'We're trying to save these newspapers'

Reporter Jackie Majerus wrote this story:

Legislators representing Bristol and New Britain will meet Friday with state economic development officials about what can be done to save the daily newspapers in those cities.

The Bristol Press and The Herald in New Britain – and 11 weekly community papers in Connecticut – will be closed January 12 if a buyer for the papers isn't found by then, the owner, Journal Register Co., has said.

All together, there are about 100 jobs at stake.

"We're trying to save these newspapers," said Rep. Frank Nicastro, a Bristol Democrat.

Lawmakers from Bristol and New Britain have a meeting scheduled on Friday with Commissioner Joan McDonald of the state Department of Economic and Community Development.

Rep. Tim O'Brien, a New Britain Democrat who brought the delegation together to ask for the meeting, said he wants to talk about how the state can help.

"The state has programs that are designed to create and preserve jobs," said O'Brien, who said he wants to bring the importance of the newspapers to McDonald's attention.

The goal, according to O'Brien, is to "keep these historic businesses and the jobs from leaving our communities."

Sen. Tom Colapietro, a Bristol Democrat, said he would be at the meeting Friday to lend a hand.

"I don't like to see anybody lose their jobs," Colapietro said. "I'm hopeful we can do something."

Sen. Donald DeFronzo, a New Britain Democrat, said he wants to find out what, if anything, the DECD is already doing to preserve the newspapers.

"They may have something percolating already," said DeFronzo.

If not, DeFronzo said, he wants to find out what can be done.

Aiding a prospective newspaper buyer, said O'Brien, is the same as helping any other business.

Any state help would go to a new owner or operating organization, according to O'Brien, not to the Journal Register Co., which intends to sell or close the papers.

"The application for any assistance would be for the new prospective buyer," said O'Brien.

DeFronzo said the state may be able to help "if we can find a prospective buyer or successor organization."

If nothing can be done and the papers close, DeFronzo said, he wants to know what the state can offer the 100 people who stand to lose their jobs.

Both O'Brien and DeFronzo said they had been contacted by possible newspaper buyers or their representatives, but didn't provide details.

"I'm somewhat encouraged," said DeFronzo.

Nicastro, who served as Bristol's mayor for a decade, said the local paper includes everything, even notices of Cub Scout meetings and fundraising car washes.

"You lose a newspaper, you lose everything," said Nicastro. "You lose the city, and it's wrong."

Nicastro – who was instrumental in brokering a deal that saved Lake Compounce when the nation's oldest amusement park nearly closed more than a dozen years ago – said he's pleased that the New Britain and Bristol delegations are working together to save the papers.

January 12 isn't far away, Nicastro pointed out.

"Time is of the essence," said Nicastro. "We've gotta fight hard on this."

*******

Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

City seeking up to $25 million from state for downtown

To revitalize downtown, Bristol is seeking as much as $25 million in state aid.
Mayor Art Ward said the city and the nonprofit Bristol Downtown Development Corp. are looking for between $20 million and $25 million to overhaul the 17-acre mall site in the city’s center.
That includes, he said, $8 million for a possible parking garage.
Ward said that state officials are glad that Bristol is no longer seeking as much as $100 million in aid, which might have been necessary to create the municipal complex envisioned when the city bought the decrepit mall in 2005.
“We’re basically looking for infrastructure money,” Ward said.
This is the first time since Mayor Gerard Couture’s administration left office in 2005 that city leaders have narrowed down how much cash they’re looking for from Hartford.
The mayor said that city officials are meeting Monday with state Department of Economic and Community Development decision-makers to outline plans and get some feedback.
“We’re very excited” to be moving forward, Ward said.
State Rep. Frank Nicastro, a Bristol Democrat, said the new figure for state aid for the project “is more in line with what the governor’s looking at.”
“It’s not an outrageous figure,” Nicastro said.
The downtown corporation is hoping to begin soliciting developers this winter for proposals about what to do with the mall site after the building is demolished. Generally, they expect to see plans that include retail shops, offices and perhaps housing. But details remain scant.
The mall itself, empty since October, is slated to be torn down within weeks.
When the city and state first began talking about aid for Bristol’s downtown, former Gov. John Rowland promised $45 million in assistance to help construct a new Bristol Boys and Girls Club, a field house, a performing arts center and more on the mall site.
But that plan fell apart when skeptical taxpayers rebelled at what appeared to be a skyrocketing price tag. Couture got clobbered at the polls, too, and was replaced by Republican Mayor William Stortz.
Stortz spent two years in office patching up the legal framework for the project and creating th nonprofit to spearhead the mall property’s revitalization. He chose not to seek reelection, opening the door for Ward to take charge.
Ward and Frank Johnson, the head of the BDDC, met recently with DECD Commissioner Joan McDonald to go over the current ideas for downtown.
Ward said she was particularly receptive to the idea of a public-private partnership with a developer to transform the site.
The city is also angling for $2 million in federal aid for downtown through U.S. Rep. John Larson, an East Hartford Democrat whose 1st District includes Bristol.
Ward said that money, if it comes through, could be used to do work on downtown areas outside the confines of the mall site.

*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

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."
******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

State is satisfied with BDDC paperwork

Though I have no real idea what this means in practical terms, here's a new press release from Mayor William Stortz:

In an announcement released today by the Mayor’s office, the Bristol Downtown Development Corporation Chairman, Frank Johnson and Mayor William T. Stortz were pleased to announce that the Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner, Joan McDonald, has reviewed and accepted the information and documents submitted by the City in its request to form the BDDC.

“I am happy to inform you that this latest information submitted satisfies the requests for information made by the department to the City,” said McDonald.

“This is a big step forward for Bristol,” said Chairman Frank Johnson. “It enables us to work with DECD and the State as we seek to revitalize Bristol, especially its Downtown area.”

Mayor William T. Stortz was also very enthused with this announcement and stated, “I appreciate the efforts, cooperation and support of all who got us to this point. The announcement is a positive one, one that shows that we are doing the right thing, the right way. I am confident that the BDDC will move quickly in developing plans for a Downtown that we all can be proud of. I hope that the public will come forward now and provide input to the BDDC who is in the process of scheduling meetings and hearings.”

Stortz concluded, “I also thank the DECD, and the State, for their support.”

*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com