current plans
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A Historic Train Station planning committee meets regularly on the first Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. at Town Hall to further the restoration effort. A specially-designated account has been set up by the Town to receive donations. Checks can be written to the Town of Windsor Locks with Historic Train Station Restoration Fund written in the memo section.
AMTRAK INFORMATION
Residents approved the acquisition of the historic station and its footprint from the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) for $1 at a July 9, 2013 Town Meeting. After a decade of effort, the Town took over ownership of the historic station in December 2014. We are utilizing funding from a Small Town Economic Assistance Program grant on the design of the restoration of the historic station. The STEAP grant is managed by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Crosskey Architects of Hartford has been working on the restoration design. We have launched a capital campaign. Anybody interested in assisting this important project can donate to the Town either by sending a check or making a donation on-line through PayPal.
RELOCATION EFFORTS
Closely tied to the historic station is the Town's efforts to get the train platform relocated back into the downtown area. Now that the Environmental Asssessment public hearing process has concluded for the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield, the Town will be communicating with the Connecticut Department of Transportation about the next steps in the decision-making process relative to moving the station. ConnDOT received favorable public support for the relocation effort during the public hearing process.
The Town secured a $250,000 Transit Oriented Development Planning Grant from the Connecticut Department of Transportation. The purpose of the grant was to investigate mixed-use development in the vicinity of the historic train station where the Town would like to see the train platform located. Fuss & O'Neill was hired by the Town to conduct this planning study. The scope of the work included the street network in the project area, developing a station-area plan, developing zoning regulations that would encourage mixed-use development in the area, investigating potential redevelop parcels, and a market analysis showing that mixed-used development would be profitable to developers. Information on the results of the study can be viewed on the media page.
The Town is also continuing its efforts to on the reuse of the Montgomery complex. The Town pursued a tax-foreclosure auction which resulted in the acquisition of the property by Dr. Mohan Sachdev and his family. Dr. Sachdev is interested in a mixed-use development. As plans develop we will communicate them to the public.