Mansfield Tomorrow, an initiative to improve facilities and services townwide, is asking for the help of students, faculty, staff and all members of the University of Connecticut Storrs community to update the 10-year plan for the town. UConn’s Innovation House Learning Community is leading the initiative to promote the participation of students—who make up over half of Mansfield’s residents—by posting flyers and offering prizes. People that wish to participate can provide opinions on housing, infrastructure and the economy through a short survey to identify preferences and give suggestions.
As UConn’s population increases and it struggles to adequately house the student body, it is increasingly pertinent that community members make their wishes known and suggest solutions that benefit both the UConn community and other residents that depend on Mansfield’s resources.
The Editorial Board has already addressed the problems facing UConn, and more importantly Mansfield as a whole, if UConn’s growth isn’t managed. Pressure on housing, infrastructure and businesses can cause gentrification, greatly reducing the availability and accessibility of resources for not only students, but also regular residents who have a median household income much lower than the Connecticut average. Mansfield has a responsibility to accommodate these residents alongside the UConn student population, especially because of the disparity in resources typically belonging to the two groups.
There already exist some efforts to mitigate these issues. The Standard at Four Corners is currently under construction. It’s located at the intersection of Routes 195 and 44 and has a specific percentage of units reserved for multi-generational families. Additionally, the Mansfield Housing Authority offers 138 units of public housing for low-income families, people with disabilities and elderly members of the community.
Despite this, the burden on the town is heavy, and the stress is showing. Apartment complexes in Mansfield are primarily marketed toward students and rents are steep. Despite recent renovations for some apartment complexes, some residents reported unclean and unsafe conditions at Celeron Square in 2022.
The need for housing is causing the disappearance and rebranding of local businesses that contribute to Mansfield culture. The off-campus property at 134 North Eagleville Road that once held fan-favorite Sgt. Pepperoni, legendary bar and grill Huskies and its adjacent Huskies Tavern has been bought out by the same developer, Landmark Properties, that makes off-campus housing. In that space, Landmark will build a 738-bed apartment complex, again marketed toward students. We are concerned that these apartments will also be extremely expensive, given the pricing for The Standard at Four Corners. Additionally, there is no mention of reserving apartments for families, and it is not difficult to imagine that without special considerations this housing will remain especially undesirable for non-students.
The Editorial Board strongly urges students, faculty and staff to fill out the survey and identify changes that they would like to see in Mansfield. This could include indicating preferences for more restaurants and shops, increased walkability, affordability and housing options. Even though most current UConn students will have graduated by the time the plan is executed, this is an important aspect of shaping the UConn and Mansfield experience for generations of students and community members to come.