The article below is from the New London Day - When I was a little girl growing up in Norwich, my grandparents would tell me how beautiful the Wauregan was, and the parties and of course, New years Eve. I am so glad to see it brought back to its former self in a modern sense.

I used to imagine, and old New Years Eve party at the Wauregan, with Cary Grant types in tuxedos and women in long flowing gowns. Party hats and all the fun.. Sometimes, I think I was born too late, people do not dress up anymore, which I find sad.


'Norwich — It was a return to glory for the Wauregan Hotel ballroom Monday night, as about 170 people from throughout the state gathered there to celebrate the revitalization of Main Streets everywhere and the Wauregan's role in that process.

The Connecticut Main Street Center bestowed the Award of Excellence for best adaptive reuse of a historic building to developer Becker and Becker Associates, the city's preferred developer who conducted the $20 million renovation of the Wauregan into 70 affordable housing apartments and five commercial spaces. The city of Norwich and Rose City Renaissance, the Norwich Main Street program, shared in the award as supporters of the project.

“You've got residential, a ballroom and retail,” said John Simone, president and chief executive officer of the Connecticut Main Street Center. “This is as good an example as you can get.”

Simone said his group knew since before the restored Wauregan opened that he wanted to hold the annual banquet meeting in the historic ballroom. He said it gave the agency the chance to “tell the story” again of the Wauregan's rebirth from decline to condemnation to decay and nearly demolition.

The city in 1999 had wanted to tear down the building, after receiving inspection reports that the decaying, leaking and partially collapsed brick structure could not be saved. But the Connecticut Historical Commission refused and forced the city to advertise for developers. Becker and Becker Associates submitted the winning bid, and financed the project — after more struggles and near defeat by the CHFA — through a combination of federal low-income housing tax credits and historic preservation tax credits.

The city contributed the building and an $800,000 no-interest loan to the project.

The Wauregan reopened in 2006, with 70 apartments and the project was completed in 2007 with the opening of the restored ballroom, available for public rental. Currently, 97 percent of the apartments are occupied.

At street level, the Wauregan houses the Wauregan Laundromat, Morning Glories flower shop, the Wauregan Café and coming soon a Spanish restaurant. One remaining 500-square foot space remains available, said John Renner, senior development manager for Becker and Becker.

Renner said he was “very happy” that Connecticut Main Street honored adaptive reuse of historic buildings.

As much as Simone looked forward to Monday's event, so did Renner, who watched the restoration from ripped up floors and scraped walls to the finishing touches.

“I've never been to an event here,” Renner said.

Rose City Renaissance, the city's Main Street program, nominated the Wauregan for the Award of Excellence. Board President Les King said he was not surprised the project won the award.

“This is a big project for all of the state of Connecticut,” King said.

The Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation also gave the Wauregan an award and a grant. Helen Higgins, executive director of the Connecticut Trust, said she was thrilled that the Wauregan received the award.

“It's fabulous,” she said. “The more awards the better.”

The Wauregan's award was one of several handed out by the Connecticut Main Street Center Monday. State Sen. Donald Williams, DBrooklyn, president pro tem of the state Senate, and state Sen. Andrew Roraback, R-Goshen, were the inaugural recipients of the Jack Shannahan Prize for Public Service, named after the former state historic preservation officer. Williams and Roraback were credited for the 2005 Community Investment Act, which funded historic and farm preservation and open space. The law provided grant funding to assist revitalization of historic commercial districts.

Norwich native Linda Osten, who died of cancer in December at age 49, received the Connecticut Light & Power Co. Award for Outstanding Contributions to Main Street Revitalization. Osten, whose family ran Patio's Restaurant in Norwich for many years, was recognized for her work in revitalization of downtown Hartford. Osten was a community planner for the Capital Region Council of Governments.

Several members of Osten's family attended the awards ceremony. Her sister, Cathy Osten, first selectwoman of Sprague, accepted the award on behalf of her sister.

“We all miss my sister very much,” Cathy Osten said. “She did a lot for the city of Hartford and for all of Connecticut.”