Broad Street

Broad Street Map

Through the late 1960’s to the early 1990’s the Broad Street/West Middle Turnpike area was the retail hub of the town and the eastern Connecticut region.  The Parkade area consists of two adjacent but separate shopping centers located in the center of this commercial district.  The first center on Middle Turnpike East opened in 1957 and was followed by an adjacent center on Broad Street in 1970.  Known together as the Manchester Parkade, the shopping centers totaled 500,000 square feet and contained a department store, grocery store, and in-line retail and service shops. 

Today, there is renewed interest in the Broad Street district. The most significant is a proposal for a new 168,000 square foot single tenant retail building to replace the two commercial structures totally 250,000 square feet which are currently vacant on the Broad Street Parkade shopping center.The Town is proceeding with the final engineering for Broad Street improvements which would include uniformed curbs and sidewalks along the entire length of the street between Center Street and Middle Turnpike; individual driveways for properties which will improve access management and overall circulation; street trees intended to create a more attractive environment and reduce the visibility of overhead wires; texture pavers at gateway locations along the street, as well as street and stormwater drainage improvements and resurfacing. A 2005 conceptual streetscape design report can be seen here.