NEW HAVEN, CT – Today, Mayor Justin Elicker and state and city officials celebrated the newly awarded $5.35 million grant from the Connecticut Communities Challenge Program, which will be used to help realign, redevelop and revitalize State Street from Audubon to Water Streets in the Downtown and Wooster Square neighborhoods. The multimillion-dollar grant investment in this key commercial hub will up unlock the redevelopment potential of several currently underused parking lots for transit-oriented, mixed-used development for a potential build out of 650,000 square feet of developed space, including 450 new residential units and 80,000 square feet of retail space.
Joining Elicker at the corner of State and Chapel Streets for the announcement were several state and local officials, including Connecticut Department of Community and Economic Development (DECD) Deputy Commissioner Alexandra Daum, Alder Eli Sabin, Alder Carmen Rodriguez, Alder Frank Douglass, Jr., Alder Richard Furlow, City of New Haven Deputy Economic Development Administrator Carlos Eyzaguirre, New Haven Parking Authority Executive Director Doug Hausladen, among others.
“This multimillion-dollar investment is a game-changer for lower State Street in the Downtown and Wooster Square neighborhoods. The realignment of State Street in this critical commercial and transit hub will help jump-start new opportunities for inclusive growth and housing, generate new tax revenue to pay for essential city services, improve safety for residents through traffic-calming measures, and improve connections to the Farmington Canal greenway,” said Mayor Elicker. “The City is grateful to Governor Lamont and Commissioner Lehman for their ongoing support of New Haven. My gratitude also extends to the leadership of Senator Looney, Representative Lemar, Alder Sabin and the community that came together to develop the Wooster Square Planning Study, which recommended new growth on these very underused parking lots."
The Connecticut Communities Challenge Grant Program was created last year by Governor Ned Lamont to fund a wide range of revitalization projects that improve the livability and vibrancy of communities throughout the state, with the goal of creating approximately 3,000 new jobs. Last week, Lamont announced the state would be awarding $45 million in funding to 12 cities and towns under the newly established grant program, including the State Street project in New Haven. The grants leverage approximately $74 million in non-state and private dollars.
“With a few adjustments to the flow of traffic on State Street, this part of New Haven has the potential to be redeveloped into a bustling neighborhood that is active with retail space in a walkable community with lots of new housing,” said Governor Ned Lamont. “I am glad the state can partner with the city and Mayor Elicker to help this proposed project become a reality.”
With the initiative, the City of New Haven will also be working with existing stakeholders in and around the eight-block stretch on the State Street like the Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen (DESK) and Liberty Safe Haven as well as existing small businesses like Cafe 9 and Sharon Joy Salon, among others on inclusive growth throughout the district.
“Projects like the one in New Haven demonstrate how important public-private partnerships are to driving local economic development and community revitalization efforts,” added DECD Deputy Commissioner Alexandra Daum. “I firmly believe collaborative planning and investment leads to more impactful proposals and results. When complete, these 12 projects will expand Connecticut’s housing stock, create jobs, boost the vibrancy of our downtowns, and generally make Connecticut communities even greater places to live, work, and play.”
Securing funding for the redesign of lower State Street has also been Alder Eli Sabin’s and the New Haven Board of Alders top priorities.
“I am very excited to work with my Downtown and Wooster Square neighbors, Mayor Elicker and his team, and my colleagues on the Board of Alders to bring our community together and make this crucial stretch of State Street safer and more vibrant for everyone,” said Alder Sabin. “I am very grateful to our state partners for providing the funding we need to make it a reality. This project will help us achieve the goals of our Downtown for All plan of building affordable housing, creating good jobs, bringing in tax revenue, improving public safety, and reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.”
The New Haven Parking Authority (NHPA) also welcomed the state’s critical investment. The planned redesign would support even more commuters utilizing State Street Station, which sits in the middle of the planned project area and provides thousands of rail and transit connections to jobs all over Connecticut.
“The New Haven Parking Authority will continue to support the redevelopment of our surface parking lots by partnering with developers in the corridor at our recently renovated State Street Garage at 270 State Street,” said NHPA Executive Director Doug Hausladen.
