To revitalize downtown, Bristol is seeking as much as $25 million in state aid.
Mayor Art Ward said the city and the nonprofit Bristol Downtown Development Corp. are looking for between $20 million and $25 million to overhaul the 17-acre mall site in the city’s center.
That includes, he said, $8 million for a possible parking garage.
Ward said that state officials are glad that Bristol is no longer seeking as much as $100 million in aid, which might have been necessary to create the municipal complex envisioned when the city bought the decrepit mall in 2005.
“We’re basically looking for infrastructure money,” Ward said.
This is the first time since Mayor Gerard Couture’s administration left office in 2005 that city leaders have narrowed down how much cash they’re looking for from Hartford.
The mayor said that city officials are meeting Monday with state Department of Economic and Community Development decision-makers to outline plans and get some feedback.
“We’re very excited” to be moving forward, Ward said.
State Rep. Frank Nicastro, a Bristol Democrat, said the new figure for state aid for the project “is more in line with what the governor’s looking at.”
“It’s not an outrageous figure,” Nicastro said.
The downtown corporation is hoping to begin soliciting developers this winter for proposals about what to do with the mall site after the building is demolished. Generally, they expect to see plans that include retail shops, offices and perhaps housing. But details remain scant.
The mall itself, empty since October, is slated to be torn down within weeks.
When the city and state first began talking about aid for Bristol’s downtown, former Gov. John Rowland promised $45 million in assistance to help construct a new Bristol Boys and Girls Club, a field house, a performing arts center and more on the mall site.
But that plan fell apart when skeptical taxpayers rebelled at what appeared to be a skyrocketing price tag. Couture got clobbered at the polls, too, and was replaced by Republican Mayor William Stortz.
Stortz spent two years in office patching up the legal framework for the project and creating th nonprofit to spearhead the mall property’s revitalization. He chose not to seek reelection, opening the door for Ward to take charge.
Ward and Frank Johnson, the head of the BDDC, met recently with DECD Commissioner Joan McDonald to go over the current ideas for downtown.
Ward said she was particularly receptive to the idea of a public-private partnership with a developer to transform the site.
The city is also angling for $2 million in federal aid for downtown through U.S. Rep. John Larson, an East Hartford Democrat whose 1st District includes Bristol.
Ward said that money, if it comes through, could be used to do work on downtown areas outside the confines of the mall site.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
16 comments:
Again the "moving forward...." Someone needs a scriptwriter.
I have to wonder though if redevelopment could get held up if the Democratic leadership tries to wrestle control of the Bonding Commission away from the Governor again?
I find it hard to beleive that any monies would be issued without a plan.
There in lies the problem. The lack of "A PLAN".
At the present rate of progress the city should plant trees on the site so at least in 50 years we could harvest them for the timber.
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the city should plant trees on the site
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Sorry ..... in fifty years , the mall might still be there . :-(
Once again, if you could pull your lame anonymous asses away from the slander blog long enough to emerge into the bright light of day you would know that the demolition is eminent and there is a development plan being worked on.
NO plan can be finalized because no developer is in place but the RFP will specify the type and variety of businesses and residents being sought for downtown. The RFP is in development and should be out by the end of February. Responses will take 60-90 days. Then we will know for sure what is possible.
It is hard to get a commitment for state or federal money without a thorough plan. It is hard to get a committed developer with a solid commitment for funding from the State and feds. It is a collaborative process. It won’t be easy but we are certainly in a better position now than we were ten, three or even two years ago.
Best bet for a lumber harvest would be to harvest all the petrified dead heads that spend their days gurgling up pabulum on their computer keyboards and reveling in the hope of failure for all things Bristol.
Can’t you refocus on hating something worthwhile, like the prospect of another Clinton presidency? UUUGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!
...No matter what vision our city planners have for MOVING FORWARD, no matter how good their ideas...the haters will continue to hate and spew their venom in the hope of failure for all things Bristol...just so they can say "told you so"...can't get more petty or lame than that...
Hey, i didn't vote for ward but I also don't want him to screw it up either but methinks that if the past is any indication, I thought we had heard that the state people did not like when downtown was discussed all over the papers. So why is ward doing it now? doesn't seem like a really good strategy to make friends and influnece (the right) people.
Ideally, the skepticism will give weight to optimism - duh?
Unfortunately Framington Ave. killed downtown and $25 million isn't going to resurrect it. Neither is $2 million in sidewalk improvements.
Art is a master at publicity, for himself.
Yes, logic and common sense dictate that the state DOES NOT want to read about things in the papers.
But, this administration can say they tried, and blame it on the state (and Rell).
Remember, the original 45 million was Rowland talking: it was never acted on by the state.
And, will this largesse be to help certain developers?.
Hope more people pay attention.
Damn .... that was Damn good .... Damn it
2:54 - Damn good too!
1-25 3:48 posting ---
Thank you for solidifying the point of 1-25 1:49's point. No monies can be approved without a plan and no plan can be developed without input from a developer. Sounds like democracy at it best.
Start planting trees, unless of course the site is not contaminated.
Kopsta got us 45 million, Frank can only get us 25 million.
BRING BACK KOSTA!!!!
Kosta got us nothing but empty words from that crook Rowland who knew his governorship was on life support and needed to buy as much support as he could.
Has Rell, who is on her way out too, promised the 25 mill?
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