From left, brothers Stephen and Jerry Davis of Davis Realty and Lindsey Webber of C.E. Floyd Company photographed at The Bradley Apartments on Bradley Road in Madison under construction on March 16, 2022.

The Bradley Apartments on Bradley Road in Madison under construction on March 16, 2022.

Rendering of The Bradley that shows roof-top spaces with plantings and tall windows that lend an industrial vibe.

The old Tuxis Laundromat sat on the site for decades. The land was sold to Davis Realty in 2009.

MADISON — It was Madison civic leader Jack Davis’s vision to build an apartment building at 110 Bradley Road. Two months after he died in April 2021, construction started and is on schedule to be completed in late summer.

The Bradley is owned by brothers Jerry and Stephen Davis, partners in Davis Realty, Inc.

“He’s all over it,” said Jerry Davis, showing emotion as he talked about his father, the founder of Davis Realty, while standing in the shadow of the 3-story building now wrapped in Tyvek.

He talked about Clippership Row, an apartment building tucked behind E.C. Scranton Memorial Library in downtown Madison, that his parents, Jack and Helen Davis, built.

“They started that in 1978 when there was no such thing as an apartment building in downtown Madison,” he said. “So, this is a vision they had going back, then. So, this is right in line with what they started doing all those years ago.”

And now, Davis Realty’s newest project is the 30-unit apartment complex, 35 feet tall, that sits on the 1.5-acre site at 110-114 Bradley Road. The land was formerly home to Tuxis Laundromat, Artistic Sign Language LLC, Junk-2-Junque and two private residences.

The site plan includes 48 parking spaces, behind the complex, complete with electric vehicle charging stations.

So far, response to the development from residents has been mixed, with both fans and detractors.

William Cauley, who travels Bradley Road often to get downtown said he doesn’t think the building is appropriate for the site.

“It’s too big for the spot that it’s in, and I think once it’s finished that whole Bradley Road there is just going to be a nightmare as far as driving,” said the Madison resident.

Jim Reinhart, who has owned the Wall Street Gallery, down the street from The Bradley, for 40 years, is looking forward to the opening of the complex.

“As a small businessman I am looking forward to having some potential clients right down the street with an empty apartment that needs some pictures framed and hung,” he said.

A recent post of Reinhart’s, on the Madison, CT Facebook page prompted over 300 comments — pro and con. The post had a photo of the construction with a lead-in that read, “In case you haven’t been down Bradley Road lately.”

“I was trying to elicit some feedback. I think I was pretty successful,” he said with a chuckle.

“I love quaint old Madison, of course I do,” he said. “I’ve been here for over 40 years, but I don’t disbelieve in change. Things change.

“Twenty years from now that apartment building is going to be quaint,” he said. “Things evolve, things change. I don’t think we want to turn Madison into a museum.”

Davis Realty purchased the property in 2009 for $1.1 million from George Noewatne, according to land records.

The Davis brothers said that it was always their father’s vision to build an apartment building on that site.

“It was his idea to call it The Bradley,” said Jerry Davis.

“We wished he could have lived to see the construction,” the 62-year-old said. “We were both with him every day in the last two years [of his life].”

“Just coming here, to see the construction every day, would have kept him alive for another five years,” he added. “No question.”

Jerry Davis said they are filling a need for local housing.

“There are not enough places to live in town,” he said. “A lot of people who would like to either move here because they’re employed in the area or people who want to sell their house, but don’t want to leave town.”

Stephen Davis stressed that this area of town, historically, was industrial.

“It was a working part of town,” the 67-year-old said.

The brothers talked about the blacksmith shop that was located on the site over 100 years ago.

“When they were doing sitework they would find an occasional horseshoe and also old glass bottles,” said Jerry Davis.

“When the cement slab of the laundromat was lifted, in one section of the laundromat was a gigantic cache of old iron,” he added. “We had the Madison Historical Society come over and take a whole bunch of things for their collection and George Noewatne, whose father was the blacksmith, came and took some for himself.”

Standing in what will be the parking area, with saws buzzing in the background, Jerry and Stephen Davis talked about the historic nature of the site.

“It’s not just horseshoes,” said Jerry Davis. “There are wagon wheels and old files used on horse hooves and other various wagon parts.”

“This was a working area,” added Stephen Davis.

“Our architects took that into consideration in the design,” Jerry Davis said, referring to Joel Bargmann, principal at Boston’s Bargmann, Hendrie + Archetype, Inc.

“I think a building that has kind of a slightly more industrial feel is right for this spot,” he added.

The exterior of the building will be fiber cement lap siding, a composite material made of sand, cement and cellulose fibers. The Allura USA colors listed in their plans are “Knights Armour,” “Sterling Gray” and “Cool Charcoal.”

The building will have 18 two-bedroom apartments ranging from 940 to 1,150 square feet and 12 one-bedroom apartments ranging from 720 to 1,110 square feet.

Rental prices have yet to be determined, according to the developers.

Jerry Davis talked about who they hope will be attracted to this living environment.

“I hope that there will be families, as well as single people,” he said.

“I think, certainly, commuters would like it because of its train station proximity,” he added. “People who want to be able to maybe have one car because they’re living downtown and they don’t necessarily need two for a couple who might want to live here and people who don’t want to necessarily own a house and have those responsibilities of having home ownership will find it attractive.”

He said the living space will be “luxurious,” with subway tile baths, quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances and luxury vinyl tile (LVT) flooring.

The 590-square-foot lobby will have a package room, fitness room, indoor bike storage and a dog wash for resident dogs. Roof top decks with grills will be open to the residents.

In addition, Jerry Davis will create a historical display with the blacksmithing items.

Madison resident Charlie Shafer is eager to see the finished project.

“I don’t think it’s bad so far, it will be curious to see it all dressed up” he said, referring to the completed building.

“It was funny, because at first I thought, ‘Ah, it’s really big,’ ” Shafer said. “But then I stood and looked at it next to The Hearth and it’s like, ‘It’s fine.’ ”

“When this is done, this is going to be one of those things that two years from now nobody even remembers what it looked like previously,” he said. “Because it will look just fine and honestly if you’re going to put an apartment building somewhere, that’s as good a place as any.”

The Davis brothers are enthusiastic about having C.E. Floyd Company, Inc. on board as the general contractor.

The building site is clean and uncluttered, evidence of the company’s commitment to sustainability.

“Instead of throwing away a 2-by-4 they’re reutilizing it, it’s not just ending up in a rubbish pile,” said Kyle Bopp, senior superintendent of the project.

In the southeast corner are dumpsters dedicated to recyclables. Stephen Davis is proud that 77 percent of the debris ends up in dumpsters — metal, lumber carpet, ceiling tiles, concrete, dry wall, cardboard paper.

The company is in the process of applying for B Corporation certification. As such, they would join other worldwide “companies that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency,” according to bcorporation.net.

Locally, C.E. Floyd was the general contractor on the newly-opened Big Y World Class Market in the Indian River Shops at Clinton and the renovation of the Madison Beach Hotel in 2010.

Nationwide, there are 1,768 companies with B Corp status, including Allbirds, Inc., Arbonne International, Ben and Jerry’s, Eileen Fisher, Inc. and King Arthur Baking Company.

“In general, it is an overhaul of how companies work, especially general contractors,” said Lindsey Webber, brand and impact specialist at C.E. Floyd.

“How we treat our employees, how we treat the environment, how we choose our clients and how we treat our clients,” she added.

For Stephen and Jerry Davis, this is a good fit.

“Our mission and our tag line are “community first,” said Stephen Davis. “Community includes a responsibility for our footprint. That includes environmental responsibility and hiring companies and workforces that treat their own people well, are careful about health and safety.”

As Jerry and Stephen Davis stood in what will be the parking area of The Bradley, they talked about what Madison means to them.

“We were born and raised here and we live here,” Jerry Davis said. “And our business is entirely here.”

“We both lived in other places and came back here,” he said. “I think that says a lot about where our heart is.”

Davis Realty, Inc. 837-12 Boston Post Road, Madison, 203-245-4400, thebradleymadison.com, davisrealtyllc.com.