Amazon eyes second eastern Connecticut warehouse in Norwich as fight over Killingly denial continues
Alexander Soule
Even as a developer appeals Killingly's initial rejection of a huge new Amazon warehouse, Amazon is considering a second location in eastern Connecticut — this project led by another development firm that successfully won approval for a similar facility on the Waterbury-Naugatuck line now under construction.
Bluewater Property Group has filed plans with the Norwich Inland Wetlands, Water Courses & Conservation Commission for a warehouse in the Occum Industrial Center on Canterbury Turnpike alongside Interstate 395. An Amazon spokesperson confirmed the Norwich plans Thursday in response to a CT Insider query.
"Warehouses like the one proposed for Norwich are typically assessed at more than $150 million," wrote Norwich Mayor Swarnjit Singh in a Facebook post. "Bluewater estimates that the project would bring about 500 permanent jobs, 200 construction jobs and additional indirect economic benefits to Norwich."
The "Project Wildcat" proposal anticipates building on more than 170 acres, with the preferred size at nearly 1.1 million square feet but a slightly larger center contemplated as well as a possible alternative. In addition to Bluewater, the project team includes All-Points Technology, Bohler Engineering, CDM Smith, LandTech Consultants, Langan Engineering and Environmental Services, and Ostergaard Acoustical Associates.
Under "Project Husky" on behalf of Amazon, a separate developer called Ryan Cos. filed plans this year for warehouse in Killingly totaling 1.3 million square feet, which the town's own wetlands commission rejected in early July by a 3-2 vote.
Ryan Cos. filed new applications on Aug. 3 and a lawsuit in state Superior Court the following day, on the heels of Killingly creating a one-year moratorium on any construction of large warehouses to study their impact.
An Amazon spokesperson told CT Insider on Thursday that the company intends to proceed with both projects, with precedent for the company having warehouses in close proximity including in Windsor.
Both the Killingly and Norwich proposals eye 500 employees, a smaller count than Amazon has added for earlier fulfillment centers in Connecticut due to the company's adoption of robotic arms and other automated systems for some tasks. The site would include spaces for more than 420 trailers, and for more than 730 vehicles of employees and visitors.
In addition to the Norwich site, a LandTech planning document filed on behalf of Bluewater lists the Killingly site as a potential alternative. The document lists other sites Bluewater vetted that were ultimately eliminated from current consideration, including:
Consumers Avenue in Norwich;
Dominican Drive in Norwich;
Connecticut Avenue in Norwich;
Hazelnut Hill Road in Groton;
Route 12 in the Gales Ferry section of Ledyard;
Moosup Pond Road in Plainfield;
Unity Drive in Plainfield; and
Waterford Parkway South in Waterford.
"The proposed project responds to the need for a modern regional fulfillment and distribution facility in eastern Connecticut capable of supporting the integrated receipt, storage, processing, sorting, and shipment of goods to regional and interstate markets," LandTech consultants wrote in a filing with the city of Norwich. "The facility requires reliable access to the regional highway and freight-transportation network, including Interstate 395, and sufficient operating capacity to support inventory handling, order processing, loading and unloading, truck and trailer movements, employee access, and related logistics activities."
ULine is readying to open next month a major warehouse in Plainfield, with Costco having sought approval for one on the Canterbury-Plainfield line.
Proposed $55M police station plan takes step forward in Norwich
Norwich — The Commission on the City Plan voted unanimously Thursday to ask the City Council to approve an ordinance that would appropriate $55 million to renovate the former Chelsea Groton Bank building on Main Street into a new police station.
The $55 million would be bonded by the city.
The City Council is slated to hold a public hearing Monday on the ordinance, after which councilors are expected to vote on it. If the ordinance is approved, the project would need to be approved by voters at a referendum. That date could also be set Monday night.
Before the 7 p.m. meeting in Council Chambers, there will be a 6:30 p.m. informational session on the project. City Manager John Salomone on Thursday said city officials will discuss the project's appearance and cost and present renderings of the building.
Last year, the police department offered public tours of the current, 47-year-old police station at 70 Thames St. The tours showcased the building's insufficient storage and interview space, lack of changing rooms for female officers and numerous other problems, including mold and water from a leaky roof that threatens computer equipment.
Police officials have repeatedly boasted how the former bank building at 300 Main St. would provide much more space, including more interview rooms, and locker rooms for the department's female officers. The department currently has 73 officers — while the current station was built to accommodate only 51.
Over the years, the city has made several attempts to build a new police department, but those proposals were rejected at referendum or earlier.
"I think most people understand the need," Salomone said. "It's always been the cost or location."
In 2023, referendum voters turned down a $44.75 million plan to construct a new police station, with no specific location identified. Most city officials have agreed that the current bank building proposal is the best one yet, as it would place the department downtown. They have also pointed out the need for a new station is not going to disappear and will become more costly in the future.
The city bought the former bank building at 300 Main St. for $800,000 in December 2024.
Plans for the building presented by the police department have shown a renovated two-story bank building with a public entrance off Main Street, where the columns are, and another on the northern side of the building, where a 22-car public parking lot would be built for cars to enter off Cliff Street. The department will also have control of three parking lots along Acadia Street.
The ground floor would have a training classroom and community room, and evidence would be processed and stored in bank vaults for extra security.
On the mezzanine, there would be a conference room, public outreach area and civilian outreach offices, along with the main desk, public permitting, records and an interview room. The second floor would feature administrative offices and space for outside agencies that work with police and more conference rooms.
The first floor of the new wing would feature a physical training room, more administrative offices and locker rooms. On the same level, police cruisers would be able to bring suspects into a covered garage off Cliff Street. The garage connects directly to the processing area, where there would be 16 holding cells for any gender, compared with six for men and two for women now. The second floor of the new wing would house the narcotics unit, dis-patch center and juvenile division.
Below the first floor, there would be a large covered parking area for the police fleet, with an entrance and exit off Main Street.
Several residents at a meeting last month complained about the cost of the proposed police station project.
Larry Rice, a retired police officer, said he sees the need for the police station but said the cost is too expensive.
"You don't even know if you're going to get it on the referendum first. And then if we do, I'm doubtful that the public's going to vote on it with this kind of money. So, three, four more years, we're going to do it again, now it's going to be up to $90 million? This can't keep going on like this. We've either got to put this police station in there, or we've got to do something. But we can't keep going on like this. It's ridiculous, these costs," he said.
Resident Joanne Philbrick called the station a "backroom" project and called for better transparency.
"I support the police department 100%. What I do not support, and I have made it clear on many occasions, is your convoluted, backroom, special interest projects. You bought that building under the cover of darkness..." she said. "What is your plan of action? You don't communicate with us."
City Council President Pro Tempore Joe DeLucia, chair of the council's Public Safety Subcommittee, said the police station project is a response to multiple failed referendums in which voters said police headquarters belong downtown. He said this project does exactly that.
"This project is the best of all possible solutions, and it is only going to get more expensive the longer we wait," he said.