The state of Connecticut is prepping for the future transfer of land that includes an abandoned psychiatric hospital, records show.
The state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services received permission in 2010 to proceed with closing Cedar Ridge in Newington, the psychiatric division of Cedarcrest Hospital.
The former Cedarcrest Hospital in Newington was damaged by fire in 2022.
Records show the state plans to transfer an approximately 28-acre parcel that is part of the former crumbling Cedarcrest Hospital campus at 525 Russell Road in Newington and that it includes the three buildings “commonly known as the Hospital, Special Revenue, and Morgue Buildings,” totaling about 159,823 square feet. The proposed transfer excludes the cottages in the town of Newington, records show.
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The state Department of Administrative Services confirmed that AAIS, a West Haven company, was hired to perform the cleanup and provide security services at the former Cedarcrest Hospital from August 2020 to December 2021.
The overgrown property also is described as the the former site of the Cedarcrest Hospital, and the 525 & 555 Russell Road Property consists of two brick buildings and several cottages in a campus layout. “The 525 Building was the main hospital on campus; the building is approximately 113,120 sq. ft. A smaller building near the hospital was used as a morgue. It has approximately 1,606 sq. ft.,” according to the state.
Further, the state also plans transfer of property at 300 Russell Road, Wethersfield, also part of the former Cedarcrest Hospital site, records show.
The parcel of about 20 acres at 300 Russell Rd and “any improvements thereon” includes two buildings “commonly referred to as the Maintenance Shop and Pump House,” which total about 9,600 square feet, records show. This transfer would exclude the cottages in the town of Wethersfield, records show.
Paul Hinsch, of the state Office of Policy and Management, said the notification of a possible transfer of the property is required under state law.
“At this time, this notification is simply stating that we intend to sell the properties at some point in the near future after an RFP is advertised by DAS” (Department of Administrative Services), he said.
Hinsch said “there is an intent to transfer at some point in the near future with no known buyer at this time.”
However, “all submittals will be reviewed by DAS and the most appropriate purchaser will be chosen as the preferred buyer,” he said. “Once a purchase and sales agreement is signed by DAS and the buyer, OPM, the SPRB and the AG will then complete their review and approval process.
The Newington and Wethersfield properties are areas identified by the Natural Diversity Data Base as containing state-listed species and/or significant natural communities, records show.
The Wethersfield the property or buildings on the property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places or designated as a National Historic Landmark, state records show.
Connecticut state requires public notice of most proposed sales and transfers of state-owned lands. Records show the state is not imposing restrictions or conditions upon the transfer of the Cedarcrest land and the reason the state of Connecticut is proposing to transfer the property is because it is considered surplus.
If the Department of Environmental Protection decided to conduct a further review of the property, it may submit to OPM a report with recommendations for preserving all or part of the property, records show.
Such a report and recommendations would be published in the Environmental Monitor, and there would be a 30-day public comment period. DEEP would publish its responses to any comments received and its final recommendation about the property and OPM would then make the final determination as to the ultimate disposition of the property, records show.
Written comments about the proposed property transfer should be sent to: Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, c/o Paul F. Hinsch, Office of Policy and Management, Bureau of Assets Management, 450 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106-1379.