Hartford Business Journal

12 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | FEBRUARY 28, 2021 Hartford's Parkville neighborhood positioned for economic revival By Michael Puffer mpuffer@hartfordbusiness.com B rittany and Justin Bedard sipped drinks at the bar inside the Parkville Market shortly after 2 p.m. on Valentine's Day, killing time before heading to an appointment at nearby Witchhouse Tattoo for romantic body art. The Bedards, both 30, live in Manchester and run small businesses. Together and separately they've repeatedly visited Hartford's Parkville neighborhood to stop at the market, an alternative arts center, a brewery or to enjoy recreational ax throwing. "I was just saying earlier, give this place another two or three years and this is going to be the place to be around here, with the amount of businesses coming in and the amount of options for people our age — late 20s and early 30s," Justin Bedard said. Parkville is a working-class neighborhood whose factories were deserted decades ago. Budding plans to redevelop the area as a center of arts, entertainment and technology were thrown into high gear in October as the state announced a new program offering up to $50 million to create "innovation corridors." The city is now developing an ambitious $250 million redevelopment blueprint for Parkville's commercial core to leverage that money. And while officials are keeping the finer details of the plan under wraps until after its application is submitted March 4, the vision is no secret. "We see a real opportunity to build on the organic momentum in Parkville and help create something that's all too rare in Connecticut, which is an urban neighborhood that genuinely allows for living, working and playing; that has a range of income-diverse residential opportunities in proximity to vibrant arts and culture opportunities and great and diverse cuisine, that is also a center and a hub for innovation and job creation," Mayor Luke Bronin said. Martin Guay, Stanley Black & Decker's vice president of business development, said one element of the plan would create advanced manufacturing training and demonstration centers. This would provide residents access to good jobs, and the state a much-needed workforce, he said. The state's manufacturers could visit to learn the latest methods and technologies. Guay said he met with Bronin three years ago, looking for an area that could serve as an advanced manufacturing incubator. Bronin, Guay said, pointed him to Parkville. Since then, Guay has helped draw together locals, businesspeople, nonprofits and other officials to chart a plan to reinvigorate Parkville. The pace picked up after the state announced the innovation corridor grant, Guay said. "This is not an opportunistic submission," Guay said. "It's an opportunity to scale an existing vision." Inevitable progress The "innovation corridor" plans incorporate several projects already in the works by avid Parkville developer Carlos Mouta. That includes a $4.6 million expansion of the Parkville Market, a 57-apartment development at 17 Bartholomew Ave., and a $72.6 million conversion of an empty industrial hulk on Hamilton Street. That project will yield 189 apartments and 86,000 square feet of commercial space. "Right now, for all the businesses that want to come, we don't have enough space," Mouta said. "I need three times the space." Whether or not the state money comes, Mouta views progress in Parkville as inevitable. "Maybe what we can do in the next five years with the grant will take 15, but it's going to happen," Mouta said. "It's already here." Mouta partnered with social services nonprofit Hands on Hartford for the 57-apartment development, 30% of which will be affordable. Hands on Hartford moved its community service offices to Parkville five years ago, into a building at 55 Bartholomew Ave., that housed the "Spaghetti Warehouse" in the 1990s. The restaurant's name is still emblazoned across the top of a dormant coal-fired, powerhouse that also sits on Hands on Hartford's 1.5- acre lot. The 22,000-square-foot power plant once served neighboring factory buildings. It has sat unused for 50 years as cracks in the masonry spread and gaps widened. Weed vines climb an exterior wall unchecked. Plans for the innovation corridor would see it transformed, with six floors offering space for high-tech digital media training, coworking space, educational programs, a day care and, possibly, health services, said Barbara A. Shaw, executive director of Hands on Hartford. Brittany and Justin Bedard, both 30, of Manchester, enjoy drinks at the Parkville Market. CT'S INNOVATION CORRIDOR PROGRAM • Announced Oct. 18, the program tasks the state Department of Economic and Community Development with picking two or more "transformational, place-making proposals for major urban areas or regional economic centers" for grants of up to $50 million each. • Programs must aim for at least 15,000 new jobs in data science, advanced manufacturing, insurance technology or other high-growth industries. • DECD anticipates granting up to $100 million in total over five years. • Applications are due March 4. Grant awards will be announced in April or May. HBJ PHOTO | MICHAEL PUFFER Martin Guay Parkville developer Carlos Mouta.

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