Darien Commons, located in the heart of Noroton Heights, is one of the town’s most transformative mixed-use developments, replacing a dated, car-centric retail center with a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly destination that combines multifamily housing, shopping, services, and dining.

Federal Realty Investment Trust selected Redniss & Mead to help their design team bring this ambitious vision to life.  R&M served as the project land surveyor, civil engineer, and zoning consultant.

This project required a deep understanding of both the regulatory landscape and the physical site conditions. The zoning groundwork had already been laid by a previous property owner, who helped establish the Noroton Heights Business Zone, but further text amendments and refinements were necessary to make the updated vision possible. We worked closely with project attorney Bruce Hill to shepherd those changes through the Planning & Zoning process.

From an engineering standpoint, one of the most significant challenges was stormwater management. The site is adjacent to a flood-prone area along Heights Road, where runoff and street flooding have long been community concerns. In response, we designed a comprehensive stormwater mitigation and flood storage system that not only met local and state requirements, but also improved existing conditions, reducing the risk of flooding for both the project and its neighbors.

The design by Beinfield Architecture balances New England-style design with modern urban elements, creating a walkable village atmosphere just steps from the Noroton Heights train station. The project adds much-needed housing diversity, retail options, and neighborhood vibrancy, while also prioritizing environmental resilience and sustainable site design.
Darien Commons stands as a model for what thoughtful, transit-adjacent development can achieve when supported by strong planning, expert engineering, and collaboration between private and public partners.