A former movie theater on the downtown mall site, which most recently housed a paint store, is likely to be torn down by mid-summer.
“It’s another step forward for the development of the 17 acres,” Mayor Art Ward said.
The city recently received bids for knocking down the building and prettying up the site after the rubble is cleared away.
Nine companies sought on the job, but Bristol’s Carpenter Construction offered the low bid at $84,950, about $75,000 cheaper than the highest bid.
City Purchasing Agent Roger Rousseau said the City Council will consider next week whether to accept Carpenter’s bid.
Rousseau said that demolition work on the building would begin after June 1 and must be done by August 15.
He said that landscaping at the crucial downtown corner will be done in the fall, when trees and grass have a better chance to flourish.
When the work is done, Ward said, the goal is to beautify the corner “so it’s not a sore thumb.”
The mayor said that after the former theater is removed, only the privately owned McDonald’s restaurant will remain on the southern end of the mall site.
On the northern end of the city-owned site, the Discount Food Outlet grocery store remains busy. Officials have said they’ll let it stay open until they’re ready to do something with the site.
There is also a privately owned Dunkin’ Donuts just north of the grocery store.
Ward said that any developer will work with the doughnut shop and McDonald’s to make sure they’re included in a revitalization project. He said they won’t pose a problem.
Getting the movie theater building “out of the way,” the mayor said, will clear up the site for development when better economic times return.
Ward said the city has to make sure it’s ready to act when the sluggish economy turns around again in a year or two.
Bus stop to be moved
A bus stop located beside the former movie theater building is going to be relocated about 75 yards to the west on Riverside Avenue.
City Purchasing Agent Roger Rousseau said the bus shelter is going to be taken down and stored for future use.
The stop itself will be marked only by a sign when it is shifted to the new location just down from McDonald’s, Rousseau said.
The change is needed, he said, to make sure bus passengers are safe while the demolition is taking place.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
24 comments:
JUST KEEP SPENDING.
Steve,
Can you find out how the City plans to pay for this work? From the budget or bonding? In these economic times, where the City has a budget deficit, this would be nice to know.
Steve, it would be nice to know just what kind of deficit the city will have for this fiscal year.
Knowing Ward he promised Carpenter the job as long as Carpenter gives to his fund-raisers.
How expensive can it be to knock down a building?
For the life of me I cannot understand why the City would want to "beautify" that corner of the mall propery with landscaping. In my estimation it's pouring more money down the drain when the property is going to be developed and the trees/shrubs/grass will just be torn up during construction.
SAVE BRISTOL CINEMA 1 AND 2 NOW!!!
I'LL HAVE PETITIONS ON THE COUNTER OF THE ICE
CREAM SHOP! LOL.
SELL THE BUILDING TO ME FOR $ 1.00 AND GIVE ME A $ 40,000 GRANT AND I'LL BRING IT BACK TO ITS FORMER GLORY....FIRE TRAIN ARCADE GAME AND ALL! WE'LL SHOW ARTHOUSE FILMS FOR $ 2.50 EACH SEAT.
COME ON MAYOR WARD, WHAT DO YOU THINK
At this point, officials say they will end the fiscal year in the black. There won't be much of a surplus, they say, but they won't finish the fiscal year in the hole. The new fiscal year starts July 1.
6:26
Steve,
Is ittrue that they took abot 2.5 mill, maybe more, out of the fund balance for the current budget?
DO IT NOW WHILE IT IS CHEAP
Steve - Can you find out the balance in the "rainy day" fund? How much of this contingency money is sitting there while they talk about the possibility of raising taxes in the next budget year?
I think it is unrealistic to ask the unions to give back their raises when there are capital improvement projects (that could easily wait) all around town being funded and completed with full or partial general fund taypayers money. This is an untimely press release. The city wants my hard earned and negotiated raise to keep George Carpenetr's crew working? I don't think so. My union consession vote is "No"!
Interesting ..... When the city decides to distroy one of it's own buildings they publicise it .
When the city decides to distroy a TAXPAYERS building they do so without notice OR court approval .
The city's rainy day fund has about $17 million in it -- or about 10 percent of its budget.
It is NOT TRUE that the city took $2.5 million for its current budget. However, it is planning to take that much for next year's budget in order to hold down taxes.
As for the question about where the $85K is coming from, I'm not sure. I'll ask about that.
GOD BLESS GEORGE CARPENTER !!!!
I saw GhostBusters 7 times in this building. What a shame to see it torn down gone forever. Alot of fond memories.
I also agree asking city employees to give back cause of the times but to have money to spend on somthing that really doenst need to be done now is pretty ironic.
I've been told that there is 2.5 mill in the current budget.
Where did you get your information from?
More parking for trailers.
4:35, so maybe you can upgrade your family to a double-wide and get your only tooth fixed, I heard that wood is in.
How about since this. Since this city is so fond of funding studies, we generate a study of every working household in Bristol. We average the deductibles and the co-pays for the "average bristol resident." When the union re-negotiates their contract, forget about the salaries (for the most part) offer them what the average Bristol resident is using for insurance. Nothing more, nothing less. This alone would save this town millions and it is absolutely being fair. I am not anti or pro union, they have their pros and cons, but when it concerns a union funded by the taxpayer, why is it unfair to ask what we get as an average? I would even be willing to go a step better for them than the average taxpayer and it would still save this town (well maybe millions over the course of retirement) but surely hundreds of thousands of dollars. That would be a study worth paying for that would give this town something back providing you can keep them from spending it.
THE CONTRACTOR BUILDING ON THE SITE COULD USE THAT BUILDING FOR OFFICES OR STORAGE WHY SHOULD WE SPEND MORE MONEY. THESE POLITIANS HAVENT A CLUE WHAT IS GOING ON . JUST KEEP SPENDING BOYS. TIME TO GET REAL GOVERMENT IN BRISTOL. OR SOME EDUCATED PEOPLE IN OFFICE OR AT LEAST SOME MATH SKILLS.
saw GhostBusters 7 times in this building. What a shame to see it torn down gone forever. Alot of fond memories.
May 7, 2009 11:46 AM
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I recall the evening I took a young lady there to view the infamous film Deep Throat . A few fond memories for me also . ;-)
will Art Ward and Leone throw another demolition party? it's been hours since Ward's last photo op.
THE WORD IS THE UNION BOYS ARE GOING TO HAVE ARTYS NEXT FUND RAISER AT THE NEW PARK AND CARPENTER IS SUPPLING THE ENTERTAINMENT.
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