Posts

Showing posts with the label enfield square

Town Council to Consider Housing at Fermi Site

Image
Enfield is weighing redevelopment plans for the former Fermi High School Annex, with housing at the center and community spaces like the pool and auditorium set to remain. Enfield is considering selling parts — if not all — of Fermi High School, with redevelopment focused on new housing, most likely senior or age-restricted. The town wants to retain some of the building’s facilities, including the pool, auditorium, and meeting spaces, while the sports fields and track would remain town-owned. This plan is outlined in a request for proposals (RFP) that the Town Council will take up at a special meeting Monday at 6:15 p.m. at Town Hall. [ See Council agenda packet ] The presentation itself . Pickleball Courts and Hidden Motives    The timing sheds new light on the town’s recent decision to build pickleball courts at Fermi. That $600,000 project — paid out of town reserves — now appears less about meeting recreation needs and more about making the property attractive to potential...
Read more

Enfield Square Redevelopment: What Enfield Could Have Asked For—And Didn’t

Image
The town approved millions in public support—without tying the deal to walkability, entertainment, or shared spaces residents said they wanted. Proposed project presented to Town Council last year. The Target store is to the right rear. Redeveloping Enfield Square is critical. Once our downtown—a hub of activity and identity—the mall is now a shell of its former self. In public comments and a survey of over 1,000 people, residents voiced a clear desire for the redevelopment: not just retail, but gathering places—entertainment venues, a movie theater, live music, family-friendly spaces, and walkability. Yet on June 2, when Enfield had the most leverage, the Town Council approved a generous package of financial incentives without securing any binding commitments to many of those community goals. Progress, But Not Vision   For sure, the town is taking steps to address the problems at Enfield Square.  The developer, Woodsonia Acquisitions, will redevelop the site into a mix of hou...
Post a Comment
Location: Enfield, CT 06082, USA
Read more

Enfield's economic decline and how to fix it

Image
  Enfield Planning and Zoning Commission, September meeting to discuss town's overall plan. Enfield is facing several significant problems. Our population is declining, our commercial shopping area is in trouble, and we don't have enough multifamily housing, the type that appeals to young people and empty nesters. I graduated from EHS in 1972 and have lived most of my adult life in other cities. But I've been back here for some years and worry about the town's future. Here's a fast breakdown of this history, the problems, and potential fixes. The once happening town From 1950 to 1970, Enfield's population increased from 15,500 to 46,000, its high point. The completion of I-91 and houses priced low enough for a factory worker's wage encouraged this growth. The town needed to build schools faster to keep up with demand. My class was on double sessions at EHS while the town raced to finish Fermi. As it built schools, Enfield was also planning for the future. Fo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Enfield Square redevelopment proposal on the way

Image
Enfield Square, June 2022 The owners of Enfield Square are preparing to present a redevelopment plan for the mall.  There are three "concepts" being considered by the town and the mall's owner, the Namdar Realty Group, according to the Enfield Economic Development Commission (EDC). These concepts aren't public. That something is in the works for Enfield Square came to light in January when the town surveyed residents for their opinions on the mall redevelopment. The ideas in this survey ranged from strip malls and big-box plazas to concepts that combined retail, residential, and entertainment. They also included high-density development, with parking garages and buildings as high as eight stories.  The EDC's minutes from May reveal this:  -- The "concept plan" for the mall was expected to be submitted in early June, and a progress meeting with the state and mall owner was set for around that time. -- The Planning & Zoning Commission (PZC) will appro...
Read more