The town of East Hartford is one step closer to purchasing the troubled Church Corners Inn on Main Street, which has been costing the town money and bringing negative attention to downtown.
On Tuesday, the Town Council unanimously gave Mayor Mike Walsh the go-ahead to sign an agreement to purchase the property at 860 Main St. for $950,000.
“This building is the single-most frequent destination for police service calls in town,” council member Angie Parkinson said. “Crime originating in or around this building is destabilizing this important section of Main Street.”
A report by Police Chief Scott Sansom found that there have been more than 260 calls for service at the building this year and more than 2,300 calls in the last five years.
Town Council member John Morrison said he is concerned about taking over liability for the building.
“The place is a wreck,” Morrison said.
Once the purchase has been closed, a working group put together by the town will begin discussions on how many tenants need to be relocated and where they will be housed.
Walsh said around 40 units are occupied in the building. He said no decisions can be made until the purchase is complete and the proper inspections have been done.
The town plans to make a down payment of $25,000 within five days of the agreement being signed.
Director of Development Eileen Buckheit said the town has applied for a $2.5 million Community Investment Funds grant from the state for the purchase of the property, management issues, and relocation of tenants.
She said the town is relatively confident it will be able to secure the $2.5 million.
“No East Hartford taxpayer money will be used in the purchase of Church Corners Inn,” Walsh said.
He said the town will be closing on the property in about 60 days.
