Committee backs $636,000 Connecticut Port Authority grant to replace Hartford riverfront docks

Hartford's Public Works, Parks, Recreation and Environment Committee voted Oct. 22 to send to the full City Council a favorable recommendation for a resolution authorizing the city to accept a Connecticut Port Authority Small Harbor Improvement Project grant of $636,000 to repair and replace floating docks at Riverside Park and Mortenson Riverfront Plaza during 2025–26.

The grant is an 80/20 award, leaving a $159,000 local match requirement. Mike Zaleski, president and CEO of Riverfront Recapture, told the committee Riverfront Recapture has already spent a little over $50,000 on preliminary engineering, permitting and environmental studies and “has a majority of that money secured” to cover the match once the city executes the contract with the port authority and a project agreement between Riverfront Recapture and the city.

The docks to be replaced are aging: Mark Nicole, director of park planning and development for Riverfront Recapture, said docking infrastructure downtown was installed around 2000 and at Riverside Park in phases from roughly 1999 to 2007 and is “well beyond its expected lifespan.” He said the project will generally reuse the existing dock footprints to avoid triggering a full, more extensive permitting process with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. "If we were to try to change that in any kind of significant way, it would cause us to go into a full blown, permitting process with the Army Corps," Nicole said.

Nicole and Zaleski said the replacement docks will likely have a lower freeboard to better accommodate a wider range of small craft used on the river — rowing shells, dragon boats and pleasure craft — while staff expect to retain the current footprint and make repairs to related infrastructure, including power and lighting. Nicole said lowering the freeboard will make the docks "more applicable to a larger range of boaters." Christopher Hayes, director of Public Works, was present for the discussion and participated in describing coordination with other city departments and commissions.

Committee members asked about the potential to attract larger passenger boats and tourist cruises. Councilman John Gale and others discussed past visits from larger vessels and noted that while Hartford has hosted bigger boats historically, current service is limited. Riverfront Recapture staff said they regularly work with small tour operators, such as Captain Bill, who operates 16–18 passenger pontoon tours in the region, and that insurance and site access can affect operations at some downtown locations.

The committee made and seconded a motion to send the resolution to the full council with a favorable recommendation; the motion passed with no recorded opposition.

Projects mentioned during the discussion that relate to the city's riverfront planning include a recently completed feasibility study (in partnership with the city and Weathersfield) to extend the Riverwalk from Charter Oak Landing to Old Wethersfield, and previously secured federal funding in the form of a roughly $1 million grant secured through Congressman Larson for infrastructure improvements at Charter Oak Landing, which staff said would help the park remain accessible during lower-elevation floods.

The item will go to the full City Council for formal acceptance of the Connecticut Port Authority grant and execution of the city contract required to receive funds.