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Developers push 65 Main plans forward as CIF, capacity-building grants move through reviews
Summary
Town staff reported title searches and contract loops are closing for CIF-funded renovations at 65 Main; developers and board members discussed community engagement to recruit grocery and retail tenants and a $32,000 capacity-building contract to professionalize the nonprofit board.
Town officials updated the Economic Development Commission on Jan. 9 about the 65 Main redevelopment, saying grant documents and title work are progressing and planned community outreach will inform tenant recruitment.
A presenter said the title search for the 65 Main site is unusually complex and will need to trace ownership back to 1914, but that an opinion of outside counsel has been received and a title search has been ordered. “Once those documents...are closed, I am assured that DECD will turn the contract around to me within 30 days,” the presenter said.
Design issues tied to stormwater treatment were discussed: Tristan supplied basin calculations and the team is reworking the design to treat primarily the first inch of runoff to reduce park disturbance. Participants said DOT’s only outstanding comment was a single standard detail sheet appended to the plans, a fix the presenter described as effectively clearing DOT concerns.
Members also reviewed nonprofit governance steps tied to the project. The board president said she is serving temporarily as the nonprofit’s president and that the board will amend its articles before a planned application to the Community Foundation for Eastern Connecticut for a capacity‑building contract. The presenter said the contract opportunity would fund a $32,000 proposal from Harvest Development Group to recruit and train dedicated board members and other organizational capacity work.
Commissioners discussed outreach methods—including a town web survey, EDC marketing and at least one in-person event—to identify desired local tenants (candidates mentioned included a small grocery, shipping center and service businesses) and emphasized the importance of aligning tenant recruitment with resident preferences before soliciting commercial brokers.
Staff did not report any formal votes on the redevelopment today; next steps are completing title and contract documents, finalizing the design package for presentation, and scheduling community-engagement activities.
