Community Corner

Will the HUB Look Like This? Find Out at Tonight's Major Community Meeting

Change is coming to the Silver City. Find out how, and tell city and state officials, architects and more what you'd like to see.

Meriden is about to change dramatically, city officials say.

“In 10 years you’re not going to recognize Meriden," City Councilor Brian Daniels told Meriden Patch after his re-election Tuesday night.

But before the wheels go fully into motion on the multitude of downtown projects – like the , , park and flood control plans – the city is holding a community meeting to provide information to and garner input from the public. [Scroll down to view the agenda.]

Find out what's happening in Meridenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

On Thursday night, the city's consulting architects and engineers and state Department of Transit officials will give presentations on the different pieces of Meriden's construction plans starting at 5:15 p.m. at Lincoln Middle School.

Following the individual presentations, audience members will be able to sit down with planners at tables around the school to talk about the proposed plans for each project and give their own take on what's been presented. [An info packet is attached in PDF.]

Find out what's happening in Meridenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Most of the discussion will be centered on development in the Transit Oriented District - the half-square-mile area around the train station. Plans, many of them already funded at least partially by state and federal dollars, include a new 14.4-acre park on the HUB site between State and Pratt Streets, a new "intermodal" train station, revitalizing Colony and East and West Main Streets, repurposing of the Mills Memorial public housing complex.

“The City of Meriden is developing a variety of plans to enable Meriden to take advantage of the unique economic opportunities coming our way”, said Larry Kendzior, City Manager in a press statement. “We want to ensure that this information is shared with the public and that public input is gathered as part of the planning process.”

An agenda for the public meeting is below:

5:15 – 5:30 p.m.
Registration/Sign-in 5:30 – 5:35 p.m.
Welcome and Explanation of Meeting Purpose Mayor Michael S. Rohde, House Speaker Chris Donovan (D-Meriden), City Manager Lawrence Kendzior
5:35 - 6:40 p.m.

Presentation of Meriden TOD Project

5:35 – 5:50 p.m.
New Haven Hartford Springfield (NHHS) Rail Project – John Bernick, ConnDOT 5:50 – 6:20 p.m.

Transit Oriented Development - Parsons Brinckerhoff Team

  • TOD is…Robert Brooks, Parsons Brinkerhoff
  • TOD Master Plan - Michael Wang, Arrowstreet
  • Intermodal Station Placement – Margarita Iglesia, Parsons Brinkerhoff
  • Roadway Network - Doron Dagan, Luchs Engineering
  • Market Analysis – Allan Hodges, Parson’s Brinkerhoff
6:20 - 6:35 p.m.
Meriden’s City Center Park - Mark Arigoni, Milone & MacBroom 6:35-6:40 p.m.
Next Steps - City Manager Lawrence Kendzior
6:40-6:50 p.m.
Explanation of Small Group Presentations/Break (refreshments) 6:50 – 7:20 p.m.
Facilitated Break-Out Groups Part ITable Discussions
  • Market Analysis – Allan Hodges, Parsons Brinkerhoff
  • TOD Master Plan - Michael Wang, Arrowstreet
  • Station Placement – Margarita Iglesia, Parsons Brinkerhoff
  • Roadway Network - Doron Dagan, Luchs Engineering
  • Park Plan – Mark Arigoni, Milone & MacBroom
7:20-7:25 p.m.
Transition 7:25-7:55 p.m.
Facilitated Break-Out Groups Part II – Summary of Discussions
Table Facilitators – All
7:55-8:00 p.m.
Wrap-up


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