Congress recently gave final approval to a defense spending bill that includes language creating the Coltsville National Historical Park -- but much work remains before the park is a reality.
Speaking on WNPR's Where We Live, Connecticut's First District Congressman John Larson said that getting Coltsville designated as a National Historical Park was a huge victory that took years of effort and planning. "This was a labor of love, and certainly something that took place legislatively over 14 years, so it's come a long way," he said.
When the 260-acre site is up and running, some estimate the park could welcome more than 200,000 visitors each year. But it could take years to transform Coltsville into a tourist destination.
"There are 33 buildings that come down to us from the Colt era," said Terra Firma Northeast's Bill Hosley, an expert on the history of Samuel Colt and Coltsville. "Also, [there are] hundreds of millions of dollars of Colt-related collections, plus the mansion. There are a lot of moving parts."
Those parts include funding, which is estimated to cost $9 to $11 million initially. Another issue is land acquisition, since many of the buildings are privately owned, with residents and businesses as tenants. And there's the building of the park itself, which will include renovation of the buildings, the creation of a visitors center, and other construction and landscaping projects.
Still, Larson is encouraged by the energy and focus of everyone involved in the project. "This is a great collaborative effort," he said. "The thing that excites me is how excited the National Park Service is about that."
According to the legislation passed last week, a commission made up of appointees by the governor and other elected officials will work with the National Park Service to plan Coltsville.
