Plans to convert a former downtown Hartford synagogue into an events space are moving forward.
Hartford lawyer Jose L. Del Castillo, who bought the long-vacant, 3,750-square-foot former religious property at 215 Pearl St. in 2019 for $196,000, has officially submitted plans to the Planning and Zoning Commission to renovate the historic building into a two-story events space targeting private and community gatherings, including weddings, birthdays and anniversary parties.
Food, catering, beverages and music will be available for events, according to the application. The facility will be able to accommodate anywhere from 25 to 400 people on two floors of event space that would both contain about 2,200 square feet. Rents will range from $1,000 to $2,000 for five to six hours of facility use.
Del Castillo — who has hired Urform LLC as the project architect and Simsbury-based ADA P.C. Land Planners for site plan work, according to the project application — also plans to make several changes and improvements to the property including adding a ramp to create an accessible walkway to a second floor (Pearl Street access) and creating a two-floor outdoor plaza. He also plans to add outdoor lighting, benches, and hanging baskets as well as tables and chairs at the lower and upper terraces.
Del Castillo said the property will also need additional bathrooms and HVAC improvements. The overall project price tag is about $750,000 but it could go up as materials costs rise. He said his goal is to have the property operating by October, but that will depend on how quickly he can get contractors into the building.
The former Ados Israel Synagogue, which shuttered in the 1980s after some 20 years in operation, abuts TheaterWorks. Several efforts have been made over the years to bring the brick-and-limestone property back to life, including proposals for nightclubs and restaurants, but they never materialized.
The building was built in 1924 for the First Unitarian Church and designed by Hartford Architect Milton E. Hayman.
The project still needs local approvals, which Del Castillo said he is hoping to secure by next month. The property is currently zoned for religious use but needs to be changed for events use.
If the project does move forward it would add some momentum to a key artery in the heart of downtown Hartford that has been peppered with vacant properties.
Joseph Klaynberg is working on plans to redevelop a former Pearl Street firehouse — located just a stone’s throw away from the synagogue — into a mixed-use apartment building that would feature a brick-oven pizza restaurant and bar on the bottom floor operated by restaurateur Gina Luari.
