The City Plan Commission approved the site plan for a 53,000 square-foot development on Chapel Street, giving the green light to an ambitious project that had been delayed by neighborhood opposition and lawsuits.
The development, which the commission approved unanimously at its regular meeting Wednesday night at City Hall, reflects a trend toward denser, mixed-use buildings on the edges of downtown.
Stamford-based developer Randy Salvatore’s project will replace a parking lot at the corner of Chapel Street and Howe Street with a six-story building containing 136 apartments and about 4,500 square feet of retail space. (Read more about the details here.) Originally proposed in August 2012 and approved by the Board of Zoning Appeals the following October, the project was at the heart of the debate last spring to change New Haven’s zoning laws to ease restrictions on precisely that kind of mixed-use development. (Read about that here.)
The owners of the nearby apartment building at 70 Howe St. brought suit earlier this year to prevent the construction. The site plan presented at the commission meeting Wednesday night reflected the result of a settlement between the developer and the plaintiffs.
According to Salvatore’s attorney, Carolyn Kone (pictured above), the project is set to begin as early as February and should be completed in spring of 2015. She noted that the settlement of the lawsuit is technically still pending court approval and the public appeal period of the commission decision, but that she doesn’t foresee any more obstacles to beginning construction.
Gilad Edelman Photo
Neighbor Susan Bradford (pictured), who helped bring the suit as co-owner of 70 Howe St. LLC, said she had been concerned about the negative impact the new building would have on her tenants. She called the revised plan — which, among other changes, moves the outer wall back from the property line and replaces a roof deck with an enclosed patio — an acceptable compromise.
The proposal had also drawn criticism from neighbors concerned about preserving the historical character of the area. In response, the developers will move a historic house at 1249 Chapel St. over to an adjacent plot of land. Under the original plan, the house would have been torn down.
At the Wednesday night meeting, lead architect Seelan Pather (pictured at top of the story) attempted to allay concerns about the proposed building’s incongruity with the surrounding neighborhood. He pointed to nearby “significant buildings” like the Yale Center for British Art, Yale Art Gallery extension, and the Study hotel as inspiration for his design, which he said would replicate those buildings’ “modern expression of traditional architectural form.”
Commission Chairman Edward Mattison was optimistic about the proposed development.
“All of us know that corner well, and not happily,” he said. “I think [the project] will make that street more viable.”
Excellent. With Rudy's, Miya's, and Tandoori already in the area, this should further expand the possibility of more retail, as well as adding some much-needed housing to the area. Should be interesting to see how the apartments are priced because the prices tend to drop precipitously once you get to Howe St and west.