Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | NOVEMBER 7, 2022 17 proposals for redevelopment of the former Strand Theater property and Lamagna Activity Center properties in the Thompsonville Village around the new station. Private development plans around the Thompsonville station call for mixed-use development with 3,200 square feet of ground-floor com- mercial space and 55 new housing units above. To date, Enfield has invested $1.3 million for demolishing and remedi- ating the municipal sites for the new TOD development, town officials said. Don Poland, managing director and senior vice president of urban planning at East Hartford real estate advisory firm Goman+York, said the Hartford Line effort thrives on the state laying a solid foundation for cities and towns to then take the wheel. Revamping zoning regulations to allow for new and mixed-use devel- opment in certain areas is often a necessary first step required on the local level. As state-backed work around train stations moves forward, munici- palities will become more engaged and then do what they can to allow for that development to occur, Poland said He agrees that state proj- ects like train stations are the spark needed for an economic development transformation. "Ultimately, the train station kind of becomes an anchor, and it attracts some initial interest in investments and it attracts interest from the commu- nity to loosen up their zoning to allow for different kinds of development to occur," Poland said. "Once you start having some investment occur, and especially if it's successful, and it's generating some interest, generating some vibrancy, then you're going to see more investment flow into the area." TOD report card The state Department of Trans- portation has not provided updated transit-oriented development data, but prior to the pandemic, a one-year report card was issued on the prog- ress of the Hartford Line. According to the report, Meriden was called an early TOD success story, with the construction of three mixed-use transit-oriented develop- ment projects with 295 residential units, 31,000 square feet of com- mercial space, a 273-space parking garage, 14-acre town green, and demolition of the Mills public housing project and other nearby buildings. Ongoing public and private invest- ment in Meriden's TOD projects exceeded $150 million, according to the report. Wallingford freed up downtown land for development by shifting existing industrial development to the north. A town center zoning district and reduc- tion of off-street parking requirements helped spur mixed-use and economic development there, the report said. In 2019, one year after the Hart- ford Line launched, it recorded 665,471 passengers. However, ridership was derailed by the pandemic, dropping by nearly 90% at its worst point. It has rebounded since then. The Hartford Line carried 318,071 passengers in 2021, up from 264,192 in 2020, according to the Connecticut Commuter Rail Council. Hartford Line riders this summer experienced schedule changes and supplemental bus service while safety and construction work was completed at the Hartford Union and Longmeadow, Mass., stations. The Hartford Line was anticipated to spur $430 million in transit-oriented development in Wallingford, Meriden, Berlin, Windsor and Windsor Locks, according to the DOT's 2019 report. Controversial CTfastrak busway spurs New Britain transit-oriented development boom By Hanna Snyder Gambini T he state's $567-million, 9.4-mile CTfastrak busway debuted in 2015 with much antici- pation and some controversy. The 10-station line, which connects the cities of New Britain and Hartford with stops in West Hart- ford and Newington, drew criticism for its cost and some skepticism — particularly from Republican lawmakers — about its ability to maintain reason- able ridership numbers. Beyond those issues, however, the bus line has offered significant economic development opportu- nities to communities that host CTfastrak stations. West Hartford and New Britain have leveraged their bus lines with transit-oriented development, tapping into developers' interest to build apart- ments and mixed-use properties near public trans- portation nodes that make it easier for residents to get around without a car. Starting in 2016, New Britain — which has three CTfastrak stations, including one downtown — developed and has since completed a multiphase master plan, followed by an ongoing multiphase complete streets blueprint for city-wide projects. The efforts have utilized more than $32 million in state and federal transportation grant money, along with more than $10 million in municipal investments, to build and repair infrastructure, spur transit-oriented economic development throughout downtown and improve quality of life in New Britain. The local plans involved city officials not only retaining consultants and developers for the work, but gathering input from the main stakeholders — residents — to gauge what people of New Britain want to see in their city, Republican Mayor Erin Stewart said. "We needed something that was totally New Britain-focused … so we made a plan that was completely New Britain," she said. The master plan looked at every individual prop- erty "parcel by parcel, and we had the opportunity to re-imagine what we could be because of mass transit," she said. "And almost 10 years later, the transformation that we've seen and the amount of projects that we have seen come to fruition because we had that vision is incredible." Downtown projects include the mixed-use Columbus Commons development in 2019, with more than 80 residential units; 222 on Main, a "Parkville-style market" food hall called the Assem- bly Room with market-rate apartments above; and The Brit, a 120-unit apartment building under construction and set to open next fall. "In the next three years alone, we are looking to add almost 400 (apartment) units downtown … and a lot of it is the result of the combination of the transit-oriented development planning coupled with the amount of infrastructure investments that we've made." West Hartford officials have focused on revamped zoning regulations to encourage development around its Elmwood and Flatbush CTfastrak stations. West Hartford's new transit-oriented devel- opment district allows a broader mix of uses, with an eye toward adjusting density, building higher, and creating more pedestrian-friendly infrastructure work. One project already looking to take advantage of the new district is a proposed $34 million rede- velopment of the former Puritan Furniture store property into a mixed-use apartment development. Streetscape improvements The key to TOD-related success, Stewart said, is recognizing that "people want to invest in cities that are investing in themselves." CTfastrak "absolutely" helped launch the municipal efforts, and it was "the main reason why we've been able to harness grant money and build the excitement around rethinking downtown New Britain." The city plans have spurred new sidewalks, walking paths, shops, restaurants and residen- tial space, which contributed to a 3.8% grand list increase last year, and consistent growth over the past nine years, Stewart said. And the new federal infrastructure bill means more funding is available to those with a vision and a drive. "Our local city plan commission and our zoning and our city council, all wanted to be a part of this kind of visioning for our community… and I think a lot of what makes TOD successful, in my experi- ence, is when you have a buy-in from your local elected officials, and you have active manage- ment from your chief elected official," Stewart said. "If I had not taken a strong role in trying to push a lot of this development, I don't think that it would have happened … because development doesn't just happen, you have to make it happen." The city's complete streets and master plan con- tained road dieting, streetscapes, pocket parks, trees and greenery, sidewalk improvements, cob- blestones, bump outs and a roundabout. To create a complete and robust transit-oriented development plan, visionaries have to see the whole picture. "TOD is utilizing mass transit as your mode for increasing the interest around it," Stewart said, and it can help encourage mixed-use develop- ment, establish neighborhood identity, protect the environment, create walking trails, preserve open space, add bike lanes to roads, reduce the number of cars on roads and highways and give people convenient access to all methods of public transportation and improving quality of life. "We wouldn't have seen all this if it weren't for fastrak, it opened the doors to a lot of oppor- tunities for grant money and development," Stewart said. New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart. HBJ PHOTO | STEVE LASCHEVER

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