Be sure to read reporter Jackie Majerus' account of last night's Bristol Downtown Development Corp.'s session with two potential developers for the former mall site.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
9 comments:
My vote is with Rennaisance. I don't believe it's a good idea to hire local developers. Can we finally do the right thing for Bristol, BDDC? Let's go out of town and have an unbiased developer and not be the laughing stock that we are in this state. There are too many close relationships with political and other figures in this town with Damato and that makes for bad things to happen, i.e. looking the other way if plans change or in cutting corners or a number of other things that are too scary to even think about. Sometimes being local is not a good thing and I don't think it is in this case. It sounds like Rennaisance really did their homework and was leaps and bounds beyond what Damato can offer. They have the whole package to get it done at once and not in bits and pieces otherwise things will never get finished. They also have the funding. Sounds like a win-win to me.
Thought Rennaisances' vision was more "out of the box."It is my singular opinion this is exactly the type of thinking we need.I especially admired the inclusion of ALL the surrounding neighborhoods,the emphasis on housing,rail transportation and most importantly the idea of the preferred developer being the focal point in a collaboration between all parties with a vested interest.They certainly left me with the impression they could create city "hub" of which we can all feel proud.We have to think long term.This isn't about us.It's about our children and their children.It is imperative we do this right.Lastly I would like to thank former Mayor Gerry Couture for having the courage and vision to place our city in a position to create a legacy of which we can all be proud.
We need to do something about that summer street. It's still a mess and that abandoned apartment building has me worried. What if some absentee landlord decides to come along and snatch it up for rock bottom and place nothing but lowlifes in it like before? The city better get a move on, that's for sure, otherwise no one will want to come downtown.
Tim, if Gerry had his way, we would have a non-performing theater, a Boys club, and a park, none of which would have been revenue generating.
I too give him credit for acquiring the property, but I still question how it was done, whether it was the best possible arrangement.
That is all in the past, lets go forward.
Make another park
to the poster before me. You are truly a Bristolite ... no imagination and no desire to want to see this town compete with other surrounding towns.
I still say if they were to build a desperately needed prison on that site , the courthouse would be saved and the entire downtown Bristol would get the revitalization necessary to put it back on the map.
Case Closed
Ward wants Damato, Johnson and Lodivico will go along so they can stay on Zoning.
Business as usual!
Artie,I ask again,who paid for you trip to Fenway in May with the President of Damato Construction and the President of O&G Industries!Damato bid on the Mall,right!Conflict of Interest!Tim Gamache,Couture was a Dirty Cop as well as a Dirty Mayor!
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