Torrington Will Shine When This Area of Downtown is Reinvented

Excuse my gushing Torrington, but I'm still in the honeymoon phase of moving my life into you, and I want to take a minute to tell you how much I appreciate my new home.

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Since my wife and I moved to T-town in February, we've been so impressed with the city's renaissance. Torrington's commitment to improving the culture is inspiring. Beautiful murals have been commissioned throughout the city, the arts thrive. A community radio station? New businesses have been announcing their arrival on social media every day.

I wrote about the one of biggest obstacles of progress that Torrington has tried to take care of recently, the vacant Yankee Pedlar Inn, which has sat in owner-induced limbo for 8 years. It's a glaring eyesore. Well, not really, it's a glaringly unoccupied, beautiful building, and it's future will hopefully be resolved in the courts soon.

Progress is everywhere in downtown Torrington, Main Street just got paved, the Five Points Gallery got a fresh coat of paint a couple of weeks ago. But, the Pedlar, and right around the corner on Water Street by Church, sits the next part of downtown that will be addressed - the old Hotchkiss Mill property.

The report that I've read about the property online says that funding has been secured to clean it up, and improvements are on the way. With an administration committed as this one on improvements to town, in theory, Torrington will truly rock. It's close now.

A downtown that will be mentioned in the same breath as New Haven, Danbury, Waterbury, and dare I say it? Litchfield. The diversity in restaurants and entertainment choices in Torrington will get even better when these two areas have been reinvented. I respect the vibe, they're making moves that most communities in Connecticut just talk about.