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June 24, 2021

$500M Bushnell South master plan calls for 1,200 new households, retail space and parking overhaul

Rendering | Goody Clancy An aerial rendering of the vision for Bushnell South, which today is mainly parking lots.
By Matt Pilon

A newly released study lays out a $500 million vision to add 1,200 households and more than 60,000 square feet of retail/commercial space to a sea of parking lots in a key area just south of Hartford’s downtown.

The study of the so-called Bushnell South area, produced by Boston-based architecture and planning firm Goody Clancy and presented during a public meeting at the the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday evening, recommends that rental and for-sale townhomes be the key economic driver for the approximately 20-acre area bordered by Capitol Ave., Elm, Trinity and Main streets.

The report was commissioned by a public-private partnership that includes the Capital Region Development Authority, the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts and 55 Elm St. developer Spinnaker Real Estate Partners. 

Ben Carlson, director of urban design at Goody Clancy, said his team’s recommendations prioritized making the Bushnell South an attractive investment opportunity for private capital, since an estimated $400 million would be needed to achieve its vision. That would potentially be supplemented by $100 million in public funding and incentives.

”Development feasibility has been a big part of the story,” Carlson said. “We've spent the last six months figuring out: What will bring investment here?”

Carlson said the area could be a cultural district, relying on anchors such as The Bushnell, Wadsworth Atheneum and Hartford Public Library.

Goody Clancy
Included in Goody Clancy's presentation Wednesday was this recent aerial photo of the Bushnell South area. The L-shaped building at upper right is 55 Elm St., a former state office building slated for mixed-use redevelopment by Spinnaker Real Estate Partners.

The vision would require a more efficient parking scheme, perhaps involving building basement parking or garages, including a recently constructed nearly 1,000-space garage funded by the state.

Carlson said his firm perceived plenty of interest in a new apartment high-rise tower in order to get as many new residents into the area as possible, but the firm determined such new construction wouldn’t be financially feasible.

“What we found is that at least in the immediate future it’s hard to make the numbers work for that because once you go high rise, your construction costs go up but your rents don’t always do so,” he said. “It may be a possibility over time.”

More likely in the Bushnell South area are shorter “podium” apartment buildings, up to seven stories in height, which have concrete construction on the lower floor or floors, and wood frame construction above.

It may mean 10-20% fewer units, but Carlson said it isn’t doesn’t change the area’s potential all that much.

“It doesn’t really change the game,” he said.

There’s been lots of activity in the Bushnell South area of late. Spinnaker recently secured financing from the state Bond Commission and a tax deal from the city for its 55 Elm project.

In addition, the state just listed for sale two longtime office properties in Bushnell South.

Clay Fowler, CEO and founding partner at Spinnaker, said during a panel discussion Wednesday that it will be crucial to have “a welcoming community and government” for the Bushnell South vision to become a reality.

“If there’s a will, there’s always going to be a way,” Fowler said. “There are obstacles and challenges involved in ground-up development in a community that’s... not as wealthy as downstate Connecticut. It needs to be a very firm public-private partnership. We’re very excited to at least be at the table.”

CRDA Executive Director Michael Freimuth said Bushnell South’s parking configuration and financing remain open questions.

”The parking pricing is going to be a function of the market,” Freimuth said. “You can price it low ... or price it to where it belongs and tell people not to bring their cars. Which way do you want to go with that?”
 

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