The state Bond Commission awarded the town of Rocky Hill $500,000 to help revitalize the former Ames headquarters site and transform it into what town officials hope becomes a town center village with a mix of housing and shops. The property has been vacant and has had no redevelopment activity for at least 15 years, according to Raymond Carpentino, the town’s economic development director. The site includes land totaling approximately 12.16 acres and a 225,000 square-foot building, most recently used for corporate offices for Ames department store, which employed up to 1,500 people at its prime, Carpentino said. “The project is a complete redevelopment of the site: demolition of the building and parking lot into a residential mixed-use development,” he said. Marotta said the town is also seeking brownfields grants from state agencies for up to $2 million to aid with demolition of the site and that it has revised its tax abatement policies to incentivize developers.
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