Sales and Use Tax

What small business taxpayers qualify for this relief? (added 3/30/2020)

Taxpayers that have $150,000 or less in annual Sales Tax liability qualify for an automatic extension of time to file and pay. Similarly, taxpayers that have $150,000 or less in annual Room Occupancy Tax also qualify for this relief. A taxpayer that collects both Sales Tax and Room Occupancy Tax must evaluate each tax separately to determine eligibility for relief.

How does a taxpayer determine if it is a qualified small business? (added 3/30/2020)

Taxpayers are required to utilize a calendar year look back period of January 1, 2019, through December 31, 2019. Any taxpayer that reported $150,000 or less in tax during that period qualifies for the relief.
What returns are covered by this extension? (added 3/30/2020)

For quarterly Sales Tax and Room Occupancy Tax filers: returns and payments due April 30, 2020, are extended to May, 31, 2020.

The SBA is offering  disaster assistance in the form of forgivable loans through their Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) that authorizes up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses to pay their employees during this COVID-19 crisis.

Starting April 3, 2020, small business owners and sole proprietors may apply for and receive loans to cover their payroll and other specific expenses through existing SBA lenders.

Starting April 10, 2020, independent contractors and self-employed individuals may apply for and receive loans to cover their payroll and other certain expenses through existing SBA lenders.

Further details may be viewed on the Metro Hartford Alliance website and a Q&A fact sheet regarding this program is located at https://www.metrohartford.com/wp-content/uploads/PPP-Fact-Sheet.pdf

Tectonic reports the following:

Schedule: Week of February 17, 2020

Normal Work Hours: 7:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday-Friday

· Bus shelter installation has been tentatively scheduled to begin this week in various locations throughout the project limits. Business and pedestrian access will be maintained.

· Project coordination and planning continue in preparation for upcoming construction work.

· Snow clearing at bus stops continues throughout the winter within the project limits.

*weather permitting

All travel lanes on Albany will remain open before 9 am and after 3 pm; during other hours, partial lane closures may occur. Traffic will be maintained in both directions on Homestead and Westbourne. Hartford Police will assist motorists.

***IMPORTANT SIDEWALK MAINTENANCE NOTES***

SNOW REMOVAL: The sidewalks are not designed to handle roadway equipment. Trucks with plows should not be driven on sidewalks. Acceptable sidewalk clearing equipment includes snow blowers and all-terrain or utility-type vehicles w/ brush or plow.

TREATING ICE: Rock salt is not recommended for use on the brick pavers or concrete sidewalk. Calcium Magnesium Acetate is a good substitute. Sand may also be used to provide a safe walking surface.

The project field office, located at 1229 Albany Avenue, is open Monday-Friday from 7:00 am to 3:30 pm. If you have any questions about the project, please stop in and see us. If you have project-related business or pedestrian access concerns, please contact Kimberli Owens at (860)263-8533.  Visit our website at http://www.albanyavenuehartfordproject.com

This information was provided by Kimberli Owens on behalf of Tectonic Engineering:

“… CJ Fucci has added touch-up temporary line striping to their schedule for tomorrow (1/15/20) between 9:00 am-3:30 pm. We can anticipate partial lane closures and minor traffic delays mostly between Woodland and Bedford. East and westbound traffic lanes will be maintained on Albany Avenue. Hartford police will be on-hand to assist motorists and pedestrians.”

Schedule: Week of November 25, 2019*

Normal Work Hours: 7:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday-Friday

• No construction work will occur on Thursday, November 28^th. Limited construction activities may occur on Friday, November 29^th.
• General preparation for winter conditions continues project-wide.
• Paving along the curb line will occur in various places along Albany and within the project area. Paving behind driveways and sidewalks will also occur in various locations. Expect partial lane closures near paving operations.
• Concrete sidewalk, driveway aprons, and brick paver installation continues on the north side of Albany between Sigourney and Vine. Sidewalk reconstruction will also occur on the southwest corner of Burton and Albany.
• Utility work continues near the southwest corner of Burton and Albany. Expect minor traffic delays near the Burton/Albany intersection.
• Electrical work continues on the south side of Albany between Burton and Bedford and will also occur across the roadway at the Garden/Albany intersection. Expect partial lane closures near the Garden/Albany intersection.
• Traffic signal operations will occur at intersections between Homestead and Edgewood.

Schedule: Week of December 2, 2019*

Normal Work Hours: 7:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday-Friday

• General preparation for winter conditions continues project-wide.
• Brick paver installation continues on the north side of Albany between Sigourney and Vine and also on the southwest corner of Burton.
• Electrical work continues on the south side of Albany between Burton and Bedford.
• Traffic signal operations continue at intersections between Homestead and Edgewood.

On Wednesday, November 20, 2019, The Cloud Company presented an update on the progress of the Westbrook Village Development Project.

Download the presentation here

The City of Hartford has adopted an ordinance completely banning single-use PLASTIC BAGS effective December 15, 2019.  The ban will be enforced in two phases:

Phase 1:  Large Retailers / Big Box Stores
Effective December 15, 2019, large retailers with more than 8,000 sq. feet, like supermarkets, are no longer allowed to provide plastic bags to customers.

Phase 2: ALL RETAILERS
Effective June 18, 2020, All retailers including small businesses and neighborhood stores, are no longer allowed to provide plastic bags to customers.

The City of Hartford will enforce a $250 / per day fine until the plastic bags are removed by the retailer.

> The complete ordinance can be downloaded here

A Hartford real estate firm is leading an effort to redevelop a key corner in the city’s North End with new residential, office and retail units.

7 Summits Realty CEO Rohan Freeman on Tuesday said his firm is looking to secure public and private funding to build a four-story mixed-use development on vacant city-owned land at the corner of Albany Avenue and Woodland Street. The $20-million proposal includes 50 apartment units and retail/office space.

Freeman’s firm has committed $1.5 million to the project and is seeking the remaining $19.5 million from several potential funders. They include the quasi-public Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA); the city of Hartford; Trinity Health of New England; the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving; and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC).

The Hartford Redevelopment Agency awarded the project to 7 Summits this summer, but Freeman has been looking to revitalize the corner of Albany Avenue and Woodland Street for years.

Freeman, a Jamaica native now living in Hartford, began meeting with community members more than two years ago about how to overhaul the unused property to meet the needs of the neighborhood.

Public input, he said, will continue to play a large part in the type of retail and office tenants selected for spaces.

“This process has been very open and also has strong support from the community leaders and organizations,” Freeman said. “They are 100 percent on board and are pushing this very hard. We don’t want to disappoint the community and the folks who have supported us throughout this process.”

According to plans, the top two floors of the 80,000-square-foot building would include a mix of 50 studio and one-bedroom apartments, and the second floor is likely to house one office tenant in about 20,000 square feet. The majority of the street-level space would be used for retail, in addition to a portion earmarked for office use.

Tenants would have access to 122 parking spaces behind the building and another 30 spaces across the street.

Work at the site could begin as early as June with eight to 10 months of construction on the first phase, focusing on the retail units, being completed by fall 2020. The offices and apartments would then be completed by early 2021.

Freeman, who was recently named to the Connecticut Business & Industry Association’s board of directors and also owns his own engineering firm in the city, said the community has expressed interest in bringing a financial institution, diner or lunch/dinner restaurant to the development. The area already has an abundance of takeout eateries, he said.

HBJ PHOTO | STEVE LASCHEVER

7 Summits Realty CEO Rohan Freeman.

Although Freeman has a clear vision for the project, he still needs to figure out who is going to shoulder the majority of the $20 million price tag.

Freeman said he planned on securing financial partners by now, but he’s still hopeful funders will begin to step forward in the coming weeks to keep the planning process moving.

“I think we have gotten positive feedback from the people we have spoken to,” he said. “We are turning over every rock, it’s not a simple project. Everyone is on board in terms of making this happen.”

Full article:  https://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/20m-mixed-use-development-eyed-in-hartfords-north-end

Attention merchants and residents: the City of Hartford has published an official maintenance guide relating to the Route 44 Safety Improvement Project.  The project has installed new concrete sidewalks with brick pavers.  These new surfaces are hardy, but special care should be taken to keep them in good condition.  Please see the attached guide:

Route-44-Sidewalk-Maintenance-Guide

Schedule: Week of November 4, 2019*

Normal Work Hours: 7:00am – 5:00pm, Monday-Friday

Pavement Markings: 7:00pm – 5:00am

• Nighttime pavement marking is scheduled for this week on Albany and side streets between Homestead and Oakland.
• Reconstruction of the Albany/Burton intersection continues. Expect minor traffic delays near the intersection. Burton will be closed at the Albany intersection during daytime work hours only. Continue to use Homestead for access to residences and businesses on Burton, including Coconut Café. Police are on hand to assist with the temporary daytime two-way traffic pattern on Burton.
• Sidewalk and driveway ramp reconstruction continues on Burton this week and also on the north side of Albany between Edgewood and Vine.
• Installation of conduit and light pole foundations continues on the north side of Albany between Sigourney and Vine.
• In preparation for winter conditions, temporary paving and patching will occur in various areas throughout the project limits.

Schedule: Week of November 11, 2019*

Normal Work Hours: 7:00am – 5:00pm, Monday-Friday

Pavement Markings: 7:00pm – 5:00am

• Reconstruction of the Albany/Burton intersection continues. Expect minor traffic delays near the intersection. Burton will be closed at the Albany intersection during daytime work hours only. Continue to use Homestead for access to residences and businesses on Burton, including Coconut Café. Police are on hand to assist with the temporary daytime two-way traffic pattern on Burton.
• Sidewalk and driveway ramp reconstruction continues on Burton this week and also on the north side of Albany between Edgewood and Vine.
• Installation of conduit and light pole foundations continues on the north side of Albany between Sigourney and Vine.
• In preparation for winter conditions, temporary paving and patching will occur in various areas throughout the project limits.

*weather permitting