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Stalled?

Clinton residents are watching the lack of development at the Indian River Shops with great concern. It had great promise but now appears stalled. The plan called for a mixture of businesses, small, medium, and possibly an anchor store. It was to have a village feel. Plans also included a restaurant and a quality hotel. What we got was a Big Y that consumed much of the developable space. So what happened? COVID was the development killer. Few wanted to risk investment during that time. Big Y was the only game in town and became a necessary economic default choice.

Developer Greylock Property Group was chosen by the Board of Selectmen in 2018 in a competitive bid process. The old Morgan parcel was sold to them, and the project began with great hope. Occasionally, the board asked if they had any good prospects for tenants like restaurants or hotels. I remember quite a push for a Trader Joe’s. The developer indicated that feelers were out for these tenant types, and there was interest then, which later evaporated. Subsequently, we got a furniture and mattress store.

Now we hear about a redevelopment of the mall in Westbrook. To my shock, I read an article in the Feb. 22 Harbor News (“Officials Prepare for Potential Outlet Redevelopment”) about the possibility of a hotel on that site. Is Clinton to be “scooped” again? If that happens, we will never get a hotel. Folks have asked me why we should want a hotel. Ask yourself, if we have family, friends, business people, or tourists coming to Clinton, where would they stay? The answer is “out of town”. My questions are: is the town in contact with the developer, expressing our concern and, most importantly, helping them, especially now that Clinton has a full-time town planner?

Phil Sengle

Clinton