Near New Haven’s main train station, major housing developments are being planned that will transform mostly unused land within The Hill neighborhood into mixed-income housing and apartments. The site includes Union Avenue, Church Street South, Columbus Avenue and South Orange Street. The area once was home to apartments along Church Street South that were demolished after accusations of neglect, deterioration and subsequent lawsuits against a former landlord.
A project to replace most of the empty space with new housing has been planned for years and was recently approved by the New Haven City Plan Commission with unanimous votes. The Union Square Choice Neighborhoods Plan was the largest plan to be approved in this vote, which is intended to be a 538-unit mixed-income plan during the first phase. A $26 million federal grant request of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was also approved for application by the commission. Approved, as well, was a zoning plan that will allow for the construction of a third tower at The Towers at Tower Lane retirement living community, located north of the Union Square plan.
When the project is finished, it is estimated that 2,000-2,500 units will be available for housing, as well as 40,000-50,000 square feet for commercial property. As part of the plan, the Robert T. Wolfe Apartments, housing meant for elderly and disabled residents, will be demolished. Residents have previously complained about living conditions in this housing development.
According to the 224-page plan released by Union Square Choice, phase one will include three blocks south of Columbus Avenue, and phase two will be the other three blocks part of the project north of Columbus Avenue. Residents in the Wolfe Apartments will have the right to return to these developments because of the planned demolitions of their current housing.
However, some people are skeptical of the plan. Patch Bowen, a senior communication major and a former downtown New Haven resident said, “I worry about the oversight of housing projects, seeing so many of them like Yale and other private investors develop around the city and price out our community members.”
“I think that if the state government or city government intends for this to be mixed and equitable housing, then we just need transparent and open communication with the community to make sure that it ends up being the way it is, and otherwise I think it will help a lot of people,” said Bowen.
The plan also calls for a new promenade along Church Street that will connect this new development to downtown, and to The Hill neighborhood. Geothermal systems will also be in all the buildings as part of the project. Green space surrounding and within the development will also take a priority, which gives residents more recreational opportunities and space.
At a June press conference when the development was announced, Justin Elicker, New Haven mayor, discussed what will happen to the vacant space and parking areas.
“They’ll become places where people live,” said Elicker. “They’ll become destinations for commercial, become places that are a welcoming mat to the city where thousands of people come into New Haven every day through Union Station.”
Construction should begin in late 2026, and phase one should be completed by early 2028. Phase two will begin in mid-2029 and wrap up by late 2031.
At his state of the union speech last week, Elicker said he remained committed to constructing more housing across the city with a long-term goal of building more than 10,000 units within 10 years. Twenty-five percent of units that are being planned or developed are being designated affordable.
