Tell Torrington’s Elected Officials don’t pass up on a once in a Lifetime Chance to Expand Educational Opportunities for all of our Citizen’s
Bring UCONN Torrington Downtown-The idea of a Torrington UCONN campus downtown has been proposed for years, the individual/community benefit that a project of this stature would have on the local area and region would be great. The State of Connecticut under Governor Malloy, state executive and legislative leaders have pushed for expansions of UCONN Storrs and movement of West Hartford UCONN to downtown Hartford in the name of economic development and increasing educational opportunities to those communities. The City of Torrington, our representatives and our citizens should ask why we have been left out of that investment. Torrington’s citizens and the Northwest Corner region would greatly benefit from a centrally located campus in the heart of the city. It would certainly mean 30-40 years of state investment both on and around the new campus. It would allow greater access to 21st century job skills and training and invite guest speakers from all over the country and world to our city. The project would provide construction, security, teaching and student jobs over the course of the next couple of decades. Local downtown businesses would benefit from a downtown campus as students, teachers and guests would be regular customers stimulating their establishments.
UCONN Torrington and their collaboration with local art galleries has brought art, culture and design to the downtown with positive effects on revitalization, still more can be done. Local leaders talk about Torrington as an arts and culture city. What is an arts and culture city without education? The two must co-exist to enrich the community, adding more of UCONN Torrington downtown will produce more positive effects. Currently, there are properties at the NIDEC Company and the former Oliver Wolcott Trade School on South Main Street that may need brownfield cleaned up, but are suitable for parts of a new campus to occupy those spaces. Litchfield County has a long tradition of famous legal cases that were fought right here in our backyard, the UCONN schools of Law and Criminal Justice would also fit Torrington. Our citizens should have easily available access to educational facilities that offer Master’s and Doctorate degrees. Our citizens shouldn’t have to drive to other parts of the state to obtain them. UCONN Storrs, Waterbury and Hartford are currently being upgraded and invested in and so should UCONN Torrington! The question is how do we get all the relevant powers in the community on the same page to make this project possible?
By contacting your elected officials and tell them to invest in a Downtown UCONN:
Connecticut Governor Daniel Malloy: Tel. 1(860) 566-4840 Toll Free. 1(800) 406-1527
Torrington Mayor Eleanor Carbone: Tel. 1(860) 489-2228
State Senator Kevin Witkos (8th Senatorial District): Tel. 1(800) 842-1421
State Senator Clark Chapin (30th Senatorial District): Tel. 1(800) 842-1421
State Representative Jay Case (63rd House District): Tel. 1(800) 842-1423
State Representative Roberta Willis (64th House District): Tel. 1(860) 240-8585
State Representative Michelle Cook (65th House District): Tel. 1(860) 240-8585
