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    Wednesday, May 01, 2024

    PRA plans closed-door discussion with Norwich Hospital developer

    Preston — The Preston Redevelopment Agency will hold a special closed-door meeting Monday with principles of a Stamford development firm to discuss the company’s proposal for the former Norwich Hospital property.

    The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall in executive session with John and Todd McClutchy of the Stamford firm JHM Financial LLC regarding the former hospital campus, now called Preston Riverwalk.

    Details of JHM’s mixed-use development plan, submitted last September in response to the town’s request for proposals, have not been released to the public.

    PRA Chairman Sean Nugent said Thursday that a subcommittee of PRA members has been meeting with JHM officials over the past several months to try to reach a development agreement. He said it is now time to bring the discussion to the full agency membership.

    “We’re trying to move things forward,” Nugent said.

    Nugent said he couldn’t predict whether negotiations would be completed Monday with a proposed agreement. Once a proposed agreement is reached, it would be presented to residents at a town meeting and would have to be approved at a referendum.

    “We committed to the town that we would move this forward as quickly as possible based on having the right information in hand,” Nugent said. “We recognize the town is anxious about this. We need to make sure we do our due diligence before we bring it to the town.”

    Two related issues involving the hospital property also remain unresolved. Town officials are in discussions with the state Department of Economic and Community Development on the conditions of a low-interest loan of up to $4 million approved for Preston to clean the property. Town leaders hope to receive forgiveness of the loan payment after meeting performance conditions.

    Also, the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission is working on draft zoning regulations for the hospital property that would allow housing as well as commercial development on the property. Current zoning regulations do not allow any housing on the 390-acre site.

    c.bessette@theday.com

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