The town of East Hartford has awarded an $800,000 contract to North Branford-based Cherry Hill Construction Inc. to raze the Showcase Cinemas on Silver Lane.
The contractor will examine the site before official paperwork is signed to carry out the demolition, Mayor Marcia Leclerc said Tuesday.
Leclerc said the winning bid came in at $800,000 “and some change, so we were able to ensure some of that money to our pool of funding, which is significant.”
The Town Council had allocated $1.5 million for the project.
Officials hope to see the 66,000-square-foot building leveled within the next six weeks, though an exact date of action is yet to be determined.
The contract comes five months after town officials held a forum in April looking for ideas from businesses and residents on how to best utilize the Silver Lane corridor following the removal of the long-vacant Showcase Cinemas.
In March, the town purchased the cinemas located in a rear parcel at 946 Silver Lane in a $3.3 million deal. The large deserted and decaying structure that can be seen by commuters on Interstate 84 has been an eyesore since it closed in 2006, town officials said at the time.
“The demolition of Showcase Cinemas is a critical step forward in finally bringing new and vibrant development to that area,” said Town Council Chairman Rich Kehoe.
The collective vision from officials is for the 26-acre property — which also includes parcels at 942, 944, and 960 Silver Lane and 285 and 291 Forbes St. — to become pedestrian-friendly, complete with retail and restaurants.
Leclerc had expressed hope the area would be mix-use and potentially include over 260 housing units. At the time, Kehoe mentioned the area would need a critical mass of occupancy of people with disposable income in order to implement such a neighborhood.
On Wednesday, Kehoe explained that a residential area is still being considered, specifically for people who work in surrounding towns or the city.
“One of the options which our consultants have suggested for that site is apartments or condominiums with amenities that would be for working in downtown Hartford or at Pratt & Whitney,” Kehoe said.
He added that the town is still open to any suggestions from developers, however.
“We would support it if it’s consistent with our overall goal of creating a more livable, walkable, and workable Silver Lane,” he said.
