New Haven Independent: Dwight Gets A Look at Lot E -- Er, "2 Howe"

Dwight Gets A Look at Lot E — Er, “2 Howe”

by Allan Appel | January 9, 2008 8:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)

nhi-lot%20e%20cops%20014.JPG Six levels. Plants and trees. A “parklet.” A little more than half the spaces originally envisioned. Residences, offices and stores wrapped around.

Those were some of the details unveiled Tuesday night as the public got a look at the parking garage project finally about to get underway to support Yale-New Haven Hospital’s new Smilow Cancer Hospital.

About 75 people came to Timothy Dwight School for the presentation by developer Will Smith and Yale-New Haven and city government officials. The plans are the result of extended and often painful negotiations between the city and the hospital.

The vertical parking structure will rise on the much-debated “Lot E,” site, the current surface parking lot surrounded by Legion, North Frontage, Howe, and Dwight. The site will feature not only a six-level 845-space garage (the original proposal was for 1,400 spaces!) to serve and support the rising cancer center, but residential units, office space, and even a little “parklet.”

Sited to be barely visible, the garage, which itself will have a facade of plant-climbing screens, will be “wrapped” by 24 residential units on North Frontage, a three-story office building and retail stores along a traffic-calmed Howe Street; the “parklet” with changing grades and benches to recline on on Dwight Street; and on all four sides new sidewalks graced by noise-abating and pollution fighting trees. It will be called “2 Howe Street.”

nhi-lot%20e%20cops%20013.JPG The audience at Tuesday night’s preview appeared to include about three times as many city and Yale-New Haven officials as Hill residents.

Still, activists such as Curlena McDonald of the Dwight Management Team (on the right in the photo with Dwight Alder Gina Calder) expressed concerns about congestion, both vehicular and in the lungs; about whether local African-American businesspeople could afford the new retail space; about what kinds of jobs would be created; and about who might live in the residential units.

nhi-lot%20e%20cops%20008.JPG Will Smith, of Intercontinental Developers, which is building the project and then leasing it all to Yale-New Haven, conceded additional traffic will be added; 80 percent of the traffic is expected to derive from west bounders on North Frontage who turn and enter the garage on Dwight, He described an environmental-state-of the-art garage that will ventilate, award priority spaces to cars that are more efficient, and feature its own photovoltaic cells that will generate, it is hoped, enough electricity on their own to run the entire garage, and thereby offset any pollution add-ons.

As to the 24 residential units, they will be rented to new hospital employees, particularly those the cancer center is trying to attract. They will also be for use of families visiting patients.

Likewise, all the office space will be for Yale-New Haven administrative purposes. (The cancer center’s medical labs and offices will be in the third of the three center sites, on Park Street, which is now passing through its own site plan review.)

Only the retail space will be rentable to people unaffiliated with the hospital. Smith said his firm has had preliminary talks with a bank and a pharmacy eager to compete with Walgreen’s.

“Yes,” he said to Curlena McDonald, “new retail space will cost more, but we are open to all who are interested.”

nhi-lot%20e%20cops%20010.JPG There were two voices from CORD, the activist organization in the Hill which negotiated a “community benefits package” during the original negotiations for the cancer center. One was this man, James Washington, He angrily said that 40 years ago the houses on the Lot E site were taken away.

These new residential units should be offered to the community. I’m very upset,” he said. Then he left the room.

Rev. Jose Champagne of the Church of God of Prophecy, a leader with the Hispanic Clergy Association, rose and said he was also a CORD member. “Yale [New Haven] did not ask me to speak,” he said. “But I rise to support this project. We need jobs in this community.”

nhi-lot%20e%20cops%20009.JPG Norman Roth, vice president for administrative affairs at Yale-New Haven Hospital (pictured with New Haven’s City Plan Director Karyn Gilvarg and Chrissy Bonanno of the economic development office) said that Yale-New Haven is committed to offering good jobs to local people after and beyond the construction period.

“From nurses to doctors, from security people to environmental, 310 jobs, real ones with benefits, have been created at the hospital over the past two years,” Roth said, and many local people have them.

“Yale [New Haven],” he said, “is committed to the idea that the workforce of the future is here in New Haven.”

He cited partnerships with local high schools and with Gateway Community College, where a $200,000 annual grant helps train the nurses desperately needed. “We hired 21 of the first 23 graduated.”

Officials said that 625 permanent new jobs are to be created specifically as part of the three-part project - the cancer center, the Park Street medical support building, and 2 Howe.

nhi-lot%20e%20cops%20012.JPG Olivia Marston of the Urban Design League challenged Smith and Gilvarg on the architectural look of the block. “It’s bland,” she said. “There’s nothing iconic about these structures.” There’s not enough connection between the residential units and the offices, she said. And, perhaps, most damning, she asserted the structure clearly prejudices the car over the pedestrian.

“Look,” said Smith, in an interchange, pointed but genial, which characterized the entire proceeding, “we’re not looking to make things iconic. We wanted to strike a balance between the car and the pedestrian. We and Yale want people to walk to work. That’s why, at the Howe corner we’ve built out, calming traffic there, made a place for a van to pick up and drop off people. It’s going to be going on 24 hours, nurses on the night shift.”

“We don’t need more garages,” Marston pressed on. “And if Yale owns the garage, what’s the incentive to get people walking, and not using it?”

Roth and Gilvarg parried. “Yes,” Gilvarg said, “there are net new spaces with the cancer center, but also net new jobs.”

Roth said Yale-New Haven needs the spaces for the growing number of patients and their families, for the retail customers, so “we are incentivized to move on ‘traffic demand reduction’ for employees.” That is, “urging them to take the train, or to leave their cars in outlying lots and we send a van for them.”

Following up on a traffic study, Bonanno said that a system of 13 new signals from York down to Orchard on North Frontage would slowly be implemented to help with the traffic flow. That, along with other aspects of the Route 34 re-do, which is in the bailiwick of the State Traffic Commission, will make the traffic flow around 2 Howe Street more than workable, she said.

It appeared there was no chance the major elements presented would be subject to serious change based on community input. Participants seemed to know that too.

nhi-lot%20e%20cops%20006.JPG Bonanno said the city felt strongly that the wraparound with retail, office, and residential housing is just right. “We’re comfortable also that it meets the requirements of the development agreement.”

“Much of what people asked for was not any significant change in the elements,” said Smith, “but more information, which we are happy to provide. Also their chief concerns — the circulation of traffic, pollution, and so forth — are really part of larger issues with the State Traffic Commission and the Municipal Development Plan for the Hill, which is evolving. Those are not things we can respond to directly.”

This public hearing was mandated in the original agreement struck for the cancer center. A similar hearing, also mandated, is to be held Wednesday night at Career High School. Then, on Jan. 16, the formal presentation will be made in a site plan review before the City Plan Commission. Because the new ordinance requiring a separate City Plan review for new garages of 200 spaces or more was passed after the cancer center agreement was struck, Lot E, or rather 2 Howe Street, gets to skip that.

If all goes well with approvals and sub-contractor bidding, construction, which should be contained within the site and cause little if any traffic disruption, should commence in September 2008 and take 18 months, with a Jan. 10 completion date.

Comments

Posted by: Outta-order | January 9, 2008 8:40 AM

Good to see the faithful few who remain interested in the development of their neighborhood.

The level of interest from the community at such an important stage really begs the question: How much of an "activist organization" is CORD. Where are all the people who were so up in arms about the development impact on their neighborhood? Where these rabble rousers a means to a union end? Now that they might be able to offer meaningful input.

I like Will Smith response to Martson about him buidling a icon! She should know the market and the fact that an iconic building will sit empty or be available to only those that can afford iconic rents. There must be a balance, you can't ask the developer to shell out tons of money that it will not likely recoup in rents in the next 15 years.

As to the residential units, the hospitals strategy to turn this into a "hostel" for the new cancer center folks might offer a good solution in filling up the place very quickly but it is problematic. It is likely that the people who are steered to building will have the highest income and will be out of towners. The lower paid individuals will already be residence of New Haven neighborhoods or surrounding towns. Following Yale's approach, they are likely to end up with very little income and ethnic diversity. Problematic.

Posted by: nutmeg | January 9, 2008 9:18 AM

parking! more parking! MORE PARKING!

Posted by: Esbe | January 9, 2008 9:34 AM

The building may not be "iconic", but it could be a lot, lot worse. Hiding the garage is very good. These apartments won't go to "high income" renters, because the neighborhood won't attract such folks. If they go to employees of the hospital, then you thereby create at least some pedestrian traffic to the hospital.

The traffic into a 845-space garage sounds pretty scary, I hope they know what they are doing there. But the idea that you can create 600-some new jobs on the city and not provide parking for workers and patients is nuts. Little New Haven can't change American society that much all on its own.

Posted by: New Haven Residente | January 9, 2008 10:11 AM

Please, the Rev. Jose Champagne received quite a bit of money for Yale to construct his hospital in the Dominican Republic. A CORD member and a Yale supporter? What long term jobs Rev. will be produced? Will these jobs allow people trying to live in the city to support themselves, a living wage?

Posted by: robn | January 9, 2008 10:18 AM

This building doesn't need to be iconic, but it does need to incorporate things that make good architecture like a sense of scale and proportion...those things are simply lacking in this design. Its a cookie cutter building that could be anything anywhere...an office park in Indianapolis, a medical clinic in Allentown...
it has no character.

Posted by: charlie | January 9, 2008 11:54 AM

Will bike lanes on surrounding streets, wider sidewalks and secure bicycle parking be included in this design? We need to design for people, not for cars. The development should not move forward unless these things happen.

Also, it is almost criminal that the city has not moved forward with its signaling plan for Route 34 crossings, like the one on College Street, right in the heart of downtown, that currently has no markings or electronic signs. How many pedestrians have to be injured or killed there before the city will do something? What is holding this up?

Posted by: Jacki Fitzpatrick | January 9, 2008 4:18 PM

Something needs to be done about the traffic in the area. I park in the Air Rights Garage, and it takes 1/2 hour from leaving my desk at Yale-New Haven to getting to the end of Frontage Road by Boulevard.

Posted by: charlie | January 9, 2008 4:56 PM

Ever hear of rush hour, Jacki? The concerns of the people who live here are more important than the concerns of people who want to add 3 additional lanes to I-95 and turn every local road into a multilane highway. Land values increase when you plan for people, not for cars. Maybe instead of driving your car so much, you should consider moving closer to your job or taking mass transit.

Posted by: kris | January 9, 2008 6:50 PM

James Wshington says that the housing should be for people in the community.Has he looked around lately?Thats all we need is for more housing for people in the community.The people in the community dont take care of the property the live in now.Why rent more to them that they will eventually ruin and end up looking like the rest of the community.If they rent to more out of towners maybe new haven will get lucky and it will look nice like the towns these people come from.

Posted by: Esbe | January 9, 2008 9:19 PM

Charlie: good point about bike lanes, bike racks, etc.

Posted by: ann | January 9, 2008 10:04 PM

Kris: Great point. I work at YNHH and drive the back way home instead of the highway sometimes, people should be ashamed of themselves and take some pride in where they live. You don't need money to have pride. I can see why Mr. Washington is angry. He is part of CORD and they are affiliated with SEIU Local 1199. The very people who have tried to stop the cancer center from being built. Sad but true.

Posted by: Committed NH Home Owner | January 9, 2008 10:32 PM

Kris,

I realize you must have had bad experiences with tenants or have a negative attitude about New Haven. It is, however, unfair to say, "The people in the community dont take care of the property the live in now." We do have a lot of blighted property, many due to out of towners. We also have many responsible property owners and renters, that want and do live in New Haven. We work hard to improve our community because we 'love' New Haven.

Posted by: nfjanette | January 9, 2008 11:52 PM

Improving the traffic engineering and public safety enforcement doesn't have to conflict with parallel efforts to improve pedestrian access. The belief that you can create a "forcing function" is clearly mistaken; the existing situation, which is plenty bad already for drivers in the area of the hospital, has done little to change transit choices.

The traffic congestion in the area is due to the poor "traffic engineering" that allowed such absurdities as a single entrance lane onto the connector highway that is supposed to serve three lanes of southbound traffic (plus traffic exiting the Air Rights garage). It also is the direct result of the many drivers that block "the box" in the intersections, preventing cross traffic from passing; stiff fines and consistent enforcement changed the attitude and actions of New York Cit drivers, and that would work here in New Haven too. Just think of the revenue that would be generated from enforcing the existing traffic laws, including such esoteric ones such as "red light means stop".

Posted by: JackiFitzpatrick | January 10, 2008 9:34 AM

Charlie: I do live here in New Haven. I wouldn't drive I-95 on a bet. My complaint is similar to what nfjanette said: people refuse to obey the traffic laws, so it takes twice as much time to get anywhere. When folks actually OBEY the traffic laws, I can get to the Blvd. in 15 minutes, not the 30 minutes it's been taking me since before Christmas. There are NO buses from my neighborhood to YNHH, or I'd take one. So please be a little more polite next time.

Posted by: TruthBeTold | January 10, 2008 11:28 AM

What CORD is doing is called extortion and is illegal. This is disgusting. What developer in her or his right mind will want to invest in this city? We as a City need to take a stand and stop allowing this type of corruption to go on.

Posted by: charlie | January 10, 2008 12:11 PM

I agree NFJanette- but for that to happen, shouldn't the enforcement revenue be redirected more to the city instead of the state, to give the city a bigger incentive for enforcing traffic laws?

Posted by: Esbe | January 10, 2008 4:37 PM

NFJ and Charlie -- yes, yes, yes. Enforcing red light rules would be very much against tradition in New Haven and a very, very good idea. Tickets for "blocking the box" -- also great. And if the city gets a greater share of the revenue, you can bet it will happen. New Haven parking officers are the most efficient bunch of civil servants I have ever seen -- you'd think they were on direct commission!

Posted by: Ned | January 10, 2008 5:10 PM

I used to cross the North Frontage Rd., College St. intersection, in order to get to work and it sucked. I've seen people come off of the Rte. 34 exit so fast that they've almost become airborne - College St. flyover - don't give the DOT any ideas! Why can't (or won't) "traffic engineers" design a road that will slow people down and discourage car traffic? Do these guys (I'm assuming that "traffic engineers" are mostly men) ever walk, do they hate cities? As far as the cancer building goes, it's generic, but the hospital and most of the surrounding buildings are all butt ugly. Who is going to want to rent these residences, when they won't even be able to open their windows, or talk with their neigbhors on the street, from all of the traffic noise and air pollution? (Ask me how I know that traffic noise destroys neighborhoods).

Posted by: Chris Gray | January 11, 2008 2:49 AM

Yeah, traffic cops, that is a phrase I never heard uttered in New Haven before, though I have often worried for the ones posted by the Air Rights Garage at rush hour. That is an act of true heroism.

Posted by: elmcityguy | January 11, 2008 8:50 AM

Ned - Don't give them any ideas! Next thing you know, Dukes of Hazzard style jumps will be the new plan to make the city walkable!

Posted by: cedarhillresident | January 14, 2008 8:18 PM

hmmm I am still out on this one...Yes Parking love it....hidden parking even better. Traffic control do-able.....hmmmmmmm not so sure...how many of us are on York street trying to get on that highway at 5 o'clock... I am what a NIGHTMARE. The un kind people that block the intersections need to get a grip.... PLEASE ticket those people!! I have on many evening watched the cluster frik of traffic get so bad that ambulances can not get through. from the highway... there is know where for the cars to move. It is grid locked on all streets.

I to agree that the housing will be affordable because I just don't see it getting a higher price for that location. Some nice retail shop may not be such a bad thing.

Suggestion for the here and now:
Please get the Morse Cove cop that directs traffic out of the garage to teach the young spindally one how to do it!! because we are at a dead stand still when that kid does it...all he is worried about is the yale people leaving the dang garage and not the lines of traffic building up. Morse Cove cop has it timed perfect. PS I have not seen a cop lately...yale stop paying??

Posted by: cedarhillresident | January 14, 2008 8:45 PM

pss
truth be told
CORD by no means is extorting. They have done work in other College towns...they are making sure that the little guy is protected. That yale offers what they should be offering. I give them a big hand for all the work they have done.

New Haven Independent

Dwight Gets A Look at Lot E — Er, “2 Howe”

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