groton.
"I went down to EB and asked what they needed," Osten said. "Housing has been a big issue ... and here we have this beautiful old mill that Norwich can take advantage of. This is a great place that can provide the housing Electric Boat would need. We want these workers to move here, stay here and get engaged in the community."
Amenities like a community room with wet bar, a state-of-the-art fitness center, steam room, game room and theater room greeted Osten and Maura Dunn, the vice president of human resources and administration at Electric Boat, who marveled at the soaring exposed ceilings and historical details unique to each apartment home.
"This is incredible," Dunn said. "Who wouldn't want to live here? There's so much natural light, a lot of closet space. It's well-insulated."
With the federal government ready to spend more on the military, Osten is urging Connecticut to do what it can to support its defense contractors like EB. Her plan is to introduce legislation when the General Assembly begins Feb. 7 that proposes investing $150 million in state aid over 10 years for job training and infrastructure needs at EB.
EB is the primary builder of submarines for the U.S. Navy and is proposing to hire between 15,000 and 20,000 new employees by 2030. The company is the prime contractor for the Columbia-class submarine program, a fleet of 12 new ballistic missile submarines that will replace the current fleet, which were built in the 1980s and 1990s.
"A lot of the younger engineers want to have a roommate in the beginning," Dunn said. "These spaces are great for that. What an incredible place. It has all of the amentities. "
Finbar O'Neill, the director of operations of Onekey, LLC, the New Jersey-based developer of Ponemah, said there are plans for a kayak launch and pet area.
"We're hopefully going to be able to have the kayak launch area by the end of springtime," said O'Neill, who was part of Friday's tour.
Added Osten: "My heart is on the Shetucket (River). There's a lot they would have access to — walking, biking, running ... everything an energetic 20- to 30-year-old is all about."
More than 10 years in the making, the three-phase Ponemah Mills project to transform the massive 450,000 square-foot former textile mill complex on Route 12 in Taftville is expected to cost nearly $100 million when completed.
The first phase with 116 apartments was completed in late November and cost about $30 million, including a $14 million financing package from the state. As of Friday, 25 people had moved into the finished apartments, with a total of 46 people expected to be moved in by mid-February.
This week, Onekey LLC announced it received the commitment letter for a construction mortgage from the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority for the 121-unit second phase, Onekey said in a news release Tuesday.
The second phase would complete the renovation of the 313,000-square-foot mill building on the north end of the complex. Amenities for the project include an outdoor grilling with fire pit, picnic area, art museum and laundry in each unit.
Touted as a "piece of history redesigned for modern luxury living," Ponemah Mills features a variety of floor plans and square footage. Apartments include shaker-style cabinetry, granite countertops with breakfast bars, stainless steel appliances, ceramic tyle, wide-plank flooring and central air/heating.
Many of the homes highlight exposed beams and wood accents original to the mill that dates from 1866 and spans five buildings along the Shetucket River. It was once the world's second largest cotton mill.
"We really worked with the original beams," O'Neill said. "We worked with the property, worked with the structure."