Category: Economic Development

Grow America: Albany-Woodland Development

Image of planned mixed-use-development.

The City of Hartford has partnered with the National Development Council (NDC) and established Community Development Properties Woodland, Inc. a non-profit agency tasked to develop the long-vacant, high-profile parcel located at the intersection of Albany  Avenue and Woodland Street within the Upper Albany neighborhood.

According to the news released at a meeting held on Friday, February 16 at 9 AM at the Albany Branch Library and Community Hub, 1250 Albany Avenue, Hartford, this mixed-use development project will consist of the construction of a new 30,500 sq. ft. two-story commercial building that will house the City of Hartford’s Health Department, a full-service bank, and a sit-down restaurant. Two additional commercial spaces will be constructed to accommodate the development and adjacent businesses on the Albany Avenue side of the development.

The PAC Group, LLC was selected as the Construction Manager for this project, and they are finalizing the Site/Foundation Package that will be released this month [February]. An information/pre-bid conference will be held for subcontractors interested in bidding on the different segments of the project. Click here to view a copy of the PAC Community Outreach presentation document.

CT DOT mobility study: $10B plan to transform travel in Greater Hartford

CT DOT mobility study: $10B plan to transform travel in Greater Hartford

The Connecticut Department of Transportation is allowing the public a chance to weigh in on its envision to reshape transportation in the Greater Hartford area.  The changes would create new opportunities for redevelopment and recreation, both in Hartford and East Hartford.

Two meetings are scheduled to inform the public and garner public opinion as they explore the components of the Greater Hartford Mobility Study. The first meeting will be held at the Chrysalis Center on Homestead Avenue on  Thursday, November 9, and the second meeting will be at the Cultural Community Center, Chapman Place in East Hartford, on  Thursday, November 16.  Both meetings will convene at 6 PM and end at 8 PM.

In both meetings, the study team will host an open house from 6 PM through 7 PM with displays and allow the public a chance to speak with members of the team. At 7 PM there will be a formal presentation outlining the next steps, including state and federal environmental reviews, after which there will be time allotted for questions and answers.

The recommendations outlined in the mobility study report are in the earliest stages, developed partly via discussion with local officials, and neighborhood groups. However, there are hurdles in terms of federal environmental assessments and securing financing that must be cleared for the larger projects, as reported by the Courant.

The center of the study has four major highway projects including the addition of two bridges over the Connecticut River to ease traffic congestion and restore connections between Hartford and East Hartford communities. The plan would include:  relocating the I91/I84,  lowering I84 as it passes through Hartford, rail, bus, and pedestrian access, plus dozens of smaller projects that would start long before the big-ticket highway improvements, maybe within the next five years. The projects could take decades to complete and cost more than $10 billion.

According to the Courant, Kevin J. Burnham, a supervising engineer at the DOT, said “These public information meetings for the Greater Hartford Mobility Study are one of the many ways we are reaching out to community members and stakeholders to both inform and gather feedback about each component of the study.”

Members of the public are encouraged to sign up to receive email updates and provide study comments on the website.  For additional information access the Hartford Courant or follow the Greater Hartford Mobility Study on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Source: Kenneth R. Gosselin | kgosselin@courant.com| Hartford Courant, November 7, 2023.

 

Hartford Parking Study indicates huge changes

As the City of Harford seeks to rebuild the supporting momentum for revitalization that existed prior to the pandemic, a study by THA Consulting of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, indicated that, as development unfolds in the coming years,  the City may have to replace and even increase the number of parking spaces that already exist.  According to a study by the University of Connecticut, Hartford has 80 percent more parking spaces than cities of similar size, and the so-called parking craters that were developed when buildings were demolished for redevelopment projects but were scrapped, have been frequently ridiculed as blemishes on the landscape.

In the past, the City was applauded for eliminating minimum parking requirements citywide on new projects, as a means of supporting redevelopment and promoting alternative modes of transportation through public dependence on mass transit, but as noted in the recent study, such a transition has been at a slower pace than that of other cities. Erin Howard, Hartford’s Director of Economic Development, asserted the need for a delicate balance between creating the right type of parking that supports redevelopment yet simultaneously encouraging building on surface lots throughout the city. The study alluded to the limited power that the city has in its effort to drive pricing and use parking as a means of influencing future development in the city.

There is also a concern for small businesses due to the upsurge of work-at-home business response to the pandemic which has since increased in popularity therefore, the need for businesses to thrive and stay open, has become a primary focus. The current objective is to build mixed-use residential/commercial properties in strategic locations and strategize on both new and existing parking lots through mixed-use parking arrangements that can accommodate commercial parking during the daytime and residential parking after work hours. Further details can be viewed on the Hartford Courant website.

Source: Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, Sunday, March 5, 2023.

Will Upper Albany project come through?

In an article published by the Hartford Courant, Kenneth Gosselin asked the question (titled) above and referenced the redevelopment plans for revitalizing the Upper Albany area in Hartford, CT.  The article continues that the vacant parcel of land located at the corner of Albany Avenue and Woodland Street in the heart of Upper Albany could hold the key to making the neighborhood an area of destination instead of simply a pass-through between the suburbs and downtown Hartford.

This is a $15M development plan that will include a 2-level sit-down restaurant with rooftop dining, a soon-to-be-named national retailer,  a bank branch, a community room, and a relocated City Health Department and WIC offices.  Further details may be viewed on page 3 of the Hartford Courant dated June 20, 2022.

Housing and restaurants included in proposal for development in Hartford

Housing and restaurants included in proposal for development in Hartford

An article authored by Kenneth R. Gosselin published in the Hartford Courant on June 17,2022,  reports that the Capital Regional Development Authority (CRDA) will begin evaluating  four proposals for the Performing Arts initiative on a two-acre parcel of barren expanse as a major redevelopment near the Bushnell Center.

It is reported that the proposals call for 250 to 350 units of housing, split between 80 percent market-rate and 20 percent  affordable 25,000 square feet of commercial space, and various plans for parking garages. The vision is to create a stronger, walkable connection between Bushnell Park, the nearby Hartford Hospital district and Park Street, and extending to Colt Park.  Further information can be viewed  on Hartford Courant online at https://www.courant.com/community/hartford/hc-biz-hartford-bushnell-south-proposals-20220616-i2t65d7mtbed3ozui232gjurqm-story.html

Image Resource Credit: Mark Mirko / Hartford Courant.

Dr. Fichman Awarded Business Owner of the Year

“God fortunately has given me a gift…the gift of microsurgery. Eyesight is one of the most precious gifts I can think of. That’s why it gives me great personal satisfaction to give the gift of sight to my patients through the latest surgical techniques.”

“When it comes to specialized eye care, time is often as important as skill. We’re ready to handle emergencies anytime—24 hours a day, seven days a week. Because we know that sometimes quick action can keep a trauma from becoming a tragedy.”

Click here to view Dr. Fichman’s credentials and bio.

Visit Connecticut Main Street Center to view Dr. Fichman’s award announcement.

Urban Land Institute Kicks-Off Hartford Site Visit

Urban Land Institute Kicks-Off Hartford Site Visit

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(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.

Rte 44 Safety Improvement Meeting

Mayor Perez Presents the Design
Mayor Perez Presents the Design

Mayor Eddie Perez presented information on the Rte. 44 Safety Improvement plan last night with a diverse audience from the community and organizations such as Upper Albany Main Street, the Department of Transportation, and the Capital Region Council of Governments. Upper Albany has been working extensively with the legislation and with key players to help move this project forward, and would like to thank all who came for their dedication to the Upper Albany neighborhood revitalization efforts.