FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 13, 2024
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The Glendower Group Unveils New Master Plan for Union Square Redevelopment
Completion of Design Charrette Paves Way for New Era in New Haven’s Hill Neighborhood, Proposed Plan to Create More Than 1500 Additional Housing Units
New Haven, CT (September 12, 2024) – The Glendower Group, the non-profit development arm of Elm City Communities/Housing Authority of New Haven, revealed an ambitious master plan for Union Square on Thursday night. The unveiling took place during the final event of a comprehensive, four-day design charrette focused on reimagining Union Square and redeveloping the Robert T. Wolfe housing complex.
The charrette, a collaborative process involving residents, architects, urban planners, and key community stakeholders, generated a range of innovative concepts aimed at revitalizing Union Square. The goal is to enhance the area’s vibrancy, sustainability, and connectivity, with a particular focus on strengthening the ties between The Hill neighborhood and downtown New Haven.
"The scale and scope of the housing crisis in New Haven require big ideas and urgent action, but responsible redevelopment must be guided by community input," said Karen DuBois-Walton, President of Elm City Communities. "The ideas generated throughout this charette represent a shared vision—one that fosters a vibrant, inclusive Union Square and seamlessly integrates it with the surrounding neighborhood.”
The master plan, developed through extensive community feedback during the charette and prior community meetings, was formally presented at El Centro Youth Enrichment Program. Thursday’s event also offered an additional opportunity for community members to provide input, helping to shape a unified vision for the redevelopment of Union Square and the Robert T. Wolfe site.
“Union Square will set the tone as the welcome mat, not only for the neighborhood but for so many people entering the city,” said New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker.
In September 2023, Elm City Communities/Housing Authority of New Haven received a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to support this community-centered planning initiative.
“This is my first time participating in a process like this, with architects and everyone else. I loved it. I wish we had more residents come down,” said Doris Doward, Robert T Wolfe resident and member of the steering committee for Union Square Choice. “I want to keep everything going step by step, it might take some years but I’m looking forward to the new Union Square.”
Key proposals discussed during the charette were:
Right of Return for current Robert T Wolfe residents and former Church Street South residents
Enhanced public spaces for recreation and leisure
Improved parking and pedestrian/transportation connectivity between the Hill and downtown New Haven
Mixed-use developments designed to boost economic growth and strengthen the sense of community
Space for essential services, including new grocery stores and community spaces
A welcoming gateway to downtown for travelers arriving at Union Station
The proposed plans shared on Thursday would create new parking, new public spaces, including a central green and outdoor theatre, and more than 1,500 units of mixed-income, affordable, market rate, and deeply affordable housing in the form of townhouses as well as apartment buildings. The density of the building heights would increase between Union Station and downtown.
The City of New Haven, Torti Gallas + Partners, BFJ, Ken Boroson, Interface Studios, Urban Strategies, Inc, Yale School of Management, and the Yale School of Architecture participated in the charette as urban planners, architects, and designers, respectively.
Further updates and information on the development of Union Square can be found at www.UnionSquareChoice.com. The Union Square public transformation, which will incorporate the final round of community feedback from Thursday night's presentation, will be made publicly available over the coming months.
Photos from this week's charette can be found here.
About Elm City Communities
About Elm City Communities / Housing Authority of the City of New Haven (ECC/HANH): We, at Elm City Communities, believe public housing is the foundation from which the American Dream will survive and thrive for generations to come. Our vision is a New Haven where every resident has a safe and decent home that they can afford and opportunities to fulfill their goals. Since becoming a HUD-designated Moving To Work (MTW) agency in 2000, Elm City Communities has become an incubator of innovation and an economic engine in New Haven, Connecticut. As a result, Elm City Communities has increased affordable housing choice, provided an array of self-sufficiency programs, created across the board cost savings measures, and spurred millions of dollars of indirect economic activity through redevelopment projects and job creation. Through the development and operation of affordable communities of choice and by providing opportunities for greater self-sufficiency in New Haven, we offer a lifeline to the American Dream.
About Glendower Group
The Glendower Group (Glendower) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation established in November 2001 as an instrumentality to the Elm City Communities / Housing Authority of New Haven (ECC/HANH), Connecticut. Glendower is at the forefront of those leading the private sector market in affordable housing. Glendower provides comprehensive and integrated real estate development services specializing in affordable housing. Together, Glendower and ECC/HANH have undertaken an aggressive redevelopment / modernization program allowing for the transformation of our housing portfolio throughout the City of New Haven.
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