The Planning, Economic Development & Housing Committee voted Dec. 16 to send a favorable recommendation to the City Council for a proposed sale of three city parcels (10 Albany Ave, 18 Albany Ave and 1441 Main St) to the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, which envisions a nonprofit hub, convening space and neighborhood amenities.

Director Jack Benjamin described the disposition resolution: the term sheet proposes selling the three city parcels for no less than $100,000 total, subject to appraisal and environmental cleanup cost estimates. "What needs to happen, essentially before we dispose of the properties is to get them appraised and to get some environmental assessment work done that comes up with a cleanup price," Benjamin said. If appraisal less cleanup yields more than $100,000 the parties would use that figure as the sale price, he added.

Jay Williams, CEO of the foundation, said the project is intended as a catalytic, fully foundation-funded investment in the North End that would host nonprofits, training, neighborhood programming and limited public-facing green space. Williams said the foundation is not requesting city financial participation and has committed to meeting MBE/WBE and city-resident participation goals during development.

Council members praised the concept as catalytic for the O6120 ZIP-code area and urged careful design to "communicate with the street" and avoid fronting Main or Albany with parking lots. Members also raised questions about historic structures on target parcels; foundation representatives said they will engage the Historic Preservation Commission and that some abandoned or structurally deficient buildings are likely to be replaced, while expressing sensitivity to preservation where feasible.

The committee voted to forward the sale resolution with a favorable recommendation to the City Council; the administration and foundation will complete appraisal and environmental due diligence (proposed 180-day timeframe) and coordinate required Planning & Zoning (8-24) review before final disposition.

Next steps: appraisal and environmental review; Planning & Zoning 8-24 review; final council action after due diligence and required referrals.

Sources: Presentation by Jack Benjamin (Development Services) and Jay Williams (Hartford Foundation); committee discussion and vote, Dec. 16, 2025.