Norwich Mayor Nystrom urges residents, businesses to persevere during pandemic
Norwich — The continuing COVID-19 pandemic, the response by the city, state and federal governments, and the resilience of city businesses to overcome the virus were centerpieces of Mayor Peter Nystrom’s State of the City address Monday in a mostly empty City Council Chambers.
With coronavirus cases surging locally and statewide, the city reverted to a remote access meeting for the public Monday.
“As we begin 2022, I fully understand that just about everyone in our community has been as patient and persistent as they possibly could have been over the past 21 months,” Nystrom began his speech. “There has been so much change, delay and inconvenience related to the pandemic, above and beyond all of the sickness, death and sadness in Norwich and around the world.”
Nystrom thanked city emergency responders and local health care workers for their work during the pandemic.
Nystrom quickly turned optimistic, citing the resilience of long-standing Norwich businesses pursuing expansions despite the pandemic. Downtown coffee company Craftsman Cliff’s Roaster transformed itself from a coffeeshop to a coffee manufacturer, while owner Matthew DuTrumble supported the opening of a new coffeeshop, Cream, on Franklin Street. Nystrom noted that These Guys Brewing continue to work on its $2.3 million relocation to Church Street.
And La Stella Pizzeria later this month will open a second business, La Stella Pasta and Pastry in the former Poppy & Rye Bakery in Taftville.
On a much larger scale, Nystrom celebrated the arrival of Solar Seal Architectural LLC, which announced a 10-year lease of a 200,000-square-foot building in the Norwich business park. The glass panel manufacturer will become one of the city’s top utility ratepayers.
As the current business park reaches capacity, the city, NPU and the Norwich Community Development Corp. are working on plans to create “Business Park North” on former farm and woodlands in Occum, Nystrom said.
The federal American Rescue Plan, which is providing $28 million to the city over two years, will help the city boost economic development citywide, improve neighborhoods, add affordable housing, assist struggling families and support local arts, Nystrom said.
“As we have all seen, continued obstacles are sure to stand in our way but the new normal requires that we all must accept sacrifice,” Nystrom said. “Please join me in staying strong and being optimistic about Norwich in 2022 and beyond. Further I ask for your patience as we fight through, together, the continued pandemic.”
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