Reporter Jackie Majerus wrote this:When potential developers come to Bristol later this month, overseers of the downtown mall site want to show them around using an ESPN bus.
Board members of the Bristol Downtown Development Corp., who are in charge of overseeing the 17-acre, city-owned mall property, will play host to visiting developers who come to town March 31 to tour the rubble.
Planner Dick Harrall, who serves as executive director of the BDDC, initially said the interaction with the developers would take about two hours. He said there would be an hour spent at City Hall reviewing the technical aspects of the city's bid process and going over the city's vision for what will ultimately be built there.
After that, they will be taken around the grounds of the mall site. By then the building demolition should be complete, though the site not completely cleared.
But then John Leone, president of the Greater Bristol Chamber of Commerce and a BDDC board member, said the meeting with developers should include a tour of the area.
"It might give 'em a different view," said Leone.
Harrall said they could look into chartering a bus, and Frank Johnson, chairman of the BDDC board, said they should show off Federal Hill.
"Get the ESPN tour bus," said Leone.
Harrall said that would be great, and board members began talking excitedly about showing off ESPN, Lake Compounce and the industrial park on Middle Street.
They're not just selling the downtown site, said Leone, but the whole area.
Board member Jennifer Janelle said the event will be a public meeting.
"There's probably going to be a lot more than just developer candidates," said Janelle, who want to take a ride.
City Councilor Ken Cockayne said the group could use both an ESPN bus and a school bus.
"The public can go on the school bus," said Cockayne.
City Purchasing Agent Roger Rousseau said it's tough to tell how many possible developers will end up answering the city's request for proposals – or how many of them will show up on March 31.
"It's an open invitation," Rousseau said. But he said they should probably plan for 30 to 50 people.
Johnson said it is more important to drive developers past ESPN than to give them a ride on the company bus.
"Let's go first class," said board member Dick Kallenbach. "Get a Dattco bus."
Board member Tom Cosgrove said they should return afterward for coffee.
Leone – who said the tour bus should have a tape playing information about the area – said the tour could have impact.
"It seems kinda hokey," Leone admitted, but he said, "It really does work."
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
18 comments:
What a disgrace.
...Yes, how terribly disgraceful! Imagine, courting perspective developers and encouraging economic growth and development for our city...OHHHH, the shame of it all!!!!
Cheap gimmicks, that's all we have, but Leone makes us sound like fools. Time for him to go away, he's done enough damage to Bristol.
...I don't care if they dress up in clown suits and make balloon animals...if it gets us some fresh blood pumping through our economic veins, I'm all for it. GO BRISTOL!
The disgrace is all the naysayers on this blog. First you complain that nothing is getting done then you complain when someone trys to get creative to promote the area. You add no value to the process. All you contribute is nothing. On second thought we could rent a hot air balloon to tour the site and fill it with naysayer hot air.
I thought that they had eliminated the mayor and the councilmember from the BDDC
I think Cockayne is the liaison to the BDDC, not actually a member of it.
Is Jonathan going to drive?
Is Jonathan still around??
That picture says it all.
Are we ever going to be taken seriously?
Not when we do stuff like this!
...What's wrong with showcasing Bristol to prospective developers? First you bitch because nothing is being done with the mall property, then you bitch because they're trying too hard...Unbelievable!
I wish them the best of luck in their endeavors and I hope the "magic ESPN bus" works it's magic for Bristol.
It is not a matter of doing "something". It is a matter of doing the right thing.
Couture did "something", but was it, or would it have been, the right thing.
Take your time, do it right: it will be here for years.
...2:01, who's to say what's the "right thing?" I don't see any problem with taking potential investors/developers on a bus ride around the city. Bristol's got a lot to be proud of...why not show it off?
The right cthing is something that Bristol will be proud of, something that Bristol people want, and something that will not continue to cost us tax dollars.
It should be self supporting and sustaining, and flexible enough to change as needs dictate.
As long as Ward is able to keep Rosenthal out of the process, Bristol will have a chance.
the developers can ride the espn bus and the public can take the school bus it should be the other way around we the public are footing the bill for this whole thing.
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