A Vacant Inn Sits in the Center of Downtown Torrington for Over 8 Years

As I continue to ease into my relationship with my new hometown of Torrington, I love hearing various opinions from my neighbors on hot button Torrington topics. There's one that puzzles me, and it's a huge topic, why is the Yankee Pedlar Inn boarded up and vacant?

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I know the answer, it boils down to cash. According to the Register Citizen, even Governor Lamont has commented on the contentious situation that exists between the building's owner and city and state officials. From what I see, downtown Torrington is absolutely in the midst of a renaissance: Beautiful artwork in the form of massive murals and galleries are everywhere in downtown. Plenty of cool shops and great restaurants, sculptures, a community radio station, the Busk Stop (Hi Al & Adelaide!). BUT, there's a big, empty building basically rotting in everyone's line of sight.

I was picking up my Salt 2.0 order with Mrs. Large last night and snapped a few photos of the Yankee Pedlar Inn. It's listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, yet the gorgeous exterior has been obscured with painted plywood and Torrington tourism graphics. Compared to the glorious Warner Theater, it's an empty dog. The dazzling colors from the lights on the side of the Nutmeg Conservatory light up such potential. I found a photo from exactly 10 years ago in 2012, before the closure.

Here a photo from last night

Torrington will hopefully get the legal clearance to follow Litchfield's lead, where the empty, former Litchfield County Courthouse will be transformed into a boutique hotel. Inns, hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, and Air BNB rentals are sparse in Northwest Connecticut, there must be an investor ready to pour some cash at the current owner?