After city officials toured the massive old Armory recently, they agreed on what City Hall should do about the building: nothing.
“We don’t believe there’s a benefit to the city to take the building,” Mayor Art Ward.
The state is seeking to sell the 61 Center Street structure that once housed Army reservists while simultaneously providing space for high school basketball games, stag parties, wedding receptions and even a circus or two.
But the state ceased using the vast old building last year and set about trying to sell it.
Gov. Jodi Rell said that peddling the Armory and some other state-owned sites across Connecticut could bring in more than $50 million.
That’s looking mighty optimistic these days since there’s little interest in the Armory and only two sites considered more apt to sell: a seaside center that a developer once offered $7 million for the old Litchfield Jail.
But until the Department of Public Works reviews offers submitted for the Armory by the January 29 deadline, it’s impossible to know for sure whether anyone has serious interest in the structure.
The city has the legal right to match any bid if it wants to take possession.
But Ward said that based on reports he got from the city’s electrical inspector, an engineer and the public works director, there’s no reason for the city to buy the building.See Friday's Bristol Press for the complete story.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
9 comments:
The City should make a low ball offer for the property itself regardless of the condition of the building. The current fire house on North Main is aging and getting too small. The Armory building could be leveled and a new fire house built on that location. Once again, the City not thinking outside the box.
9:24: Good idea, bad timing. No $$$$$$
It's not a bad idea, but I can only imagine what the naysayers would say if we bought it.
Bill Stortz must be 9:24. You need to get a part time job bill. I heard WALL MART IS HIRING GREETERS.
Stortz has to be laughing in his lounge chair.
What ever the topic, he gets some exposure.
Might pay off some day.
Hes on here talking about himself not relaxing.4:35 you must be bill no one will cover or stick up for him.
5:47
Se what I mean?
Why not use the armory as an jrrotc deopt. the usa today paper had an article in it about how the DOD is spending money on getting more jr rotc depots up and running if the 2 high schools were to get involved and looked into it maybe the DOD OR Army Dept etc. might help out with the renovations etc. to bring it up to spec and then maybe it could be used for other events . Just a thought, seems a shame to let something like that slpi through our fingers
Was this a council decision?
Was the council even consulted?
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