Lower Colony Street will be extension of the Downtown Arts District, including a very comfortable small urban, pedestrian friendly environment. As part of the Master Plan, the facades of the Byxbee/Beloff Block on Colony Street will be renovated, with small retail or business storefronts below and housing above. 

The Post Office Building is proposed to be converted to a Transportation Center, with access to and from the east via an elevated pedestrian crossing over the tracks. This, combined with the Boy’s Club to the north, as well as other active businesses nearby will provide significant activity in the area. The remaining existing buildings are ideal for small business and retail, serving the nearby courthouse, arts district and local interests.

Several of the potentially historic buildings remaining on the west side of Colony Street (the Home Club, for example) are ideal locations for small professional/legal offices. Preservation and restoration of these former homes should be strongly encouraged.

Just north of this area, a roughly 1.5 acre parcel of land, bordering a residential neighborhood and presently occupied by a tire sales and retreading shop, is identified as an ideal location for a “First Tee” golf learning center. The First Tee is an initiative of the World Golf Foundation with a mission to create “affordable and accessible golf facilities to primarily serve those who have not previously had exposure to the game and it’s positive values.” This program can be accommodated on as little as one acre of land and ideally is closely associated with organizations such as the Boy’s and Girl’s Club. The Meriden Housing Authority proposes to include this concept as part of their funding applications in their efforts to replace the Mills Apartments. (See Appendix on Existing Initiatives, The Mills Memorial Apartments). Given the quality of Meriden’s municipal golf course, the proximity of this site to the Boy’s and Girls Club, and the potential for enhancing the Colony Street Corridor, a First Tee facility is a perfect fit.

Infill redevelopment of some individual sites is recommended in the Master Plan. This includes several small commercial buildings with surface parking behind to the north of the Transportation Center. These additions, along with selected building renovations and a First Tee facility will complete the redevelopment of this corridor up to Interstate 691.

The material on this page is reproduced from "Meriden City Center Initiative - A Comprehensive Plan for Revitalization" prepared by BL Companies, released 07/24/2002. All rights reserved.