Movie fans will tell you that few sequels match the quality of the original. Not all seconds are second best, and that’s exactly the thinking behind the new boutique / antique shop in historic downtown Norwich: Encore Justified. Encore Justified is a whimsical double entendre, first based on the store’s upcycling premise – to reuse things (hence an encore) and then second because this is the second shop for owner Jill Fritzsche, of Canterbury.

We first met Jill in 2012, during the Connecticut Small Business Development Center’s entrepreneur classes at Three Rivers Community College. At that time she was successfully running an antique shop along scenic Route 169 in Canterbury and was looking to develop some additional business skills. When a storefront decorating opportunity arose, we invited Jill to display her wares in the City. We knew that she had good taste, and figured she could add some vibrancy to the empty windows as 102 Main Street.

Over the course of the next year, we talked with Jill about her business goals, about the emergence of a dining / entertainment scene in historic Downtown and about how she might fit into the city’s latest renewal efforts. It is also important to note that a key part of this process was an engaged property owner that was willing to think creatively. First, to allow us to program the space for decorating purposes, and then to work with Jill on lease terms that would enable her to occupy the space. Jill is currently holding off on having an official grand opening until the road construction is complete. Until that time, you can still check her out in the shop, and: facebook.com/encorejustified

Hundreds of kids and their parents came out Saturday, April 19^th for the Second Annual Spring Egg Hunt at Howard Brown Park.  Participants wrapped the edges of the 2-4 year age group waiting for the official go at 11:00, then, they were off! Following the youngest age group the 5-9 year olds and the 10 and up age group also got a chance to find some eggs.  Thanks to a group of community volunteers, 1200 eggs were stuffed in the NCDC office the previous Tuesday.

In addition to the egg hunt, the City of Norwich Fire Department was there with Touch-A-Truck, the Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce had free face painting, the Young Marines were there with the Easter Bunny and the City of Norwich Community Police stopped by with gifts for the kids and passed out baskets to the lucky individuals who found a golden egg!

Brochures that listed all of the Downtown Norwich eateries showing some family friendly food options and pricing were passed out to attendees to illustrate all of the amazing food options Downtown has.  An 11:00 start means that the hunt will be over and kids will be ready for lunch, and what is better than being able to walk there!

Thanks to everyone who participated for helping to show that Downtown Norwich is a beautiful, family friendly place to spend an enjoyable afternoon!  Didn’t make the Egg Hunt?  Bring the kids down for some fishing off the docks (and of course some lunch at one of our wonderful restaurants)!

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a place in Norwich where you could walk around, hit two or three art galleries displaying works by local artists, get a bite to eat and perhaps catch a show?  Well there is. Downtown Norwich has it all and it gets put on display the first Friday of every month.  First Friday is a common term for various public events held in cities around the globe that occur on the first Friday of every month. These city-wide events may take on many purposes, including art gallery openings as well as social and political networking.  Additionally, these are “see and be seen” events that serve as a block party or social gathering open to the general public. In many cities these events may involve pub crawling, street performances and more.   First Friday Norwich began in October of 2000.  It was organized under the direction of Lisa Marien of the Norwich Arts Council to kick off the opening of the Donald Oat Theatre and the NAC Gallery.  More recently First Friday Norwich has gotten a facelift and serves to help support Economic Development in the City.

First Friday Better Than Ever

Recently a new group has gotten together to bring First Friday Norwich back and better than ever!  Representatives from the Norwich Arts Council, Reliance House and Wauregan Gallery as well as outside agencies like Artreach, The Norwich Rose and Norwich Community Development Corporation gather to plan upcoming First Friday Activities.  The key is making sure people know what is happening and where.  To get the word out the group has started a website FirstFridayNorwich.com which is updated monthly with gallery exhibits, musical events, theatre productions, movies and places you can get a bite to eat or grab a cold beer.  There is also a facebook page facebook.com/FristFridaysNorwich where participants post things going on at their business.   “Being on the First Friday committee is fun and inspiring,” says Becca Atkins of Artreach.   “I enjoy the positive energy of the group. There is some great brainstorming going on, followed by action, and I am excited about the future of the arts in Downtown Norwich.”

First Friday Art Tour

One of the first activities this committee did as a group was to host a Walktober event with Last Green Valley ‘First Friday Art Tour”.  What is great anout Downtown Norwich is that the venues are all relatively close together and make for an enjoyable stroll.  The tour began at Chacers Bar and Grill on Franklin Street where participants had a cold beverage and a delicious bite to eat while listening to acoustic guitarist Matthew Pirie.  They moved on walking past the Spirit of Broadway Theatre and were able pick up brochures about upcoming shows and stopped in at Billy Wilsons Aging Still on Broadway to listen to guitar and singing by Ronald LaBonte.  The group crossed the street to the Norwich Arts Council to view the showing of In the Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness, then down the street to the Reliance House Gallery, over to the Wauregan Gallery (also featuring In the Pink artwork where all proceeds went to the Breast Health Task Force of Southeastern CT) and finished off at the Harp and Dragon on Main Street.  As well as learning about all the treasures Downtown has to offer, participants learned about the history of the buildings along the way.  Most of fourteen participants were from outside of Norwich, two from as far away as Vermont.  The attendees had a great time, enjoyed the galleries and many of them had dinner downtown after the event.   “First Friday is one of the better evenings of the month to come to Downtown,” says Paul Siefert of Billy Wilson’s Aging Still.  “It brings arts and culture to the City and you get a flavor for what the Downtown has to offer.”

The Galleries

The Norwich Arts Center or NAC was originally founded as the Norwich Arts Council in 1987 by a group of local artists and patrons who were inspired by the area’s possibilities.  In 1995 they purchased 60-64 Broadway which they had been leasing as a gallery space for NAC and regional artists and turned the third floor space into the Donald Oat Theater.  Their mission is to inspire and provide community affordable music, arts and education to the Greater Norwich Region in partnership with others interested in strengthening the fabric of the region.   With the addition of the theater and the Norwich Arts Council’s Gallery on the first floor, Norwich Arts Council became the Center for the Arts in Norwich offering art, music and theatrical productions on Broadway in downtown.  In preparation for their 2000-2001 season the committee was challenged to make downtown Norwich a destination point for the Norwich residents. The long standing Norwich Arts Council Gallery opening on the first Friday of each month, featuring a different NAC Cooperative artist, seemed to be the logical partnership.  In October of 2000 “First Friday at the NAC” became a reality. The arts council combined the opening at the NAC Gallery with its initial jazz offering in the Donald L. Oat Theater. The music event was titled “First Friday Coffeehouse”.  Since conception NAC has featured Grammy Award winning jazz musicians from all over the country as well as local bands and groups.

The NAC gallery hosts some amazing artists.  Carol Dunn is an Elected Artist at the gallery as well as a First Friday Committee member and was featured on the December cover of Ink Magazine.    She was also recently commissioned to help enhance, through art, Hotel Chandler in New York City.  Matthew Cassar another of NAC’s artists had a January showing at the gallery.  Matthew who has had showings as far away as Shanghai, China draws inspiration from the Dark ages as well as the Renaissance period.   These artisits as well as the others that show at the Norwich Arts Center should not be missed!

Reliance House, Inc. is a non-profit mental health organization that has been located in downtown Norwich since 1976. Throughout the years, the agency has contributed to the versatility of the city by providing a variety of evolving mental health services along with community based businesses such as a thrift store, laundromat, landscaping services and a restaurant. Most recently, downtown interactions take the form of a monthly open Gallery for Norwich First Fridays. The Gallery originally developed as a means to showcase art created by Reliance House service recipients as facilitated by ARTWorks creative therapy sessions. By opening the Gallery for First Friday events, new partnerships and networks were established, thus expanding the vision and purpose of the Reliance House Gallery. Dedicated to the success of First Fridays, Reliance House employees have assisted with the rejuvenation of the First Friday Committee along with other local interested parties.  Currently, the monthly showings consist of works created not only by agency members and staff but by budding and established local artists as well. To encourage all who are interested to participate, use of the space is free of charge and supported by on-site staff for the evening of the event. “The Gallery opens the door to share in the arts but additionally provides a gateway to talk about the services Reliance House has to offer and share our collective community goals,” says Carrie Dyer of Reliance House. For more information, contact Carrie at cdyer@reliancehouse.org or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/RelianceHouse.

Recent showings at the Reliance House Gallery have featured Artreach, Inc., a non-profit that promotes recovery for adults with psychiatric disorders through creativity, had a beautiful Holiday Wreath Sale in December.  The January artist was Rick Sicard who also has a painting included in the January 25^th showing at the Hygenic in New London.

The Gallery at the Wauregan opened two years ago and is owned and operated by Dan Topalis a Norwich born artist who has had shows at the Southern Allegany Museum, Philadelphia Cultural Society, the Agora Gallery NYC and the Hygienic in New London just to name a few.  He wanted to create a place for people in the community.  The gallery does not charge fees of any sort, or judge the work.  “If an artist sells work they get 100% of the sales,” says Toplais “the gallery takes nothing.  The gallery gives an opportunity for artists who would otherwise not be able to show work.”  He runs the gallery on his own with some help from volunteers.  His art is displayed in the gallery and draws his inspiration from society.  “Portraits are inspired by people.  I just pick the one to me with the story in their face.  My new ‘Orbs’ series just comes from my head.”  His gallery offers a glimpse into how the arts can help transform the Downtown by helping to fill formally vacant spaces.

The Gallery at the Wauregan features many artists work giving them a launching pad to their own shows.  In December Topalis featured a painting of Rick Sicard’s and helped him launch a private show in the Reliance House Gallery in January.  Another artist featured at the Waureagan Gallery is pottery by Elizabeth Braddock which can also be purchased through the gallery and is not to be missed.

What First Friday Means for Norwich

“Fun events, such as Norwich’s First Fridays, provide the city with an opportunity to reveal itself in a creative, positive light,” says Norwich Community Development Vice President Jason Vincent.  “In doing so, there is a chance to change some of the perceptions and misconceptions that people have about the city. Attendees will find plenty of parking, the event is safe, and it is a fun and festive atmosphere. All of those aspects can help the city build momentum in transforming the functionality of downtown from a place of business, to a place of vitality.” And there is plenty of parking, with 6 parking garages downtown and 520 on street parking spots, Downtown Norwich can accommodate large crowds of revilers, but for Norwich First Friday could mean more.  Communities across the country have begun to realize that investing in the arts can play a big role in economic growth.  These investments produce both short -term and long-term benefits, for example those who attend arts events spend money in the community at both the art showing and related activities such as going to a local restaurant or bar, having an effect on local employment and income which leads to increased tax revenue.  A longer-term benefit would be that the arts generally attract highly skilled workers to an area which helps to raise the income levels in a community.

Future of First Friday Norwich

Looking to the future, the First Friday Committee meets every three weeks at one of the partner locations to talk about upcoming events and work together to make future First Friday great.  They currently list all of the downtown eating establishments on their website but are planning on meeting with the downtown restaurant and bar owners to figure out how to best tie them into the First Friday festivities.  They are also interested in finding spaces Downtown other art groups from Norwich could use for the evening of First Friday to bring other art forms to the event as well as make Downtown Norwich a destination once again for patrons of the arts as well as individuals just looking to have an exciting evening out.   What is certain for First Friday Norwich is that the future is looking bright.  People who rarely came down for First Fridays in the past are becoming regulars and there are more new people every month.   One point the group wants people to keep in mind is that if you happen to miss the First Friday event; the galleries maintain the exhibit all month long can be seen at your leisure or again and again.  For more information about First Friday Norwich visit their website or like them on  Facebook.  Events are updated monthly and other activities outside of First Friday are listed on the calendar on the website.

Have you been wondering “What’s up with the old Reid (and Hughes Building)?” If you have, it’s probably not the first time you asked that question, as this property has been one of much banter here in Norwich over the past couple of decades. Our best answer at this time is “promise.” Not the noun (i.e., pledge or vow) but rather the adjective from promise: promising, as the future of this building and site looks more promising. How so?

 Avoiding Demolition

Perhaps the first sign of promise is that the City is re-thinking its plans to demolish the building. In April of 2013, the City hired CLA Engineers to develop a demolition program, which outlined three demolition options, ranging from $574,000 to $797,000. The City Council was ready to act on that report, but felt that there was a need for an assessment of their options, and asked us to assist with that. On August 12, 2013 NCDC delivered an assessment report to the Council the outlined three options for them to consider: do nothing, demolition and rehabilitation(read report here)

This report was a basis for a decision to initiate a third RFP for this building. It looks promising that this could be the last.

Engaged Developer

This third RFP process proved fruitful as three developers submitted proposals. Proposals ranged from renovating the Reid & Hughes Building to a project with multiple phases and properties. The quality of the proposals presented a real challenge for the Proposal Evaluation Committee (PEC – discussed later). The RFP advertisement provided ranking criteria, along with activities that would help the developers achieve the highest score. This may have appeared to be too much detail at the beginning of the process, but with two quality candidates as finalists it proved to be critical, especially when there was a need to report the findings.

Ultimately, the PEC selected POKO Partners (POKO), of Westchester, New York to be the recommended developer and submitted their report to the City Council on March 17, 2014 (read recommendation here). They also recommended that the City Council transfer property ownership to NCDC to facilitate the redevelopment, regardless of which developer is finally engaged in the project. While POKO was recommended, there is a lot more work that is needed to make this project happen.

 Focused Team

This is a project that has a number of moving parts, with various components that have involved various city agencies. Going forward, it will require a continued effort by these various partners to remain engaged in the process and to communicate with the developer and community. The Proposal Evaluation Committee (PEC) included Jim Quarto (Redevelopment Authority (RDA) and city resident), Leland Loose (NCDC, RDA and city resident), Greg Farmer (Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation), Kevin Gremse (National Development Council), Bill Block (City of Norwich and city resident) and Robert Mills (NCDC). Jason Vincent has served as a facilitator of the RFP process and is the ongoing project manager for NCDC. He can be reached at 860.887.6964. What’s Next? Stay Tuned…

March 9^th saw waves of green washing over the streets of Downtown Norwich as thousands of people flooded the streets to watch the inaugural Saint Patrick’s Day Parade.  The parade was inspiration of business owner Scott Capano who has wanted a Saint Patrick’s Parade since the opening of his business the Harp and Dragon in 2006.  His idea was to have a downtown centric parade that would bring people to the downtown businesses and provide a fun event for citizens of Norwich and give residents of other towns a reason to visit.

A parade committee was formed in November of 2013 and businesses and organizations  such as the City of Norwich Police Department, City of Norwich Fire Department, Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce, Norwich Community Development Corporation and local businesses such as the Harp and Dragon and Chacers Bar and Grill were tapped to be on the committee.  New city resident Jeanne Ireland, previously from western MA, was happy to be involved and was a wealth of knowelge from her previous ork with the Holyoke Parade which has over 25,000 marchers every year.  Norwich’s new mayor Deberey Hinchey was very enthusiastic about the idea and wrote a resolution for Norwich to have a Saint Patrick’s parade saying that it recognizes the Saint Patrick’s Parade as a City of Norwich function and invites participants and spectators to come to Norwich and enjoy the ambiance provided by the downtown event.

The parade had over 700 marchers in its first year and brought over 3,000 people into the city for the parade and subsequent street festival.   What does all this have to do with economic development you may ask?  Plenty!  A city is not all about events, it’s about people and businesses, but, events like the Saint Patrick’s Parade and Festival (fully funded by private dollars, not by city finances) show vibrancy.  The sponsorships display that local businesses are willing to invest back into their community and that people are willing to come to Downtown Norwich if there is a reason.  This is what potential investors and business people need to see.  The ensuing festival gave local small businesses a chance to show everyone what they had to offer, and Downtown’s newest small business Encore Justified (102 Main St.) had their grand opening.   So, while events don’t mean businesses will crop up magically overnight, they do create a sense of vibrancy and community that successful business people look for in their next potential business locations and create an enjoyable atmosphere for citizens to live, work and play.

To view photos from the parade, get more information or you would like to sponsor next year’s parade (it’s never too early) visit their website norwichparade.com.   If you have an idea for an event or want to volunteer your time on other events, we would love to hear from you!

Have you ever wondered how different downtown Norwich looked like 50 years ago or wondered what would have happened if the downtown area would have stayed the same? Did you know that downtown Norwich used to have many more properties and businesses along present day Chelsea Harbor Drive and Howard T. Brown Memorial Park? This area has the potential to create many jobs, to provide a pleasant experience to Norwich’s residents and to those who are visiting, and also benefit the City of Norwich tremendously. There were building units that spanned from the bridge that takes us into downtown to Market Street and many of these units were built over present day Chelsea Harbor Drive. There was also a rail line that went over where part of the Marina is today. These elements are part of the life that downtown Norwich had back in time. It is a fact that Norwich has missed out on the opportunities that come with all of these units that could have provided benefits for its residents, those that are visiting and the City of Norwich as a whole. There has been lost opportunities to provide jobs, recreation, and business and revenue for Norwich with these units.
Currently, the waterfront area of Norwich along Route 2 has many qualities that can be improved upon. One issue that the waterfront area has is that it contains what are known as “stroads.” Route 2 in downtown Norwich is by definition a “stroad” and what is meant by this is that it is a street and road into one and in doing so creates a terrible combination. A road basically is a connecting point between two locations which yields faster driving conditions. A Street has a more personal feel to it, for example, a street would have a café, Laundromat, public space, and walkable area. What downtown Route 2 has become is that it has some places to eat, some walkable areas, but it also is on a road that is built for higher speeds built to pass through. This combination can create a dangerous and unattractive environment for a pedestrian. One example of a downtown that sees plenty of traffic but has managed to implement a walkable street area is downtown Mystic on Route 1. To compare traffic numbers; Route 1 in Mystic gets about 11,800 motorists per day while Chelsea Harbor Drive gets 11,800 and Water Street gets 7,100 totaling 18,900 motorists for Route 2 in Norwich. This means that Mystic’s two way street in their downtown area sees about the same as Norwich’s Route 2 traffic if broken down by Chelsea Harbor Drive and Water Street separately. What this also tells us is that there is no reason why we couldn’t turn Route 2 into a more pedestrian friendly environment. To bring back Water Street and Chelsea Harbor Drive’s sense of place, we could add “complete streets” which are streets that have sidewalks for pedestrians, bicycle lanes for bike riders along with multiple areas to park the bicycles. These streets would also provide ease of access for public transportation as well. These types of streets enable all types of people of all ages and abilities to access it without any difficult challenges. With these parts that make up a “complete street” there would be a big reduction in automobile traffic which in turn makes this area safer and more eco-friendly with more real alternatives to move about the city. With this new design, many people will get to experience Norwich’s waterfront area more conveniently.
It is understandable that today, we cannot rebuild all of the units that had existed prior, but it is possible to make use of the parking garages, highways, and open space that we currently have and in doing so, give Norwich more of a sense of place. There could be more residential units along with novelty shops, restaurants and office space for businesses. If we could develop some of the space that is not used today, we can bring more revenue to Norwich.
Two elements would be included in this proposal. One would be bringing back much of the space that was once used and adding businesses and residential units to those areas. Another would be that once some of these units are revived, we can incorporate modern urban practices to promote a more walkable and environmentally sustainable environment. Now with these two aspects included into the new design of the waterfront area, pedestrians can have ease of access to the shops, businesses, restaurants and residential areas without worrying about traffic flowing through with high speeds. With the incorporation of these two elements, this part of Norwich will be a wonderful place to visit, possibly enhance the nightlife, and make Norwich more profitable.

Norwich Community Development Corporation has been tasked by the Norwich City Council to develop a municipal development plan for the partially-completed hotel at 152 Salem Turnpike at the Interstate 395 interchange. The Hampton Project Municipal Development Plan has been drafted to satisfy this request and will be subject to public comment at a hearing scheduled for March 26, 2014. The hearing will be held in Council Chambers in City Hall, and will begin at 6:30 pm.

PROJECT DETAILS

• Blight elimination / economic reuse opportunity
• Located along Interstate 395 and Connecticut Route 82 – a high traffic / high visibility area in the city
• Public Hearing scheduled for March 26, 2014 6:30 pm, Norwich City Hall Council Chambers, 100 Broadway, Norwich, Connecticut
• Project website: askncdc.com/programs-incentives/hampton

About the Hampton Project
In September 2006 PRA Norwich received approval from the City of Norwich Commission on the City Plan to construct a 74,000 square foot 113-room Hampton Inn (Hilton Hotel brand). Construction began in 2007 and ceased in 2009. The property was abandoned in 2010, and foreclosure process commenced.

CT Norwich, LLC (“CTN”), an affiliate of Winston Hospitality, Inc., owns the property located at 154 Salem Turnpike (Connecticut Route 82) in Norwich. They acquired the property in May 2013, when they secured a Certificate of Foreclosure. It is estimated that about $350,000 worth of vandalism has occurred on the property including theft of copper pipes, wire, transformers and other materials.

CTN has invested over $3 million, including $2,750,000 in property acquisition. They plan to invest another $10.146 million in the property to complete the project. Since the time of acquisition, market conditions have eroded:
• lower room rental rates + higher regional vacancy = lower hotel income; plus
• higher development cost = unreasonable low return for developers; results in
• lack of willinessness for financiers due to additional risk and exposure.
CTN is seeking a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) agreement from the City of Norwich in the amount of $2.8 million ($140,000 per year for 20 years), which would provide an estimated $1.3 million in upfront capital for their project (representing 9 percent of the total investment).
Tax Increment Financing is permitted in Connecticut and the tool is only authorized after a Municipal Development Plan process has been completed. The TIF process is described in the Tax Incremental Financing Analysis report prepared by Josh Pothier, City Comptroller, and issued December 17, 2013.

The TIF will not be authorized until the MDP process has been completed, and the completion of the MDP process requires City Council approval. Authorization to begin the MDP process does not bind the City Council to approve the TIF.
Information about the Hampton Project MDP, or the Tax Incremental Financing Analysis report can be found at the NCDC website:
askncdc.com/programs-incentives/hampton
The Site

Aerial view of the unfinished hotel site; Image source: bing.com

For more information, please contact:
Robert Mills – President
Norwich Community Development Corporation
77 Main Street
Norwich, Connecticut 06360
860.887.6964
rmills@askncdc.com Jay Davies – Project Manager

Winston Hospitality, Inc.
3701 National Drive Suite – 120
Raleigh, North Carolina 27612
919.334.6927
jdavies@winstonhospitality.com