Ball and Socket Arts Moving Forward

The vision to turn the former Ball and Socket factory building into an arts and community center took another step forward recently when the Town Council approved a resolution allowing Town Manager Michael Milone to accept a $400,000 Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development Municipal Brownfield Grant to clean up the property.

The action does not put the town at any financial risk, Milone said. "It simply gives me the authority to sign a letter of intent," he said. The town "has an interest in proceeding to allow the project to move forward — that is all we are asking.

"We want assurances and safeguards used in accordance with the terms and conditions of the grant so the town is not liable for the money," he said. "This gives us what we feel are adequate safeguards."

The money is given by the state to municipalities to use for environmental cleanups, said Town Attorney Al Smith. "Our objective is to protect the town," he said, and one way that is accomplished is to not release any money until the work is completed.

Ball and Socket Arts Inc. formed two years ago with the intent to redevelop the vacant property into a community center with a focus on the arts. 

"Our mission is to build a place to foster discovery, engagement and creativity through a broad range of creative arts programming, restaurants, shops and an outdoor park for relaxation and contemplation," according to its website. "We want Ball & Socket to be a comfortable and exciting place for everyone, whether you are coming to view an art exhibition, shopping for a cool Christmas gift or taking a rest on a bike trek along the Farmington Canal."

Because the site was previously used for manufacturing, contaminated soil remains on the property, qualifying it as a Brownfield site and making it eligible for special state financing for its cleanup. But that financing has to go through the town and can't be given directly to the developers.

This funding is part of a larger state Department of Community and Economic Development funding package for the project, said Ball and Socket Arts Co-founder and Artistic Director Ilona Somogyi. 

"We are glad to see this moving forward and want to remind everyone that this is part of a larger loan package that totals $1,689,000 for the purchase and environmental remediation," she said. 

The company signed the contracts for the property earlier this month, Somogyi said, and they are working on several different aspects of the project to move it forward.

"We are heading in seven different directions at once," she said. They're dealing with issues such as asbestos and lead paint, she said, which is why the buildings, which will be reused, need to be remediated.

They're hoping to go before Planning and Zoning with the plans this summer, she said. 

"We are very excited but we have a lot of work to do," she said. "We are spinning from what lies ahead of us."