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Meriden Downtown Hub Project
 The Meriden Hub Project gets a Green Light!
Current Status: The HUB Reuse Committee met and agreed to ONE design plan in January 2008. The City’s project engineers, Milone and MacBroom, are working on final design work for this plan. Close to $600,000 in funds remaining from the demolition project will be earmarked for flood control engineering work for the HUB site. In addition, City staff are developing a proposal for submission to Conn DOT and the CT Office of Policy and Management for funding through a PILOT program earmarking $5 million to Transit Oriented Development planning in the State. Meriden is cited as a PILOT TOD City.
In 2007, the state legislature authorized $9 million for flood control, remediation and park development work at the site. These funds have not yet been bonded. Meriden’s legislative delegation, the City, the Chamber and MEDCO are aggressively pursuing the bonding of these funds.
Recent History: The City awarded the HUB demolition contract to J.R. Contracting & Environmental of New Jersey and has notified the press in October of 2006. The Meriden Hub Building Demolition in downtown was completed in 2007 and an interim green space area has been constructed in its place until future flood control design work is initiated. The HUB Reuse Committee held a public meeting in September 2007 which was attended by 125 people including Deputy DOT Commissioner Albert Martin. Three concept plans were presented and 7 roundtable discussions were facilitated. The public participation was outstanding.
Background: In September of 1970, the Meriden Mall opened in downtown Meriden. As a result of shifts in consumer shopping habits, the opening and success of Westfield Shopping Mall and the downtown flooding of 1992 and 1996 (See Flood Control Overview), the Hub was no longer a viable location for retail or manufacturing. No private investment would occur in a location prone to regular flooding.
From 2004 to 2006, several important commitments were made to downtown redevelopment. Congresswoman Johnson announced $150 thousand to investigate the HUB site and $2 million was committed by Governor M. Jodi Rell for HUB demolition. In July 2005, the City of Meriden took back the title to the Meriden Hub in order to accept the state and federal funds to demolish the property. USEPA and CTDEP provided support for environmental assessment work and USEPA provided the City with a $200,000 grant for remediation. Malone & McBroom were hired to oversee the entire project site and the City Manager formed a HUB Reuse Committee composed of City staff, residents, Chamber representative, and state officials to guide the reuse of the HUB property.
For the most current information, visit the City of Meriden HUB Reuse web site.
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