New London city government is now planning to sell the Stanton Building on Union Street and the former bank building on Masonic Street, buildings that it owns, and move offices to a modern office building at Shaw's Cove. The city plans to give up ownership of its own buildings and rent for 25 years instead. The reason given for the move is that the buildings the city owns are in poor condition and are too costly to repair. 

When you look at the cost of repair versus the cost of renting for 25 years, the long-term cost is surely greater to rent. This plan is short-sighted, a case of giving up long-term gain in order to avoid short-term pain. Moreover, this action sends a terrible message to small business owners and people wishing to buy and renovate buildings downtown, which is supposedly what the city wants. The downtown is full of empty buildings. Now, the city itself is abandoning the downtown area for modern facilities. 

This decision has been pushed by Mayor Passero and rushed forward without a public hearing. It is a harmful decision for New London. At the least, we need a public hearing.

Peter Kreckovic

New London