DERBY, Conn. (WTNH)– A surge of economic and community redevelopment continues in the Naugatuck Valley. On Monday morning, lawmakers and city leaders walked the streets of Derby and Ansonia with their eye on the future.
The quiet construction site might not look like much right now but it’s a lot more than that here in Derby. It’s a key component of a push for redevelopment in the Naugatuck Valley.
“We are very excited about that. I feel like that’s going be the first domino to fall, and the rest are going to fall right after that,” said Mayor Richard Dziekan, Derby.
That first piece is a 70 unit apartment building. City and state officials took a tour to talk about the possibilities.
“We’re close to Route 8 and obviously the train station, and as well as riverfront. This project, when it’s completed and the mayor mentioned the first phase there, you could see a very large mixed use project with dense residential, as well as more retail here on Main Street in Derby. And this should be nothing short of amazing,” said David Lehman, Commissioner, CT Economic Development.
So what does the future look like? They’re calling this parcel off Main Street a blank slate. All 14 acres with more on the way. The city is working on buying more.
“We are right on the cusp of being able to get this done. We need a little bit of capital investment from the state in order to really see our vision come to life,” said Andrew Baklik, Chief of Staff, City of Derby.
Another important piece is widening Route 34. They’re hoping construction on that will begin later this year.
