City sets sights on $5.

4 million waterfront vision

By Lisa Miceli Feliciano Photos by Eric Tetreault

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ity o cials and supporters are moving forward with a long-awaited plan to revitalize Norwich Harbor and the surrounding waterfront as a desirable destination for locals and tourists. e goal of the $5.4 million development plan is to bolster recreational activity and economic growth in the harbor area, which was once a bustling commercial and travel port. e three-pronged project includes building a new, regional boat launch on the waterfront o of Shipping Street, making improvements at Howard T. Brown Memorial Park to encourage pedestrian, bicycle and small boat activity, and adding pedestrian and shing access along the east river at New Wharf Road. e rst step is the new boat launch o of Shipping Street, on Terminal Way. e 36-acre parcel, o cials say, has key elements including ample space, easy access and plenty of parking all of which are missing at the current launch location o of Chelsea Harbor Drive. e proposed location meets the objectives of city planners to create a multi-lane launch ramp, improved trailer turning radius, a boarding dock and parking for as many as 50 vehicles and trailers and potential for enclosed storage for city-owned boats. ere is also space at the Shipping Street site where the city envisions mixed-use opportunities for retail and residential

development in the future. At the center of the plan to draw more people for outdoor activities such as walking, biking and kayaking is Brown Park, where the current boat launch is located. e park and nearby Marina at American Wharf already draw crowds in the warmer months the park with its public access to the water and the marina with its restaurant, events and new ice cream shop. e city envisions the waterfront park as a premier gathering place renovated to accommodate visiting boaters and locals wanting to put kayaks and other small paddle boats into the ames River. e existing town launch there would be retro tted to accommodate those smaller vessels. e plan also includes adding a boardwalk at Brown Park. e area along the east of the river, o of New Wharf Road, would undergo pedestrian, cyclist and shing friendly improvements in tune with the citys Heritage Walkway. ere could also be pedestrian bridge linking Brown Park with the new wharf area. According to Mayor Peter Nystrom, the harborfront plan is a multifaceted project that is centered on beauti cation and public access. e new boat launch, he said, is a critical component to drawing visitors to Norwichs waterfront. Nystrom says building the visitor-friendly facilities will draw business, too.

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The Marina at American Wharf. Right, reworks over the harbor.

e more people that you have coming to the city expands opportunities for those kinds of retail markets to grow. Businesses will follow the people; thats always been the case, Nystrom said. With solid pieces in place, including Brown Park, the Marina at American Wharf and the hotbed of shing, Nystrom said, I think people are reawakening to the access that is there. Nystrom compared the potential of the Norwich project to that of Hartfords Riverfront Recapture, although he said reinventing Norwichs waterfront would not include the $25 million price tag Hartfords plan is estimated to cost. at was a very expensive proposition. It works, but this should be a time of scal austerity and if we can come up with other remedies that arent as expensive, we should look at those rst, Nystrom said. e city is counting on a partnership with state and federal agencies to fund the harbor improvements, and city ofcials have been meeting with representa-

tives from those various agencies to pitch the plan. Currently, an environmental site assessment is underway at the Shipping Street property, which is a former industrial area. Results of the assessment are expected in about six months. e assessment is an important step in moving forward with securing state and federal support. Once we have those tests, well have a better handle on speci cally what we are asking the state and federal agencies for, said Jason Vincent, vice president of Norwich Community Development Corp. NCDC is a local partner in the development e ort.

Norwich Harbor, then and now

A rich history ripples through Norwich Harbor. From the time of the Revolutionary War to the Civil War, the harbor was a bustling hub of clipper ship commerce, shipbuilding and wartime supply. e 19th century brought shipping and

steamship activity with Norwich as a regular stop between New York and Boston. e textile mills boomed with the maritime industrys decline, and then died post-World War II, but before that, Norwichs waterfront was industrial, not recreational. Few towns are fortunate enough to have a scenic harbor as a centerpiece. Ten miles of waterfront along the ames, Yantic and Shetucket rivers provide for abundant shing and boating opportunities. e city hopes to add to existing walking trails, promote biking and draw visitors to the downtown area through development and expansion with a nod to historical integrity. e goal is to add Norwich to the list of popular Eastern Connecticut tourist destinations, such as the casinos and Mystic. Experts also acknowledge that the abundance of sh species, from bass and blues to shad, re ect the harbors healthy eco-system. ere are even a couple of harbor seals. I think that there are probably hundreds of thousands of communities

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Courtesy Marina at American Wharf

Bulletin photo

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around the country that would love to have what this community has in a harbor at the doorstep of downtown, said Norwich Community Development Corporation President Bob Mills. Mills said that Norwich Harbors uniqueness is de ned in part by the fact its a basin, not just a river than runs through the city. Norwich wraps around its harbor; its inescapable in that you must drive around, up and through the downtown. You have an opportunity to experience (downtown) from all sides of the land. If we work it right, its an opportunity for us to capture people to participate in downtown and merchant activities, Mills said.

Charting a course for support

e origins of the waterfront vision go back to the citys Harbor Management Plan approved by the state and adopted by the city council in 1996. Since then, the city has examined 17 di erent possible locations for a new boat launch. In 2011, the Norwich Harbor Management Commission adopted a revised vision for the waterfront. A site assessment with a conceptual design for the boat launch and other waterfront district locations was completed in the fall. To build support for the work, the city is making an e ort to get people to tour the waterfront on land and by boat and talk to about it, says Mills. When the Amistad docked in Norwich for the forging of the Freedom Bell in June 2012, several state and federal dignitaries visited the Rose City, including Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development Deputy Commissioner Christopher Kip Bergstrom, Gov. Dannel Malloy and Gail Adams, the director of the U.S. Department of the Interiors O ce of Intergovermental and External A airs. Mayor Nystrom gave Adams a tour of the city, from downtown and the harbor to Mohegan Park and Uncas Leap. In October 2012, city leaders discussed their harbor plans with representatives from the states Inland Fisheries Division and the Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce. Nystrom hopes to continue to involve the Inland Fisheries folks with the plan. Harbor Commission Chairman John Paul Mereen and City Councilor Charlie Jaskiewicz a member of the commission said the federal Department of the Interior is also a valuable resource in terms of locating grant funding and partnerships opportunities. Geo rey Steadman, a planning consultant working with the harbor commission, says that two grants from the L.I. Sound Futures Fund were recently awarded to the city. A $9,600 grant went toward three information panels at Howard T. Brown Park. e panels, which are already installed, include information about sh species living in the harbor, the historic waterfront and watershed. A $9,000 grant will fund canoe and kayak trail development and waterproof maps. e maps and an additional information panel are expected to be unveiled this fall. Steadman, Mereen and
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GREENVILLE

Preston RIVERWALK DOWNTOWN THAMES RIVER MOHEGAN SUN UNCAS LEAP Norwich Montville

Clockwise, from top: One of the information panels recently installed at Norwich Harbor; Marina at American Wharf in the o season; City Councilor Charlie Jasckiewicz; a sign for boaters; a map marking key places near the Norwich waterfront (graphic courtesy NCDC).

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Vincent met with the Connecticut Maritime Commission in March. Steadman says they were very receptive to the boat launch plans, o ering to write a letter of support and provide direction and guidance going forward.

Banking on boaters

Design and construction of the new boat launch is estimated to cost $3.5 million. Mills, of NCDC, said safety is an important issue when designing the launch, keeping in mind that pedestrians and cyclists will also use the area. When you do waterfront work, its on the order of two-tothree more times more expensive than pure land-based activity. A lot more expensive to infrastructure, to install and then you have environmental as well, said Mills. In November 2012, the city approved $22,000 for the environmental testing at the Shipping Street property. e Shipping Street location is lacking appropriate utility infrastructure. Mills estimates another $5 million investment needed (on top of the plans $5.4 million) to improve electric, gas, water and sewer service there. Norwich Public Utilities has a vested interest very early on knowing what their planning needs are to accommodate new development, retail shops, commercial activity and even housing. ats going to change (the harbor commissions) timeline and budget, says Mereen. ere are certain regulations that need to be followed and anything that has anything to do with coastal waterways, there are necessary permits from the

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The marina manager and harbor master

Harbormaster and Marina at American Wharf Manager Mike Valentine is part of the boomerang generation. He came back to Norwich. The Marina gave him summer work during high school and college. The University of Hartford alum spent a year in California before returning in 2006 fulltime, staying on with the Marinas transfer to Joyal Capital Management Properties in 2011. He was appointed Harbormaster by the city in December. With 165 boat slips, his busiest time is April through October. The dockside restaurant is open then as is the marina-owned Ericksons Ice Cream. The marina puts up a large, white event tent on its lawn each summer for weddings and other special events that take place there. Theres also shuttle service to Mohegan Sun, plus a pool, bathrooms and showers for marina customers.

Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection to make sure that any endangered plant species arent harmed. ere have been no issues with eminent domain to date," said Mereen. He added that property owners have been willing to talk to the city about moving the boat launch to the industrial area. He hopes to cultivate a public-private partnership between the city, state and property owners to get the new launch done. While moving the launch away from downtown could spur economic development and tourist interest to the Shipping Street area, some are concerned with pulling boaters and visitors from the current location. ayers Marine operates a thriving boating and shing business across the street from the marina. Owners Rich ayer and son, Richie ayer, support the idea that Norwich Harbor has a lot of potential, but they would like to see the new development closer to downtown. Youre not revitalizing the downtown area by moving one of its largest draws. If they want to x it, move it someplace downtown. Youre changing the whole dynamic of the river and the way it works, said Richie ayer. Instead of a move to Shipping Street, the elder Rich ayer advocates upgrading the existing boat launch to make it t. Hed rather see more retail rst, adding, You go to Mystic, you go to shops. Youve got to give

them a reason to come (to Norwich). Its not just shing that goes along with it. e Marina at American Wharf is currently the centerpiece of the harbor, along with adjacent Brown Park. Business at the marina docks during the 2012 season saw a huge upswing, from about 60 boat customers to 90. Mike Valentine is the manager of the Joyal Capital Management-owned marina. He was also appointed harbormaster late last year. Id love to see the downtown area vibrant again. e harbor is a big part of that, said Valentine. e boat launch relocation would move some vessels further down river, but they still have access to the water here and it also opens the door for another stream of (people). Maybe youll get more strolling tra c, canoes . . . its all accessible. e proposed beauti cation for the east side of the river with plants, trees and fencing to shield the scrap processing plant from view on the water could also draw more business the marinas way. Mills credits the ayers of ayers Marine with helping with the conception of re nements to the shing walkway in the New Wharf Road area but pointed out that the best shing is accessible only by boat. Jaskiewicz, a strong proponent of turning Norwich into a sport shing destination, gave kudos to NPU for helping to maintain the harbors eco system.

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system. NPU has not been given the credit that they deserve to help build sh species in the river, said Jaskiewicz. NPUs work with the DEEP and installation of the sh li s and ladders at both the Greeneville and Occum dams have helped restore the shad population to the Shetucket River.

Row, row, row your boat

Mereen acknowledges that the harbor development project will take several years to complete. Jaskiewicz feels that Norwich Harbors future success is dependent upon jumpstarting marketing e orts, getting Norwich on Malloys radar as a recreational tourism destination despite state tourism cutbacks and working with federal and state agencies to make sure demand doesnt deplete the plethora of existing sh. Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce President and Chief Executive O cer Ben Lathrop said its an exciting time for Norwich and Norwich Harbor. eres talk and action now because there are people in place to push it forward, he said. Mills remarked that, throughout history, as trucks replaced ships, the value of the harbor to the community was lost. e (harbor commission) and the city really need to be commended for recognizing that we need to re-orient ourselves. Its ambitious and its expensive, but its really a continuation of reorienting ourselves back to the valuable assets that really made the community appear on the face of the earth in the rst place, said Mills.

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