A group of investors is proposing to renovate a long-abandoned elementary school into a 55-and-over apartment complex.
The Enfield proposal would reuse most of the 48,000-square-foot building that has sat idle since 2017.
Rehabbing and redesigning the former Nathan Hale Elementary School in the town’s Scitico section would yield 39 new apartments, according to NHR LLC.
Chris Marszalek, a partner in the business, gave an informal presentation of their conceptual plan to the planning and zoning commission. That’s a necessary first step before making a formal application to rezone the property as a special development district.
An aerial view showing the Nathan Hale School property in Enfield. (Courtesy of Town of Enfield)
“Myself and three other local residents purchased Nathan Hale recently. Three of us were born and raised in town, we all have businesses in town,” Marszalek told commissioners.
“This is a project we’ve looked at for a while. We’ve already fenced off the area and started doing some cleanout,” he said.
The plan is for 31 one-bedroom apartments of roughly 850 to 900 square feet, and eight studios of 585 to 600 square feet.
“We’re going to remodel the old school and reuse the classrooms basically the way they are,” he said. In addition, contractors will create 10 apartments by dividing the auditorium and gym.
In a written description of the work, NHR said the adaptive reuse would keep the vast majority of the building intact.
“The redevelopment will primarily utilize the existing building footprint, with minimal demolition or new interior construction,” it said. “The development will include designated storage areas for residents requiring additional space, as well as both indoor and outdoor bicycle storage. A centrally located common area at the main entrance will provide shared space for residents.”
The developers hope to begin construction this spring and complete work in 2027.
Lorri DiBattisto, an East Granby engineer helping to design the complex, said the school’s exterior will be remodeled to look less institutional.
“We’re going to change the look of the front of the school. Our goal is to make it look like it belongs in the community,” she said.
Town records list the single-story Nathan Hale buildings as being built in 1962. Enrollments dwindled after 2000, and it was housing just 232 kindergarteners to second-graders in 2017 when it closed.
Neither the town nor the school system wanted the building, and it deteriorated over the years. In 2024 the town sought proposals from developers, saying that it wanted to “continue a vibrant use” of the building and 6-acre property.
A diagram showing the plan for converting the former Nathan Hale School in Enfield into apartments. (Courtesy of Town of Enfield)
“A successful proposal will enhance the (Scitico) village and complement the existing mixture of commercial and residential uses. The site can accommodate a myriad of creative uses. The proposal should be a catalyst for the revitalization of the area.”
It advertised the property as “strategically located 1,250 feet off Route 190 (Hazard Avenue), the primary route linking I-91 to I-84 in north central Connecticut. It has convenient access to Interstate 91 and Route 190.”
Late that year, The Court LLC offered to buy the property to use for a mixed-use development including a sports facility and 32 apartments along with a day care. The company planned to demolish a large section of Nathan Hale and also put up a 27,000-square-foot facility featuring courts for volleyball, basketball and pickleball. But that project never advanced.
