Since the town acquired the property through a 2008 municipal tax foreclosure, the empty space is a signal of the end of one era, and the possible dawning of another, as Newington seeks a developer that can leverage the plot’s proximity to the highway, CTfastrak bus system and Central Connecticut State University, said Newington Town Manager Keith Chapman. Meantime, the town council already has the authority to sell the property to an interested developer, which should help speed the process along once a deal is in place. The National Welding site is on the far west end of town, located close to CCSU’s Stanley Street campus. After obtaining the property in 2008, the town later received a $2-million grant from the state Department of Economic and Community Development, (DECD) which it used to demolish vacant buildings and clean up the site to make it marketable. While the Cedar Street property has remained vacant since National Welding shuttered in 1994, it became more attractive in recent years once the state Department of Transportation built its rapid transit bus system near it.
https://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/newington-closer-than-ever-on-national-welding-site-redevelopment