The Danbury Redevelopment project was green lit on January 10, 1958. Those placed in charge of planning the project were The City Redevelopment Agency. The project was financed by Urban Renewal Agency and endorsed by The Town Flood Control Board.
This is an article that William W. Goodman sent to Jim Dyer regarding the possible shopping center to be constructed at the fairgrounds. The article highlights the possible diminishing effects that this establishment could have on the downtown shopping scene.
This article is a key source in describing how Danbury's structure at the onset of its tricentenial was represented to the public. The historical preservation of 3 key buildings, the Palace Theater, the old library, and the Martha Apartments were all selected to be reorganized into a "cultural core". The pictures included in this article portray Main Street as a social hub.
This map highlights the streets to be redeveloped in the Downtown Action Plan. The streets are Main St., White St. and Elm St. The streets are the business districts of Danbury that were left in ruin in the wake of the flood. The redevelopment of the roadways was not only to improve the roadways themselves, but to improve traffic routes through and in the city.
The Plan of Development, adopted by the Planning Commission in March, 1980, provided general direction for the future development of Downtown Danbury. It is recommended that the Planning Department with the guidance of the CBD Coordinating Panel develop a Downtown Action Plan which will guide public and private investment decisions in the future.
Gilbert's Diner on White St. once stood here. Still river, the cause of the flood, ran under White St. The flooding of the river washed it away in 1955.
Patrolman Robert Keating, of 5 1/2 Foster, Danbury, CT, lost his life during the Danbury flood of 1955 while in the midst of aiding in the flood relief while on duty.
This article briefly goes over what the major points of redevelopment were and who was in charge of planning out Danbury's redevelopment. It also explains the amount in U.S. dollars the project was estimated to cost.
