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About the Building
55 Colony Street, Meriden, was the original central CT home of the Swift Premium Ham & Bacon Co. From the early 1900s to the early 1970s, pork bellies would come off the trains at the back of the building and soon thereafter would become ham and bacon.
The north side of the first and second floors, where studios are being built, are lined with 12" to 24" of cork (walls, floors, and ceilings). What was (and still is) excellent insulation for a 4,500 square foot refrigerator, is now excellent sound absorbsion for music studios.
The south side of the building, where the 2nd floor performance hall is, used to be a horse stable. Seems Swift boarded thier delivery horses on the second floor! Take a look at the posts in the room and you'll find evidence of horses. In the attic above the hall was a large grain bin to store and deliver horse food. In the Skylight Lounge, you can see the door and pulley system that allowed them to load the grain to the top floor.
The front section of the building was a retail store where locals could buy their hams. We are looking for a professional music store to open here. That would be synergistic with the building. However, others, including restaurants and bars, have expressed interest in the space.
In the space below the performance hall, we are planning to build a theater. Composed of about 150 fixed seats that will slope steeply enough that every seat will have a perfect view, the theater will boast a large stage and backstage dressing rooms. We have concerts, dancers, plays and comedians lined up for this venue, and we can promote your band here, too.
As of August, 2008, we have completed 15 studios, the upstairs performance hall, and the Skylight Lounge.
When the building is complete, the current vision includes:
* About 30 studios/band rooms
* Two performance halls-- one theater style, one cabaret style.
* A sound-proof recording studio
* A music store, or other endeavor that fits with the building