Matrix to Buy 13 City Acres on Old Ridgebury Road

The won the bid to buy 13 acres of city land next to Old Ridgebury Road.

Danbury has been trying to sell the land for about a year, but the last deal fell through, so the city put it out to bid in April.

The Matrix, which is located in the former Union Carbide headquarters at 39 Old Ridgebury Road, will own another 13 acres of property nearby once the details of the sale are complete.

Danbury received three bids ranging from $3.2 million to $3.4 million for the land, city council members said Tuesday, and the city picked the low bidder.

"We picked the bid we thought was real," said Paul Rotello, member.

"We wanted quality and a fair price," said Ben Chianese, city council member.

The city was unable to discuss the $3.4 million bid with that bidder, which led council members to question if the bid was real. The middle bid was from the person who previously agreed to buy the land, but didn't meet the terms of that earlier agreement.

"I would like the parcel to remain empty," Rotello said. "I'd like the city to continue owning it, and I'll be voting against this bid. Of the purchasers who came through, I think we're picking the best one. I just think we'll want this land in ten or 15 years."