Former train depot in Bloomfield eyed for gastro park

A developer has proposed a gastro park with four food trucks on a mostly vacant parcel at 64 Jerome Ave. in Bloomfield., a former train depot on the Griffin Line.

The Griffin Line, part of Central New England Railroad, runs through the eastern side of the property. A boarded-up building on the site, long considered an eyesore in the city’s downtown, has not been used as a train station for decades. 

Property owner Dr. Kenneth Miller of Baltimore purchased the 3.1-acre property, under the name Connecticut Medical Realty LLC, from the Bloomfield Farmers Exchange in 2009 for $350,000. 

Miller proposed converting the dilapidated building into a center for creative arts. But the cost of bringing it up to current building codes turned out to be cost prohibitive, the Hartford Courant reported in an October 2013 article. 

Now, the Planning and Zoning Commission is set to consider a special permit to allow an outdoor food court and four licensed food trucks on the property. The applicant is Michael Brown of Simsbury.

A public hearing is set for the Planning and Zoning Commission’s July 27 meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. via Zoom.

The plans show outdoor seating along with a covered eating area. There’s also space for a possible ice cream parlor and an outlet store, and a potential stage. Painted parking spots are shown.

The property is near the newly built Heirloom Flats, a 150-unit apartment building at 25 Jerome Ave., and is directly across from the Wintonbury Mall.