Here's the article that was published after I was found through a Localism blog post... Just a little blurb about me, but better than nothing.  And now I can use it for publicity!

Conceiving of a Renaissance
West Hartford
offers glimpse
of the future for Naugatuck Republican-American (Waterbury, CT)
April 22, 2007
Author: BY PAUL SINGLEY
REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN Estimated printed pages: 5

On a typical weekday night, the downtown is bustling with people eating at restaurants, shopping or sharing a laugh over a drink or an ice cream.

It's not Naugatuck; it's West Hartford. But it's what Naugatuck officials imagine the borough's downtown could become.

Like other communities with struggling centers such as Waterbury, Torrington and Seymour, Naugatuck is looking to revitalize its downtown, and officials there hope to do so by developing a pedestrian friendly town center through "smart growth" planning.

"The concept behind smart growth is that people drive economies," said Chester Cornachia, chairman of Naugatuck's Economic Development Commission. "You live, work and play in the same area. That is what people are looking for these days.

"This concept is not new," he said. "This type of downtown revitalization is happening all over the country. People aren't interested in big box developments on every corner, or urban sprawl."

While there is no one standard definition for smart growth, planners who initiate such strategies usually invest time, attention and resources into restoring a sense of community and vitality into the centers of cities and suburbs, according to the national Smart Growth Network. That group's Web site says modern smart growth is town-centered, transit and pedestrian oriented, and has a mix of housing, commercial and retail uses.

On May 7 borough residents will decide the fate of a downtown revitalization project called Renaissance Place, which local officials say is an example of that type of smart growth. They say Renaissance Place, which has been planned and discussed for more than four years, would create an enticing downtown area that past local government administrations have promised for almost three decades.

That was about the time when the former Uniroyal Chemical Co., a manufacturer for the U.S. Rubber Co. that once employed more than 9,500 people here, laid off most of its Naugatuck-based work force and moved out of town. Naugatuck has struggled since to replace jobs and find new sources of tax revenue.

"It was poor planning when we had all our eggs in that one basket," Cornachia said. "I grew up in Naugatuck in a generation that watched its best and brightest leave the community and not return largely because this is a community that lacked a positive image of itself after Uniroyal left."

He said if Naugatuck had a plan in place before Uniroyal left, the borough would not be in the situation it is now, where many downtown businesses struggle.

"It's just common sense," he said. "It's always better to pre-plan than to than to crisis manage."

Fairfield-based developer Alexius C. Conroy, who proposed Renaissance Place to Naugatuck officials after being contacted by Cornachia almost five years ago, said Blue Back Square in West Hartford is the only project in the state that is like Renaissance Place.

West Hartford has had a vibrant downtown area for many years. And due to an increasing demand for professionals looking to live and shop close to their work places, the center is being expanded through Blue Back Square - a more than 550,000-square-foot mixed-use development in the town's center. The project, still under construction, is already West Hartford's largest taxpayer, recently surpassing the West Farms Mall to top the town's grand list.

"I've heard many Naugatuck residents say that they spend time in the West Hartford center because they love the environment," Conroy said. "They have a pedestrian-friendly downtown area that makes sense, and it works. We're trying to get to that point in Naugatuck, and there is no other plan like this on the horizon for the borough."

Conroy has vowed to put up $152.6 million to build 387 condominium units, 223,800 square feet of retail/commercial space, 170,000 square feet of office space and a 44,300-square-foot movie theater in phase one of the project. If approved and all goes as planned in phase one, Renaissance Place LLC would remain the preferred developer for all four phases, each of which would have to be approved by local officials.

Naugatuck would have to secure $29.2 million to complete phase one, and will look for state and federal grant money to offset the public investment. That money would pay for parking garages and other infrastructure improvements.

Like plans for Renaissance Place, Blue Back Square will bring new shopping and dining venues, professional office space, condominiums and apartments to West Hartford's already vibrant downtown. Two years ago, voters there approved the plan 2 to 1 at a referendum, thus allowing the town to bond more than $48 million to build parking garages and make other infrastructure improvements, including renovations to town buildings. Blue Back Square developers will put up $110 million for their projects.

Amy Bergquist, a residential Realtor in West Hartford, tracks downtown real estate concerns in that town on her Internet blog. She stays tuned into the talk of the town, and has blogged many times about Blue Back Square's impact on the downtown area.

"I think a majority of the people here believe it is a good project because it will bring more economic development here," said Bergquist, who does not currently have any clients who have purchased homes in Blue Back Square.

She said most people see the project as a big draw for West Hartford. Still, she said, some longtime residents, who don't want to see their downtown transformed and worry about increased traffic, have fears about the project.

In Naugatuck, there are similar fears about Renaissance Place in part because of its size and scope.

But judging by the numerous "vote yes on Renaissance Place" signs that line storefront windows in downtown, business owners in the borough have no reservations about the proposal.

"All of the businesses down here have been saying Naugatuck needs a draw for a long time," said Steve Williams, owner of Naugatuck Pawn and Jewelry on Church Street, who supports Renaissance Place. "We need a project that gets people out and about because the business community down here has been struggling, and many good businesses have moved out."