NORWALK, Conn. – Signs of improvement aren’t hard to find in Norwalk these days.
On Flax Hill Road the porch is finally being rebuilt on the historic home at Fodor Farm. On West Avenue the renovations at the First Methodist Church have become visible from the street as the landscaping has been removed. And on Wall Street, the old Merchant’s Bank has finally come tumbling down.
Chalk it up to a better economy?
Macedonia Church now owns the “orange church” on West Avenue, having bought it for $1.2 million in May. A church member said Friday that a priority has been placed on fixing the leaking roof, which is nearly done. New landscaping is planned for the front yard, he said. Members hope to begin using their church in about two months, when the Phase 1 renovations are done, he said.
Money to finish the renovations at Fodor Farm, $100,000, was put into the capital budget this spring by the Planning Commission at the request of Bill Dunne. The Common Council ratified that.
Carpenter Steve Green said that, although the porch was the most visible part of old building, it would be, by necessity, the last item on the list because it was necessary to have a strong structure to attach it to.
And, of course, POKO Partners has finally moved into the demolition phase for Phase I of Wall Street Place, having secured an extension on its 10-year-old Land Disposition Agreement with the city after lining up tax credits and other financing. POKO managing member Ken Olson said Friday that he is still hoping to salvage the safe in the basement but won’t know if that’s possible until the rubble is cleared away.
Leave a Reply
You must Register or Login to post a comment.