Group Wants to Buy Aquinas
By Robin Vinci at May 16, 2024 | 8:30 pm | Print
The City may not be able to find a buyer for the St. Thomas Aquinas building, but one group says it is interested in purchasing it.
Savenewbritain.com is hoping it will eventually find funds to buy the building and make it a community center. It would use the rectory as senior housing.
Many members of the group are Aquinas alumni and are not happy seeing the building sit on Kelsey Street vacant and blighted.
“I think it is a great spot for a community center,” said Zeena Tawfik of Savenewbritain.com. “We still need to get a lot of information on the costs before we make an actual proposal. We want to bring it back alive.”
Tawfik said funds can be raised through Aquinas alumni who are planning a reunion in June. She said the group will also seek state and federal funding.
“I have spoken with some investors as well,” said Tawfik. “Private donations will also be taken.”
Tawfik said she knows the City is financially strapped and does not expect it to chip in even though this is a project to benefit the New Britain community.
“We don’t want to tap into City money,” Tawfik said.
She believes money can be made through the senior housing to help pay for the community center once completed. Savenewbritain.com would like to see a variety of events at the center such as re-hab, a cafeteria, an indoor track, a computer center and weekly events for the entire neighborhood.
“The momentum from our yearly reunion will help us,” said Tawfik. “We may be able to get endowments. Who knows once we get started? A bunch of people may get together to help us out.”
More then 200 people are going to attend the June 8 Aquinas Re-union.
The former St. Thomas Aquinas building is referred to as one of the most blighted properties in the City.
Mayor Tim O’Brien asked for requests for proposals in September of 2012, but has not announced any business interested in purchasing this property. At that time O’Brien said that he would not allow it to sit and be a deteriorating building, but still it sits vacant and blighted.
In 2011 Former Mayor Tim Stewart announced the City had acquired the property for $1 from its owners due to taxes owed. Later Stewart looked to sell the property to Community Builders Inc. of Boston, MA, but it was not approved by the Democratic led Council.
The City was looking to sell the property for $145,200. The company wanted to build housing development, based on the assessment of residential market potential consisting of about 50 mixed income rental apartments.
Neighbors in the area were against the proposal as they hoped for a low impact site such as 55 and over housing.
Tawfik said if the City approves its proposal, residents may get something they want.
“We just don’t want to let the property sit there and deteriorate,” said Tawfik. “We want it to be something everyone can be proud of.”
