Mayor "Rocky" to punch down the mall Monday

As the Bristol Central High School marching band plays the theme to the movie “Rocky,” Mayor Art Ward will deliver the first punch to downtown’s decrepit mall Monday.
“I certainly hope he doesn’t incur any serious injuries,” said Frank Johnson, chairman of the Bristol Downtown Development Corp. “He’s not a young man.”
Ward, who will have boxing gloves on, should come through unscathed since he’ll be sitting in “a quad type device” when he gets the “first opportunity to take a bite out of the mall, ” said John Leone, the president of the Greater Bristol Chamber of Commerce.
“I think it’s going to be fun,” Leone said. “It’s meant to be that way.”
A celebration is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday to mark the beginning of the mall’s demolition, which should be done by month’s end. The debris will likely be gone by St. Patrick’s Day, Johnson said.
After all the hard work of the past three city administrations, Johnson said, “It’s okay to have a little fun.”
Leone said the chamber and the United Way of Central Connecticut are sponsoring the party. “There’s no city money being spent,” he said.
Leone said the party – which is open to everyone – is a good moment to look ahead to a better future for the city center.
“Any time that you’re starting something new, you should be happy about it,” he said. “This is a celebration for this community.”
Leone said he selected the “Rocky” theme because the little-known boxer in the film, Rocky Balboa, “always had a tough opponent, but he always won in the end.”
The mall site “has always been sort of like an underdog” – like Rocky – but now it’s aiming to be a champion, Leone said.
Perhaps it means nothing, but in “Rocky,” the star, played by Sylvester Stallone, makes it through 15 rounds with the champion and emerges bloody and barely able to stand. He doesn’t actually win the fight.
Rocky’s victory is mostly that he avoids a knockout and leaves the champion equally beat up, a scenario that Ward probably hopes to avoid.
In any case, the public will watch from a safe designated spot nearby. Refreshments will be provided by the chamber and the United Way at 200 Main St.
Leone said that only Ward is going to get a chance to take a whack at the mall because the demolition experts want to make sure nobody is endangered.
Johnson said that pictures of Ward with the boxing gloves “may down the road provide great campaign fodder for someone” but it will be an important milestone for the city.
Once the mall is down, he said, “I hope that whatever we do” there in its place “is something is more sustainable” and creates “a heart to the city” that’s badly needed.
Johnson said that businesses and tenants will come and go on the site for decades to come after it is revitalized, “but the concept and the theme, we’re hoping, will be enduring.”
Leone said he hopes the public will turn out.
“This is probably once in a lifetime that you’ll either see a mall like this go up and come down,” he said.
The razing of the mall is being done by the Trumbull-based Standard Demolition Services for $987,675. The contract calls for the job to be finished by the end of March.
The city purchased the 17-acre mall site in 2005 for $5.3 million. The BDDC, a nonprofit created by the city, plans to find a developer for the property this year.
For more information about the celebration, call the Chamber at (860) 584-4718.

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