River Mill Redevelopment Update July 19, 2023 6:30 pm Library-Community Center

Progress Update on the Redevelopment of the River Mill - Public Presentation Scheduled

Event details:  Hosted by Thompson Economic Development Commission
Redevelopment of the River Mill - Public Presentation and Q&A  
Wednesday, 19 July @ 6:30 p.m.
Thompson Public Library and Louis P Faucher Community Center
934 Riverside Drive, North Grosvenordale, CT

Thompson residents have been waiting eagerly for news regarding the redevelopment of the historic River Mill, in the heart of North Grosvenordale. On Wednesday, 19 July at 6:30 p.m., Thompson’s Economic Development Commission (EDC) will host a public presentation and Q&A at the Thompson Public Library and Louis P Faucher Community Center, with developer John Gumpert of Camden Management Partners and River Mill Redevelopment, LLC. Topics will include a review of the history of the project to date, along with a synopsis of the progress made thus far and the financial and legal strategies needed to move the project forward. Organized in place of the regular monthly meeting of the EDC, the presentation will also include a look at some of the other economic development and infrastructure initiatives underway in Thompson. In addition to the developer, other presenters will include legal counsel for the developer and the Town, First Selectman Amy St Onge and Director of Planning & Development Tyra Penn-Gesek. The first hour of the event will be taken up by the formal presentation, with a half-hour of public Q&A to follow.

Located in North Grosvenordale, the historic civic and commercial center of Thompson, the River Mill is a complex of 11 interconnected brick mill buildings ranging from 1 to 6 stories high, with more than 700,000 sq. ft. of floor space. Constructed in the 1870s, the mill was used for textile manufacturing through the late 1950s, and then by numerous commercial and industrial tenants to the present. Following the general decline of the mill economies in New England in the mid-20th century, the River Mill has remained underutilized and was at risk of demolition until Town officials took on the task of finding a developer with the capacity to save this irreplaceable asset.  

The project will spur transformational economic and community development for Thompson and the region. The completed River Mill project will be the largest adaptive reuse project and the most significant mixed-use development in eastern CT. The Town of Thompson has supported this project since its inception, securing grants from DECD for environmental assessments at the site and for the planning and design of public improvements to the surrounding area.  Most recently, the Town was awarded $2-million from DECD to initiate the environmental cleanup of the property. Updates on the cleanup grant will also be part of the presentation on the 19th. The Town continues to work in coordination with the developer, CT DEEP, US EPA, SHPO and community stakeholders to facilitate the project.  Upon completion of all phases of the project, it will add approximately 300 units of housing; valuable retail and commercial opportunities; and public event space. Redevelopment of the River Mill will also add millions of dollars of property value to the local tax base.

For more information contact:
Tyra Penn-Gesek, Director of Planning & Development: planner@thompsonct.org
Amy St Onge, First Selectman: firstselectman@thompsonct.org