Time for city leaders to -- shocking idea -- lead

I had an interesting conversation today with a longtime city government watcher who confessed to confusion about what's the best way to proceed with downtown. Like most people in the city these days, he was pretty down on Renaissance and its plans for Depot Square, especially the $6 million or more the Long Island developer wants taxpayers to chip in toward construction of the first building. But the part that struck me in our talk was something else: the idea that Bristol is not having the sort of wide-ranging, deep conversation it should about how to proceed. That's clearly true. What really hit me, though, was his analysis of what's gone wrong. He said the city's leaders have ducked their duty, that instead of taking charge of the project and guiding the community toward an understanding of the issues involved, the details of the plans and the realities of any alternatives they have instead said almost nothing and done less. He said the city would be far, far better off if its elected leaders took the helm and tried to steer the ship. As it is, what debate and discussion exists is mostly stirred up by Shawn Ruest, an ardent foe of the project whose view of the government's potential role is deeply skeptical and narrow. I don't think Ruest would disagree much with that, though it's fair to say, too, that he's tried to delve into the project on his own to figure out what's going on. That's admirable on any level. What hasn't happened, however, is to have the city's leaders grab hold of the issue and lay out the case for -- or against -- the Renaissance plan. They have, by and large, taken a hands-off approach, as if it was all somebody's else's idea. What the veteran government watcher wants is for Mayor Ken Cockayne and the City Council to hold public meeting after public meeting, preferably in a high school auditorium and taped for Nutmeg TV, to explore the project plans and the issues that surround them. He said they should be listening to the public's concerns at these sessions but also guiding the discussion toward some sort of community consensus on whether to move ahead and how. They should be leading, he said, instead of cowering in the background and talking about the biggest issue facing Bristol only when they're in closed-door executive sessions. Moreover, he argued, the history of Bristol shows that in the end, the public should vote on the issue. He said every important decision ever made in the town that went right was done by referendum, not the maneuverings of politicians trying to keep their deeds in the dark. He pointed to the referendum that led to Memorial Boulevard and its school, to the preservation of the Hoppers-Birge Pond Nature Preserve and the switch to an elected Board of Education. Whatever the right course is, he said, it's up to the city's leaders to point the way and make the case. If they can't, that says a lot all by itself about the merits. The bottom line? The city's elected officials need to speak up. They've been too quiet for too long. They're killing the project by their silence. But that's not how a democracy should work. Whatever the outcome for Renaissance and its plan, it should come after rousing and thoughtful public debate.
Copyright 2014 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

SSShhhhhhh!! City hires new downtown consultant

The city quietly hired a consultant his summer to duplicate much of the job assigned to the nonprofit Bristol Downtown Development Corp. overseeing the revitalization of the former mall site.

The city agreed to pay $18,500 to Goman + York Property Advisors, a high-powered East Hartford firm, to provide “specific and actionable” recommendations to the City Council about how to handle proposals from Renaissance Downtowns for the Depot Square project.

Mayor Ken Cockayne said he hired the firm because he “thought we needed an outside, independent review” to go over all the material from Renaissance and offer the council guidance on what to do next.

“I’m doing my due diligence,” the mayor said.

He said he kept the move quiet “to fend off any undue influence” on the consultant that might sway its recommendations. Click here for the full story.

Click here to read the four page document submitted to the city by Goman+York.
Copyright 2014 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

GOP says: 'Let the public decide' on Depot Square

Press release from the Republican Town Committee:

Let the public decide this time

Bristol, CT – July 13, 2014 – Although a formal proposal to do so has yet to be made, the idea of allowing the public to weigh in on the potential public financing of Depot Square by way of a non-binding referendum placed on this November’s electoral ballot has been floated. Public support of such a referendum can be heard around Bristol, from the barbershop to the post office, City Hall to the gas station, and everywhere in between.

However, not everyone is on-board with allowing the public to have a say. This past week Councilors Zoppo and Brown came out in opposition of such a measure. Councilor Brown equated asking for the public’s opinion to “throwing his hands up” and “not doing his job.” Representing the public’s desires for Bristol is your job, Councilor, and the best way to get the public’s opinion is through a referendum.

Councilor Fortier, meanwhile, did not offer a position on this issue, saying, “I don’t know. I’m not privy to anything.” Has Councilor Fortier not been a part of these meetings? Has she not met with the developer or others? Does she simply not have an opinion, or does she not want to make her opinion known? Perhaps she has just been spending too much of her time grandstanding on issues she has no authoritative power over, rather than focusing on matters she does.  

The last time a major financial decision was made by the City on “Depot Square” back in 2005, it resulted in several million taxpayer dollars being spent on the mall. The decision was made in the middle of the night, with no public input. That administration decided they knew better than the public, and the result can still be seen today: a 17 acre parcel of emptiness in the center of our community, with millions in lost tax revenue and an I.O.U to the City’s “Rainy Day” fund.

Coincidentally, Councilor Zoppo - who opposes a public referendum on this issue - was a member of the City Council that made the initial decision to buy the mall with no public input in 2005. If the public is going to be asked to contribute additional money to this project, the Council needs to do the right thing and ask the public for its support. It is up to Renaissance Downtowns to sell this project to the public, as they have been working to do over the last few years.

At the end of the day, the City Council will have the final say – referendum or not – and will have the opportunity to lead. Why not at least get the public’s input before making that decision?

Copyright 2014 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

The BDDC is forcing Renaissance to give it a choice

Just an observation: In the stir caused by the notion that there may be a Depot Square referendum, it's easy to see why something potentially more significant has been overlooked. At the request of the Bristol Downtown Development Corp., Renaissance is now working out a financing plan for Building B, the one that faces Main Street and includes retail and restaurant space along the entire ground floor and the much-discussed public piazza in its rear. Unlike Building A, which is almost entirely housing, Building B is something akin to what the project as a whole is all about. It offers some downtown commercial vibrancy as well as decent apartments for the young professionals and empty nesters who are likely to fill the space if all goes well. The BDDC gave Renaissance until Aug. 15 to submit something to show how the financing for Building B works out. Now here's the thing: if the city has to chip in $6 million toward the $18 million tab projected for Building A, it will certainly have to put in more to have a somewhat more costly Building B. But what the BDDC commissioners wonder -- as well as many others -- is whether the additional cost to taxpayers of putting up Building B first is worth it. On its face, it appears to bring more to downtown than Building A. It's just a question of whether the expense is prohibitive. There's also an issue that nobody's talking about in public: how the city should or could put the money into the project. It doesn't have to be a big check, after all. It could be almost anything, as long as investors know the city has a clear stake. I can think of all sorts of ways that could be done that give the taxpayers at least a chance of coming out of this without a big hurt, as long as it's successful. And if Bristol doesn't think the project will work out, then it shouldn't put money into it at all. In any case, the BDDC took a big step forward to provide more choice and more options by requiring Renaissance to provide the Building B alternative. Maybe it won't matter. But perhaps it will prove the way to proceed, referendum or not.
Copyright 2014 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Bristol voters may get the final say on Depot Square

There’s a growing chance that city voters will get to weigh in on the proposed Depot Square project.

Bristol Downtown Development Corp. officials said Tuesday municipal leaders are eyeing the prospect of a Nov. 4 referendum to determine whether residents are willing to use government money to help fund construction of the first piece of the proposed $280 million project to transform the city center. See full story.
For those interested in seeing the state statute governing binding referenda, here is the link.

Copyright 2014 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

BDDC's director retires unexpectedly, with questions lingering

Since the Bristol Downtown Development Corp. got underway during Mayor William Stortz's administration, Richard Harrall has served as its executive director. Through all those years, he's been a calm voice during some chaotic times, providing sage advice from his long years of experience. But tonight, seemingly out of the blue, he resigned at meeting's end.

Harrall, who works for Milone & MacBroom, said he was retiring. He told commissioners he’d enjoyed with them and offered them his best wishes.

“We could not have gotten here without you,” said Jennifer Arasimowicz, chairwoman of the nonprofit overseeing the revitalization of the ex-mall site.

John Lodovico, another commissioner, praised Harrall for his guidance. He said Harrall proved himself “a big benefit to this board and to Bristol” and even to the state.

“Thank you for everything,” said Frank Johnson, the BDDC’s former chairman who handed over the reins to Araimowicz last year after his grandson became gravely ill.

So what's so odd about it? Well, to begin with, the agenda for the special meeting failed to include an executive director's report, a standard item at every BDDC session.

And Harrall himself had to sort of force the issue at meeting's end so that he could say goodbye, an indication perhaps that the BDDC either didn't know he was leaving or didn't want him to talk.

I believe that Harrall was hanging on in the position only because he wanted to see the project through. He doesn't need the money or headaches attached to it.

So why'd he go now, at a moment where it seems like everything is coming together? I doubt it's because he felt a sudden urge to go fishing or to sit in the sun.

Here's one more clue: since the BDDC met about six weeks ago and decided to try to work out terms to let Renaissance have more time to work out its financing plan, several commissioners have been involved in quiet negotiations. So has the city's lawyer. So has city Councilor Henri Martin.

But nobody gave the slightest indication that Harrall, the executive director of the BDDC, was involved at all.

There was an obvious tension in the air as all of this transpired. Nothing said made it clear what happened or why. But something was amiss.

Rest assured, I'll be trying to figure it out. Good people don't usually just up and leave for no reason.

Copyright 2014 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Renaissance expects to beat today''s Depot Square deadline

A financing plan for the proposed Depot Square project is expected to be submitted before tonight's deadline established by the Bristol Downtown Development Corp.

Ryan Porter, the project manager for the Long Island-based Renaissance Downtowns, said this afternoon he was polishing off the final touches and expected to submit the plan electronically late in the day.

He said some paperwork is likely to be delivered early Friday to flesh out the submission.

Once the plan is in the hands of the city-created nonprofit, officials will review its details to determine whether it is sufficient to allow the city to go ahead with the sale of property along Main Street for the first phase of the project.

Porter said the submission package would include both public and confidential sections, though some of the secret data would likely become public when the project moves forward.

Renaissance plans to erect two buildings during the $40 million first phase of the project, with market-rate apartments in both. Shops and restaurants would fill the first floor of one, facing Main Street to the east and a new public piazza to the west.

The BDDC said it had to have the plan in hand Thursday in order to hold its scheduled monthly meeting about it on May 12. But it may hold a special meeting about it as early as Wednesday.

“Things are going to be heating up over the next couple of weeks,” Porter said.

Bristol Rising told its members Thursday that the develop intends to hold “a large public informational meeting” sometime in the first half of May “that will go into detail on the development and what the next steps are in the development process to getting the first shovel in the ground.”

“It will be a highly transparent meeting where all Bristol Risers and Bristol citizens interested in what’s happening downtown are encouraged to attend,” the BristolRising email blast said. It will likely take place at Nuchies restaurant.

Copyright 2014 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Renaissance, the BDDC and Depot Square

2012 rendering of possible Depot Square look

Depot Square plan needs financial assistance
Here is the March 20 letter from Martin Kenny of Lexington Partners to Ryan Porter, the project manager for Depot Square:
Dear Mr. Porter:  As you know, my firm Lexington Partners, LLC with 30 years of real estate development experience with  a focus on ground-up multi-family residential development primarily in Connecticut has joined forces  with the principals of D' Amato Construction, Inc. an experienced and reputable General Contractor with  deep roots in the Bristol community to work with Renaissance Downtowns to explore a financially viable  way to jump-start the first phase of development at Depot Square.  We have been working with our team of architects, structural & civil engineers & construction  professionals to come up with a development plan that includes residential apartment units housed in  an attractive four story structure of institutional grade quality, with amenity space and a retail  component fronting Main Street. We are currently finalizing design review and preparing a bid package  so that we have a comprehensive estimate of both hard and soft costs. We do not expect to have this  work finalized until the second week of April.  Provided the estimate works out, we along with Renaissance will then be prepared to sit down with the  Bristol Downtown Development Corporation ("BDDC") to discuss the plans and a financial proposal that  we feel would be successful. Our team is only interested in developing a quality property that the City of  Bristol and we can all be proud of. That being said, we recognize the development plan for this critical  first phase will require some subsidy, and cannot be all things to all people and still actually get built.  We hope to have a meeting to review our plan and the accompanying economics in mid-April. Thank  you for your consideration. Sincerely yours, Martin Kenny
Here is the email that Bristol Downtown Development Corp. Chairwoman Jennifer Arasimowicz sent on April 1 to Ryan Porter, the project manager for Renaissance Downtowns:
Subject:                          Renaissance Downtowns Submittal   Ryan, The BDDC is in receipt of the letter you forwarded from Lexington Partners dated March 20, 2014. As time is getting very short for the Board to make any recommendation to the Council and arrange for a Closing by May 25, 2014 if Renaissance's financing plan is accepted, I wanted to be clear on the expected deliverables in order for the Board to conduct a complete review and make meaningful recommendations. Our next meeting is currently scheduled for Monday, April 14. In order to proceed with that meeting and a review of Renaissance's financing, development and leasing plan, please submit the following materials no later than close of business on Monday, April 7. If these materials will not be available by April 7, please let me know the date on which you intend to submit them and I will poll the Board concerning the cancellation of the regular meeting and scheduling of a special meeting. 1.  Renaissance's proposed financing, development and lease plan for the Phases on which Renaissance intends to close, including a detailed explanation of the "subsidy" noted in the letter from Lexington Partners, and the status of any pre-leasing or secured retail tenants. Please also include the amount, source and terms of all financing including equity, with documentation of the status of commitments for all sources; 2. Whether and to what extent there will be any set-aside for low-income or workforce housing; 3.  An updated site plan of the Phases on which Renaissance intends to close; 4.  Any requested modifications to the Final Concept Plan previously approved by the Board; 5.  The plans for the piazza; 6.  A copy of the subdivision plan approved by the planning and zoning commission and an explanation of why it was subdivided into 3 parcels; 7.  A complete description of the proposed program mix for any Phases on which Renaissance intends to close along with a demonstration of how the program mix meets the requirements of the PDA for an initial closing; 8. A detailed explanation of the ownership structure/partnership that intends to close on the land, whether such structure is for only the particular Phases on which Renaissance intends to close or for the entire Project, and a demonstration that such a structure meets the ownership requirements of the PDA (i.e., Renaissance/Don Monti retaining 50% ownership); 9.  An artist rendering of the proposed construction; 10.  A detailed schedule for the proposed construction; 11.  The plan for subsequent Phases of development; and 12. An explanation of the construction being "of institutional grade quality," as set forth in the letter from Lexington Partners.   Thanks and we look forward to receiving your submission.   Jenn Arasimowicz Copyright 2014 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Renaissance's financing plan remains a mystery

City officials quietly wonder if the downtown project is dead. The Long Island-based Renaissance Downtowns was supposed to submit a financing plan for the first phase of its Depot Square project early this month, early enough to allow the Bristol Downtown Development Corp. to review it next Monday.

First phase rendering

But the BDDC, with no plan to review, has cancelled its Monday meeting. The agreement between the city and the developer provides that it must purchase the first lot, a 4.7-acre parcel along Main Street, by May 26. There is no provision for a delay, though the city could perhaps allow one if officials saw room for hope. Ryan Porter, the project manager for Renaissance, said recently the company aimed to have a financing plan ready this month. He's still working on it. The initial phase of the project calls for two large rental housing buildings, one of them facing Main Street with restaurants and shops on the first floor. In back, it would have a large public piazza. Also included in the $40 million initial phase is a site for a future boutique hotel, but it's already on hold. City officials say they won't talk on the record about the project because they don't want to undermine Renaissance's efforts to arrange financing. They said pouring cold water on it at this point would help noone. Renaissance isn't throwing in the towel yet. It continues to push Bristol Rising, a grass-roots group it created to spur community interest in the project and the revival of downtown. The developer is also in the process of getting permission to carve up the former mall site into three separate parcels, one of which is the area eyed for phase one. Without the formal property split, the city can't sell that piece come May. If Renaissance can't arrange for financing that meets with city approval, which is increasingly likely, it's not clear what will happen with the 15 empty acres the city has owned since 2005, when it bought a decrepit mall and knocked it down in a bid to create a "live, work, play" urban neighborhood that officials hoped would bring back the traditional city center atmosphere. It appears that if Renaissance's plan fails, the city would essentially return to go, with no preferred developer and no plan. It's not the outcome city leaders want to see. So they're crossing their fingers and hoping for the best. They're rooting for Porter to find the money Renaissance needs so that its plan, already approved, can move ahead instead of collecting dust. The full-scale Depot Square plan, which isn't finished and hasn't been scrutinized in detail, calls for almost $300 million in new construction that would include more housing, offices, retail and restaurants. If it ever happens, it would transform Bristol. And if it never happens, what then? Nobody knows.
Copyright 2014 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Renaissance's new target: finance plan by March

The project manager for the Depot Square project pushed by the Long Island-based Renaissance Downtowns said Friday he's still working to put together a comprehensive financing package for the $39 million first phase of the development eyed for the former mall site in the city center. Ryan Porter, the project manager, said the company's goal is to have a financing plan in place by March. The Bristol Downtown Development Corp. and the City Council have to review and approve the financing before the sale of the first parcel can go through. By contract, that's supposed to happen no later than May 26.
Copyright 2014 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Renaissance issues update on downtown project

Bristol Rising Charging Ahead

Developer and Community Meet Key Milestones 

By Ryan Porter, VP of Renaissance Downtowns

The past couple of years have seen a tremendous amount of positive activity in regard to the redevelopment of Depot Square and Bristol’s downtown. Led by Master Developer Renaissance Downtowns and the Bristol Rising community, key approvals and rezoning efforts are complete, positioning Bristol’s downtown for transformative development. 

With financing efforts at the forefront and the more publicized visibility of the approval process mostly behind us, we felt it was the right time to create a column to better inform the masses on our current and future efforts on the development.   

On a personal note, it’s been gratifying working with such a great community and a municipality that gets it. The Bristol Rising community’s response has been overwhelming in what has been one of the most transparent redevelopment efforts in this country’s history, a tradition we will work to continue with this column. This three-way collaborative was highlighted during the approval processes, which has led to the implementation phase of the project, and brings us to today.

Currently, Renaissance has been working diligently to put the final pieces together in anticipation of the upcoming groundbreaking by finalizing financing for the initial phase of the development. The thing most people aren’t aware of is the complexity required to finance and develop new construction in this day and age. It takes creative partnerships, creative financing, and long negotiations to pull it all together. We’re inching closer each day, requiring our utmost attention and inherently less spotlight. 

It’s important to note that when Renaissance Downtowns was designated by the City of Bristol as Master Developer, numerous milestones were established for this public/private partnership. Due to our excellent working relationship with our municipal partner and the Bristol Rising community, the initial concept planning and zoning milestones were achieved at an extraordinary pace. This accelerated process led to the approval of an engineered Site Plan for Phase 1 in February of 2013, along with the recent completion of the new McDonald’s in a manner that is consistent with the overall goals and objectives of the public/private partnership. I have never before seen a municipality move the ball forward as has been done here, and as a result of the City’s desire to see progress occur, revitalization efforts are 6-8 months ahead of schedule.

Regarding McDonalds, it’s important to emphasize that moving the old franchise was necessary for new development to occur, and had particular implications on financing the project. We’re now nearing completion of this stage with McDonald’s now open in their new building on North Main Street, and with several weeks to go before the old McDonald’s will be demolished to make way for our development. 

Now that things are where they are, financing efforts have been ratcheted up significantly the past 3-5 months, when it was known the McDonald’s move was a certainty. We continue to work with a number of interested parties on hammering out a deal, doing our best to keep you better informed on our efforts moving forward. 

 

To that end, we are presently in discussions with multiple regional/national development firms as well as foreign and domestic private equity financing sources to demonstrate to them, the economic viability of downtown Bristol in regard to innovative, mixed-use development. The overwhelming number of signed letters of interest from both local and regional residents expressing a desire to move into the new development downtown continues to assist us in our efforts.   

On the community side, Bristol Rising has been programming and conducting innovative events and initiatives which have already added vibrancy to and awareness of downtown. They are currently working to improve the existing downtown business landscape by offering the power of crowd to businesses like Mike’s Tortoise & Hare Café. In June, Bristol Rising helped launch a Shared Retail initiative where for three weekends small business vendors occupied a vacant storefront to help add life to a previously empty downtown location. Every little bit is helping the overall cause in showing Bristol as a place that desires a walkable, vibrant center of commerce and social activity. This is proven by new entrepreneurs stepping forward each month expressing interest in opening businesses downtown.

I know that we are all anxious to see more shovels in the ground but our success thus far has not come with compromising on quality and we continue to ensure that our partnerships share that requirement. That said, as we reflect and celebrate our significant victories and accomplishments to date we will continue our relentless pursuit of greatness for Bristol while keeping everyone informed along the way.

 

Sincerely,

Ryan Porter

Copyright 2013 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Renaissance lays out plans for mall site

Renderings of possible design for major buildings

Phase 1

The first phase of the proposed revitalization of the former mall site includes construction of new residential and commercial buildings on Main Street, a 125-room boutique hotel and a piazza that aims to become a “central gathering place for Bristol’s downtown offerings.”

The Long Island-based Renaissance Downtowns, the city’s chosen developer for the 17-acre site, recently submitted plans to land use regulators detailing what it expects to do with the property during the next eight to 10 years.

The long-range plan “includes a total of 22 buildings containing a mix of uses” on a lot that now houses only a single fast food restaurant. Click here for the full story.

To read a PDF of the 30-page zoning application submitted  by Renaissance Downtowns, click here.
Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Downtown Bristol concept plan links

Want to know more about the concept plan proposed for downtown by the Long Island-based Renaissance Downtowns? Here are some key links:
Final concept plan for Bristol's downtownHere is the plan, in its entirety.

Bristol RisingA social networking site created by Renaissance to crowdsource the development. Chock full of information.
News stories about Renaissance and its plansNews stories about Renaissance and its plans, in Bristol and beyond.
Renaissance Downtowns website for Bristol
Bristol Downtown Development Corp.Meeting minutes and agendas for BDDC meetings from 2007 to May 2011. I have no idea why it's not up to date.
Developer submissions for downtownMost of what Renaissance has in its concept plan it proposed right from the bat before its selection as Bristol's preferred developer for the downtown site.

Resolution councilors will consider Tuesday

Read exactly what city councilors are being asked to vote on.

Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

The original "Depot Square" in Bristol, 1915

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