One of the Connecticut’s most iconic historic buildings is the focus of a proposed $12 million project to transform the headquarters of a local daily newspaper into a mixed-use project.
The Hartford Business Journal reports the Waterbury Union Station building, the 70,000-square-foot brick building that serves as the headquarters for the Republican-American newspaper, could be transformed into a development featuring 38 luxury apartments, retail and office space, and the potential for a high-end restaurant. The newspaper would maintain 10,000 square feet in the building, which was constructed in 1909 as a train station and is best known for its 245-foot-tall clock tower adorned with gargoyles, the roughly 70,000-square-foot brick headquarters of the Republican-American newspaper in the center of Waterbury is among the most recognizable buildings in Connecticut.
The proposed changes to the project would be part of the City of Waterbury’s efforts to redevelop underutilized and polluted industrial space along the adjacent Freight Street corridor.
The American Republican Inc., which publishes the newspaper headquartered at the site, would continue to own the property, but it is unclear how much of the project would be financed by the company and how much would derive from public funding.
“We’re thrilled with the proposal that came through,” Waterbury Economic Development Director Joseph McGrath said. “It’s going to be a total asset to the mission of reviving downtown and making Freight Street accessible to development.”
Photo: Library of Congress / Wikimedia Commons
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