Welcome to the Development Services Department!

The Development Services Department, under the leadership of the Mayor Pedro E. Segarra and under the direction of Thomas E. Deller, AICP, in collaboration with the residents of Connecticut’s Capital City, oversees the development of the City. The Development Services Department is charged with helping to craft an action plan that is consistent with the Mayor’s vision for future infrastructure improvements and job development opportunities and working to make that vision a reality. The Department is comprised of six divisions: Administration, Economic Development, Licenses & Inspections, Housing & Property Management, Planning, and Marketing Events & Cultural Affairs. Each of the divisions work together to ensure the improvement of quality of life in our neighborhoods and community by focusing on high quality public spaces, ensuring building and occupant safety, increasing homeownership, supporting the business environment, maximizing job retention, providing residents and visitors with enjoyable opportunities through public arts and events.

Vision:

The Development Services Department vision is: To create a vibrant, livable, and sustainable City

Mission:

The Development Services Department mission is: To improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods and community by focusing on high quality public spaces, ensuring building and occupant safety, increasing homeownership, supporting the business environment, maximizing job retention, providing residents and visitors with enjoyable opportunities through public arts and events.

Values:

The Development Services Department values are: Excellence, Integrity, Collaboration, Accountability, Efficiency, Commitment, and Respect.

Strategic Plan Initiatives for FY 2012-2013

• Implement “One City One Plan” through the integration of planning grants, livable sustainable neighborhoods initiatives and the i-Quilt

• Implement & develop the comprehensive housing strategy to maximize homeownership & affordable housing opportunities

• Implement online permitting system

• Foster Small Business Development and Entrepreneurship

• Provide residents and visitors with enjoyable opportunities, improve quality of life and promote City of  Hartford as a destination city through arts and culture.

The Development Services Department is working with many different projects which are in diverse stages of completion and ongoing at this time. We regularly update a Current Projects List, which provides information about development within the City limits. For specific questions or more details, please contact the project managers listed in the Project Updates Report. Click below to download a copy of the Current Projects Updates.

Current Project Updates

Working together, we will improve our neighborhoods, grow jobs and expand Hartford’s economy. Here are several of immediate goals that we hope to address:

• Making our permitting process more predictable and reducing the time it takes to get a permit.

• Working with the Department of Public Works to accelerate the neighborhood streetscape projects funded through our capital improvement program and aggressively implementing the Intermodal Triangle funded by the recently awarded TIGER IV grant.

• Collaboratingwith the Livable and Sustainable Neighborhoods Initiative team to focus resources in a manner that is consistent with individual neighborhood development plans and make our many diverse communities great places to live and raise a family.

We look forward to working with you to make Hartford the Capital City that not only every resident in Hartford and in the region is proud of, but the entire state sees as progressive leader in economic development and increased opportunity.

Sincerely,

Urban Land Institute Kicks-Off Hartford Site Visit

(January 30, 2013) – Over the next several days, Mayor Pedro E. Segarra will be joined by representatives of the Urban Land Institute, planners and urban design specialists from across the country and officials from the cities of Tacoma (WA), Louisville (KY) and Austin (TX) to inspect and tour the Albany Avenue corridor in order to develop suggested development strategies at four node points, including at the critical intersections of Woodland and Homestead. The tour culminates on Friday with a full presentation of the findings at the Artists Collective, located at 1200 Albany Avenue, from 9am to 11am. Last year, Mayor Segarra was selected by ULI as a Daniel Rose Fellow, which involves a year-long program centered on innovative urban development.

[View the group's full presentation (PDF, 7.1MB)]

“We used Albany Avenue as the case study because it has a significant volume of traffic every day, serves as a connector to Hartford from surrounding areas and has all the essential components for a vibrant commercial corridor.  It needs to be a destination, not a place one simply drives through.  Strategic planning from professionals of this caliber that costs the Capital City absolutely no money will leverage that traffic, drive retail and business development and create a thriving and vibrant corridor,” said Mayor Segarra.

The Rose Fellows team from the City of Hartford includes:

• Thomas Deller, Director of Development Services
• Brandon McGee, State Representative for the 5th District
• Steven Bonafonte, Partner at Pullman & Comley and Chairman of the Hartford Redevelopment Agency

For more information on the City of Hartford’s study, please visit the study’s page on the Urban Land Institute website. Biographies of all site review participants attached.

The Daniel Rose Fellowship is the flagship program of the ULI Daniel Rose Center, established in 2008 by the ULI Foundation Governor Daniel Rose.  The Center aims to empower leaders in the public sector to envision, build and sustain successful 21st century communities by providing access to information, best practices, peer networks and other resources to foster creative, efficient and sustainable land use practices.

About the Urban Land Institute:

The Urban Land Institute (www.uli.org) is a nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the Institute has nearly 30,000 members worldwide representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines. Hartford is within the ULI Boston/ New England District Council.

The following article came from “The Hartford Guardian”, the pictures came from Upper Albany Main Street.

HARTFORD RECEIVES GRANT FOR UPPER ALBANY

Posted on 19 June 2012 by The Hartford Guardian
HARTFORD — Hartford officials on Thursday announced another grant to help fix up abandoned properties on Homestead Avenue and “turn them into productive properties.”
State Representatives Matthew Ritter (D-Hartford, Bloomfield) and Douglas McCrory (D-Hartford), Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra, Department of Economic & Community Development (DECD) Commissioner Catherine Smith and University of Hartford President Walter Harrison highlighted a state “brownfield” grant to be used to help re-mediate three abandoned properties on Homestead Avenue.
City officials received a $500,000 Municipal Brownfield Grant  for the Upper Albany Neighborhood Revitalization Zone and targets city-owned sites at 111, 367 and 393 Homestead Ave.
“This is about building upon the great potential of the Upper Albany Neighborhood,” Ritter said.
The grant comes from the Department of Economic and Community Development, which has awarded more than $34 million in funding for brownfield projects throughout the state.
Money goes directly to municipalities, businesses, developers, and regional development agencies for a wide range of activities, such as environmental assessment, planning, design, remediation, demolition, construction, and acquisition.
Rep. McCrory  added that he was “very pleased the state” for helping with this initiative that’s been lacking for years.
Officials said that trio of Homestead Ave. sites span just over three acres and were previously home to defunct industrial manufacturing businesses. For example, 393 Homestead, the site of the news conference, housed a steel forging manufacturer, a glass container manufacturer and an auto top company beginning in the 1930s. In the 1960s it was occupied by the Hartford Empire Arts & Crafts and was a workshop for children with special needs.
Segarra said the funding marks “another significant step forward in helping to return pride to a neighborhood.”

http://www.thehartfordguardian.com/2012/06/19/hartford-receives-grant-for-upper-albany-neighborhood/

Construction on Homestead Ave 25 July 2011.

Picture taken from the Travelers Community Relations 2010 Giving Report publication. The Grant awarded to the Upper Albany Main Street in Hartford, Conn.

Exerpt from Travelers Community relations 2010 Giving report.

University & Main Street Forum

June 14, 2011
8:00 am – 12:00 Noon

University of Hartford’s Handel Performing Arts Center
35 Westborne Parkway, Hartford CT 06112

Presented by Connecticut Main Street Center, Upper Albany Main Street and University of Hartford

Keynote: A Private University with a Public Purpose
Walter Harrison, President
University of Hartford
Since Walter Harrison’s appointment as the University of Hartford’s fifth president in 1998, the University has experienced a period of energy and momentum unmatched in its history. The University’s vibrant relationship with the Greater Hartford community is a hallmark of President Harrison’s tenure. University of Hartford has become a recognized leader in helping to improve public schools, and it is the only private university in the country with two public magnet schools on campus – the University of Hartford Magnet School and the University High School of Science and Engineering.

President Harrison will lead off our morning by discussing the University’s collaboration with the Upper Albany neighborhood, providing examples of active programs in economic and neighborhood development, life-long learning, property development and more. And he will share his perspective on how the University is benefiting.

Case Study: Upper Albany Micro Business Incubator
Dr. Margery Steinberg, Associate Professor
Barney School of Business, University of Hartford
Developed in 2002 as a joint project by Upper Albany Main Street, the University of Hartford and the Metro Hartford Alliance, the Micro Business Incubator brings together university faculty, students, Upper Albany entrepreneurs and community organizations to create an environment of mutual learning, respect, understanding and collaboration with the aim of community revitalization and economic development. The award-winning Micro Business Incubator brings training, development, resources and support to businesses throughout the Upper Albany neighborhood of Hartford.

Breakout Sessions:
1) Community Partnerships
Speakers will include representatives from Metro Hartford Alliance, Bank of America and St. Francis Hospital
2) Funding Neighborhood Revitalization
Speakers will include representatives from Travelers, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving and the City of Hartford

Panel Discussion: How the Neighborhood has Benefited
Moderated by Marilyn Risi, Executive Director
Upper Albany Main Street
Speakers will include representatives from Upper Albany Main Street and businesses, residents and public schools in the neighborhood.

From left to right Marilyn Risi, Executive Director UAMS, Walter Harrison, President, University of Hartford, Dr. Margery Steinberg, Associate Professor, Barney School of Business.

The following is a cross post from the Connecticut Main Street Website promoting the University & Main Street Forum which will be held next month outlining the efforts of the University of Hartford and it’s collaboration with Upper Albany Main Street to improve the City of Hartford. There is a link at the bottom of the post for any interested parties who would like to attend, as it would be an enlightening experience to learn more about institutional involvement in community and economic development.

University & Main Street Forum

June 14, 2011
8:00 am – 12:00 Noon

University of Hartford’s Handel Performing Arts Center
35 Westborne Parkway, Hartford CT 06112

Presented by Connecticut Main Street Center, Upper Albany Main Street and University of Hartford

Keynote: A Private University with a Public Purpose
Walter Harrison, President
University of Hartford
Since Walter Harrison’s appointment as the University of Hartford’s fifth president in 1998, the University has experienced a period of energy and momentum unmatched in its history.  The University’s vibrant relationship with the Greater Hartford community is a hallmark of President Harrison’s tenure.  University of Hartford has become a recognized leader in helping to improve public schools, and it is the only private university in the country with two public magnet schools on campus – the University of Hartford Magnet School and the University High School of Science and Engineering.

President Harrison will lead off our morning by discussing the University’s collaboration with the Upper Albany neighborhood, providing examples of active programs in economic and neighborhood development, life-long learning, property development and more.  And he will share his perspective on how the University is benefiting.

Case Study: Upper Albany Micro Business Incubator
Dr. Margery Steinberg, Associate Professor
Barney School of Business, University of Hartford
Developed in 2002 as a joint project by Upper Albany Main Street, the University of Hartford and the Metro Hartford Alliance, the Micro Business Incubator brings together university faculty, students, Upper Albany entrepreneurs and community organizations to create an environment of mutual learning, respect, understanding and collaboration with the aim of community revitalization and economic development.  The award-winning Micro Business Incubator brings training, development, resources and support to businesses throughout the Upper Albany neighborhood of Hartford.

Breakout Sessions:
1) Community Partnerships
Speakers will include representatives from Metro Hartford Alliance, Bank of America and St. Francis Hospital
2) Funding Neighborhood Revitalization
Speakers will include representatives from Travelers, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving and the City of Hartford

Panel Discussion: How the Neighborhood has Benefited
Moderated by Marily Risi, Executive Director
Upper Albany Main Street
Speakers will include representatives from Upper Albany Main Street, the Business, Residential and Public Schools in the Neighborhood

Register here to attend the forum

FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA HONORS The Artists Collective For Its “Training Program In The Arts And Culture Of The African Diaspora”

Local program one of 15 nationwide recognized for positive youth outcomes

through engagement in the arts and humanities

Hartford,CT – For its effectiveness in developing creativity and fostering academic success by engaging young people in the arts and humanities, The Artists Collective of  Hartford, CT was recognized with a prestigious national award by First Lady Michelle Obama at a White House ceremony on Wednesday, October 20.

Chosen from a pool of more than 400 nominations and 50 finalists, The Artists Collective’s program, “Training in the Arts and Culture of the African Diaspora,”   was one of 15 after-school and out-of-school programs across the country to receive the 2010 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award (formerly, the Coming Up Taller Award), the highest honor such programs can receive in the United States. The awards are administered by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH), in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The award honors community-based arts and humanities programs that make a marked difference in the lives of their participants by improving academic scores and graduation rates, enhancing life skills, and developing positive relationships with peers and adults.

The Artists Collective was recognized by Mrs. Obama for using engagement in the arts and the humanities to improve academic achievement, encourage admissions to higher education, and/or advanced training programs, promote self  – discipline, teamwork, and leadership skills; and foster respect/responsibility  for self and others.

Founded in 1970 by internationally renowned alto saxophonist, composer and  educator Jackie McLean, with his wife Dollie McLean, the Artists Collective. was created to  preserve and perpetuate the art and culture of the African Diaspora  Over the past 40 years, the organization has engaged more than 50,000 young people in dance, music, drama visual arts, martial arts. and Skills for living training programs.

Accepting the award from Mrs. Obama on behalf of Artists Collective was Lauren Horn, a 14-year-old participant in the program since the age of three, who was accompanied to the White House by Founding Executive Director Dollie McLean

“Standing with the First Lady of the United States in the White House and accepting this award was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I’ll never forget,” said Lauren . “It showed me that the power of the arts and humanities to change kids’ lives is recognized and valued. Having dance in my life helped me to express myself and do well in school.”

Joining Mrs. Obama and the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities in recognizing the impact of “Training in the Arts and Culture of the African Diaspora” in transforming the lives of young people and our community were a number of its long-time partners and supporters, including: Hartford Public Schools, Connecticut Department of Children and Families, Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz, Hartt School, University of Hartford, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, and Neighborhood Studios, Greater Hartford Arts Council.

“By engaging and inspiring young people, the Artists Collective is giving them not just the vision but the skills to build a new and better life for themselves and their families, and for our community,” said  Senator Joseph I. Lieberman and Congressman John B. Larson .  “These young people are learning how to use creative thinking to work as a team, to solve problems and to express themselves constructively. These are exactly the kinds of skills we want them to have to be able to succeed in school, in work and in life, ” said State Senator Eric Coleman, State Representative Marie Kirkley-Bey, Karen J. Senich Executive Director, Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism, and Hartford Mayor Pedro E. Segarra.

In addition to the national recognition bestowed by receipt of the prestigious award, The Artists Collective will also receive $10,000 to support its programming and engage more young people from the community.

“We hope this award will draw attention to the documented fact that programs like ours are essential investments not just in the lives of our young people, but in our community, as well,” said Founding Executive Director Dollie McLean for the Artists Collective.

The National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award is the nation’s highest honor for after-school arts and humanities programs, particularly those that reach underserved children and youth. The awards recognize and support outstanding programs that lay new pathways to creativity, expression, and achievement outside of the regular school day. These programs excite and engage a range of students, cultivating imagination, collaboration, discipline and academic success, with demonstrable results. They also provide safe harbors after school, on weekends and evenings for children and youth in some of our country’s most at-risk urban and rural settings. For more information, visit www.pcah.gov.

Founded in 1970 by world renowned alto saxophonist, composer, educator, and community activist Jackie McLean, his wife, actress, dancer, administrator Dollie McLean, as well as co-founders and Hartford artists, bassist, Paul Brown, visual artist, Ionis Martin, and dancer Cheryl Smith, now Associate Director, the Artists Collective is the only  organization in Connecticut dedicated to the art and culture of the African Diaspora.  Annually, through its interdisciplinary arts training programs and professional concerts, dance/theater productions, and visual arts exhibits, the Artists Collective serves upward of 15,000 children, youth, and adults from Hartford and Greater Hartford . The majority are youth from the African–American and Caribbean communities, as well as low-income communities nearby. Located in one of Hartford’s poorest, most violence-ridden neighborhoods, the Artists Collective has been a catalyst and anchor for $150 million of economic development since its new facility was completed in 1999. The organization receives support from national and local foundations and corporations, such as the JazzNet Endowment, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, Surdna Foundation, Greater Hartford Arts Council, Bank of America, and the Travelers, Prudential, and Metlife Foundations. In addition, the Artists Collective is supported by federal, state, and city agencies, such as the National Endowment for the Arts, U.S. Department of Justice, Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, and City of Hartford    For more information about the Artists Collective, please visit www.artistscollective.org

Dollie McLean and her students accept their award from First Lady Michelle Obama

Chrysalis held their sixth annual Butterfly Ball Saturday, October 2, 2010 at the Farmington Marriott. This event highlighted their successes and accomplishments over this past year.

Upper Albany Main Street Executive Director Marilyn Risi receives a Participation Award from Chrysalis Center, Inc. (From Left to Right) Maryellen Shuckerow, Director of Development at Chrysalis Center, Inc, Ann Nyberg, News Anchor WTNH, Marilyn Risi, Carolyn Phillips, Board President of Chrysalis Center, Inc, and Sharon Castelli, Executive Director of Chyrsalis Center, Inc.

(Left to right) Butterfly Ball, October 2, 2010 - Upper Albany Board Member Celestia Simmons from the Hartford Public Library, First Gentleman Charlie Ortiz, UAMS Executive Director Marilyn Risi, The Honorable Pedro E. Segarra, UAMS Board President Denise Best, and UAMS Board Member and Business Owner Precious Ross-Ellis.