What Will Happen To The Naugatuck Event Center?

NAUGATUCK, CT — The clock is approaching midnight for the Borough to decide what to do long-term with the Naugatuck Event Center.

At a recent Board of Mayor and Burgesses meeting, Mayor Pete Hess said a decision will have to be made regarding upgrades to the Naugatuck Event Center.

The board will need to decide at some point whether to develop it, keep it or sell it. Parcel A is the event center, Parcel B is the parking lot and Parcels X and Y are further south of the event center.

There are two proposed projects in the future. A transit oriented development, a new train station and housing. The event center will be mixed use. There are developers interested but the interest would be greater if there were frequent train service, Hess reported.

The difficulty with leasing out space in the event center is that there are no separate utilities. Fire and building codes must be met which makes renting very difficult.

"We cannot give a long-term lease because renters would not want to spend their own money in case we sell the building in four or five years," Hess said, via meeting minutes.

And in an unrelated topic, Hess said people are interesting in developing an Indoor Sports Complex in Naugatuck. He didn't elaborate but a committee has been formed and there will be monthly public meetings to examine where it may be built and the feasibility of such a potential development.