Politics & Government
Bond Commission to Vote on $750,000 Funding for Manchester Parking
State Sen. Steve Cassano said the commission is expected to approve the funding when it meets this coming Friday.
Plans to improve parking in downtown Manchester are on the State Bond Commission's agenda when it meets this Friday, July 26.
The commission, which is operated by Gov. Dannel Malloy, is expected to vote on whether to give Manchester $750,000 in funding toward improving the Purnell Place parking lot between Main and Cottage streets in the downtown.
“Projects like this one in downtown Manchester are investments in the town’s economic development that will deliver long-term benefits to both businesses and residents,” Malloy said in a news release. “These improvements to Main Street will complement the many initiatives that the town and its state legislative delegation have been working on, and I’m pleased that we could secure this funding for the town.”
Manchester state Sen. Steve Cassano, a former mayor and longtime member of the Manchester Town Council, said in a news release he expects the commission to approve the expenditure.Find out what's happening in Manchesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“Main Street is doing pretty well; the problem is that our new Main Street is so popular that we have to accommodate all the cars and people who are shopping and eating there every day,” Cassano said. “The town has explored this problem and come up with a great solution, and I’m happy to have helped secure some state aid to get this project done.”
Cassano said Main Street has historically been an economic driver for the town that has always adjusted to the times. “The opening of the Buckland Hills Mall was supposed to be Main Street’s death, but it continues to thrive as focused planning to keep storefronts from closing has prevailed.”
Find out what's happening in Manchesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
There are over 803 public parking spaces in downtown Manchester: 686 in municipally owned parking lots and 117 on private land leased and operated by the Special Services District. The 214 on-street parking spaces and the Purnell Place lot are the most heavily used, while the Birch Street, Forest Street and Maple Street lots are severely under used.
An October 2011 town parking study recommended a walking audit to identify problems which may be discouraging use of the underutilized parking lots and developing solutions to create a more functional and pedestrian-friendly environment
The above information came from a press release.
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