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Committee backs plan to convert northern Anacello Street to pedestrian plaza tied to Arrowhead redevelopment
Summary
The committee voted April 2 to send a resolution favorably to the full City Council that would close the northern dead end of Anacello Street and convert it to a public plaza. The plaza, coordinated with the Arrowhead redevelopment, is funded largely by a state Communities Challenge grant and is designed for events, art panels and food trucks.
The Planning, Economic Development and Housing Committee on April 2 voted to send a resolution to the full City Council with a favorable recommendation to close the northern dead end of Anacello Street and convert the block to a public plaza.
City planners said the Anacello Plaza is being developed to complement the Arrowhead redevelopment project and the neighborhood’s broader goals for activation and connectivity. The plaza design is funded in part by the state Communities Challenge grant and is intended to support ground‑floor retail, provide space for pop‑up events and public art, and better connect Downtown North to Clay Arsenal and North Hartford.
“This project…will be about 60 feet wide in total,” said Owen Deutsch, acting chief staff planner in the Department of Development Services, describing a design wide enough to accommodate food trucks and public events. The presentation said the plaza design includes native plantings, removable safety bollards, a paved pattern evoking the Connecticut River and five art panels intended for local artists or historical displays.
Funding and schedule
Deutsch said the plaza is funded through the city’s share of a $6.3 million state Communities Challenge grant: roughly $1.3 million of the grant is allocated to Anacello Plaza and $250,000 in city funds have already been allocated. The Department of Development Services has requested an additional $200,000 in the Capital Improvement Program for overhead string lighting and an entry archway to enhance the design; those features are not currently funded.
Timing and coordination with DOT
Staff said the plaza construction timeline is coordinated with the Arrowhead redevelopment and that construction could be completed by the end of the year. Planners also said they have coordinated with the Connecticut Department of Transportation on its concept for improving the Main/Albany intersection; city staff said DOT’s current conceptual designs aim to calm and narrow the intersection to improve pedestrian safety and that DOT’s work is an earlier priority under the Greater Hartford mobility umbrella.
Maintenance and ownership
Department staff said anything in the public right‑of‑way portion of the plaza would remain city property. “Anything in the public right of way portion of the plaza would be city property,” said Director Chris Hayes, who also said the city is negotiating maintenance arrangements with the Arrowhead project owners and Flatiron Building ownership so that cleaning, snow removal and other upkeep responsibilities are clarified before construction.
Committee action and next steps
The committee voted to send the resolution favorably to the full City Council. Because state law requires public notice for a partial discontinuance of a public right of way, staff said the full council vote on the street closure is scheduled for May 12 to allow mail notice to affected addresses. Staff also said they will provide a district map and project timeline to committee members.
Ending: The resolution will appear on the City Council agenda in May to allow statutorily required notice; construction of the plaza is planned to proceed in coordination with the Arrowhead redevelopment project.
