Mayor Staffieri and the Redevelopment Agency have worked many hours conceiving this downtown project.
There is no doubt they did their full due diligence in the selection of Eclipse.
However, Eclipse was tasked with an idea, and like any business, they are going to produce what they know they can deliver in a reasonable time.
They are not thinking about what is good for Derby long term. Instead, they are thinking about this one project at this one point in time.
Eclipse is planning to turn Downtown Derby into a massive strip mall. Research has proven this concept to be ineffective time and time again. There are vacancies in virtually every strip mall in Derby.
The future of Downtown Derby should include some mixed-use development as the current market conditions cannot sustain much, if any, housing.
Shelton is in the beginning stages of building approximately 1,000 residential units in their downtown area. There is no need to compete with Shelton by wasting our prime real estate on additional residential units that will ultimately sit empty.
Derby is witnessing firsthand that current market conditions cannot sustain retail establishments, either.
And with an abundance of office space throughout Shelton, it would be unwise to build offices in our downtown. A movie theater would also prove disastrous. Instead, why not include restaurants, a bakery and a barber shop? Restaurants typically remain strong, even through difficult economic periods.
Downtown is fortunate to be situated at the confluence of two rivers, providing an ideal location for a community college or a satellite campus for the Yale University School of Nursing. With Griffin Hospital’s affiliation with Yale-New Haven Hospital, Derby is a natural fit for such a facility.
The area is highly visible, close to major roadways and in walking distance to commuter rail lines.
One major caveat the Redevelopment Agency has failed to identify thus far is the properties that incorporate several parcels of land in the Redevelopment Zone are privately owned.
Disturbingly, one of the major landowners in the Redevelopment Zone is Ceruzzi, the former developer in which the City of Derby recently paid $1.75 million to settle a lawsuit.
Additionally, that $1.75 million settlement did not include the reacquisition of the property.
Derby is now going to have to pay Ceruzzi another substantial amount of money to get that land back. Ceruzzi continues to be a major
roadblock for redevelopment.
A deal has not yet been reached with any of the existing owners in order for Eclipse to proceed.
Unless Derby intends to implement the use of eminent domain, the downtown redevelopment project cannot move forward as outlined by
Eclipse.
I understand the urgency to get a shovel into the ground, but this is our one chance to get it right.
It would be extremely unfortunate to waste this opportunity on the current proposal by Eclipse.
I’d rather wait for improved market conditions than see a strip mall built downtown.
The writer is trying to secure the Democratic nomination for Derby mayor.
Click here for the Valley Indy’s stories on the latest development proposal for downtown Derby.
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