UPDATE: This article has been updated from its original version.

Taunton Press was located at 63 South Main Street. The Newtown-based publisher published several books such as Fine Woodworking, Fine Homebuilding, Fine Gardening, and more. The business closed and the several thousand square foot office space was left vacant for a few years. That was until Claris Design Build, along with a few other companies, purchased it, and started submitting applications to Newtown’s Planning & Zoning Commission.

The first meeting was April 17, 2025, and the approval came through about two months later on June 5. On October 16, Claris hosted an official groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the repurposing of the site.

The Newtown Bee was invited to tour the in-progress construction site a few weeks ago to learn more about what Claris envisions for the 13-acre property and three buildings within it.

Magda Jankowska, senior architect and lead on the Taunton Press project, said, “We did some feasibility studies on how many apartments we can do.”

Phil Clark, president of Claris, started looking for other partners, like Spinnaker Real Estate, to bring in on this project.

“We decided that … original plan was the two buildings, we’re going to convert them to apartments and then Claris’ headquarters office. After crunching some numbers and having the 13 acres, we basically decided that a third building has to be on site and that’s how we ended up with building C … it’s three stories tall and that’s 42 apartments.”

Kim Uzwiak, project manager at Claris, added that there are 41 apartments between building A and B, the existing structures on site. There are 83 total apartments under construction at Taunton Residences at Deep Brook.

Jankowska offered a bit more history of the property: “Building B … that was built first in the 70s, I believe, and building A was built in [the] 80s … They were built about ten years later. They kept growing. They actually had plans, which we have in our office, for a third building, but that never happened.”

The third building, as detailed in the original plans Jankowska referenced, was actually meant for a different spot than where Claris has put it now. Not only that, this is not Claris’ first time interacting with the buildings at 63 South Main Street.

Uzwiak explained that Taunton employees “vacated during COVID,” and there was a remodel of the HVAC and a big mechanical system, or MEP, upgrade in 2021. Taunton Press hired Claris to do a facelift.

“We were looking at redoing the layout on the second floor of the building,” Jankowska said. “Phil always loved this property.”

This was evident in Clark’s time at P&Z meetings. He told the commission he actually passed on the property a few times because he did not think Claris needed such a large office space.

“Everybody knows the Taunton Press office building,” Clark said at the April 17, 2025 P&Z meeting. “We’ve been by it, been through it, passed on it many times, it’s just too big for us, but something kept drawing us back. Frankly, it’s just a wonderful facility … It’s just a very, I call it, ‘calming’ facility, and I’d really love to figure out a way to be there with my office.”

Uzwiak also discussed the conservation efforts for Deep Brook, which runs through the property.

“We’ve been talking to [Pootatuck Watershed Association] and [Candlewood Valley Trout Unlimited] … Neil Baldino, most specifically, he is always here meeting with us. We’ve met with him multiple times throughout construction talking about working near the brook and keeping construction debris when we were doing major demolition away from the brook. We talked about where to pour concrete and how to get rid of concrete so that it didn’t impact any fish and where we could put fuel in machines — everything you could imagine,” Uzwiak said.

Deep Brook is one of the few trout tributaries in the state. Ashley Blade, assistant property manager with Konover Residential Corporation, said it is one of nine in the state.

Blade added that the original look and feel of Taunton Press is still being used in what Claris is transforming it into.

“[It was] very important to keep the historic … look of the building,” Jankowska said. “We’re staying with the character, original character of the property. We did concentrate on bringing the inside out, especially in this building, you know, where you had the frameless glass … We didn’t really change that, we switched that up to a more efficient glass.”

Uzwiak added that it was important to the town that the building remained a very similar color to what it was in the 70s and 80s. Not only did it stay a similar color, but because of the unique building shape and design, each apartment is pretty much a unique layout between buildings A and B. Jankowska said only four apartments are laid out exactly the same between A and B.

“Everybody’s got a little unique touch to their own space,” Uzwiak said.

Rebecca Marlow, regional manager for Konover, said, “Every apartment has a view because of all the natural, decades-old foliage surrounding the property. No matter what apartment someone chooses, they’re going to have some type of spectacular view. There’s really not a bad one.”

Amenities For Taunton Residences

Blade and Marlowe detailed several amenities that Taunton Residences at Deep Brook will have. There will be a community garden, an idea Clark lifted up during P&Z meetings last year, and so much more.

A dog wash station has been put into building B, as well as a gym and private office spaces for people to do work in. Next to the gym is a golf simulator.

Outside, there will be walking paths throughout the 13 acres, grills for outdoor cooking, a patio space by the brook, fire pits, and pickleball courts. There is in-unit laundry for residents, too.

At this point, the development is 21.69% leased, or 18 apartments. While the project began in October of last year, buildings A and B are slated to be completed by August 15, for a move-in date of September 1. Building C is slated to be completed by December 18, with a move-in date of January 1.

Blade said, “A lot of the people that are leasing are familiar with the history of the building and that’s a huge driver for them … a lot of people that are local or from the surrounding towns.”

Marlowe pointed out that there is a mix of market-rate and affordable units under Connecticut’s Build for CT program.

There has been a lot of excitement towards this project, and Uzwiak thinks some of that has to do with keeping the history of the property alive. Clark hopes to use some of the original design plans for the property as décor throughout to further celebrate and honor Taunton Press’ legacy.

“It’s been a town landmark for decades,” Uzwiak said.

Jankowska stressed that they are, again, keeping the character and this development will not be a “cookie cutter” complex.

“It’s like you’re giving life to history, to rewrite its own history, but you’re not forgetting … the original roots of it. Plus the conservation side. I think sustainability and stuff like that is really important for future forward people … you’re providing housing, plus you’re cherishing a history that locals already love, and you’re also maintaining the standard of progressing in a natural way,” Blade said.

“What I see when I look around,” Marlow began, “is the phrase ‘thoughtfully designed.’”

For more information about the project, go to tauntonapts.com.

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Reporter Sam Cross can be reached at sam@thebee.com.