nothin Harp “Baffled” By Hill Delay | New Haven Independent

Harp Baffled” By Hill Delay

Mayor Toni Harp Monday called on alders to show leadership” and un-block progress on a plan to transform 20 acres of the Hill.

I’m totally baffled,” Harp said of a vote last week to table zoning and legal-agreement wording changes needed to advance the plan, under which developer Randy Salvatore would pay the city up to an estimated $5 million (depending on fair-market value calculations) to purchase and build 140 apartments, 7,000 square feet of stores, 120,000 square feet of research space, and 50,000 square feet of offices on 10 pieces of property. The property covers 20 acres bounded by Church Street South, Amistad Street, Cedar Street, Congress Avenue, College Street, and South Frontage Road; a developer (now Salvatore’s partner) has been trying without success to build on that land since 1989.

Alders last week (read about the meeting here) held up the needed zoning and wording changes after some neighbors spoke in opposition to the deal. The alders argued that Salvatore and city officials should meet with seniors at the Tower One/Tower East complex as well as the steering committee of a Hill-to-Downtown” planning group before a vote takes place.

Salvatore told the Independent Monday that he’s still considering pulling out of the deal in the wake of last week’s meeting.

Paul Bass Photo

Harp (pictured) said during her weekly Mayor Monday” appearance on WNHH radio’s Dateline New Haven” program that her staff has held many meetings with Hill neighbors to discuss the plans.

The community has been informed,” Harp argued.

It’s now time for the leaders that have been elected represent that area” to make a decision rather than risk losing over $100 million of job-creating private investment in new housing and labs, Harp said. We know [Salvatore] does good work. This is a missed opportunity for the city.”

At last count around two-third of Independent readers responding to a True Vote” poll (placed above) supported the project. Click here to read an extended debate among commenters on both sides of the issue.

And click on or download the above audio file to hear the entire Mayor Monday” episode. Discussion also touched on truancy-mitigation efforts in town, the opening of Jordan’s Furniture, this past weekend’s New Haven Rising demonstration (at which Harp spoke), and a pilot program to keep HIV patients on their meds. The discussion about the Hill project begins around 40:50.

Monday’s Dateline New Haven” was made possible in part through support from Gateway Community College.

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