Michael Puffer

Tax breaks, public financing and bargain land sales can spark $500 million in housing, retail and arts development on 20 acres around the Bushnell Performing Arts Center.

These and other incentives are included in the “Bushnell South” master plan, which aims to transform blocks of underused buildings and surface parking into a vibrant neighborhood of 1,800 residents.

An updated version of the master plan produced by Boston-based architecture firm Goody Clancy, and first released in June, was issued this week.

The target development area is bordered by Capitol Avenue, along with Elm, Trinity and Main streets. The Bushnell Performing Arts Center anchors the northwestern edge and Bushnell Park to the north.

The Capital Region Development Authority, the Bushnell and developer Spinnaker Real Estate Partners sponsored the master plan. Spinnaker is pursuing a $63.3 million redevelopment of a former state office building at 55 Elm St., which sits near the eastern edge of the development zone.

The plan envisions additional private development, with multifamily residential and retail buildings springing up on land currently occupied by parking lots, complemented by about $100 million in public spending to beautify and improve streets, create parklets and bike paths.

Attracting developers will require a mix of public and private financing, according to the Goody-Clancy study. The study outlines incentives available to the city and CRDA, including:
·       Selling surface lots owned by the CRDA at a “modest” price
·       Use of proceeds from CRDA land sales on infrastructure upgrades in the target area
·       Tax-fixing agreements with the city
·       Low-interest loans through the CRDA
·       Offer use of public parking for occupants of the new development
·       Use of city, state and federal programs and funding for upgrading infrastructure, green spaces and parking offerings for the Bushnell South project.

HARTFORD — More than a century ago, Hartford’s Parkville neighborhood buzzed with manufacturing turning out bicycles, typewriters and even automobiles, a Silicon Valley of its day.

The spirit of innovation is again taking wing in Parkville, with a new push by city leaders and the private sector to foster a 21st-century hotbed of startups, particularly in advance manufacturing and cost-saving technology for the insurance industry. This, they say, is a good fit with arts and culture that have thrived in Parkville for years.

The plans envision a neighborhood of not only early-stage companies but new apartments, more restaurants, a parking garage and entertainment venues — all existing together in a campus-like atmosphere a short walk from Pope Park and West Hartford’s Park Road.

“We could be a Brooklyn, a small Brooklyn,” said Carlos Mouta, a longtime developer in the neighborhood and the force behind the thriving Parkville Market. “So when I tell people I want to Brooklyn-ize Parkville, I’m not ashamed. I don’t mind copying what other successful people have done.”

Mouta’s $70 million conversion of the sprawling, former Whitney Manufacturing Co. on the corner of Bartholomew Avenue and Hamilton Street could be one of the first projects in the new innovation district, perhaps early next year.

The 290,000-square-foot, 3-story factory — about as much space as a Walmart Supercenter — would include 80,000 square feet for startups; short-term, co-living space for start-up visitors; 189 mixed-income apartments; restaurants and a beer garden.

A significant boost could come to the district if the city is successful in vying for up to $50 million in grants over five years from the state’s “Innovation Corridor” program, launched in October. The program is part of Gov. Ned Lamont’s broader, “economic action” program to spur the state’s economy, add jobs and revitalize cities.

The Innovation Corridor program stipulates that its funding contribute no more than 20% to a project, ensuring that there is strong financial commitment from other sources. The requirement seeks to make sure projects are economically viable.

Martin Guay, vice president of development at New Britain-based Stanley Black & Decker, said it is logical for Hartford to focus on manufacturing because of its roots in the industry.

But it also makes sense, Guay said, because New Haven has carved out life sciences and Stamford is focusing on digital.

Stanley Black & Decker, the tool and equipment storage giant, has partnered with the city of Hartford on the creation of the Parkville innovation district and is also a prominent corporate leader statewide in encouraging the growth of businesses that could result in more jobs.

“What the city gets — and the neighborhood — are projects that are invested in the city,” Guay said. “Because ultimately, the people of the city need to win for the strategy to be viable. And the way they win are permanent, good-paying jobs and benefits that are created over time.”

Stanley would likely benefit from working with the start-ups in the new district. The company has shown a willingness to collaborate with other companies. Its decision to hire HCL Technologies to handle its IT led to HCL establishing a presence in downtown Hartford with the promise of 200 jobs for the city.

Stanley Black & Decker had already taken a strong interest in Hartford. The manufacturer has established an advance manufacturing accelerator downtown and recently took the first steps in helping finance downtown apartment development. Parkville is especially suited to an innovation district, proponents say, because it has the buildings, though some are vacant, others blighted. It also is close to amenities such as the Parkville Market, which is expanding, and a CTfastrak bus station. The area also is located in an Opportunity Zone.

Obtaining financing through tax credits, the Capital Region Development Authority, private lenders and other sources still will certainly present a hefty hurdle to clear. CRDA funding, for instance, through the State Bond Commission has slowed as Lamont has pulled back on borrowing through the sale of bonds.

The effort also will require more developers getting involved to diversify the sources of investment.

But Guay said he is optimistic that the first signs of redevelopment could come next year, with the district unfolding over the next five to seven years.

While an overall strategy for redevelopment is crucial, it will be equally important to just get a few projects off the ground to create a buzz.

“We need to hit singles and doubles before we hit the grand slam,” said Peter Denious, chief executive of AdvanceCT, a private, nonprofit that seeks to foster business development in the state. “Let’s agree on step one, use that as the ‘Hey, look, this is happening. This is real’ and build that and get it done. Then this begins to take on a life of its own.”

Building momentum

For years, Parkville has been a rising star for arts and culture in Hartford.

Real Art Ways, the contemporary arts center on Arbor Street, has been in the neighborhood since 1989 and two weeks ago announced a $15 million expansion.

While the Parkville Market has grabbed a lot of attention in the past year and is now planning an expansion, the Hog River Brewery and the Know Good Market, a monthly food festival, have been staples.

The neighborhood certainly has been on the radar. Last year, the “Parkville Arts and Innovation District” was listed as one of 10 projects that could transform the city by the time Hartford reaches its 400th anniversary in 2035.

The start of a new wave of innovation gained early momentum as reSET, a business incubator and accelerator, took space in 2015 in the redeveloped Hartford Rubber Works building at the corner of Bartholomew Avenue and Park Street.

Sarah Bodley, reSET’s executive director, said she expects the concentration of innovation and start-ups broadly in Parkville will accelerate the momentum.

“One thing that is really unique about co-working and the accelerator model, you get to build that energy when you are in a group of entrepreneurs who are all tackling big, hairy problems together,” Bodley said.

Parkville Market offers a model for start-ups experimenting with new ideas or expansion to a second location, said Michael W. Freimuth, CRDA’s executive director.

There isn’t the barrier of a big investment up front or signing of a long-term lease, Freimuth said.

Hartford’s Real Art Ways plans nearly $15 million expansion, biggest in history of the arts organization »

“If someone fails, it’s part of the system,” Freimuth said. “So, you want to nurture that concept for the neighborhood. So that’s what’s going on here. Stanley may be doing it in manufacturing, and the Parkville Market in the food industry.”

“Others will try in other technologies. Maybe some service businesses will come out of it. That’s what rebuilds the economy. That’s getting back down to the nuts and bolts of it, and that’s what exciting about Parkville.”

Space to grow

On a recent morning, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin walked along Bartholomew Avenue, talking about how the street could form the “spine” of the innovation initiative.

Parkville Market sits at one end of Bartholomew and, at the other end, the 34-acre, former scrap metal junkyard just taken over by the city. On the quarter-mile in between are buildings — including Mouta’s factory building — that could be part of the new district.

As he walks, Bronin points to a parking lot just past the corner of Bartholomew and Park, with an old factory boiler building to the rear bearing the name of the long-gone Spaghetti Warehouse restaurant.

The parking lot, also owned by Mouta, would be ideal for a 350-space parking garage “wrapped” with apartments and storefront space, Bronin said. The boiler building could become part of the project with more residential rentals, he said.

“There is a need for parking in this neighborhood,” Bronin said. “You know that if you come to Parkville Market at lunch or dinner time. But like we’re trying to elsewhere in the city, we’re hopeful that structured parking could open up other development opportunities.”

All together, the three components could cost more than $50 million, according to preliminary estimates.

Bronin said the area also offers the rare opportunity for start-up space to be next to the 34-acre tract that would be appropriate for larger scale development, while, at the same time, creating places for people to live.

“There is the space to do those side-by-side here in a way there isn’t anywhere else in the city,” Bronin said.

Bronin said he doesn’t see gentrification as an overriding concern in Parkville because so many buildings are vacant, so residents won’t be displaced.

“It helps lift up the neighborhood, and if we are successful, it creates not just a vibrant neighborhood where people can live and play but also a neighborhood where they can work,” Bronin said.

Other opportunities also exist: a closer integration with the adjoining West Hartford neighborhood, little more than a block away; and an extension of Bartholomew all the way to Flatbush Avenue and a quick entrance to I-91, long sought by the neighborhood.

Buildings now occupied by other companies also could well figure into the district in the future.

For example, Champlin Packrite, a packaging company at 81 Bartholomew, had discussed a sale of its 80,000-square-foot building to Real Art Ways several years ago. But RAW decided to buy the building it had leased on Arbor Street as part of its recently-announced expansion.

But Rory Poole, Champlin’s chief executive, said the company still is looking to consolidate and expand its plant in Manchester. The building, which once housed steel-tube manufacturing for Columbia bicycles, has been occupied by Champlin since 1931.

Of a potential sale, Poole said, “I think it will be coming somewhat soon.”

Leasing start-ups

At the former Whitney factory, Mouta hopes to lease start-ups with space between 2,000 to 3,000 square feet, with his thought being that as companies grow they will stay in the city, perhaps moving to new, larger space on the nearby 34 acres.

Mouta said he expects to start conversion of the factory building early next year, with redevelopment spread out over two or three years. The creation of the startup space is the first priority, Mouta said.

He is still lining up financing but Mouta said he believes he is close to winning up to $30 million in tax credits. Mouta expects bank financing will be $28 million to $30 million.

Along with startups and new neighborhood residents, he sees cultural diversity among shop owners and restaurateurs as key to revitalization.

Mouta immigrated with his family to Hartford from Mozambique in 1975 and grew up in Parkville. Mouta says he’s come up against plenty of naysayers on his projects in Parkville, where he has concentrated building efforts since the late 1980s. But he said he’s proven them wrong and the push for the innovation district is the latest evidence.

“I’m happy that Parkville finally — finally — is getting what it deserves,” Mouta said, “meaning that I’ve only been doing this in this neighborhood since 1989.”

Master plan finds six Stamford schools in ‘poor’ condition as district considers which buildings to fix first

Ignacio Laguarda

STAMFORD — Stamford school and city officials have waited for months to see the results of a master plan they say they hope will help them decide which of the district’s 21 schools to rebuild.

Recently, they got their first taste of those findings.

During a roughly 40-minute presentation by contractor SLAM Collaborative to the city’s Long Term Facilities Committee, members were given a look at which buildings need to be fixed soonest — and a plan to change the makeup of the district to include either K-5 or K-8 schools to better fit children to classroom seats.

The contractor first displayed a list of all of the city’s school buildings defined by their condition, from poorest to best.

At the top of the list was Roxbury Elementary School, which the city had already identified as one of five schools most in need of demolition. It received a score of “poor” from SLAM.

Next on the list were Newfield Elementary School, Northeast Elementary School and Turn of River Middle School, all also listed as poor.

The final two schools to receive the same grade were Stamford High School and Toquam Magnet Elementary School.

Toquam had also been identified by the school district as one of five schools to demolish and replace. The other three on the district’s initial list were Cloonan Middle School, Hart Elementary School and Westhill High School.

Westhill was not included in SLAM’s list since a project to demolish and rebuild the school on the same site is currently before the state for approval, and an assessment of the building by a different firm was completed in that process, the committee was told.

On the upside, two schools were listed by SLAM as “very good:” the recently built Strawberry Hill School and Westover Magnet Elementary School.

Westover has battled a longstanding moisture problem that has allowed mold to grow. It was shuttered in 2018 because of a mold infestation, and students and staff were moved to a temporary location. The school didn’t reopen until 2020.

Outdoor air dehumidifier units were recently installed at Westover, which officials said they hope will solve the mold problem.

Listed in the “good” category were three schools: Rogers International School, Scofield Magnet Elementary School and the Academy of Information Technology and Engineering.

Representatives from SLAM said the list was derived from the overall cost per square foot to address deficiencies in the buildings, including problems with the structure itself, the interior, inside architecture, electrical and mechanical equipment and plumbing.

However, the contractors did not go so far as to recommend any of the structures be torn down.

In the case of Stamford High, architect Kemp Morhardt said as long as the city funds capital improvement projects at the school over the next 10 years, and the project to rebuild Westhill goes forward, that would satisfy the needs of the city’s high schools.

The elementary and middle school picture is another story, however

Kemp said SLAM is analyzing both a K-5 and K-8 model to address some of the building deficiencies.

Both would likely involve redistriFincting based on geography and population, as well as a strategy described by Kemp as “newer and fewer.”

In the K-5 model, he mentioned the idea of adding new structures in high density areas, while the K-8 model could include new schools in the north, south and central parts of the city.

“We understand there is limited real estate south of (Interstate) 95. However that is where the greatest density of students reside,” he said. “That’s a little bit of a quandary that we’re working on.”

The district would have to move on from some current school buildings, he said.

“There may be some retirement of facilities,” Kemp said. “The question is: which ones?”

The presentation by SLAM also included an analysis of the district’s projected enrollment.

The number of students in the school system has dropped the last two years, and SLAM representatives said they expect that the current enrollment will stay relatively steady, with a slight drop-off, for the next 10 years.

Mike Zuba, director of public education master planning for SLAM, said that while the overall population of Stamford is rising, making it the second most populous city in the state, the school population isn’t growing.

“We found that all those new housing developments aren’t generating a ton of students,” Zuba said. “So even though we’re seeing growth in the population, we’re not seeing growth in the student population for Stamford Public Schools.”

He said one possible explanation is that many students are attending private schools, either in Stamford or elsewhere.

Part of the presentation also included an analysis of how many empty chairs there were across the district, taking into account the maximum allowed per the teacher union contract. According to the current contract between the school district and the Stamford Education Association, the maximum number of students allowed in grades K-5 is 25; in the secondary grades, it is 30.

The analysis found 1,348 seats available in elementary schools, or 3.3 per class. At the middle school level, they found an average of 2.2 seats per class, and at the high schools, 1.6 seats per class.

SLAM is expected to submit its final master plan report to the city in February.

Dan Brechlin

DANBURY — City officials are looking for the public’s input as they continue to process of shaping plans over the next 10 years.

The city is holding an in-person workshop Thursday and is seeking residents’ feedback. The meeting is part of the city’s Plan of Conservation and Development planning process. Municipalities across the state are required to update their POCD every 10 years and use it to shape the future of the city.

The meeting will be held Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Palace Theater, 165 Main St. Residents can weigh in on topics including housing, economic development, open space and environmental resources, transportation and infrastructure and more.

The city’s POCD was last updated in 2013.

Face masks are required to attend the event. Those unable to attend in-person can attend an online workshop Thursday, Dec. 9 at www.bit.ly/3mMNt4J.

Terry Corcoran

Developer Avner Krohn’s relationship with New Britain began about 15 years ago when he first saw the Andrews Building at 136 Main St.

“The building had been gutted probably less than 20 years prior but it just wasn’t run well,” Krohn said.

Today, the Andrews Building is a mix of retail on the lower floors and luxury apartments above after Krohn’s company, Jasko Development, renovated it. Other downtown New Britain buildings Jasko resurrected include the Rao and Raphael buildings, each now a mix of retail and residential.

As Krohn, 40, embarks on his biggest New Britain project — a $14 million, luxury 107-unit apartment building at Main and Bank streets dubbed The Brit — he says his work in the Hardware City is far from done.

“I think New Britain can handle many hundreds of market-rate apartments downtown if you build with the right mixed use, with retail on the ground floor,” Krohn said. “I think smaller projects will come into play on the side streets once you get the vibrancy that’s necessary downtown.”

The Brit

The Brit, Krohn’s fifth project in downtown New Britain, will have that mix of ground-floor retail, including a restaurant, and apartments above. He envisions attracting young professionals who can commute to Hartford from the CTfastrak bus station one block away.

“New Britain is blessed and lucky to have access points right into the downtown — Routes 72 and 9 and the proximity to I-84,” he said.

Krohn, who’s been in the development business about 17 years, said his philosophy with a project like The Brit is to create a lifestyle for his tenants.

“You’re building a community. You’re creating interaction among the tenants,” he said. “People are not just looking at coming home from work and putting their head down for the night. They may be working from home a few days a week. That’s why we’re going to have an outdoor area that’s going to be landscaped and have grills. We’ll have a pet spa.”

New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart, who described Krohn as an involved partner of the city, said she has high hopes for The Brit’s ability to draw in younger professionals.

“Attracting more young professionals to New Britain would positively impact our local economy, increase participation in community organizations and cultural events, as well as elevate New Britain’s reputation as a thriving city with a bright future,” Stewart said. “We believe the young professionals who move here will fall in love with their new city and make long-term commitments themselves.”

Actively committed

Krohn said Jasko’s philosophy is to adapt each project to the setting. For example, he and Brian Zelman of Zelman Real Estate partnered on The Residences at Wash Brook in Bloomfield, which will have no retail.

Instead, the project with 111 apartments in a four-story building just under 135,000 square feet will focus on nature, occupying five acres of a 17-acre parcel with the rest placed in a conservation easement.

“The entire goal is to tailor a development to the specific area where it’s located,” Krohn said. “From a design aspect, from an architectural aspect, from an engineering aspect, we look at the neighborhood, the setting and make sure it fits. Every setting we’re building in has its own vibe, its own look, its own creative aspect.”

Krohn sees New Britain as a partner in his project and said he works closely with Mayor Stewart and her staff.

“We’re looking at it as a blank canvas and we’re saying, ‘How do we create the new New Britain?’ I’m thinking about, ‘How do I make this city a better place?’ Mayor Stewart and city officials understand it’s a long-term vision. As a developer, you want to piggyback on the fact that you have a mayor and officials who understand your vision.”

Stewart said Krohn’s work on the Rao, Andrews and Raphael buildings represent the first major investments in downtown by a private developer in decades.

“Many developers just renovate or develop a property and then leave, but Avner has been actively committed to the city of New Britain for over a decade,” she said.

Tax breaks

The city has provided Jasko with tax breaks and other incentives.

“Most towns in the state — definitely Hartford County — work to provide incentives to developers,” Krohn said. “A lot of these projects would make no economic sense if you didn’t have either a [payment in lieu of taxes] program, or a tax-fix structure, or an abatement.”

Stewart said the tax incentives aid the developer and, in turn, tenants through lower rents. Eventually, tax deals help grow the grand list over time while also improving the neighborhood, she added.

Krohn said Jasko’s advantage is its ability to take on and complete many projects.

“We have our own construction team and in-house construction management, so all our projects — the year or two years of pre-construction — are done in-house by our team,” he said. “It makes a big difference with quality and understanding how to maneuver.”

He also said that model helps with project financing because his company has a track record of successful projects.

Krohn said Jasko employs a combination of financing, including investors, for his multimillion-dollar developments.

“But once we get to a certain point on a project, we’re going the traditional lending route. We have great relationships with lenders,” he said.

Dream career

It seems Krohn was always destined to be an entrepreneur. As a child growing up in Rockland County, N.Y., he started mowing lawns at age 10 and grew that into a landscaping business he sold at age 17.

He then spent four years in Israel, studying and playing drums professionally, coming home each summer to study finance and real estate. He said his parents supported him in pursuing his dream of a career in development and real estate.

Today, Krohn is a married family man living on Long Island, spending the occasional night in Connecticut for business.

Other projects Jasko is currently involved with include a proposed 360-unit apartment at the former Showcase Cinemas in East Hartford, a commercial project in West Hartford Center, a 200,000-square-foot retail project in North Carolina and medical buildings in Massachusetts.

Despite his full agenda, Krohn said his work is much more than a job.

“There’s never a boring moment or hour. No matter how long you’re in the business, it’s always changing,” he said. “It’s the creative aspect of looking at something that may be desolate or blighted, then bringing it, and the area around it, back to life. And when I drive by a completed project at night and see the lights on — nothing is more gratifying.”