ELKUS MANFREDI ARCHITECTS
101 College St. rendering.
A planned new 10-story, 500,000 square-foot bioscience lab and office tower won its last needed city approval, paving the way for construction to start later this summer.
That was the outcome of Wednesday morning’s virtual special meeting of the city Development Commission, which was held online via the Zoom videoconferencing platform.
The commissioners voted unanimously in support of a resolution that found that the 101 College St. development project is consistent with the Downtown Municipal Development Plan. That resolution stated that the projected $100 million construction project will “stabilize and revitalize” the Downtown area and is in line with the various design and job-creation requirements outlined in the Downtown plan.
Local attorney Carolyn Kone told the commissioners that the Winstanley Enterprises-led bioscience tower slated to be built atop the former Route 34 corridor across from the Alexion building at 100 College will create approximately 700 to 1,000 new permanent jobs and 1,000 temporary construction jobs. She noted that the develop has signed an agreement with New Haven Works that would give New Haven residents hiring priority for these new jobs, and that the developer will be making a $500,000 contribution to the city to fund, in part, scholarships for local high school students interested in studying bioscience.
The developer has committed to comply with the city’s minority and women-owned business contractor guideliens, she said, and the development will bring onto the tax rolls for at least 30 years currently vacant and unoccupied land.
Click here to read the resolution and an accompanying letter from the developer.
“I think that this is a very exciting project,” Development Commissioner Vice-Chair Anthony Sagnella said as he urged his fellow commissioners to vote in support.
Zoom
Commissioner Kevin Ewing (pictured) asked Kone about the timeline for some of the community benefits, and about what would happen if the developer decided to sell ownership of the building.
Kone said that the $500,000 payment will be made to the city before construction starts in August; that the New Haven Works partnership will go into effect once a certificate of occupancy is issued; that promised classroom space for high school students will be made available once the building is finished and open; and that the developer will be hosting various business and job fairs “right away.”
As for a potential change of ownership, Kone said, that would not affect any of the community benefits agreed to in a recent Development and Land Disposition Agreement (DLDA) approved by the Board of Alders. That deal last for 30 years, regardless of the owner. And, she said, if the owner were for some reason to not live up to the expectations of the deal, it would be up to the city to enforce those terms.
Wednesday’s online Dev Commission meeting.
The approval marks the end of a torrent of over four months’ worth of public hearings — and subsequent regulatory approvals — of the 101 College St. project. Various parts of the development project have been heard, vetted, amended, and approved by the city’s parking authority, the Board of Alders Community Development Committee, the full Board of Alders, the City Plan Commission, and, now, the Development Commission. The alders and the City Plan Commission have also signed off on underlying eco-friendly zoning updates designed to facilitate the construction of the tower.
The developer has also made appearances and pitches in recent months before community management teams downtown and in the Hill. And on Tuesday, the State Bond Commission approved a $3 million grant to the city to help cover some of the public infrastructure development costs associated with the project.
The developer is now cleared to begin pulling city building permits before starting construction, which Winstanley Enterprises Principal Carter Winstanley has said at previous meetings should begin in August.
Ah yes, Alexion-- another great project. And only a $500,000 bribe paid to the city to "... fund, in part, scholarships..." - I wonder what part of it will ever get to scholarships. And "classroom space"? With a shrinking population, NH needs more classroom space. And with COVID-- all these people are going to be crowded into a building if they can work from home.
Another boondoggle to developers to win tax breaks and write offs and cheap loans to pocket. How come nobody sees this?
I don't mind businesses coming to town but they have to do it without taxpayer blackmail. If it is such a good deal; why do they have to have help? Get a bank loan and pay or else don't do it.