SEYMOUR – When it comes to economic development, both candidates running for first selectwoman agree that Seymour could use more of it.
First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis, the Republican incumbent seeking a third term in office, said economic growth during her administration has been steady, but there is room for more “smart, balanced growth.”
Drungonis, 56, touted the expansion of Basement Systems and Thule in the Silvermine Industrial Park on her administration’s watch, as well as new businesses opening such as The Housatonic House and Dock 34 restaurants on Roosevelt Drive, Newport Academy, a mental health facility built at the former Villa Bianca site on Roosevelt Drive, The Giggling Pig kids’ art studio downtown and Willow Academy, a new daycare center in the Tri-Town Plaza.
“Basement Systems has added five new buildings, and Thule did a $2 million expansion in our industrial park; that’s economic growth right there,” Drugonis said. “Kerite is hiring and MPI in the industrial park is growing and needs housing for its employees.”
Theresa Conroy, 68, the Democratic selectwoman seeking to unseat Drugonis, said the current administration isn’t doing enough to encourage economic development. She said Seymour has been stagnant.
“Over the last 10 years we haven’t had any major economic development,” Conroy said. “We need to be more proactive working with businesses. We’re falling behind while other towns are moving forward. It’s time for real leadership with vision, integrity and action.”
Tri-Town Plaza
The Tri-Town Plaza on Derby Avenue has been mostly vacant since its two major tenants – Ames department store and Adams grocery store – closed more than 20 years ago.
The plaza has been entangled in various lawsuits, some dating back before Drugonis’ time in office, which officials said has hampered getting new businesses in there. A large void in the center of the plaza remains where the buildings were demolished a couple years ago. There are a few small businesses in the plaza, including a pizza restaurant, martial arts studio and newly opened daycare center. A lawsuit between the town and the plaza’s manager partner Ron Spector, over building violations, was recently settled, and Drugonis said she is open to working with Spector on getting the plaza more tenants.
“I would love to see a grocery store there, and it’s going to take a major investment in those buildings and the property for someone to go there,” Drugonis said.
Conroy said the plaza has been vacant for far too long. She said she recently spoke with Spector and said she’s willing to work with him to see the plaza fully developed.
“I have met with Ron Spector recently and am willing to work with him; he has the money and financing to get the project going, and he’s looking for tax abatements. I am more than willing to work with him to make sure we’re getting businesses in there for the residents of Seymour. We need to fill those main spaces to bring it back on the tax rolls.”
Drugonis said she has been told by developers that while they like Seymour’s location, including its proximity to Route 8 (which runs parallel with Tri-Town), they want to see more people living here to make investing worth their while.
“Seymour only has about 17,000 people,” Drugonis said. “Developers like our location, but they tell me that just being near a highway isn’t enough. They want to see more people living here. That’s why housing is such a big piece of the puzzle. It helps families, seniors, workers — and it helps us bring in the businesses we want.”
The Haynes Property
Both Conroy and Drugonis said they support affordable, or “workforce” housing in Seymour. They see the undeveloped 220-plus acres behind the Stop & Shop on Franklin Street as a possible site for a mixed-use development of such housing, retail and commercial space.
Drugonis said she’s working with property owner Tom Haynes and state economic and transportation officials to help make Haynes’ vision for the property a reality.
Drugonis said while no plans for a project have been submitted yet, Haynes’ vision is “four times the size of Quarry Walk.”
Quarry Walk is Haynes’ 30-acre mixed-use development on Route 67 in Oxford. It features housing, retail and office space that generates more than $1 million annually to the tax base, officials said.
“There should be a train station there, but we’ve been told by Metro-North it would take seven years to get train tracks over there,” Drugonis said. “A train stop there is a perfect place for what Haynes wants to do there. Having housing right there and people taking the train to work will take cars off the road and reduce our carbon emissions.”
Conroy sees the development of the Haynes property as one of the best ways to grow Seymour’s economic base.
“Haynes received a $3 million grant, and I have lots of connections with state and federal delegations, and I’m not afraid to go out and get more money to help with this development,” Conroy said. “When I was a state representative, I would knock on the governor’s door every other week and say ‘Hey, remember me?’ I will work with the state to get more grant money for Seymour, because there’s a lot of money out there to be had.”
The Route 67 Corner
Two other good-sized, vacant parcels in town – the former Housatonic Wire site on River Street and its neighbor on the corner of Route 67, the former Seymour Lumber Co. site – have laid fallow for many years.
A Florida developer purchased the wire company site a few years back and proposed building storage units there – but Drugonis said that is no longer happening. She said the developer, following the devastating floods in August 2024, said putting in a storage facility was “not in the best interest of the property.”
Both Drugonis and Conroy said they support mixed-use development on both sites, favoring first-floor retail and housing and/or offices on the upper floors.
Drugonis said the current owner of the Seymour Lumber site was unable to market the property while the reconstruction of Route 67 was happening. But since that project recently wrapped, Drugonis said the property is poised for development.
“People are looking at both those properties and it’s a real opportunity for investors,” Drugonis said.
Conroy said when she was a state rep, she tried to help get the Seymour Lumber site developed and wants to try her hand at it again.
“I’d like to pick back up where I left off,” Conroy said. “We have beautiful waterfalls in between the Seymour Lumber and Housatonic Wire sites. We need something more realistic there. No gas stations or storage units.”
As for more potential housing or building sites, Conroy said there is a 17-acre parcel for sale in the Silvermine Industrial Park, even after she said Drugonis has said there’s no more room in the industrial park to build.
“There is potential there for someone to come in there, and it could be perfect for industrial, and maybe have some potential for multi-family, affordable housing,” Conroy said.
Drugonis acknowledged there is land for sale there.
“There’s a 17-acre parcel but it’s all hill and ledge and you cannot build on it,” Drugonis said. “If you could build on that, then why wouldn’t Larry Janeksy (of Basement Systems) buy that? They’d have to blast the hill. Someone was interested in that parcel at one point but when they found out what it would take just to change the grade, it was not financially feasible.”
That Hole In The Ground Downtown
It’s been more than three years since a fire gutted the old Rogol’s building at 141 Main St., which housed two antiques stores and a barber shop. The hole where the building once stood has remained fenced-in and void of any new development ever since.
Drugonis said she met with the property owner Lon Syla two weeks ago, who is working on a new plan to present to town zoning boards.
Syla previously pitched a plan in 2023 to build 15 apartments there, with first floor retail, and 15 parking spaces. The town’s zoning regulations, however, required more parking spaces than Syla had proposed. A recent change in the parking regulations, however, was approved by the Seymour Planning and Zoning Commission, Drugonis said, which could pave the way for Syla’s plan to work.
Both Drugonis and Conroy agree that a mix of housing and retail in that space would be beneficial to the downtown.
Speaking of downtown, Conroy said Drugonis isn’t doing enough to get people to actually come downtown.
“Back in the 90s we revitalized our downtown, it was all antiques stores, but at least we had a vibrant downtown,” Conroy said. “We had activities, we had first Saturdays, we don’t have that anymore. Nobody goes downtown anymore because there’s not a reason to go down there.”
Conroy said downtown needs more “nightlife,” more restaurants and just more events to entice people there.
Drugonis said the First Saturday events fell off in popularity.
“The merchants said they weren’t interested in doing it anymore, because people were only coming into the stores to use their bathrooms, and they weren’t buying anything,” Drugonis said. “And there is nightlife downtown. Jimmy’s Place and Train Station Pizza are always packed. The Strand (theater) has monthly movies and events. Things are happening in our downtown. We have no vacant storefronts, everything is filled.”
Drugonis said she’s working at a steady pace for the good of Seymour.
“My vision is pretty simple – I want smart, balanced growth. That means bringing in the right businesses, supporting the ones we already have and adding housing in smart places, while still protecting open space,” Drugonis said.
Conroy said strategic planning is key to the future and making Seymour a place where generations to come can thrive.
“Economic development is a top priority for me,” Conroy said. “There’s a lot of money out there and we have to go out and get it. Let’s not put all the (tax) burden on residents. Our biggest thing is we need to have a strategic plan in place so we know where we’re headed to. I want to hear from the younger generation and ask what they want Seymour to look like 30 years from now.”
Election Day is Nov. 4.