In their heyday, Willimantic's Hooker and Nathan Hale Hotels were considered among the most lavish accomodations halfway between New York and Boston.
But they have long sat idle. Most residents know little about the Hooker's past other than that, by the 1980s and 1990s, the decaying structure turned into a notoriously gruesome boarding house for heroin addicts.
A settlement agreement reached between a developer, the state, and historic preservationists finally gives the community hope that the block on which they stand may soon be revived. Only it will be without the Hooker Hotel, which can be demolished under the agreement.
Today, we look at the compromise and what it means for blighted properties deemed historic in other Connecticut communities.
We also discuss a new report on school resource officers that finds Latino students are six times more likely to be arrested at schools where SROs have been assigned than at schools without them.
And we get an update on Gov. Ned Lamont's bid for a "global solution" in the state's ever-evolving casino expansion debate. Last week, Lamont hesitantly conceded that a deal between Connecticut's two tribal casino operators and MGM Resorts isn't likely to come before the end of this year's regular legislative session. What happens now?
GUESTS:
- Camara Stokes Hudson - Associate Policy Director at Connecticut Voices for Children, and co-author of a study examining the impact of school resource officers on students.
- Susan Johnson - Windham Democratic State Representative
- Jane Montanaro - Executive Director of the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation
- Frankie Graziano - Reporter for Connecticut Public Radio
Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.
Lydia Brown, Carmen Baskauf, and Catie Talarski contributed to this show.
