Windsor Locks Earns Downtown Revitalization Victory

Efforts to move toward the revitalization of Main Street in Windsor Locks saw a significant victory when Amtrak recently agreed to sell the historic train station to the town for $1, the Journal Inquirer reports.

The possibility of Windsor Locks becoming the owner of the station became a reality nearly one year ago when Amtrak identified a number of criteria required for the sale to take place.

At the time, McMahon told the board of selectmen the station is "an iconic site for the community" due to the memories people in town still have of hopping on a train at the location.

A centerpiece of the town's Main Street revitalization efforts, the town plans to reopen the historic facility, and moving the current Amtrak stop as part of plans to develop a proper stop on the planned high speed rail line from New Haven to Springfield.

The station was valued at $45,000 when Amtrak appraised the property, but it will cost much more to renovate it.

The news of the sale comes as good news following a recent disappointment.

An auction to sell off the Montgomery Mill building — a property some say is equally important to the town's Main Street efforts — to an interested buyer proved less than fruitful when the high and only bid was $100, the Journal Inquirer reports.

Click here to read the Journal Inquirer's full report (paid site).