A direct extension of the newly developed Meriden Green is the commercial center to the northeast. This property is currently bordered by State Street, Main Street, Pratt Street and Camp Street. This is the balance of the Hub/Mills Environs.

The site currently consists of “The Hub” and surrounding parcels. This is an important commercial property for the City of Meriden. With appropriate adjustments to access and form, this area will become a vital component of the regeneration of the Meriden economic environment.

The Commercial Center area will include a variety of uses. Starting at the Green, the first proposed use is offices with retail or restaurants below. This will act as a center for business in the city, with modern office facilities, allowing for a wide range of tenant sizes. The buildings will be directly connected to and served by a new secured parking garage, which will also serve the proposed Transportation Center, described below.

To the north of the office facilities will be a park-like setting that will accommodate Harbor Brook and portions of the flood control design. In general, this area will provide green space for recreational activities and a visual break between buildings. This will also improve visibility of the Transportation Center and enhance the pedestrian connection to the nearby Government Center.

In order to provide a continuation of activity from the Meriden Green, one possibility is to provide retail shops at the first level of the new parking garage. The mix of these shops must ensure that there is activity after weekday business hours. Tenants such as restaurants, coffee houses, and retail that will remain open into the evening hours and on weekends are key to the vitality of this area throughout the day and evening. Activity at this location will also increase the connection between the Green and the Transportation Center.

Continuing north in the proposed development, the historic Colony Street Post Office is an ideal location for a new multi-modal Transportation Center. Its proximity to the existing rail line and the existing train station, as well as its location on Colony Street is ideal for pedestrian access. The Master Plan proposes adding an elevated pedestrian crossing to the east of the new Transportation Center to ensure safe passage over the tracks. In addition to an existing parking lot adjacent to the Transportation Center, part of the new parking garage will be dedicated to the train station; this will be separate from the office facility parking. Access to the garage will be from Pratt Street, which in its revised configuration will provide enhanced connections to the surrounding region. All of these components combined will make this center ideal for the new commuter rail service currently under consideration between Springfield, MA, and New Haven.

The remaining area to the north of the Meriden Green is an ideal location for retail development. Its visibility, and newly improved access from the highway, will allow it to take full advantage of regional economic resources, and will act as a catalyst for drawing these resources to Meriden and to the downtown. The tenants will range from medium-sized, contemporary national retailers to smaller local shops. It is also suggested that small office tenants should be added on the upper floors of some of these facilities to create a mixed-use environment. This will create a need for the construction of new multi-story architectural forms, which have been developed in direct response to historic Meriden architecture.

The Master Plan suggests that this retail area be configured as a street-wall along the new boulevard, with parking at the rear. There will be on-street parking as well as limited off-street parking along this streetscape in order to create adequate pedestrian activity along the boulevard. There will be breaks along the street-wall to allow pedestrians to filter through to both sides of the buildings. There will also be entrances on both sides of the buildings to respond to this unique configuration.

The pedestrian walkway to the west of the retail facilities will be a flowing extension of the Meriden Green. The walkway will offer the best of contemporary retail experience, with ample parking, safe walkways with the potential for planted areas, outdoor cafés and other amenities. The parking field at the west side of this development, which is adequate for contemporary retail requirements, will have substantial planting islands in order to limit the negative visual aspects of parking areas.

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.