It was started as a state hospital for people with mental illness and remained operational until the buildings were abandoned in 1996. Now some of remaining crumbling and abandoned buildings sit on the banks of the Thames River directly across from the posh Mohegan Sun casino buildings. The city of Norwich wants to change the future of the buildings in its city that serve almost as a gateway to the nearly 300-year-old community at the confluence of the Yantic and Shetucket rivers in eastern Connecticut. The city is soliciting bids for qualifications for developers to study the former site of Norwich State Hospital, a plan that seeks adaptive reuse of the parts of the site that are in Norwich. The city said it seeks “professional consulting firms and teams to complete a planning study to reimagine the former Norwich State Hospital.” The Norwich property is located at 628 and 705 Laurel Hill Road on Connecticut Route 12, and the Norwich request for quotation indicates there also is a hope to create a community-driven vision for the site. “The planning effort will focus on creating a vision for the future redevelopment of the area that will provide a sense of place for city residents and visitors alike. The former hospital property is a prime location for the construction of a live, work, play development that would exist in concert with the neighboring Preston Riverwalk,” according to the city of Norwich RFQ. The RFQ project is funded by a $250,000 Community Investment Fund 2030 Grant and is expected to complement the upcoming Preston Riverwalk development, which will be constructed by the Mohegan Tribe. “The Gateway Norwich planning project is intended to provide the community with a blueprint for strategic future growth through public outreach and visioning exercises,” according to the Norwich RFQ.
Crumbling ex-CT hospital site targeted for adaptive reuse. City notes ‘live, work, play’ potential
