Construction continues on the Boulevard to Berlin Train Station and Steele Center developments on Farmington Avenue in Berlin. Traffic navigates alongside the construction zone on Farmington Avenue, right. Dave Zajac, Record-Journal
Development breaks ground BERLIN — Town and state officials, along with the local developers behind the proposed mixed-use Steele Center at Farmington Avenue project, broke ground on the more than $18 million development last week.
As town economic development director Christopher Edge envisions, visitors would be able to park their cars at the parking lot by the train train station for an afternoon or evening. Then they could walk to various restaurants, coffee shops and other businesses during their time in the area.
The entire project will be completed in phases. When finished, the development, which would consist of five mixed-use buildings, aspires to make the Kensington area of Berlin a destination for day trips and an attractive living space for millennials.
New residents, in their mid20s to mid-30s, could potentially live in the one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments on the second level of those new buildings. Such a development would increase the residential options for that age group,
Edge said. The new apartments would be the first non-age restricted market rate units constructed in the area. Berlin Mayor Mark Kaczynski said the way the Kensington area is being developed will make it the closest thing Berlin has to a walkable Main Street type of area. “We wanted to develop more things around that area,” Kacynski said, explaining that the recent completion of the Berlin Train Station, adjacent to the project, “gave us the tools to move forward … See Development, A17
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On the gridiron, it’s 4th-and-long By Greg Lederer Record-Journal staff
whole gamut of emotions at this point.”
For the state football community, the news came swiftly last Wednesday. A day earlier than they had originally scheduled to meet, the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference Board of Control came together and decided for the second time to cancel 11-on-11 high school football this fall.
The decision ended an extensive back-and-forth process between the CIAC and state agencies. In July, the CIAC came up with a gradual plan of playing football amid the coronavirus pandemic, but the Connecticut Department of Public Health and Governor Ned Lamont both recommended that the sport be moved to next year when more medical information would be available.
“My son texted me that he saw the news on Twitter,” said Platt coach Jason Bruenn. “It is frustrating. You can probably run the
See Football, A9
Teacher of the Year Over the summer, Timberlin Golf Course head pro Marc Bayram was named the CT Section PGA Teacher of the Year. The recognition is awarded for excellence in golf instruction, promotion of the sport through teaching, and overall performance as a golf professional. Bayram said several factors played See Bayram, A13 Bayram
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STEELE CENTER AT FARMINGTON AVENUE
By Michael Gagne Record-Journal staff
Thursday, September 24, 2020
www.berlincitizen.com
Volume 22, Number 30