More signs of renewal in Pawcatuck

Published October 03. 2020 12:01AM | Updated October 03. 2020 10:33PM
By The Day Editorial Board  

Stonington’s easternmost village of Pawcatuck is historically, economically, and culturally intertwined with Westerly, R.I. The downtown area has frequently been hyphenated as Westerly-Pawcatuck and the two commercial districts face each other from either side of the Pawcatuck River.

Despite this cross-state identification, there is a significant difference between the two sides of the river. While downtown revitalization on the river’s eastern banks, in Westerly, has progressed in a robust manner, similar revitalization in Pawcatuck has lagged behind.

Some exciting proposals for Pawcatuck exist and we have advocated in previous editorials for several of these, including a riverfront greenway and Pawcatuck River pedestrian bridge linking the two downtowns. Some progress, such as the renovation of the former Higgins Pharmacy building and the beginning of renovations on several prominent downtown buildings by businessman James Lathrop, has been made. One building now under Lathrop’s control is a longstanding eyesore: the former Laura’s Landing building that has been empty and derelict-looking for some 30 years.

Yet the realization of most Pawcatuck revitalization plans has been frustratingly slow and progress on some, such as the riverfront greenway, will no doubt be further delayed by the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

Still, once again we are encouraged and hopeful that a proposed downtown Pawcatuck development will help spur long-overdue revitalization west of the Pawcatuck River. A $30 million residential apartment building proposed for a site where the long-decrepit Campbell Grain building once stood, previously gained support from the town’s Economic Development Commission and earlier this week was approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission. This marks an important step toward realization for this project developers say will be completed by 2023.

Winn Development Co. LP of Boston’s proposal calls for a five-story, 116,000-square-foot building with 82 apartments. While this makes for an imposing structure on a relatively compact lot adjacent to the Amtrak line, numerous buildings of similar height and size line Westerly’s nearby High and Broad streets. For that reason, this building should blend into the downtown landscape.

Winn proposes some 70 percent of the apartments will be classified as affordable, a fact that has led to some local grumbling. The need for more affordable housing remains acute throughout most suburban towns in southeastern Connecticut. We have long advocated for affordable, working-class housing projects, some of which ultimately were rejected in other towns. We do agree with the grumblers, however, that Pawcatuck should not be the sole area of Stonington for which affordable units are slated.

We think the positives to this substantial apartment development proposal far outweigh any potential negatives. Developers promise a publicly accessible riverfront walkway at the site and the Economic Development Commission contends the town will reap some $500,000 in tax revenue from the plan, for example.

More important is that the development promises to bring dozens of new residents to downtown Pawcatuck. With them should come more business for local restaurants and stores and renewed efforts to ensure Pawcatuck is every bit as lively, energized and thriving as is its Rhode Island counterpart east of the river.