The EDA secures public-sector support and private-sector investment for development that bolsters New Haven’s advanced manufacturing, high technology, food processing, health care, and life science industry clusters.

Downtown Crossing

OBD continued its long-term initiative with City Plan, Transportation, Traffic & Parking (TTP), and Engineering to replace the former Route 34 with two urban boulevards, reconnect Orange Street across the former Route 34 corridor, and connect Temple Street to Congress Avenue across the former Route 34 corridor.

More information about Downtown Crossing

Private-Sector Residential Development

OBD worked with roughly a dozen privately funded project developers to facilitate their plans to make significant investments in major residential or mixed-use projects in New Haven, by guiding them through land-use regulatory and community outreach processes.

See Welcoming and Accommodating New Residents for more information.

Hotels

With the ongoing growth of Yale University, Yale-New Haven Health, companies such as Arvinas and Biohaven, and a steady increase in tourism, New Haven is experiencing significant interest from developers who want to build new hotels in the city. In just 2019 into 2020, OBD facilitated or supported approvals for the following projects:

• The Graduate (formerly known as The Duncan), a 72-room boutique hotel by AJ Capital Partners at 1151 Chapel Street, opened in November 2019
• Spinnaker Real Estate Partners’ Hilton Garden Inn, a 132-room mid-priced hotel on the site of the former Webster Bank headquarters at 80 Elm Street, secured its approvals in 2019 and began site demolition
• Choice Hotels’ Cambria, a 132-room upscale hotel at 480 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, secured its approvals in 2019 and is scheduled to get underway in 2020
• A 165-room boutique hotel, in the former Pirelli HQ at 500 Sargent Drive, began planning in early 2020

Long Wharf

With the Office of Building Inspection & Enforcement (OBIE), Engineering, Parks, City Plan, and TTP, and various business and community stakeholders, OBD completed the Long Wharf Responsible Growth Plan, to guide and help interested parties to envision attractive and viable development options for that underutilized part of the city. The plan was adopted by the Board of Alders in February 2019 as part of the city’s Comprehensive Plan of Development. An interdepartmental Long Wharf Implementation Group now regularly meets to attempt to bring the plan’s major recommendations to fruition.

For more information visit the Long Wharf Responsible Growth Plan page.

Mill River

OBD facilitated projects in the Mill River District, such as cleanup of the Clock Factory, monitored United Illuminating’s cleanup of English Station, and planned for assessment of vacant properties in the District, including the Palmieri properties on Hamilton and Wallace Streets, for future development.

Worked to assist Industrial Flow Solutions with purchase of Radiall factory building and related approvals from BOA (pending).

DISTRICT

Pursuant to city development agreement, DISTRICT, a state-of-the-art campus on the former CT Transit garage site at 470 James Street, completed construction and secured leases or commitments on nearly all of the 100,000 square feet of tech/coworking space in 2019. It welcomed the arrival of the Holberton School which prepares people for tech jobs by teaching them to code, and finished the Stack at DISTRICT, a combined barbeque restaurant and craft beer garden. In 2020, the owners will complete amenities such as a kayak launch and a programmed outdoor amphitheater.

River Street (Fair Haven)

Environmental remediation of part of the former Bigelow Boiler property at 198 River Street was completed, and renovation of one of the historic buildings by Capasso Restoration continued. Art to Frames acquired the former Von Roll property at 166 Chapel Street and completed environmental remediation and initiated renovation of the property in order to relocate its internet framing business from Brooklyn to New Haven.

NXTHVN (Newhallville)

Renovation on the former industrial building at 169-181 Henry Street, which will be converted into an arts production and education center, was partially completed. Among City’s assistance to the project is a $200,000 grant to offset construction costs.