Group for mentally ill closes deal on site for new headquarters

Norwich - Reliance House Inc., a growing nonprofit agency that provides services to people with mental illness, completed the purchase of a historic Main Street building Thursday, calling it the first step in a grander plan to build a new $6 million, 25,000-square-foot administrative headquarters on the site.

Reliance House purchased the former bank and credit union building at 40 Main St. from Jewett City Savings Bank for $163,000.

The organization will move its developmental disabilities services programs from the Reliance House headquarters at 40 Broadway into the building as soon as crews in the agency's vocational training program Teamworks cleans the property and gets it ready for occupancy.

While Reliance House did not need a loan for the purchase, Chief Executive Officer David Burnett said the agency must launch a $5 million capital campaign to make its long-term goal of a new headquarters come true. The Reliance House board will discuss plans for the campaign at its Sept. 13 meeting, Burnett said.

"I'd be thrilled if we can break ground in five years," Burnett said.

Early plans call for tearing down the existing building and constructing a six-story headquarters that could house administration of all 19 Reliance House programs and most of its 264 employees. The agency is contracted by the state to provide numerous services to people with mental illness and people with dual diagnosis of mental illness and intellectual disabilities. The agency also runs residential properties in the greater Norwich area.

The plans are in their infancy but have already drawn attention by city officials. City Historian Dale Plummer and Norwich Historical Society President William Champagne have approached Burnett in an effort to save the historic building at 40 Main St.

Plummer called the 1847 Greek Revival building "an architectural gem." The 1,400-square-foot building originally housed the Norwich Savings Society. The Dime Savings Bank moved there from its original location next door in 1874 and remained there until 1927, moving to Broadway. The building is a contributing structure to the Downtown National Historic District.

"We will make every effort to work with and accommodate the historic significance of downtown Norwich," Burnett said.

Burnett said he also has been approached by Robert Mills, executive director of the Norwich Community Development Corp., which has its office across the street at 77 Main St. Mills asked that the new plans incorporate a retail function rather than offices on the first floor. That idea delighted Burnett, who envisions a used book store and coffee shop in the building.

"My vision is a used book store with great coffee and Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream," Burnett said.

Burnett said the store could be folded into the agency's vocational training program. Years ago, Reliance House ran a few businesses to help train clients, including the Iron Skillet lunch shop on lower Broadway. The agency then decided to help clients find jobs at existing local businesses rather than compete with them.

For now, Cheryl Hastings, service director of Reliance House's Developmental Disabilities Services programs, looks forward to being the first occupant of the new building. The unique program provides supports to people diagnosed with both intellectual disabilities - low IQ and functional disabilities - and mental illness. Some of those served also have substance-abuse problems, she said.

She hopes to have her programs up and running by the end of September.

Hastings won an internal bidding process of sorts to move to the new building, Burnett said. He had asked Reliance House staff to submit proposals for the 40 Main St. building and said the DDS program came out on top.

The program with 19 staff members serves 16 clients, some with 24-hour supervision in residential settings in Norwich and surrounding towns. Hastings plans to move the program offices to the new building and also use the site to hold support group meetings, vocational training, social gatherings and integration efforts.

"We hope it provides us the opportunity to expand our daytime programs," Hastings said. "People with developmental disabilities learn in a different fashion. There's no room here (at 40 Broadway) to offer some services that are not found anywhere else in the state."