Bristol's Mall Site Struggling As Economic Realities Change

What is missing in this story is anything about the midnight raid on the City's rainy day fund to purchase the property. Though scarcely an emergency, It happened with no warning or public notice. In a City where dog poop receives extended debate, isn't odd it that such an ill-thought out transaction was rushed through? The only one known to have made out on the project was the owner of the mall who dumped a dead piece of property at a handsome profit. Too bad our Attorney General couldn't take a good look at this project.

how about planting some grass and a few trees

Bristol want to go ahead with this and other spending projects which mean raising our taxes regardless of the economy. Artie has a big pile of rocks to stand on that he can be proud of. He should get a couple of trucks and go out and play in it. Invite all he council friends, get some hardhats, do another photo op. That is all this piece of land is good for.

You know that Bristol needs?
Good manufacturing jobs again and make Bristol what is used to be a nice place to work and live. No we get these hair brain politicians and you know the rest. Give a break for a good company to come to town and set up shop. Make it inviting for them. I know we can do that. And stop spending and tighting up the belt buckle and make the cuts we need to do and stop raising our taxes. Somone here has deep pockets........

Good manufacturing jobs for Bristol? In the 21st century? When the US is losing thousands of manufacturing jobs each year? Huh?

There is absolutely no future for the manufacturing industry in CT, or in the US, for that matter. US car companies are dying, US beer makers are being bought out by Belgians, the Chrysler Buildng was just sold to a country in the Middle East. I am not necessarily saying that this lack of manufacturing jobs is totally bad; I am simply saying that anyone who thinks that manufacturing would be a 21st century cure for Bristol is, well, smoking something other than Camels.

If there was demand for this project, wouldn't the developers have purchased the mall themselves and do all the demolition and planning work?

Looks like Bristol is about to have a nice white elephant to be proud of.

Suckers Alaways...Vote them all out.

The purchase of the mall site by the City was a HUGE white elephant that then-Mayor Couture strapped us with - HE should be made to pay back all the money that has been lost on this deal, personally. There is rumor around town that there was a lot of back-room, hush hush, wink-wink dealings going on with the entire project. Did someone check in his backyard for where he hid the cash? Now the taxpayers of Bristol have to bear the burden of his nonsense - thanks a lot!!!

Bristol's lucky; and Conn taxpayers aren't lucky. We're already supporting a $2,000,000,000. purposeful mega ripoff, the Hartford Convention Center. You know, another "we must save the capitol city" giveaway of our tax dollars to greedy developers, over paid construction unions, crooked parking facility owners and in-your-face politicians.(Eduardo, do you read anything beyond Htfd. news that you'd like to censor bloggers about?)
We had to have that Convention Center, just like a hundred other cities in the country, because "we're special, unique and have soooo much to offer." Latest story said Con Center upkeep and maintenance are costing $5 million annually; it will increase in coming years. Like Bristol, planners knew big-box stores would not come to the Convention Center affiliated shopping because there's already too much competition between Westfarms and Buckland Hills.
Now isn't Bristol lucky not having a taxpayer-supporte d politicians' ego boosting corporate welfare client in its front yard?

Couture should have never bought this property. Typical Democrat pet project that costs taxpayers an arm and a leg. We'll be paying for this debacle for years!

And now we have a lovely empty lot, that's not bringing in any tax dollars to the city. What a mess. Might as well turn it into a park, as it will be many years before it gets developed.

The entire town needs to be demolished.

Sandy from Bristol wrote:

And now we have a lovely empty lot, that's not bringing in any tax dollars to the city. What a mess. Might as well turn it into a park, as it will be many years before it gets developed.

Turn it into a park? What for so the homeless and drug dealers can sleep and deal on grass.

This story sounds so eerily similar to a fiasco in our town called Renaissance Place.

A developer by the name of Conway has had many political leaders and many citizens all atwitter about reshaping downtown Naugatuck into a series of shops, condos, and apartments.

The proposal passed a referendum well over a year ago and this guy still doesn't have the financial backers or title to the necessary property that is central to the plan.

With the economic climate that exists today, I doubt (and hope) that the first shovel never hits the ground on this project which relies heavily on local taxpayer funding as well as state funding. All for a guy who refuses to put all his cards on the table while expecting BIG $$$ from the taxpayer....

I guess the American dream of everyone selling real estate to one another, shuffling paper, building endless sprawling suburbs and not actually producing anything of value isn't working out so well...

Naugatuck Guy wrote:

This story sounds so eerily similar to a fiasco in our town called Renaissance Place.
A developer by the name of Conway has had many political leaders and many citizens all atwitter about reshaping downtown Naugatuck into a series of shops, condos, and apartments.
The proposal passed a referendum well over a year ago and this guy still doesn't have the financial backers or title to the necessary property that is central to the plan.
With the economic climate that exists today, I doubt (and hope) that the first shovel never hits the ground on this project which relies heavily on local taxpayer funding as well as state funding. All for a guy who refuses to put all his cards on the table while expecting BIG $$$ from the taxpayer....

The site of the old Ridson/FMP plant supposedly was cleaned up of cancer causing wastes like degreasers,(HAHA) and it is owned by John Rowland's friend Bob Matthews who got all kinds of State Loans and Tax abatements..That prooperty is for sale or sold..The FBI & the EPA should be in here again and the IRS.

this is just sad,blame it on the times yeah right,towns should be run by mini ceo's that are rewarded by preformance,the amount of money they make for their town,not how much they cost the taxpayers,citizens turned mayors with bright ideas and no foresight(5 year plans)just doesn't work

NO developer in his right mind is going to build a mall of THAT scale in Bristol!

Besides the fact that Bristol has Davis Drive, Bristol doesn't have any highway access. Route 6 and Middle Street simply can't accommodate the additional traffic into Bristol. People aren't going to spend an hour in traffic just to go shopping. Until Bristol gets a true highway, it will continue to lose its growth to Southington.

keep dreaming ya fools..............your town is withering on the vine............. BRISTOL IS A DUMP

Stupid Idea wrote:

NO developer in his right mind is going to build a mall of THAT scale in Bristol!
Besides the fact that Bristol has Davis Drive, Bristol doesn't have any highway access. Route 6 and Middle Street simply can't accommodate the additional traffic into Bristol. People aren't going to spend an hour in traffic just to go shopping. Until Bristol gets a true highway, it will continue to lose its growth to Southington.

you got that right.....well said