New Haven’s big downtown development project du jour and a long-running campaign to strengthen “sinking homes” on the west side of town both got big boosts Wednesday from the State Bond Commission.
Meeting for the last time this year, the commission approved $2 million for the repair of damaged homes in the Beverly Hills neighborhood between Fountain Street and Whalley leading to the Woodbridge town line. Houses there have been slowly sinking for years.
Thomas MacMillan File Photo
The problem has cracked foundations, separated porches from houses, and caused flooding. Wednesday’s vote marked a victory for New Haven State Rep. Pat Dillon (pictured), who has championed the homeowners’ cause for years. (Read about that here.)
The Bond Commission also approved $950,000 in funding for the Downtown Crossing Project in New Haven. The city is filling in much of the Route 34 Connector (aka the “highway to Nowhere”) in order to transform it into an urban boulevard with bike lanes, safe pedestrian crossings, narrower streets, and a 10-story, 400,000 to 500,000 square-foot biotech-oriented office building called 100 College Street. (Read about that here and here.)
Outgoing New Haven State Rep. Cam Staples, a member of the Bond Commission, called Downtown Crossing “extremely important to New Haven’s economic development and growth.“
Christine Stuart Photo
“This modest state investment is coupled with a considerable amount of federal investment and some private investment so I think it will really increase the viability of the bio-tech industry and the medical related industry down there,” said Staples (pictured). “So I think it’s a very helpful state investment that’s going to spur 10 – 20 times that in continued development.”
The two New Haven allotments were among $20 million in funding approved by the commission Wednesday, outgoing Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s last attempt to get projects money before she leaves office. She ran into opposition that prevented her from funding more, including for new the M‑8 rail cars. Read a full story about Wednesday’s session here.
Bike lanes and safe pedestrian crossings may make the area navigable, but it isn't going to be an attractive place to work, live or do business in unless speeds are brought down from the current 40 MPH to under 20 MPH.
You can put all the bike lanes and pedestrian signals in the world on wide roads like Foxon Boulevard and Church Street, but they won't have the same quality of place -- the quality that creates jobs, enables entrepreneurs and makes people want to live and work there -- unless at least some of the streets themselves are built as attractive, low-speed roads like Orange Street, High Street and Audubon Street.
Go ahead and add a lane on Frontage Road but be sure to rebuild a few streets, like College Street, into slow-speed places where actual people may want to spend their time. Otherwise this project isn't helping anyone.