Page 11 - BusinessWest December 26, 2022

completely outside of the box.” Meanwhile, through a transit-ori-
ented development initiative, there has been talk to expand and build on the current Thompsonville center, with the goal of making it the town center again.
In short, Enfield is not only looking to weather the post-pandemic era, but thrive and grow.
Connecting Points
Tereso explained that Enfield is on the Hartford transit line that connects to Springfield Union Station and New Haven Union Station, with a total of 13 stops between those cities. But Enfield isn’t one of them — yet.
“Enfield is on the Hartford transit line, the last stop in Connecticut head- ing north. We currently do not have a stop here in Enfield,” he said. “There was once a train station here in Enfield. We are proposing to build a new sta- tion through the Connecticut Depart- ment of Transportation.”
The town announced a $13.8 mil- lion federal grant for the funding of
the construction of the station in June, with a ribbon cutting by Gov. Ned Lamont, U.S. Sens. Richard Blumen- thal and Chris Murphy, and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney. State Bond Commission grant dollars are also being appropriat- ed for the project. The town is currently working outside the parameters of the site to infill the development around the station.
“The town realizes the importance of trying to redevelop that mall area.”
One of the areas needing the most redevelopment is Enfield Square, where the Target and largely vacant mall sits. The site’s current owner, Namdar Realty Group of New York, and the town are doing what they can to bring in new businesses.
“It’s the home of the former Macy’s, JCPenney, and Sears. Unfortunately, those three businesses are no longer in the Enfield Square mall. The town realizes the importance of trying to redevelop that mall area,” Tereso said. “In order to assist Namdar with poten- tial tenants down the road, we have engaged our Capitol Region Council of Governments to work with the town and are sponsoring an Enfield Square mall area traffic-impact study.”
The purpose of the study is to improve operating conditions and maximize the capacity along the Route 190 (Hazard Avenue) and Route 220 (Elm Street) corridors and assess development scenarios for the under- utilized mall and the potential impact on the roadway system — not just on the roadway itself for traffic, but also improving other means of infrastruc- ture, in terms of bike, pedestrian, and transit stops in and around the mall.
To those ends, Namdar and town officials have listening to the needs of the community. A market study was also conducted in town to understand what people want to see and do with the underdeveloped or vacant plots of land in the Enfield Square area.
Tereso told BusinessWest there have been a lot of suggestions for entertain- ment uses, mixed spaces for retail and housing, and even a walkable outlet setting similar to Evergreen Walk in South Windsor. One thing the study made clear is that business owners no longer want to lease their spaces, but
Enfield
Continued on page 14
Michelle Coach (third from left) cuts the ribbon on Asnuntuck’s behavioral- health center.
Staff Photo
Special thanks to our client, Great Awakening Brewing Company
Top: Peter Normand, Mark Netzer, Nick Ochs Bottom: Andrew Schabowski, Reynolds Whalen
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BusinessWest
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
DECEMBER 26, 2022 11