Hartford’s effort to transform vacant lots and underused buildings to the south of Bushnell Park just got a big boost with a $3 million state investment in stormwater improvements. The state Bond Commission, on Friday, approved a $3 million grant through the Capital Region Development Authority for a roughly mile-long pipe to carry stormwater runoff […]
Hartford’s effort to transform vacant lots and underused buildings to the south of Bushnell Park just got a big boost with a $3 million state investment in stormwater improvements.
The state Bond Commission, on Friday, approved a $3 million grant through the Capital Region Development Authority for a roughly mile-long pipe to carry stormwater runoff away from the “Bushnell South” area and into the Park River.
Ultimately,
the project will help a drive by officials to transform about 20 acres of underused buildings and vacant lots into a neighborhood mixing apartments and retail.
The new system will allow developers to tie drainage systems carrying water from their building rooftops and parking lots into a stormwater sewer system, rather than into stormwater retention systems that are expensive and eat up otherwise buildable space on their lots.
The Metropolitan District and Capital Region Development Authority have worked closely over the past two years to finalize a cost-sharing arrangement for the roughly $4.5 million project.
The MDC is expected to cover $1.5 million, using a fund built up with fees paid by developers, not ratepayers.
"This is a huge win for the MDC, for the development community and for the City of Hartford," said Scott Jellison, CEO of MDC. "So there’s no cost whatsoever to our ratepayers, but yet there’s going to be over 1,000 apartments will be built as a part of this development."
A surge of development in Hartford will mean more fees paid into the MDC, which will help keep costs down for ratepayers in other communities.
The project, Jellison said, will also help keep costs down in the future when MDC begins a broader effort to separate stormwater and sanitary sewer lines in that area of Hartford.
Jellison expects to hammer out a final cost-sharing agreement with the state and CRDA later this year, then launch an 18-month construction effort at some point next year.
