Alders OK ​“DISTRICT” Deal, Cycle Corridor

The Board of Alders gave final approval to a deal to transform the defunct CT Transit bus garage on James Street, and it gave the OK for the city to accept a $1.2 million grant to advance bike ridership on the west side of town.

Alders voted unanimously Monday night o approve a plan that will allow developers David Salinas and Eric O’Brien to turn a long vacant, polluted former CT Transit bus depot on 9.3 acres at 470 James St. into a new tech and innovation campus. The project, known as ​“DISTRICT,” also will feature a beer garden, kayak launch and amphitheater.

The plan allows for the transfer of the property to the city, which in turn will transfer it to the development duo for the sum of $1.The state is throwing in $5.5 million to clean up contaminated soil — oil and petroleum from its days as a bus garage — on the site. The developers said they’re investing $16 million into the project.

In a previous meeting, the Board of Alders Community Development Committee decided to discharge the matter to the full board so it would speed up approval of the development, which has been in the works since the summer, by avoiding a ​“first reading” that would have required a two-week pause. Developers want to get the ball rolling on the clean up process as soon as possible so they can get their own businesses — Digital Surgeons and Cross-Fit gym — into the new space from their current location across the street, where their leases expire at year’s end..

Hill Alder Dolores Colon, who serves as vice chair of the Community Development Committee, noted that the committee meeting was well attended and all the public testimony was positive. ​“One of the project’s strengths is that it will bring together the Fair Haven and East Rock neighborhoods,” she said.

East Rock Alder Jessica Holmes said the development will bring life to a parcel of land in her ward that has been inactive for years.
​“The development agreement represents an important step forward for New Haven,” she said. ​“The agreement envisions a development that will make a more permanent space for two existing New Haven businesses that are primed to grow, and room for additional businesses to incubate and grow.

“As our economy changes, we want New Haven to be a place where start ups and innovators can find a home, and this development makes room for that to happen in a campus like atmosphere where ideas can be exchanged, relationships can developed and jobs can be created,” she said.

She pointed out that the proposal includes improvements to the Mill River trail and access to the Mill River, and has broad support from both Fair Haven and East Rock.

Cycle Away!

But it was not all about the east side of town Monday night. Alders showed some love to neighborhoods on the west side too by unanimously approving the city’s acceptance of a $1.2 million state grant to create the Downtown West Commuting Corridor.

The project aims to create a two-way cycletrack (with separated bike lanes) on Edgewood Avenue first and eventually extend bike infrastructure as far out as Southern Connecticut State University, was selected as the first to receive money. The goal of the project ultimately is to create a bike network across six neighborhoods west of downtown.

Westville Alder Adam Marchand said he supports the development of bicycle infrastructure connecting western neighborhoods to downtown because safer routes would encourage more people to bike and that would be good for the environment and public health.

But he said noted that approval of the receipt of the money is just a first step.

The specific design of the routes have yet to be determined. There will be public forums held at Edgewood School on March 17 and at Troup School on March 29 to discuss the design of the proposed Edgewood Avenue cycletrack. Both meetings will be held from 6:30 – 8 p.m.