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Wright began with an overview on what he sees as the broad benefits include community enhancement, positive economic benefit and tax base support, the dangers of ignoring the area and the increased vacancies that could bring and the concept of smart growth with a walkable, livable community, complete with condominiums, shopping and a restaurant district.
He also spoke of downtown tax revenue, which is about $1.1 million. The number should be much higher, said Wright, who pointed out that five businesses bring in 63 percent of that revenue.
And while Wright said the town has studied the area in much detail, conducting 13 studies since 1976, he did point out some past economic activity that has been positive for the town. Those included the CZOP property in which CVS replaced some run-down houses, access to roads was improved and the old firehouse renovated. He also mention Main Street improvements that were funded through grants, a facade loan program on Main Street and the Office Furniture International development on Garfield Street.
Despite some progress, the area as a whole has stalled for too long, Wright said,
"I look at downtown and it is very similar to how it was when I was a kid," he said.
So Wright and Town Manager John Salomone met with one of the Blue Back Square developers, Bob Weiner, to talk about ideas he had for Newington.
Wright said that while Newington won't and shouldn't be Blue Back, the idea of mixed use development is a strong one. He presented long-term goals that included future development and the idea of perhaps building upward to add buildings that contained office space and condominiums on the upper levels.
"We can become something that's exciting and uniquely Newington," Wright said.
From those conversations, the municipal lot was identified as a good place to start and as having the potential to be a strong focal point.
From there Wright said he reviewed the idea with Town Planner Edmund Meehan, who came up with a ballpark figure of $1.8 million for the project, Wright said.
Wright said he then went to Gov. M. Jodi Rell, who helped the town get a commitment for $1 million from the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD).
Those funds were approved by the state bonding commission last May and recently released.
Since last June, the Downtown Revitalization Commission has discussed the project.
The idea calls for a project that includes paving, drainage work, integrated sidewalks, improved lighting, and a center green, which Wright hopes can include a fountain, a monument to veterans and/or fallen police officers and a sitting area.
In addition, the first two phases of the project would include some 410 parking spaces and a third phase - 100 more. There are currently 390.
Other important ideas, he added, are walkability, aesthetics, connectivity, traffic calming measures, better dumpster placement and bike racks.
The project represents more than just a nice parking lot, according to Wright.
"This is about setting the groundwork - laying the foundation for a lot of future development," Wright said.
The town is currently awaiting final plans and cost estimates from BL companies.
The town attorney Ben Ancona has also been authorized to attempt and acquire a .588 acre vacant lot within the parking area called the Bonelli property. (The lot will be looked at in a future article).
The project also needs approval from the Plan and Zoning Commission as well as the Town Council and the state DECD before construction can begin.
Wright admitted it was optimistic but he hopes construction can begin by the end of July.
The informal town hall style meeting was sponsored by Newington Residents Who Want Downtown Revitalization (NRWWDR).
Member Katrina Garbiel said the idea was to let Wright present the project in a setting that was more relaxed and less rushed than a Town Council meeting.
"I think it was important for the residents to hear from Mayor Wright in a different forum," she said.
Garbiel said nearly 100 people attended the meeting and added that the group is getting positive feedback from the surveys they handed out.
The evening also featured questions from the audience.
Bob Seiler asked Wright a few questions and took the chance to tell the mayor he forgot to add the Kiwanis flea market when he touted successful downtown events such as the Waterfall Festival and the recent egg hunt sponsored by the Downtown Business Association.
But Seiler also asked about the some other issues. He said the Main Street improvements were a little like "lipstick on a pig" and asked Wright what could be done to encourage owners to clean up the back of their property.
"We have not done anything to have those owners clean that up," he said.
He also expressed concern over traffic congestion and speed along Route 175 and other areas.
Wright said that it was hard to force building owners to make all the improvements they should but said the improvements would help encourage that.
To Seiler's and other's concern about some of the traffic issues he said those roads are state highways, making it hard for the town to do much there.
Mady Kenny asked the mayor about the Bonelli property, where the additional $800,000 would come from, and where the additional restaurants would go.
Wright said the $1,8 million was an early estimate but he did say the project was number 1 on the town's list in a request for federal stimulus dollars. He said the Bonelli property is in the early stages and added that he is not sure how many more restaurants would fit in the plan but he envisions more choices.
Stephen Woods asked a few questions, including how the town would keep up with maintenance. Some of the drainage problems, for example, occur because catch basins need to be cleaned out, Woods said.
Wright said the project would not necessarily cause the town to need to maintain the property more than it does now. He said the town should use quality materials that will last a long time as well.
One resident Rose Lyons asked a few questions but also said some of the plan seems premature.
Democratic counselors Myra Cohen and Kristine Nasinnyk were also in attendance.
After the meeting, Cohen said there are things that need to be done in the lot and said she like some of Wright's ideas but not others,
"Doing something downtown is not a bad idea," she said.
Cohen, however, has been critical of the process. She said Wright did not tell councilors the project would cost more than $1 million when he announced the grant to them. She also said processes are being circumvented, such as the approval to work on the Bonelli property before showing the entire plans for the project to the council. She said the Downtown Revitalization Committee was billed as a steering committee but the town requires a building committee to do such work.
"We got a piece of the project he's trying to sell," she said. "The whole thing is going forward backwards."
Wright said the Downtown Revitalization Committee meetings are public and no one has been kept in the dark. He said he was disappointed in the Democrats for their lack of support.
"They've been obstructionists on this since from the beginning," he said.
