New London ― New 8-foot-tall light posts recently installed along Bank Street in downtown New London drew a mix of opinions from shopkeepers and the public and piqued their curiosity on Tuesday.

Some were excited about the additional lighting and complimented the posts, but others felt the new lights were too modern for the historic downtown area.

Business owners, residents and visitors are also waiting to see what the lights will look like when illuminated ― and what the effect would be when they are programmed to be different colors.

The city said in a news release that the recently installed lights can be “individually programmed to display different colors based on holidays or special events” and when not in that use, “will serve to augment downtown illumination provided by the existing lamp posts.”

The posts are on both sides of Bank Street and are still being installed.

The city said their purpose is to provide “a more inviting and vibrant atmosphere” downtown and “improve the pedestrian and vehicular experience along Bank Street.”

On social media posts on Whale Tales Two and New London Strong Facebook pages, people joked about and criticized the lights, though some welcomed the change.

Dave Pollack, owner of The Diamond on Bank Street, who took his first look at the light posts on Tuesday afternoon, said he thought they are great.

“They look nice, different,” Pollack said.

“I think more light is good on Bank Street, and I appreciate that the city’s making the effort,” he added.

Elizabeth Nocera, economic development coordinator in the city’s Office of Development and Planning, said in the news release that with the 42 additional lights, which at times will display different colors, “the atmosphere downtown will take on a whole new feeling.”

“This project dovetails with the installation of the Project Blue Light emergency, voice-activated communication system also being installed,” Nocera added.

The city also said that the existing lamp posts were painted and all the lights have been replaced with high-lumen, energy-efficient LEDs in “another project intended to address negative perceptions of security.”

Michael Richard, a barber at Otto’s Barber on Bank, said Tuesday that the new lights looked interesting but out of place and a “little too modern” near a vintage-looking lamppost, with flowers, outside the shop.

But still, he’d like to see what they look like when they are illuminated.

“Who knows? They might be cool, they might not,” he said.

Barber Kathy Leuze said that aesthetically, the new lights are so modern.

“I think we’ve already lost a lot of our history downtown, either modern buildings going up or we’ve lost some as early as when Benedict Arnold burned our city and then 1938 and then the urban renewal of 1960,” she said. “I just think we should hold onto our history.”

But she said she liked the change of the previously installed trash cans, adorned with art that shows New London’s culture.

Ray Hansen, an Oakdale resident who used to live in New London, said he was curious to see what the new lights would do. He thought they would look better if they were black, but he liked the mixture of the modern and the old.

“I think any improvement helps,” he said of the downtown area.

City resident Chris Papathanasiou noted that he hasn’t seen the new lights in action yet, but he personally likes the old lamp posts with the flowers. He said with the garbage receptacles, old lights and new lights, “it’s like nothing really goes.”

He also felt like Bank Street is well lit already and called the new lights “a waste of money.”

Erik Teter, a Waterford resident who used to live in New London, said he thinks the lights have fantastic potential, as does the whole stretch of downtown New London

“This feels like maybe a touch of realizing that fantastic potential,” Teter said.

Kendy Zapata, owner of JBS Barber Spa with husband Jeffrey Zapata, said she just found out Tuesday morning that a new light was installed outside the business, and she said it looks amazing.

She said she believes the downtown area needed more lighting, and the new lights will draw more people here.

“I definitely think there's going to be a lot of new people who come visit here and see what New London’s offering right now,” she said.

The new lights are one of several projects accomplished through a $5.9 million Community Challenge Grant from the state Department of Economic and Community Development.

The city said it covered the Bank Street lighting and installation by contributing $92,800 as a match to a portion of the grant.

Other projects covered by the grant include Bank Street roadway and sidewalk improvements, the Garde Arts Center--Governor Winthrop Boulevard downtown revitalization project, and Wyland Plaza improvements that will include lighting, seating and a shade structure.

k.drelich@theday.com