Meriden City Center Initiative

Public Involvement Process
Commercial Center Market Assessment

	Introduction & Purpose

	Commercial Center Summary

	Office & Institutional Uses Summary

	Rental Housing Summary

	Ownership Housing Summary

	Sports & Leisure Summary

	Light Industrial/Flexible Office Summary

	Market Potential Matrix
Environmental Impact Analysis
Harbor Brook Realignment
Preliminary Design of Transportation Improvements
Conceptual Land Use
Design Guidelines
Fiscal and Economic Impact Assessment
Appendix A: Property Acquisition Plan
Appendix B: Residential Relocation Strategy
Appendix C: Preliminary Opinion of Cost Summary

Office & Institutional Uses Summary

It is difficult to make a case for market support of office development in the subject location other than for a modest amount of service/professional use in the near or mid-range future. Office vacancy in Meriden, the region and nation is at a cyclical high point at present with little improvement apparent on the horizon. The main stimuli for office development will be (1) the sustained expansion of white collar jobs in the region that has been lagging for four years and (2) the absorption of existing vacant office space, currently running as high as 37%.

However, the long timeline offers an opportunity to consider options for future office development in a stronger market or as opportunities arise. A parcel sited close to the train station could take advantage of the possible introduction of the transportation center, commuter rail and parking garage. Also, despite the softness in demand for existing space and more so new construction spec office space, transactions for build to suit office space do emerge from time to time. Depending on phasing constraints and the city’s ultimate planning objectives, room in the plan of development could be reserved for office construction should such an opportunity arise. The ready availability of buildable land in a suitable downtown environment with great highway access could be persuasive competitive forces in landing a build to suit opportunity looking for a central Connecticut location.

Medical/Professional Offices
The 2004 CERC study on Meriden and its cluster industries identified the medical and health services sector as a growing cluster in Meriden in terms of establishments and employment, a trend prevalent throughout the region and nationally largely due to an ageing population. Meriden is fortunate to have the Mid-State Medical Center as the local focus of this trend. Mid-State is located on a new campus just north of the subject property and I-691.

If the north-south road improvements contemplated for the commercial center area are completed as planned, there will be much improved access between the two areas. Medical/professional development could be expected to take advantage of this proximity and the excellent highway access as well. For the time being, however, Mid-State reportedly has additional development capacity right on its campus. Any new medical/professional space would most likely be built out there rather than south of the highway.

Education and Training Facilities
Although the Cook Avenue Campus has been preliminarily targeted as a redevelopment area for an educational facility or technical school, the commercial center area might also include flex space, possibly as part of a primarily retail structure, that could be used for training or education. The Middlesex Community College branch serving Meriden has recently moved downtown, making it more accessible by public transportation. The market or need for additional space such as this should be explored within the Meriden/Central Connecticut community. A use such as this would support a land banking strategy in addition to a build to suit office scenario.