Frequently Asked Questions
How and when did Swing Bridge Landing come to be?
Around twenty years ago, the Town set in motion the idea of relocating the Town Offices and Municipal Public Works facility to the old Middle School property in Moodus. There was the anticipation that the vacated property in the newly designated “Village District” would be sold or leased to a developer for the purpose of making the District “once again an area of vibrant economic and cultural activity” and to “realize its highest and best use and contribute to East Haddam’s economic development and tax base.” Here are some key events that followed:
2000 – The Municipal Public Works Department vacates the old garage building on the Town Office Property.
2005 – The Connecticut River Gateway Commission adopts the East Haddam Village District Regulations regarding building lot coverage and height limitations.
2006 – A Town Office Property re-use Study is conducted.
2008 – Town adopts Plan for Conservation and Development (POCD)
2011 – In December, the East Haddam Village Revitalization Committee (EHVRC) sends a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a mixed use development to 60+/- potential developers. None respond.
2015 – The Town voters approve funding for the renovation of the old Middle School in Moodus to house the Municipal Office Complex, again with the expectation that the vacant Town Office Property will be developed and contribute to East Haddam’s economic development and tax base.
2016 – In February, Jeff Riley explores, for the first time, the possibility of a private development on the Town Office Property with First Selectman Mark Walter and later with members of the EHVRC.
2018 – The Town Offices are moved to the old Middle School in Moodus to form the new Municipal Office Complex.
2018–2019 – Jeff Riley and Mary Wilson form a team of consultants and Centerbridge Group (CBG) to respond to the Town’s Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to develop the Town Office property at 1 and 7 Main Street.
2018 – CBG attends a public-input information hearing for the Town Office Property held by the EHVRC. Approximately 75 citizens attend, over 20 with comments, mostly supportive of the vision we later developed.
2020 – March 19, CBG submits its proposal for Swing Bridge Landing to the EHVRC, which recommends CBG to the Board of Selectmen in July, 2020
2020 – July 7, the Town adopts its 2019-2029 Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD)
2021 – Mid-March, the Board of Selectmen approves CBG’s plan for a Public Hearing on Swing Bridge Landing, scheduled for May 21, 2021.
What will citizens be voting on?
Based on the vision being presented by Centerbridge Group, LLC (CBG) for Swing Bridge Landing, citizens of East Haddam will be voting simply to empower the Board of Selectmen to negotiate a definitive agreement with CBG allowing for the transfer and redevelopment of the Town’s property at 1 and 7 Main Street.
CBG has agreed that the purchase of the property will not be executed until a building permit has been obtained, thus allowing the Town to maintain its ownership of the property until it is assured of a financially viable project that meets all its regulatory requirements. We believe everyone understands that, to be successful, the agreement must reflect financial market realities, and we look forward to working with the Board of Selectmen on getting to that agreement as soon as possible and to expediting the redevelopment of this important property.
The plans for Swing Bridge Landing illustrate CBG’s vision for meeting the Town’s charge to enhance “vibrant economic and cultural activity in East Haddam’s Village District.” The plans as presented are not set in stone, and citizens are not being asked to vote on the plans per se since they will undergo a rigorous and public process of regulatory agency reviews, revisions, and approvals.
To emphasize this point, all plans for development within the Village District must go through the Planning & Zoning Commission’s “Special Exception Review” process. They must also be reviewed and approved by the Office of the State Traffic Administration (OSTA). The plans for mitigating hazardous materials found on site must be approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. The Community Water System must be approved by the East Haddam Water Polulution Control Authority. Both the building plans and site plan must also be approved by the East Haddam Building Department, Fire Department, Town Engineer, Historic District Commission, etc. It will be our job to maintain the original vision of the Project throughout this involved process, and the East Haddam Village Revitalization Committee’s (EHVRC) job to oversee it.
What are the goals of Centerbridge Group, LLC?
Our goals for Swing Bridge Landing are:
To create a destination for patrons and lovers of the performing arts that capitalizes on the renowned Goodspeed Musicals’ campus and Opera House, a central proximity to 30 other major theater venues, and a unique, riverfront, New England village setting.
To create a boon to the economic development of East Haddam by increasing tax revenue, raising property values, and stimulating local economic activity.
To create a center for the East Haddam community by invigorating its communal life with a Village Green and attracting and supporting locally owned and operated shops and restaurants.
How will Swing Bridge Landing be different from the Moodus debacle in the 1960’s?
Excerpts are from a six-part series about the Moodus boon-doggle written by Ken Simon for the The Gazette in 1982 and recently updated for the East Haddam News.
First, unlike Swing Bridge Landing, Moodus undertook an overly ambitious urban renewal plan that involved razing the entire 27.5 acre business district – 34 buildings in all that included the relocation of 20 businesses and 33 families. By comparison, Swing Bridge Landing involves only 3.72 acres and no relocations at all.
Second, Moodus relied upon substantial government funds through the labyrinthian 1949 federal urban renewal program that fostered a “euphoric, master plan view of economic redevelopment”. It then had to follow a redelvelopment plan drawn up and administered by a local renewal agency. But, as is often the case with government programs, there were strings attached, and the plan took on an overwhelmingly broad scope of demolition, renewal, and regulation, what Ken Simon called a “bulldoze-and-rebuild mentality”. In stark contrast, Swing Bridge Landing will be an entirely private undertaking. There will be none of the disinterested officialdom, inefficient bureaucracy, or lack of visionary leadership that clearly hampered the ambitious plans for Moodus. Backed by private equity investors, Jeff Riley and Mary Wilson, residents of East Haddam and the sole managing members of Centerbridge Group, LLC, will drive the vision needed to make Swing Bridge Landing a success.
Third, again unlike the centerpiece of the Moodus “urban renewal plan”, Swing Bridge Landing will not be a shopping center or “plaza”. Shopping centers rely solely on retail and need “anchor stores” to draw customers. For shopping centers, if you can’t attract an anchor store, or in many cases two anchor stores, you will likely fail. Again, it’s been reported that one of the failings of the Moodus development was the loss of its “anchor store”, the A&P Supermarket. In our case, we not only will rely far more heavily on residential offerings (approximately 43 apartments and/or condos) than on retail, but also there are already five major attractions, or “anchors”, in place: 1) Goodspeed Musicals and its Opera House, 2) Gelston House, 3) the Essex Steam Train, 4) the River Boat excursions, and 5) Goodspeed Airport. These already draw large numbers of visitors directly to the Village. Swing Bridge Landing’s primary mission will simply be to support and enhance those “anchor store” attractions and keep them thriving far into the future.
Fourth, we will not own the property until our Project has a building permit. This means it will have been reviewed and approved by all regulatory agencies (see answer to question #2 above). It also means the Project will have received approval of its financial viability from private equity investors and lending institutions. Therefore, the property won’t be sold to one developer who sells you a “bill of goods”, only to be “flipped” to another developer with none of the “goods”.
Last, the Centerbridge Group, LLC is led by highly credentialled and accomplished professionals in a) the field of architecture, place making, and urban planning; b) village development and project financing; and c) real estate marketing and brokering. Reports suggest that Moodus never had this kind of leadership and relied far too much on local business owners inexperienced in real estate development to steer the ship through the rocky shoals of approvals and financing.
How will you handle traffic and parking?
We will be working with the Office of the State Traffic Administration (OSTA), East Haddam’s P&Z Commission, and our own traffic consultant and civil engineer to fine tune the traffic calming concepts and traffic congestion relief strategies we have set forth that include road re-alignments, crosswalks, planter strips, historic street lamps, limited driveway entrances and exits with adequate sightlines, sidewalks, pedestrian zones, and bicycle lanes.
The site will provide 155 parking spaces, including spaces for handicap. This exceeds the minimum required by the Town’s P&Z regulations. We expect that large events in the Village will continue to utilize the two large parking lots at Goodspeed Opera House and Eagle Landing by agreements with the owners. The pedestrian sidewalk on the swing bridge plus the historic jitney bus we plan to operate, will greatly enhance the convenience of the Eagle Landing parking lot during large events in the Village.
How much will the Town be expected to pay for the Project?
Unlike Moodus, all of the on-site development costs, including the mitigation of pre-existing hazardous materials, the public community water supply systems, and tie-ins to the Town’s waste water treatment system, will be entirely funded by Centerbridge Group, LLC through private equity investors and lending institutions.
The off-site development costs for improvements to State Highway Rt.82, (road realignments, revisions to storm water drainage, planters, burial of overhead utility lines, sidewalks, crosswalks, bicycle lanes, and historic street lighting) will be funded by one or more funding sources through State grants, Federal infrastructure funding, Tax Increment Financing (TIF), and/or other sources. We will soon be having in-depth conversations with the RiverCOGS, The Office of the State Traffic Administration, Joe Courtney, Norm Needleman, Irene Haines, the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Economic Development, the Tourism Caucus, and others to determine the best available funding sources for these important improvements. These are ones, by the way, the Town and State would benefit from regardless of whether or not Swing Bridge Landing happens.
What additional operational costs will the Town incur?
Operational costs will be determined by the Town agencies as the project advances into more detail. However, we can confidently say the impact on the School system will be negligible since the addition of school-age children is projected to be two or fewer. Also, all operational and maintenance costs within the limits of the Project , such as insurance, snow removal, landscaping, pavement repair, site lighting, etc. will be borne by the Centerbridge Group, LLC. It’s safe to say that whatever minimal costs the Town might incur (police, fire, sewage) will be more than offset by the additional tax revenue to the Town.
What is the expected tax revenue from Swing Bridge Landing?
The Project will add two other properties to the Town Office Property, making Swing Bridge Landing a 3.72 acre site with approximately 94,000 sf of building. We estimate an increase to the East Haddam Grand List of approximately $25.5 million in 2025 dollars. Additionally, there will be increases in the value of surrounding properties, further increasing the Grand List. Tax abatements or tax fixing agreements may be required to get the Project to happen, but regardless of the form of any such agreements, we anticipate that the annual tax revenue will be several hundred thousand dollars, at a minimum, from property that currently pays none.
What will be the beneficial economic impact on East Haddam’s Village District?
Our financial advisor, Goman + York, anticipates the Project will generate an annual sales volume from the restaurants and shops in excess of $10 million plus an increase in sales volume for local and regional attractions. We also anticipate approximately 90 permanent jobs related to the Project’s restaurants, shops, health club, housing, and services. Our real estate market researchers report that it’s beneficial to all businesses in the Village District area to have a “Place” for local residents and visitors to enjoy shopping, dining and cultural activities on a regular basis. The lack of a central place for community activity has the tendancy to export residents to other, out of town, venues for leisure time activity and consequently business revenues that otherwise could be beneficial to all local businesses. Having a reason to enjoy the Village District, not just for attending the Goodspeed productions, will create a much greater sense of community within East Haddam.
What impact will the Project have on local shops and restaurants?
First, it should be noted that, according to the 2019-2029 Plan of Conservation and Development, the Town has a $97.6 million local spending potential, and yet only $16.3 million (17%) is spent within the Town.
The Swing Bridge Landing will not be populated with “National Tenants” commonly associated with larger retail venues. The market does not have the density, and the size of Swing Bridge Landing doesn’t have the critical mass to accommodate or attract that type of retailer. We are, therefore, committed to having small, locally owned and operated retail shops that support local and regional interests. The focus will be to curate a collection of local and regional, quality businesses, that will compliment each other and the existing local businesses. Close attention to merchandise mix and being mindful to not “cut the pie too many ways” between the tenants in Swing Bridge Landing and local businesses will be a priority. Having a wide compliment of uses that offers variety becomes both a destination to the Village District and an amenity to the existing attractions such as Goodspeed Opera House, Gelston House, Essex Steam Train and the Connecticut River Cruises.
The same can be said for the restaurants. There is strong market research that tells us the best thing for a restaurant is to have a variety of others nearby. It will make the Village District a popular place to come for lunch or dinner where you’ll have dining options. Also, the combination of shops, theater, and restaurants has proven to be successful. Our presentation will illustrate our vision for our shops and restaurants, and our real estate advisors will be on hand to talk more about the advantages to all.
In addition, we are making special arrangements to promote local and regional businesses from our “Wheelhouse” visitors center.
The Swing Bridge Landing will act as an anchor for the area, attracting local residents and visitors to spend more time shopping, dining, walking, biking in a pleasant yet vibrant environment. This will not hurt existing retailers and restaurants, but draw more customers to them. With more diverse offerings, this will draw locals and out of town visitors to enjoy the East Haddam Village District more than once or twice a year. The frequency of visits may increase to once or twice a month! People like to be where other people are enjoying themselves with family and friends.
How does the density of Swing Bridge Landing align with the Planning & Zoning regulations for the Town?
Our project falls within the “Highest Use Area” of the “East Haddam Village District” and will require Special Exception Review by the Planning & Zoning Commission. The Building Coverage of Swing Bridge Landing is approximately 27%, including the existing buildings we plan to preserve. The Building Coverage for the Highest Use Area of the Village District is unstipulated and subject to site plan review by the P&Z Commission. For perspective, however, the stipulated Building Coverage for the Lower Use Area along Creamery and Lumberyard Roads is 20%.
To quote the P&Z Regulations, “The village once supported two local schoolhouses, and several churches and meeting halls. Many of East Haddam’s influential families built grand houses in the Village District. With the decline of the river based commerce and the decline of the mills, the village, while still encouraging mixed use, went through a period when it was more residential in character. Today, with the resurgence of the Opera House and the Gelston House, the village is poised to once again become an area of vibrant economic and cultural activity.”
How does the architecture of Swing Bridge Landing fit in with the history of the Village?
We intend to capture the Village’s complex mix of architectural styles but with one foot in the present, and a big toe in the future. Again, to quote the P&Z Regulations, “Architecturally, the village reflects its long history including … Federal, Georgian, and Greek revival, various Victorian styles (Second Empire, Carpenter Gothic, Italianate) and contemporary post World War II structures. Many structures exhibit characteristics from several periods.”
“Archaeologically, the village retains evidence of its history in… the many dry rock walls and foundations of former structures which indicate that the village was more densely populated in the past.”
Of particular note, we propose to partially replicate the historic Goodspeed mansion lost by fire in 1903, and, as well, to replace the buildings that once occupied the street frontage along Main Street, reusing in part their surviving stone foundation walls. We also propose to relocate the old Town Hall building and the historic River House and restore the Pelletier house and the Goodspeed House at 15 and 17 Main Street respectively. Of course, all design will be done in close coordination with, and approval by, the East Haddam Historic District Commission.
What is the schedule of the Project and how does it align with the construction of the swing bridge?
It is anticipated that Swing Bridge Landing will take 1.5 to 2 years from the date of the Town’s approval to fund, design, and permit the Project. Construction would, therefore, likely start in early 2023, and our hope would be to open early in 2025. We imagine the bulk of our heavy construction to coincide with that of the swing bridge construction, which we see as a plus to the Town.
How will the Project be environmentally responsible?
First, we are taking on the responsibility (and cost) of mitigating the site’s hazardous material contamination from the former Town garage building that will be demolished. We are also exploring nearly two dozen “sustainable” measures including a geo-thermal system, roof-top photovoltaics (not visible from the street), rain harvesting systems, pervious pavement and bio-swales, bird friendly glass, energy conserving design, bicycle racks, regionally sourced non-toxic materials, electric car charging stations, vegetated roofs, dark-sky exterior lighting, and L.E.D. lighting throughout. Our intention is to make Swing Bridge Landing renowned for its environmentally responsible design.
Does the Town’s Waste Water Treatment plant have enough capacity for the Project?
The Town Planner has confirmed that the Waste Water Treatment Plant has more than enough excess capacity to handle the proposed Swing Bridge Landing development. The system is designed with a 50,000 gals per day capacity vs. an average daily of 17,000gals per day currently and a peak flow of 34,000 gals.
Will the Project provide affordable housing?
The Town exceeds the 10% threshold for “affordable housing.” We will be providing a wide range of price-points from large, single bedroom units, to mid-size duplex units, to small studio apartments.