January 18, 2008

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

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Did Ward take his Economic Development Director with him?
If not, why not?

Did he tell the Commissioner that he opposed the BDDC?

Did he tell the Commissioner that he was for the Theater, Boys club, Field House Garage approach?

Seems like Artie has jumped on the bandwagon.

Anonymous said...

Art Ward and Frank Johnson have become excellent mind readers. I wonder if they had the same reading of state officials when they were talking to the state under Couture and Kosta? Word back then was that the state was "impressed" and "on board" with the big Kosta-lot giveaway to the Boys Club.

Anonymous said...

If he says "moving forward" one more time.....

Anonymous said...

What else they gonna say? That the State said get lost?

It is all political posturing.

Lets see what the end result is.

Anonymous said...

...bash, bash, bash...is this the Bristol Blog or an episode of Jerry Springer?...it's a wonder anything positive can happen in Bristol with this kind of mentality...

Anonymous said...

This mentality happens because nothing positive happens in Bristol, and people are sick of political posturing and the backslapping by people who are in it for themselves and have no idea or ability to improve the city.

Anonymous said...

.....this site is nothing but a "feel sorry for me so that I can bitch about someone else" forum for political losers, not nesasarily at the polls either. Get a grasp on yourselves or you will be losing the minimal credibility that still exists, believe me it isn't much.

Anonymous said...

..."nothing positive happens in Bristol"...Well, let's give the new Mayor a shot at it. He seems to be doing a great job so far. It's people like you who have "no idea or ability to improve the city"...its just bash-bash-bash...

Anonymous said...

Johnson explained to the Commissioner how the BDDC works.

I thought that the Commissioner had to approve the cities request to form this Corporation?

Anonymous said...

let's help him to
"move Bristol forward"

Anonymous said...

.....11:38pm - "moving forward", I think that ward's trying to "move forward" with progress in Bristol is the type of "moving forward" movement which will serve the city well in Bristol's "moving forward."
"Moving forward" sure seems like an excellent way to keep Bristol "moving forward."
I have to be "moving forward" to get to work on time but I do hope that as time "moves foward", by the end of the day, you will see how "moving forward" is much more beneficial than not "moving forward."
Have a nice day - "moving forward."

Anonymous said...

Is it "moving forward"? or is it
"moving FOR WARD"?