The Future of Pulaski Circle at our June Annual Meeting

 

Pulaski Circle is one of the most important intersections in our neighborhood, and one of the most challenging. 

For years, residents, commuters, cyclists, and pedestrians have struggled with an intersection that is confusing to navigate and difficult to cross safely. The current design combines elements of a rotary and a roundabout, creating uncertainty for drivers and providing limited protection for people walking or biking through the area.

The numbers tell the story. More than 100 crashes were recorded at Pulaski Circle between 2018 and 2022. While thankfully there have been no fatalities, the intersection remains a significant safety concern and a major gateway to both Downtown Hartford and our neighborhood.

Now, change is on the horizon. Representatives from the Connecticut Department of Transportation will join the South Downtown NRZ on June 17 to present early concepts for transforming Pulaski Circle into a modern roundabout. Proposed improvements include clearer traffic patterns, proper lane markings, improved signage, and enhanced pedestrian safety measures designed to reduce crashes and slow traffic entering nearby residential and commercial streets. Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam will also attend the meeting to participate in the discussion and hear directly from the community.

These plans are still in the conceptual phase, which means community feedback can help shape the project before decisions are finalized.

Whether you drive through Pulaski Circle every day, walk across it, bike through it, or simply care about the future of our neighborhood, this is an opportunity to make your voice heard. 

Join the conversation. Ask questions. Share concerns. Help shape the future of one of the neighborhood's most important intersections. Tuesday, June 17, 6:00 p.m., at First Presbyterian Church, 136 Capitol Avenue. All neighbors are encouraged to attend.

June 17 is also our Annual Meeting and will include Board Elections, reports from HPD, HFD, and MDC on activity in the neighborhood, updates from various City offices such as Community Engagement and Planning & Development Services, and news from our own internal committees. 

Our monthly meetings are hybrid. Join us at First Presbyterian (136 Capitol Avenue, lower level) or on Zoom. Check out this month's newsletter for additional news, the May Minutes, June Agenda, and meeting link.

SoDo May Meeting + Info on Former Dispensary Building

 

The former dispensary at 341 Main Street

Neighbors, just as spring blooms change our landscape, there are many opportunities for change coming up in SoDo, read on and please attend the next two SoDo meetings - tonight and Wednesday, June 17. Read on for details on:

• What would you like to see at 341 Main Street?
• Vote for a bocce court at Buckingham Square Park.
• Possibility for thermal energy in the redevelopment of the Cap Ave lots?
• Zoning appeal for 165 Buckingham.
• What are the DOT’s plans for Pulaski Circle?

Last November, the Hartford Business Journal reported that the city was contemplating a purchase of the vacant former Roots dispensary building on the corner of Main and Buckingham (pictured above). That sale occurred in February 2026. The city is preparing a Request for Proposals for the building’s future redevelopment and is seeking neighborhood input before that process begins. This is an opportunity to help shape what comes next. What uses would strengthen the neighborhood? What would neighbors like to see at this site? Jack Benjamin, City Director of Economic Development, will be present tonight to hear community ideas and answer questions about the redevelopment process.

Through Hartford Decide$ participatory budgeting, our neighborhood could add a fun new amenity to the underused Buckingham Square Park, right next to 341 Main. Click here to read the full description, and click here to add your vote. All Hartford residents 10 years of age or older are eligible to vote.

Our next SoDo meeting of the 2025-26 year will be on Wednesday, May 20, at 6:00 pm. Our agenda includes discussions on the potential for thermal energy networks in SoDo, the future use of the former dispensary at 341 Main St., and a zoning appeal for 165 Buckingham. We’ll also have reports from HPD, HFD, and other city departments, and our Community Engagement and Social Committees. Check out this month's newsletter for links to join the Meeting or download the Agenda, as well as info on City dog licenses and rabies shots, Hartford Decide$ voting, CapFest, Solstice, and other neighborhood news.

April News + Progressive Dinner Photos

Last month’s Downtown Progressive Dinner was a wonderful evening of connection and community, bringing together 48 neighbors from SoDo, Downtown, and Charter Oak. The night began with drinks and mingling at Sol y Luna, followed by dinner in small groups at five host homes throughout the neighborhood. Guests then reunited for an unforgettable dessert buffet by Casey Moran and Caroline Correia, complete with stunning views of the city from their rooftop cupola. By all accounts, it was a memorable, walkable evening that captured the spirit of our neighborhood at its best. View photos here.

Our next SoDo meeting of the 2025-26 year will be on Wednesday, April 15 at 6:00 pm. Our agenda includes a discussion of the CT Legislature’s proposed bill HB 5260, ”An Act Prohibiting A Municipality from Imposing a Penalty for the Performance of Certain Activities of Daily Living,” which you can read here. We’ll also have reports from HPD, HFD, and other city departments, and our Community Engagement and Social Committees. Check out this month's newsletter for links to join the Meeting or download the Agenda, as well as more neighborhood news.

Only 6 Tix Left + March Neighborhood News

 

T.S. Eliot wrote that April is the cruelest month, but in Hartford, it often feels like March deserves the title. Despite the Vernal Equinox on our doorstep, the cold lingers, dirty snow still hangs on in patches, and the last stretch of winter can leave people feeling isolated. Across the country, loneliness and disconnection are rising, and when people feel disconnected, they are less likely to show up for their community. The good news is that the antidote is simple. Checking in on a neighbor, meeting for coffee at Cafe Amore, sharing a drink at Sol y Luna, taking a walk through Bushnell Park, or gathering for a neighborhood event can strengthen the connections that make a community thrive.

This week offers two easy ways to connect with neighbors: our monthly SoDo meeting on Wednesday and the upcoming Progressive Dinner. 

Our next SoDo meeting of the 2025-26 year will be Wednesday, March 18 at 6:00 pm. We will have a short presentation from the City of Hartford’s Office of Violence Prevention. Other discussion topics will include reports from HPD, HFD, and other city departments, and our Community Engagement and Social Committees. Scroll down and mark your calendar with a list of additional meeting dates. Check out this month's newsletter for links to join the Meeting or download the Agenda, as well as more neighborhood news.

Only six tickets remain for the Downtown Progressive Dinner this Saturday, March 21. Join your SoDo, Downtown, and Charter Oak neighbors for a fun, walkable evening of conversation, food, and wine, starting with a cocktail hour and ending with dessert after dinner in neighborhood homes. These final seats will go quickly, so be sure to get yours by 5 pm Tuesday, March 17. No tickets will be sold at the door. We hope you’ll grab one of the final seats and join your neighbors for this special evening.

2026 Progressive Dinner Tickets ON SALE NOW!

 

Don't miss one of Downtown Hartford's most fun events! The Downtown Progressive Dinner, Sponsored by SoDo brings together a jovial group of Downtown Hartford neighbors for food and drink and to foster active community participation. Hosts and Attendees will meet at a unique SoDo location for mingling, wine, and appetizers, and get their dinner location assignment. After dining at their Hosts' neighborhood homes, everyone will regroup at another local unique spot for dessert and more catching up. At past events, many said they were reluctant to leave their respective dinner parties, as they were having such a good time!

We hope you'll join us Saturday, March 21, 2026, for a wonderful, walkable evening of conversation, food, drink, and community with your fellow Downtown neighbors. Sign up in advance as a Host or Attendee (no tickets will be sold at the door) to attend, or if you have questions, send us an email at sodonrz@gmail.com.

Profits from the Progressive Dinner are used for programs and neighborhood enhancements supported throughout the year by the SoDo NRZ. Click here for more information about the NRZ and its mission.

February News & Meeting

The late Ani Mal braves the snow on Hudson Street. Photos by Meg Koos.

It is the deep midwinter. The air is cold, and snow from last month’s big storm still blankets our streets and sidewalks. Yet even in these quiet, frozen days, time spent with neighbors has a way of warming the heart. Winter can be especially hard for some among us, including those who feel isolated, are homebound, or struggle with the shorter days, so a simple check-in can mean more than we realize. Whether you meet for coffee at Cafe Amore, enjoy a drink at Sol y Luna, take a walk through Bushnell Park, or gather for our annual Progressive Dinner (March 21!), community is what carries us through the season.

Our next SoDo meeting of the 2025-26 year will be Wednesday, February 18 at 6:00 pm at First Presbyterian Church, 136 Capitol Avenue. We will have a special presentation from Envision Hartford on a design possibility for Pulaski Circle. Other discussion topics will include reports from HPD, HFD, and other city departments, and our Community Engagement and Social Committees. Check out this month's newsletter for links to join the Meeting or download the Agenda and Minutes from the last two meetings, as well as more neighborhood news.

January's Meeting will be Zoom Only

Winter view of SoDo facing south. Photo by Heather McLarney.

Although we did not meet in December, it was still a festive and neighborly month for SoDo: our Holiday Happy Hour at Sol y Luna was a fun night with margaritas, mini-tacos, churros, and Santa (aka SoDo VP Frank Sentner), and just before the holidays, a small team of volunteers managed to hang up some of our lit evergreen garlands at the East end of Capitol Avenue, with a little help from the team at The RiseUp Group.

Our next SoDo meeting of the 2025-26 year will be Wednesday, January 21 at 6:00 pm. Due to the expected frigid temperatures, we will be meeting only on Zoom (link below). We will be voting on our endorsement of the Neighborhood Plan that FHI Studio/IMEG began working with us on last February, and that was shared and discussed at a public neighborhood gathering at Cafe Amore in September and at our September meeting. Other discussion topics will include reports from HPD, HFD, and other city departments, and our Community Engagement and Social Committees. Scroll down and mark your calendar with the list of all 2026 meetings. Check this month's newsletter for links to join the Meeting or download the Agenda, and for City Snow Parking Ban info, the return of the Progressive Dinner, and other neighborhood news.