State 'receptive' to city leaders

By JACKIE MAJERUS
Press Staff
BRISTOL – Setting the stage for future state involvement in the downtown project, Mayor Art Ward and Frank Johnson, chairman of the Bristol Downtown Development Corp. met Friday with Commissioner Joan McDonald of the Department of Economic and Community Development.
"She seemed very receptive," said Ward, who called the session "very constructive" and "very informative."
McDonald and an assistant gave Ward and Johnson some reassurance about the direction the city is going, the mayor said.
"It went very well," said Ward. "It's up for their review now."
The Bristol pair met for about an hour in McDonald's office in Hartford, said Ward.
"It's a public private venture," the mayor said, "and we're looking for state assistance."
Johnson said the fact that there is a new mayor, a new state commissioner and a new entity – the BDDC – overseeing the reuse of the 17-acre, city-owned mall property helped set a tone for looking to the future.
"We didn't have to spend a lot of time talking about what was," said Johnson, who said the meeting was "positive and encouraging."
They outlined the project, said Ward, and answered questions from McDonald and her associate and left the DECD folks with an armload of informational materials about the project.
"I gave the history of the creation of the BDDC, the mission, the fact that everybody's on board," said Ward.
The mayor said they told the state officials about the many public hearings the BDDC held as well as the recent meeting for property "stakeholders."
Johnson told the state officials about how the BDDC worked, said Ward.
The state officials wanted to know how the project fit with the Route 72 extension, said Ward, as well as with the abutting commercial property, the municipal government complex across the street and the city's enterprise zone. They also asked about the community theater, and how it fit into the plan, Ward said.
The theater is tentatively planned for Memorial Boulevard School, said Ward.
Ward said the supporting materials the city provided the DECD also included material on how the city is addressing neighboring areas, such as the West End.
"They seemed to embrace our presentation," said Ward.
Johnson said McDonald was "very positive, very upbeat."
The commissioner said she would confer with others in her department, said Johnson, and follow up with another meeting soon.
The city's assistance agreement with the state includes the mall property, the theater site and the former Chic Miller car dealership on West Street, according to Ward.
Though there has been discussion of using the former auto dealership, Wards said, "The city hasn't made any effort or decision toward that site at this point in time."
Ward said the city has applied for some federal funding through Congressman John Larson's office. He said Larson, an East Hartford Democrat whose district includes Bristol, may be able to help Bristol get as much as $2 million for infrastructure for the mall property and surrounding area.
"We are moving forward," said Ward. "We're seeking all avenues of opportunity."
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com