By Rit Carter and Jack Krampitz
Tuesday night marked only the second monthly meeting of the new Republican City Council, and in a stunning reversal, they voted 5-2 to reject the Purchase and Sale Agreement between the City of Bristol and Wheeler Clinic, Inc. for Parcel 3 at Centre Square.
Despite the urging of Mayor Jeff Caggiano to vote in the affirmative, Jolene Lusitani , Jacqueline Olsen, Susan Tyler, Andrew Howe, and Cheryl Thibeault voted down the Wheeler project. Sebastian Panioto voted along with the mayor.
The proposal was to relocate Wheeler’s Headquarters to the former mall site, now Bristol Centre Square. It would have brought 200 jobs to downtown inside a 30,000-square foot building. As a non-profit, the Wheeler project would not have generated any tax revenue, but it would have provided much-needed foot traffic to an area laid vacant for deacdes.
Councilwoman Cheryl Thibeault led the charge against the Wheeler contract. She defended her vote with a six-minute explanation stating, “I have a district that’s by Bristol Eastern, and I also have the Green Hills neighborhood. And as many of you know, we’re contiguous to Plainville and Southington, and resident after resident said, ‘Well, I spend my entertainment dollars in Southington and Plainville. I really want to spend them here.'”
All five council-people that voted no echoed Thibeault’s argument but provided no new ideas on what entertainment project would take its place.
Councilman Andre Howe said the project was dumped in their laps and felt the prime location was not a fit for a non-profit.
Councilwoman Susan Tyler remarked, “I have talked to many business owners and residents in the downtown area. And just even this morning, I had two people who live in the downtown area and also conduct business in the downtown area. They said that when they walk around in the evening, that downtown right now feels creepy.”
In response to the vote, the Democratic town committee issued the following statement,
“The Council has turned their back to a high quality non-profit already doing significant work in our community and schools which has already spent tens of thousands in design and site work. And, finally, it sends a strong message that Bristol does not follow through on its commitment on economic development promises and that it does not value the expertise of its staff or Economic & Community Development Commission.”
There was no immediate response from Wheeler Clinic to last night’s vote.