Reviving the Ansonia Opera House, expanding railroad service and providing better information to the public about local businesses were some of the ideas offered by two dozen local residents and business people Thursday at a forum on Ansonia economic development.
The forum was held by the Ansonia Economic Development Commission and moderated by Richard E. Stoltz, project leader for Bartram & Cochran, a consulting firm the city hired to create an economic development master plan — a blue print on what the city should do to bolster its tax base.
“It’s a chance for the public to get their voice into the process,” Stoltz said.
He has already done an inventory of current businesses in Ansonia, a study of the market area and the current state of economic development in the city.
Stoltz said the finished report should be completed by December.
At the end of the meeting, the consultant said the comments by business people and members of the public were very useful.
Some of the comments focused on advantages Ansonia had in the past that no longer exist, primarily the presence of Farrel Industries, which employed thousands of workers who served as loyal customers for downtown businesses, and the Evening Sentinel, the
daily newspaper that ended publication about 25 years ago.
The lack of the newspaper is still being felt, people said, even though other newspapers and online publications, including the Valley Independent Sentinel, were available in its place.
Some speakers said the presence of idle people congregating downtown during the typical business day discouraged business development there.
“If I was going to open a business on Main Street and I saw that, I would not open a business in Ansonia,” said Joseph Miller of Round Tree Road, who was not alone in this concern.
Garden Street resident James Foley noted how surprised he was to discover a new sushi restaurant had opened in Ansonia.
“That just about made my year so far,” he said.
It was one of several interesting new restaurants that were under-publicized in his opinion.
Several speakers advocated expanding railroad service to Ansonia. One noted that it was presently under review by transportation planners in Waterbury.
The theory they offered was that more railroad service might attract development of better apartment housing for singles and childless couples, who could use it to commute to work in Stamford and New York.
And those people would most likely spend some of their disposable income at businesses in downtown Ansonia.
“You have viable businesses there, but they can’t sustain themselves,” said downtown businessman Tony San Angelo.
“It’s incredibly quiet here on weekends,” noted Cat Lyddon, owner of Chez Lollipop on Main Street.
Other ideas included developing Pershing Drive similar to how Shelton has developed its Bridgeport Avenue business corridor, and making better use of the city’s riverfront, which is now dominated by ugly concrete flood control walls.
