NAUGATUCK — One burgess’s efforts to force a referendum on any changes to the borough’s agreement with developer Alexius Conroy failed this week, as others on the Board of Mayor and Burgesses argued that no specific proposals had been put forth.

After a speech criticizing Conroy at the board’s Nov. 1 meeting, Burgess Patrick Scully Sr. said that a referendum should be held on any alterations or extensions to the agreement with the Fairfield-based developer for the Renaissance Place downtown revitalization project. The agreement could expire by May if Conroy has not signed a satisfactory contract with Saint Mary’s Hospital by then to begin the first phase, according to Jay Carlson, chairman of the Naugatuck Economic Development Corp.

Representatives of Conroy Development Corp., the NEDC, and the borough have said the development agreement is being revised as the May deadline approaches. Any changes to it would have to be approved by the borough board as well as by Conroy and the NEDC.

The agreement was signed in 2007 following a non-binding referendum on the $710 million project, which is supposed to include residential, retail, entertainment, restaurant and office space. The first phase is planned to include a 500-space parking garage that the borough is responsible for financing and a medical facility anchored by Saint Mary’s Hospital that Conroy would build.

“He is not living up to contract number one,” Scully said. “If a new contract is coming up, the electorate should have the right to vote on that contract.”

No other board members supported Scully’s motion. Some said they wanted to wait to see what, if any, changes to the agreement would be proposed.

“I guess I don’t even know what we’re having a referendum on,” Burgess Ronald San Angelo said. “Maybe something should go to referendum. It’s just, a number of us think it’s premature.”

Conroy said no specific changes to the agreement are yet on the table, and declined to say whether he was proposing a smaller medical facility than the 30,000 square feet that Carlson said he would like to see as a minimum.

“I’m not going to get into any details of negotiations or discussions that are under way,” Conroy said.

Conroy said he has spent money on studies, legal fees and personnel and operating costs over eight years, but would not say how much. He said discussions with Saint Mary’s were going well and financial backers were beginning to show interest in other components of the project. Conroy said he is aiming for a shovel in the ground by May, but he thinks he will have a contract with the hospital at least by then.

“I think we’re entering a better period,” Conroy said. “I believe we’ll work out an extension or a modification.”

The future of the Renaissance Place project in Naugatuck, which includes development on Parcel C above, remains uncertain as the borough’s contract with developer Alexius Conroy draws to an end. FILE PHOTO

Concerns about the project are coming to a head over a proposed medical building on the corner of Maple and Water Streets, the success of which could determine Alexius Conroy’s relationship with the borough and the project’s future.

The development agreement Conroy signed in 2007 with the borough and the Naugatuck Economic Development Corp. carries a provision that the deal will end if privately-funded construction does not begin before next May, the agreement’s five-year anniversary. Conroy is still trying to get Saint Mary’s Hospital to occupy the medical building which, complemented by a 500-space parking garage to be built by the borough, is planned as the project’s first phase.

Even if ground is not broken on the medical building by May, NEDC Chairman Jay Carlson said, he is willing to continue the agreement if Conroy has signed a contract with the Waterbury-based hospital for a structure of at least 30,000 square feet.

“If the Saint Mary’s project is not under contract … I would be remiss in my role to recommend that we move forward,” Carlson said. “Alex is aware of that.”

Saint Mary’s CEO Chad Wable said last month that hospital officials had not committed to anchoring the medical facility, which was originally proposed to include 48,000 square feet. The hospital is only considering occupying 15,000 square feet, which would be too small to warrant the proposed ramp garage, NEDC members said.

Mayor Robert Mezzo, the NEDC and Conroy are all working to revise the 2007 agreement; any changes would have to be approved by the Board of Mayor and Burgesses as well as the NEDC and Conroy.

Allowing the agreement with Conroy to continue if he has a contract but has not begun construction might constitute a matter of interpretation, rather than a change to the contract, Carlson said.

Residents and officials have voiced frustration over the pace of the project, which was supposed to break ground in 2008, and some say Conroy’s failure to produce visible results is part of the problem.

“We’ve provided the platform, the referendum, the development agreement,” NEDC member Chester Cornacchia said. “We’ve worked with this guy and been very, very patient with him. … I think we all started off with the best intentions. I just think at some point you gotta wake up and smell the roses.”

Estimated to cost $710 million, Renaissance Place was proposed as a mixed-use development on 60 acres along the Naugatuck River containing residential, retail, entertainment and office space. To prepare for the project, the borough changed zoning laws and its municipal development plan, conducted environmental studies and cleaned Parcel C, the brownfield where the medical facility and garage would go. The borough’s efforts have cost millions, mostly funded by state and federal grants. Conroy has also spent an undisclosed amount of money on studies and legal fees.

If Conroy does secure a contract with Saint Mary’s, the development agreement could be extended for another 10 years, after which the project should be completed, Carlson said.

“It’s not going to be a carte-blanche agreement as we currently have,” Carlson said. “It would be stricter on timelines and deliverables, just because we want to regain the confidence of people in town to show that we’re moving forward and Alex is the guy that’s going to make it happen.”

An end to the agreement with Conroy would not kill the plan to redevelop downtown, NEDC members said. Although he does not own the land involved in Renaissance Place, Conroy has exclusive rights to develop it while the agreement lasts. If it expires, the borough could look for several developers to build components of an overall “smart growth” project with the same goals as Renaissance Place, Cornacchia said.

“Either way, we still have the mechanisms in place to make sure we don’t sell out our downtown to a Super Walmart,” Cornacchia said.

Mezzo has not brought a proposal before the borough board to extend the agreement with Conroy, and declined to comment more specifically than that, citing ongoing negotiations.

“We’re hopeful that Renaissance Place can still come to fruition, but we’re certainly not blind to the reality that progress has been slow, and the world is very different than the one in which the project was originally envisioned,” Mezzo said. “We still believe that smart-growth planned development is the right vision for the future of downtown.”

The borough is in discussions with developer Alex Conroy regarding revising an agreement for downtown development signed in 2007. The project includes a medical complex on Parcel C on Maple Street, above. RA ARCHIVE

That, according to the development agreement, could be a problem.

The agreement between the borough and Conroy, which then-mayor Ronald San Angelo signed on May 8, 2007, carries a provision that the deal will end if privately-funded construction does not begin within five years, barring an uncontrollable circumstance.

Conroy, Mayor Robert Mezzo and members of the Naugatuck Economic Development Corp. said they have been working on revising the agreement, but none would comment on specific changes that are being considered, citing ongoing legal negotiations. The Board of Mayor and Burgesses would need to approve any alterations to the agreement.

All aspects of the development agreement are open to negotiation, including the scope and timeline of the project, said attorney Gary O’Connor of Pullman & Comley in Hartford, who represents the borough’s economic development arm.

“The appetite for real estate development at this time really hasn’t come back, so all the parties recognize the new realities and are in the middle of negotiations,” O’Connor said. “The borough and NEDC understand the terms of the agreement and want to assure that the project is a development that incorporates the best elements of Conroy’s original plan, including residential and commercial development, smart growth and a transit-oriented district.”

Phase I of the project, which is supposed to contain a medical office facility and a 500-space parking garage on the corner of Maple and Water Streets, could break ground next year, said David Prendergast, CEO of the NEDC. Conroy is still in negotiations with Saint Mary’s Hospital, which would anchor the facility.

Conroy said the proposed merger between Saint Mary’s and Waterbury Hospital is a positive thing for the project, although it has slowed negotiations because hospital officials are busy trying to get the necessary approvals for the merger.

The merger could mean doctors from both hospitals would use the borough’s medical complex, increasing demand for the space, Conroy said.

“The end result will be better than it was before,” Conroy said. “There are just more moving parts.”

Melting snow and the summer’s heavy rains have created a large pool of water on Parcel C, where the medical facility and parking garage are set to be built. The borough is gathering price estimates for the installation of a small drain there, said Director of Public Works James Stewart, adding that he did not think the water presented a major problem.

“People have expressed concerns about mosquitoes, is the only thing I’ve heard,” Stewart said. “Once we get a price, then we’ll make a decision whether it’s worth it or not.”

The borough is also proposing that Building 25, the abandoned building between Parcel C and Town Hall, be used as incubator space for the medical office complex. The Naugatuck Historical Society and the NEDC are still planning on moving to the building, which will cost $2.5 million to renovate, Prendergast said.

Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury, which was once interested in opening a black box theater in the building, backed out about a year ago because it did not have enough money from a state grant to pay for its share of renovations, Prendergast said.

“They have obligated some of that grant funding to renovations and work where they are, so they are really not in a position to participate,” Prendergast said.

The borough has about $500,000 to renovate the building from a state grant and a Historical Society fundraising drive, and applied last month for a federal grant, Mezzo said.

Conroy said he is still negotiating with General DataComm to buy its riverside property, where much of the project’s residential and retail elements are supposed to go.

The property will have to be cleaned of toxins in the soil, and the borough is working to run a remediation plan by GDC before submitting it to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Mezzo said.

The borough also has commissioned an environmental assessment of the train station, which is currently under way, with a $50,000 state grant, Mezzo said. The local Council of Governments should also respond within two months to a $354,000 grant application for a traffic study and pedestrian bridge between the train station and the parking garage, Mezzo said.

“Whether or not Renaissance Place ever looks like the pretty drawings of 2003 is uncertain, given the new world that has emerged during this recession, but the principles of smart growth remain, and we’ve been very conscious of doing all the things we can given this economic climate,” Mezzo said.

St. Mary's hospital still plans to open a medical complex on Parcel C in Naugatuck.

Plans for a merger between the Waterbury Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital will not affect plans for St. Mary’s to build a medical office in Naugatuck as part of the borough’s downtown development project, according to St. Mary’s President and CEO Chad Wable.

“I think that there’s really no impact on our commitment to the Naugatuck community,” he said.

The Texas-based LHP Hospital Group, Inc. (LHP) recently announced plans to merge with the Greater Waterbury Health Network and Saint Mary’s Health System, Inc.

The joint venture would replace both hospitals with a new, $400 million state-of-the-art medical center in Waterbury, according to a press release from Waterbury Hospital.

In Naugatuck, the 30,000-square-foot medical space planned on Parcel C is a key component of the borough’s Renaissance Place project, a public-private partnership between the Borough of Naugatuck, the Naugatuck Economic Development Corporation, and Conroy Development. The new building would expand Saint Mary’s services in the borough and provide space for affiliated physicians. The medical center in Naugatuck will have diagnostic equipment and personnel from St. Mary’s that will be able to take care of a variety of medical needs.

Wable said he recently spoke with Alexius Conroy, president of Conroy Development.

“It appeared to me that he was trying to get the project back on some wheels and moving in the right direction and that gave me a lot more hope that we’ll be able to work something out,” Wable said.

Wable said the future of the medical offices in Naugatuck depend more on the developer’s plans that the pending merger.

Once the hospital has a better idea of how the project will move forward, Wable said he would put pen to paper and work through the details that are required to make any final commitments.

Wable said St. Mary’s has always been standing side-by-side with Renaissance Place through its starts and stops and ups and downs.

Conroy said he is continuing to negotiate with the hospital as well as assist the borough in discussions with the state.

“The goals of the combined hospitals are similar to what they were, which is to expand their services and provide facilities both in Waterbury and outside of Waterbury. Our facility in Naugatuck will be one of those outside of Waterbury that will serve their patients,” Conroy said.

The project, which was planned well before the recession hit, has taken longer to get off the ground than originally expected.

“You would always like to have things move faster than they do, but they’re moving in a positive direction,” Conroy said.

Conroy said the plans for the merger are positive for all concerned.

“These types of facilities that we’re building will be of great service to the main hospital,” Conroy said.

The borough is building to build a 500-space parking garage to coincide with the medical facility downtown.

On Aug. 25, the borough interviewed five planning and engineering firms that responded to a request for qualifications to design a 500-space parking garage on Parcel C. The $10 million garage would support the medical offices and the train station.

Naugatuck Mayor Robert Mezzo said the borough will choose two of the firms and review their financial proposals.

In April, the borough received a $500,000 grant from the state Department of Economic and Community Development to pay for the design.

One of the conditions of the agreement between the borough and the developer is that the town won’t build the garage without simultaneously developing the medical center.

Although he had not spoken with the hospital since it announced the merger, Naugatuck Mezzo said he expected the merger to strengthen the hospital’s financial position.

“From what we’ve been told, the merger would only strength the united hospitals desire to secure their suburban markets,” Mezzo said.

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The state Bond Commission approved $500,000 for the planning and designing of a 500-space parking garage to be built on Parcel C. FILE PHOTO

Gov. Dannel Malloy announced on Friday that the state Bond Commission approved a grant of $500,000 to assist with the architectural and engineering design services for the parking garage.

“This project will result in an overall reshaping of downtown Naugatuck, creating a vision that will spur revitalization, growth and job creation,” Malloy said, in a prepared statement. “This funding will help the project move forward so that it can accomplish these important development goals.”

A parking garage is the first part of phase one of the development and it’s needed for a planned Saint Mary’s medical complex to be built downtown.

“It’s a very important part of Renaissance Place. Essentially, our development agreement calls for us to provide the infrastructure to support the redevelopment and for our developer, Alex Conroy, to create the job-creating and tax revenue generating portion of it, which in this case would be the medical offices. … The ratio of public to private investment is about three to one so we’ve been very grateful in working with the state, the Department of Economic and Community Development, to get this as far as it has to the Bond Commission. We’re grateful to Gov. Malloy for putting it on the agenda this month. We’ve been working on it an awful long time to get this to this stage,” Mayor Robert Mezzo said.

As part of the agreement with the Conroy Development Company, the borough is responsible for the garage. The garage is a $10 million project and will hold 500 spaces.

Mezzo said one of the conditions of the agreement would be that the town won’t build the garage without the medical center.

The medical facility will need 300 spaces and the state Department of Transportation is discussing getting 200 spaces to support the Metro North Train line, Mezzo said. The town currently leases 75 spaces to the DOT at the train station on Water Street. The transportation department did a study of the line and anticipates increased ridership, he said.

“We’ve had discussions with them that not only do we think people would ride the train more if they had better accommodations in terms of more times to take the train to and from, but with Renaissance, there is eventually the residential component of that that will add a market for people to use that train,” Mezzo said.

With the money in hand, Mezzo said the next step is to finalize the assistance proposal with the Department of Economic and Community Development and then to solicit qualified candidates to perform the planning and design of that parking structure.

“This is happening simultaneously with the design of the medical facility as well. One of these can’t happen without the other,” Mezzo said.

The news about the funding was music to the ears of members of Naugatuck’s state delegation.

“This is good news for the people of Naugatuck,” said David Labriola (R-131), in a written statement. “It will pave the way for the promise of Renaissance Place to become a reality.”

State Rep. Rosa Rebimbas (R-70) and state Sen. Joan V. Hartley (D-Waterbury) expressed gratitude for the Governor’s office approving the money.

“This is a huge step toward redeveloping and revitalizing Naugatuck’s downtown and I want to thank the Governor’s office for recognizing the true potential of this project. … I also want to thank St. Mary’s Hospital for their patience and willingness to reinvest in Naugatuck,” Rebimbas said, in a prepared release.

Hartley said, in a prepared release, “I am grateful to Gov. Malloy and the Bond Commission for recognizing the significance of continued economic development projects for central business district in Naugatuck. It is critical we provide safe and secure parking for the Naugatuck train station.”

Renaissance Place will be a green, mixed-use, transit oriented development encompassing 60 acres along the Naugatuck River that is expected to create thousands of new construction and support jobs in addition to the creation of new permanent jobs.

“Final approval for this funding is yet another example of good progress underway toward completion of the downtown redevelopment project, to the benefit of all Naugatuck residents and those from neighboring towns,” state Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr. (D-Woodbridge) said, in a prepared release. “It’s important to note how the collaborative effort of the Naugatuck legislative delegation and Mayor Robert Mezzo and his administration led to this funding plan.”

Laraine Weschler contributed to this article.

Chairman of the Naugatuck Economic Development Corp Jay Carlson, left, goes over the Renaissance Place plans with U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) as Mayor Bob Mezzo looks on Friday afternoon in Town Hall.

“I think it’s a really promising project and we want to work for it,” said U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who met with Mayor Bob Mezzo and Naugatuck Economic Development Corporation Chairman Jay Carlson Friday afternoon in Town Hall.

Although Blumenthal spent the earlier part of the day touring areas damaged by recent flooding in the state, his time in Naugatuck was spent solely on the borough’s multi-million downtown revitalization project.

Mezzo and Carlson took about a half hour to bring the freshman senator up to speed on the status of the project, which envisions transforming 60 acres of land along the Naugatuck River into a mixed-use development that will include commercial, residential and retail components.

Throughout the discussion, the topic repeatedly returned to funding, particularly money to pay for the planning and designing of a parking garage.

Mezzo said borough officials have found that the state and fed aren’t enthusiastic when it comes to parking garages.

But, he added, “For us it’s very important to get the job started.”

A parking garage is the first part of phase one of the development and it’s needed for a planned Saint Mary’s medical complex to be built downtown.

As part of the agreement with the Conroy Development Company, Mezzo said the borough is responsible for the garage. He said the garage is a $10 million project and $500,000 is needed for planning and designing the garage.

Blumenthal vowed to work together with the state’s Congressional delegation to develop a strategy to get Naugatuck the funding it needs.

Federal funding is scarce, Blumenthal admitted. Congress is looking to cut spending and rein in the country’s deficit and debt, as it should, he said.

“But,” Blumenthal said, “worth-while projects shouldn’t be abandoned.”

Blumenthal praised the project for its focus on renewable energy and its potential for job and economic growth in the area.

Officials felt if Naugatuck gets the funding needed the impact on job growth would be nearly immediate.

“We have probably the closest thing to a shovel-ready project as you can get,” Carlson said.

According to information on the project’s website-www.naugatuckrenaissanceplace.com-the project is expected to create nearly 11,000 new construction and permanent jobs.

“We need to make cuts in smart ways and we need to support job creation, which this project ultimately does,” Blumenthal said.

Mezzo and Carlson said the borough’s state and federal delegation have always supported the project and the town has been close in the past to securing the necessary funding.

However, those funds have yet come to fruition amid the downtrodden economy.

“It’s a situation of the economy,” Carlson said. “Everybody believes in (the project).”

Naugatuck

Plans to redevelop downtown Naugatuck are underway.

Moving forward on Renaissance Place

Naugatuck is waiting to see if state grant money comes through for Renaissance Place, the downtown revitalization project town officials have been working on for the past several years.

“We’ve gotten a lot of things in place,” Deputy Mayor Tamath Rossi said.

The biggest focus is on the Saint Mary’s project to build a new medical center because that component is coming to the forefront very quickly, Rossi said.

“If we can get that off the ground, that would be huge,” she said.

The borough has already completed the Environmental Impact Evaluation and Municipal Development Plan for downtown revitalization.
The remediation of Parcel C should be complete by the end of January and a remedial action plan for Parcel B, the General DataComm property, should be finished in early 2011.

The borough will also enact phase I environmental examination of the town-owned train station. Cleaning contaminated soil on all these properties is an important step to prepare them for redevelopment.

As plans move forward, the borough will continue negotiations with state and federal stakeholders for assistance with the borough’s infrastructure upgrades, including a new parking garage, to leverage private investment for Renaissance Place, Mayor Robert Mezzo said.

Naugatuck has big plans to redevelop downtown.

Naugatuck positioning itself for economic development

Naugatuck has big plans during hard times.

“While the nation still suffers from the effects of the ‘Great Recession’ and painfully slow recovery, Naugatuck has positioned itself for revitalization by proactively planning during the past two years,” Mezzo wrote in an e-mail.  He said the town would continue investigation of the possibility of creating additional, smaller lots for industrial development in the industrial park and negotiations regarding the expansion of operations at a portion of the Chemtura property, the former Uniroyal Chemical.

“We will continue to work on all related projects … so that we will be in the best position to take advantage of increased private investment as the economy recovers,” Mezzo said.

Rossi said she plans to act proactively to make sure Naugatuck can continue to sustain itself through this difficult period at a minimal impact for the taxpayers.

As a taxpayer herself, Rossi said she is aware of the difficulty people are facing financially. She said she is confident the joint boards would present a lean budget without jeopardizing the essential services the town provides.

“We’ll be scrutinizing every line, as we do every year,” Rossi said.

Sound financial management by Comptroller Wayne McAllister and his staff resulted in a surplus from the 2009-2010 budget, according to Mezzo. He said he hoped to use the surplus to fund one-time expenses.

“We have resisted the urge to utilize budgetary gimmicks during difficult economic times.  We properly funded our pension and debt service obligations while appropriately using dollars from fund balance, commonly referred to as a ‘rainy day fund,’ only for one time revenues and with adequate reserves,” Mezzo said in an e-mail.

Mezzo looks ahead to 2011

Since taking office, Mezzo said he achieved several of his goals to change how the local government operates, but he still hopes to work on some areas in the coming year.

In 2011, Mezzo hopes to reduce duplication of services between the municipality and board of education for business related functions; produce a credible and inclusive strategic plan to will improve the long term operation of our municipal government; explore new and practical regional collaborations that will further reduce the cost of service delivery in the near and long-term future, and investigate and implement charter revisions that will improve how the borough operates.

A blight officer may also be in store for Naugatuck in 2011.

While resources are still scarce, the Board of Mayor and Burgesses believes that the borough can afford a part-time blight officer who will not only enforce the borough’s new blight ordinance, but assist with on-going beautification efforts currently being done by volunteers, Mezzo said.

Mezzo is also eying a long-term plan for the treatment plant.

Naugatuck needs to create a comprehensive facilities plan and implementation strategy that will address the long term needs of Naugatuck’s wastewater and sewage treatment plant, according to Mezzo.

“Such a plan will not only plan the way to address any outstanding issues of odor, but also any upgrades associated with increased mandates requiring decreases in phosphate and mercury emissions and upgrades to the facility’s incinerator,” Mezzo said in an e-mail.

Fawn Meadow is one of the many parks that will be open in 2011.

New parks to provide Naugatuck residents with recreation

Over the past year, the borough has worked on several new recreational parks scheduled to open in 2011.

Gunntown Passive Park and Nature Preserve should be ready for an official opening in the spring of 2011, with programs scheduled to start in January. This will be the first truly passive nature park in Naugatuck’s history, according to Mezzo.

A new field at Fawn Meadow will represent the first addition of active recreational space in Naugatuck in over a decade, Mezzo said.
The Parks and Recreation Department is also planning a baseball field on the land to be granted to the borough as part of the Apple Estates subdivision. The new field would serve high-school level leagues.

In addition, the borough plans to install synthetic grass at the Veterans Field sports complex and further pursue the possibility of a dog park in Naugatuck, Mezzo said.

Re-valuation

Once every dozen years, every property in Naugatuck must be assessed to determine its value for tax purposes. This is that year for both Naugatuck and Beacon Falls.

The parking facility would be located at Maple and Water streets, and serve downtown Naugatuck. It would also be used for a medical office space that would host Saint Mary’s Hospital and the train station.

The initial grant money would go toward designing the 500-space garage. The parking lot itself would cost about $10 million to construct, according to Mayor Bob Mezzo.

The grant would come with certain requirements from the state, including environmental and audit mandates, Town Attorney Ned Fitzpatrick said.

The investment would be linked to a contract with Conroy Development, the company the town is working with to revitalize downtown.

“The public investment is there to leverage the private dollars…It’s not building one without the other. It’s proceeding on a simultaneous track. They are part of each other,” Mezzo said.

Fitzpatrick said perseverance matters when it comes to applying for state funding.

“We keep knocking on their door until they answer it,” Fitzpatrick said.

Building 25, which was built in 1895, was at one time the central office for Goodyear’s India Rubber Glove Manufacturing Co.

The Maple St. building known as Building 25 still sits empty and neglected despite efforts by the Naugatuck Historical Society to raise money for its restoration.

Threatened to be torn down during Mayor Tim Barth’s administration in the 1990s, the Historical Society managed to raise $600,000, with $500,000 coming from a state grant. The Society used part of the money to stabilize the building and prevent its destruction.
However, this was not enough to pay for the museum the society hoped to construct in the building.

To some, the building is an important historical landmark, but to others, it’s an eyesore.

The building, built in 1895, was once the central office for Goodyear’s India Rubber Glove Manufacturing Co., which began in Naugatuck in 1847.

“After the United States Rubber Co. was founded, the building served as the Central Office for the entire facility in Naugatuck, and subsequently, Uniroyal, until that company closed in 1979,” according to an article by Martha Ann Simons, Past-President Naugatuck Historical Society.

The rubber industry once dominated Naugatuck’s landscape.

“When I was a kid, there were buildings like that all around downtown,” Naugatuck Mayor Bob Mezzo said.

Some people think building should be taken down. It was mentioned as a blighted building in debates over Naugatuck’s new blight ordinance, Citizen’s News previously reported.

Mezzo disagrees.

“I do think that our past is important. If there’s any way to restore that building and also create some jobs in the process, I think we should exhaust those possibilities,” he said.

The money from state is still sitting in an account, waiting for the borough to come forward with a plan to restore the building, according to Mezzo.

He said the building will probably cost $1.5 to 2 million to restore.

Building 25 will be part of the plans for Renaissance Place, a mixed-use development meant to revitalize downtown Naugatuck along the Naugatuck River. The building sits on Parcel C, an empty industrial site currently undergoing a remediation process to clean the contaminated soil to residential standards. The cleaning, now in its third attempt since the 1990s, should be completed by the end of the year, according to Mezzo.

“We’re going to do it right this time,” he said.

The borough and Naugatuck Economic Development Corporation (NEDC) are currently trying to tailor application to U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to seek funding to restore building 25, Mezzo said.

The borough’s plans for the building, in conjunction with plans for Renaissance Place, meet EDA standards for responsible economic development, Mezzo said.

They hope to revitalize building and investigate the creation of incubator office space with a medical theme to complement the proposed medical office building that would be built next to it by Conroy Development, Mezzo said. The incubator space would create offices with shared common areas for fledgling businesses to get off the ground. Restoring the building would created jobs and improve infrastructure, qualities the EDA likes, said Mezzo.

Such a renovation would also include the relocation of the historical society and the NEDC into Building 25. That would free up the borough-owned railroad station at 195 Water St., where Historical Society is currently located, for private development.

“That’s been our intention since day one to make the building the real home for the historical society,” said Charles Marino, president of the Historical Society.

This is one of several proposals over the years, including a plan for the Historical Society to have two museums, with Building 25 concentrating on the rubber industry, and some interest by the Seven Angels Theater to reconstruct part of Building 25 into a black box theater capable of seating 200 people, the Citizen’s News previously reported.

“Our primary goal has always been the restoration of Building 25,” said Mezzo.

He said that doing something with the building is essential because once Conroy Development completes the brand new state of the art medical office building on Water St., blighted Building 25, right next to it, will stick out even more in contrast. With plans for Renaissance Place moving along, plans for Building 25 must as well.

“We’re getting to a point where we can talk about construction in the near future for Renaissance Place,” said Mezzo.

Unlike other towns, which have canceled or postponed similar projects because of the economy, the borough, NEDC, and Conroy Development are working in partnership to make sure this project comes to fruition, Mezzo said.

Although some residents are frustrated with the pace of the project, which was passed in referendum in 2007, just as the recession hit, the fact that the project is still alive is an accomplishment, Mezzo said.

“We haven’t been simply waiting for better days. We’ve been doing a lot of work,” Mezzo said.

He said they were doing all the work necessary to prepare before the project moves into its construction phase. The development agreement outlining everyone’s obligations was approved by all three partners, Mezzo said.

“If we want to do a project of this size and complexity, it does take time,” Mezzo said.

Mezzo said the extra time such a big project takes is worth the economic benefits it will eventually bring. Whereas big box stores might provide a more immediate economic benefit, Renaissance Place will provide spill-over benefits to surrounding businesses and bring up property values in Naugatuck.

“People will want to be there,” Mezzo said.