SoDo November Meeting + Info on Former Dispensary Building

And just like that, it’s November and Thanksgiving are on our doorstep… which means Winterfest Hartford is also on our doorstep (literally and figuratively). The SoDo NRZ is proud to support Winterfest with a $100 donation to their annual fund drive. The event costs upwards of $300k for five weeks of FREE skating, skate rentals, and lessons. Please consider donating so that more Hartford children (and adults) can enjoy skating in our beautiful Bushnell Park. Any donation amount is welcome. Looking for something less outdoorsy? Visit the “Things To Do” page of our website, or the Hartford.com website.

Earlier this month, the Hartford Business Journal reported that the city was contemplating a purchase of the former Roots dispensary building on the corner of Main and Buckingham, with an eye toward “a creative adaptive reuse project laying the foundation for future development.” The next step was a public hearing with Planning & Zoning scheduled for Monday, November 17. The hearing was canceled due to lack of referrals (which usually means not enough required agency or interdepartmental review comments were received by P&Z). We have asked our assigned city reps from the Department of Development Services to share more information and potential next steps at this week’s SoDo meeting. It would be great to see this vacant building given a facelift and returned to productive use. As a reminder, our website includes a four-year backlog of links to news articles about development, traffic safety, and housing in our neighborhood.

Our next SoDo meeting of the 2025-26 year will be, Wednesday, November 19 at 6:00 pm at First Presbyterian Church of Hartford, 136 Capitol Avenue (enter through the small building to the right of the main church), or join us via Zoom. In addition to the building news mentioned above, discussion topics will include the usual reports from HPD, HFD, and other city departments and a potential SoDo Hartford Decide$ submission. Check this month's newsletter for links to join the Meeting or download the Agenda and Minutes from the last meeting as well as more neighborhood news, photos, and two surveys.

Trinity Parking Survey

 

Do you have thoughts about street parking and enforcement in Hartford, and their impact on city residents? Take this anonymous 10-minute survey hosted by Social Science Research students at Trinity. You’ll have an option at the end to enter a raffle for a gift card from Amazon or Stop & Shop. Survey closes November 25. For any questions, contact the principal investigator, Simon Hoellerbauer.

Downtown Hartford Residents and Businesses: would you want to be represented by an NRZ?

 

Attention Downtown Hartford Residents and Businesses: Would you want to be represented by an NRZ? What’s an NRZ?

NRZ stands for Neighborhood Revitalization Zone, in other words, a neighborhood association.

Hartford has 13 NRZs representing all Hartford neighborhoods, except downtown. Why? Because back when the statute (Public Act 95-340) was codified in 1995, there were hardly any residential buildings in downtown.

However, in the intervening decades, downtown Hartford has experienced enormous growth in construction of new residential buildings and renovation of former office buildings as mixed use and residential properties. Two existing NRZs bordering downtown are interested in providing representation to portions of downtown...

Asylum Hill Neighborhood Association (AHNA) and South Downtown NRZ (SoDo).

We both strive to provide similar services to our neighborhoods. We have developed Strategic Neighborhood Plans that address issues including blight remediation, economic development, work with local police, traffic safety and transportation.

Our Strategic Neighborhood Plans provide guidance for the City in determining what to do and when to do it.

And, just to be clear, NRZs are totally run by neighborhood volunteers and there are no fees or dues.We need your input to decide whether and how to proceed, so we asking you to complete a very short survey.

SoDo October Meeting

Capitol Avenue, looking SW, on an early October day.

Reminder: our next SoDo neighborhood meeting is this Wednesday, October 15, at 6:00 pm at First Presbyterian Church of Hartford, 136 Capitol Avenue (enter through the small building to the right of the main church), or join us via Zoom (details in the newsletter, linked below).

Discussion topics will include our new Funding Committee, potential donations, and a SoDo LOVE Hartford neighborhood cleanup project for October. 

Check this month's newsletter for links to join the Meeting or download the Agenda and Minutes from the last meeting as well as more neighborhood news and photos from the SoDo neighbors tour of 55 Elm.

 

Love Hartford Neighborhood Cleanup

 

Join your neighbors on Saturday, October 25 for a neighborhood cleanup, part of the City and Knox Foundation's Love Hartford Week.

We'll collect some litter in our neighborhood and then meet up as a group at Cafe Amore for a coffee (SoDo's treat!)

RSVP required, so Knox knows how much equipment to send.

Meet on the northwest corner of Main & Buckingham Streets, in Buckingham Square Park. Gloves, trash bags, water, etc. will be provided. Even if you can participate for only half an hour, your help is appreciated!

Following the cleanup, all participants are invited to Cafe Amore for refreshments.

SoDo Neighborhood Plan

 

For the past year, The SoDo NRZ has been working with FHI Studios and to create an official Neighborhood Plan to serve as a guide for the neighborhood's development in the upcoming decade. The goal of the Plan is to help SoDo neighborhood residents and stakeholders identify community priorities, build consensus around long-term vision, and ensure the consistency of community goals with those of the City. The community-driven plan builds on current and previous planning efforts to highlight the goals and priorities of the neighborhood, gaining insight from resident and stakeholder surveys, on-the-ground engagement, and guidance from the SoDo NRZ. Additionally, the SoDo Strategic Plan is included in the appendix of this neighborhood plan. The strategic plan varies from the neighborhood plan by focusing on targeted revitalization strategies, economic development initiatives, and infrastructure improvements specific to the NRZ area, whereas the neighborhood plan provides a broader, community-driven vision addressing land use, housing, connectivity, and overall neighborhood character.

You can read the SoDo Neighborhood plan here. Comments are welcome, email sodonrz@gmail.com.

SoDo Tour of 55 Elm

 

The folks at Spinnaker have graciously invited their SoDo neighbors for a sneak peek at SoDo's newest apartments at 55 Elm.

Thursday, September 25, 5:30 pm. Three tours of 12 people each. Each tour should be about 30 minutes. Online RSVP required. **Due to the limited number of slots on each tour, please consider your affirmative RSVP to be a commitment.**

By way of historical background, 55 Elm was built in the Renaissance Revival style in 1926 as the HQ for the CT General Life Insurance Co. (now CIGNA). It housed the Attorney General, Comptroller, and other state offices from about the 1960s to 2019. After an extensive renovation, it now contains 164 apartments.