99 Founders Plaza. Photo courtesy of Newmark Knight Frank

East Hartford’s pro-development mayor said he faced a choice between a reelection campaign and making a city-led redevelopment of a blighted office property a reality.

Mike Walsh chose the latter, according to a memo he sent out recently. The first-term mayor had declared his intent to run again only months ago.

“Because I’ve been a part of municipal government for 40 years, I’ve witnessed important projects fail or be terminally delayed when they lack an appropriate owner or champion. Accordingly, to achieve success, Port Eastside must have a dedicated champion,” Walsh wrote in his memo, according to Fox61.

The project in question, called “Port Eastside”, seeks to dramatically densify the Founders Plaza property just across the river from downtown Hartford, adding housing, public space and more. The property’s owners are working with the city to add up to 2,000 new apartments and other features in place of the parking lots that currently make up most of the site. The former Bank of America office building in the development at 99 Founders Plaza, along with an office building at 300 East River Drive nearby are also slated for demolition this summer.