🔒Here are Bronin’s economic development priorities in 2023

Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin can tout a long list of economic development accomplishments as he stares down his final year in office, but he still has much to advance before he leaves City Hall.

“There are a lot of projects underway and a lot of exciting economic development opportunities throughout our neighborhoods and downtown,” Bronin said.

The redevelopment of the historic Pratt Street retail corridor will be a big focus, Bronin said. The city’s $6.4 million Hart Lift program — which offers matching grants of up to $150,000 to help outfit first-floor spaces for new retail shops and restaurants — has already helped landlords find tenants for every storefront along Pratt Street.

Bronin, in spring, signed off on keeping Pratt Street sealed off to motorists, leaving the brick-lined thoroughfare open for outdoor dining and events.

A partnership among Shelbourne Global Solutions, developer Martin Kenny and investor Alan Lazowski recently completed conversion of office space at 99 Pratt St. into 97 apartments as part of a broader $59 million investment.

“I think the residential conversion on the south side of Pratt Street helps reinforce the progress we’ve made establishing Pratt Street as a center of retail, restaurant and gathering space,” Bronin said.

Neighborhood projects

Bronin said he is eager to see progress with planned developments along Route 44, a portion of which underwent a $30-million streetscape improvement beginning in 2017.

That list includes a proposal to build a 2,502-square-foot retail building and 38,000-square-foot commercial building on four vacant lots at the corner of Albany Avenue and Woodland Street. The plan calls for a restaurant, community room, retail shops and relocation of the city’s health department to the site.

A few blocks to the east, at the corner of Main and Ann Uccello streets, a partnership between the nonprofit San Juan Center and Carabetta Development LLC is pursuing a $17.4-million development of 43 apartments in three buildings. The project is centered on a building that formerly hosted the Arrowhead Café.

Bronin said he is determined to make progress on redevelopment of a half-acre along Albany Avenue, across from playing fields behind Quirk Middle School. The city-owned property is currently occupied by two vacant and blighted buildings.

The city issued an RFP seeking an interested developer in late 2021. City officials are now working to finalize negotiations, Bronin said.

“There are some big economic development projects I want to get as far down the field as possible in this last year,” Bronin said.

Ambitious projects ongoing

Other priorities include large apartment developments planned on lots around Dunkin’ Donuts Park; development of a new neighborhood on parking lots on the south side of Bushnell Park; and Parkville neighborhood revitalization plans.

Bronin’s administration selected Stamford-based RMS Cos. for a planned development of about 1,000 new apartments in multiple buildings on vacant lots around Dunkin’ Donuts Park, which was completed under his tenure.

So far, RMS has finished one, 270-unit building.

The master plan for “Bushnell South” calls for a new, mixed-use neighborhood of about 1,800 residents on parking lots near Bushnell Park and the Bushnell Performing Arts Center. A city selection committee recently picked The Michaels Organization, of New Jersey, to build the first phase, including 360 units of multifamily housing.

Some of these pending projects face formidable hurdles. A legal challenge by Centerplan Cos. — a developer the city initially selected and then fired from the job of building Dunkin’ Donuts Park and nearby mixed-use development — has held up efforts by RMS Cos. to continue building around the stadium.

The city’s application for a $48.4 million state grant to support a $242 million revitalization of Parkville has languished under state review. The Department of Economic and Community Development was expected to announce awards last spring.

While Bronin’s economic development efforts have faced steep challenges, the administration and mayor earn high marks from key city developers and investors.

Carlos Mouta, a prolific Parkville neighborhood developer, praised Bronin’s ability to negotiate a state bailout of the nearly bankrupt city shortly after taking office. Mouta also heralded this year’s property tax rate cut, which reduced the mill rate from 74.29 to 68.95.

“That man deserves a break,” Mouta said of Bronin’s recent announcement. “He is going to be remembered as one of the greats. He was able to turn it around. He’s a good cheerleader for the city, good at getting grants. He was able to lower the mill rate for the first time in God knows how long. That was incredible.”