Beginning an effort to reclaim center-city streets and “stitch downtown together,” officials announced plans Monday to rip up the Route 34 Connector between College Street and the Air Rights Garage to make way for an office and laboratory complex.
The building will comprise 240,000 square feet of office and laboratory space between North and South Frontage roads, said developer Carter Winstanley, pictured talking to Yale-New Haven Hospital Vice-President Norman Roth
The building, to be erected in the depression between the two frontage roads. It will have its main entrance on College Street, will be but the first part of the first phase of Downtown Crossing,” 4.5 million square feet of development envisioned over 15 years to reconnect downtown with the Hill neighborhood, Mayor John DeStefano said at a press conference.
The conference was held in the 300 George St.building, which Winstanley also owns. It was attended by a regiment of officials from the city, Yale, Yale-New Haven Hospital, and Winstanley.
Downtown Crossing is planned to comprise 1.2 million square feet of commercial space, 300,000 square feet of retail space and 1,400 housing units. The project would comprise 18.3 acres immediately, including the 10 acres freed up by closing first Exit 3, then Exit 2 off the Richard C. Lee Connector.
“The goal is to construct the footprint for the next 15 years in the city,” DeStefano said. It includes streetscapes, more buildings and a vision of a walkable, transit-oriented project connecting downtown to the Union Station area.
That means the main entrance for drivers to the city will be from Long Wharf across the bridge to Church Street South instead of the Route 34 Connector, DeStefano said. He said construction on Interstate 95 in the area of the Route 34 exit ramp will make traffic there “no place to be.”
The streetscapes envision multiple lanes of vehicle traffic, plus sidewalks and bicycle lanes.
“Abandoning the Route 34 East highway and creating an urban boulevard in its place will enable New Haven to ‘create’ 10 new acres…in a fully built out city,” DeStefano said.
The preliminary work for the project was financed by $5 million in federal funds secured in 2005 by U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D‑3rd District, who also attended the announcement. The money for the public phase of the Route 34 project will be funded with state and federal money the city hopes to secure this year.
The entire project will mean thousands of construction and temporary jobs and will bring Yale-New Haven Hospital, isolated across the Route 34 ditch, closer to the city, said the government officials and Dr. Robert Alpern, dean of the Yale University School of Medicine.
“The medical school community feels separated from” the downtown area and is thrilled “with the vision that the downtown will expand to the medical school,” Alpern said.
The first phase also straightens out Lafayette Street to run from College to Church. Amistad Street from Howard Avenue to Cedar Street would connect Temple Street with the Hill neighborhood and Orange Street with Church Street South, DeStefano said.
The mayor said the project also would generate nearly $100 million in sales, income and property taxes.
Winstanley has already renovated 25 Science Park and is building the Science Park parking garage and redeveloping 344 Winchester Ave. He said the impetus to build in the Connector was demand-driven.
Winstanley said he is anxious to begin construction because he has tenants anxious to move in. “We have the demand,” he said. “This wants to be here.”
The present phase of the project, the construction of the Winstanley building where the Connector now flows, would take 18 months, Winstanley said. The city is asking the current session of the General Assembly to deed the land to the city so construction can begin.
“I’m ready to go now,” Winstanley said. “We have been designing this for three years,” he said. DeStefano said he expects to be able to turn over the land to Winstanley “this year.”
Winstanley said when he bought 300 George St., it was known as the “Leprosy Building” because of the amount of paint peeling off it. It has now been renovated and is nearly fully leased. The building at 25 Science Park also is 95 percent leased, he said.
As usual, Winstanley refused to put a dollar amount on the project.
<i>That means the main entrance for drivers to the city will be from Long Wharf across the bridge to Church Street South instead of the Route 34 Connector, DeStefano said. He said construction on Interstate 95 in the area of the Route 34 exit ramp will make traffic there "no place to be."</i>
I can almost see the rejoicing from some already on the pages of NHI, but this is a foolish hand waving over a major impediment to anyone entering or leaving the city. And, despite the claims otherwise, New Haven needs to be an attractive destination for work and recreation for the region. The city cannot self-sustain, as the high taxes show all too well. I hope this plan "works", but I fear the cost on many levels may be higher than people realize at first.