A staircase inside 649 Howard Ave. Credit: Michael Horton Associates.
HCD Commissioner Cordalie Benoit (right), with Commissioner Karen Jenkins: “I can’t think of a more impassioned argument for saving a building than what we heard.”
Ready for the bulldozer? The building at 649 Howard. Credit: Thomas Breen photo
The city’s Historic District Commission (HDC) voted Wednesday to send letters opposing a health center’s plan to tear down a dilapidated, 130-year-old building on Howard Avenue — less than two weeks before the proposed demolition can begin.
The decision follows weeks of advocacy from Hill neighbors and preservationists, who argue that the red-brick building is a historic landmark that should be restored and repurposed.
The commission’s 5-0 vote on 649 Howard Ave. took place Wednesday evening during a monthly meeting at City Hall. Their two letters will be addressed to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center, the building’s owner.
Ultimately, the commission’s letters are only advisory, as the HDC lacks veto power over proposed demolitions in national historic districts.
The property, located in the Howard Avenue National Historic District, is subject to a city-mandated, 90-day demolition delay. The commission’s letters must be sent before the waiting period ends on Jan. 26.
Hill Health, a federally-funded clinic that supports underserved communities, presented their demolition plans to the commission in November. CEO Michael Taylor said restoration would be cost-prohibitive, and that clients of Hill Health’s nearby substance abuse treatment center would benefit from 12 to 15 more parking spots.
A report contracted by Hill Health and performed by Michael Horton Associates on Nov. 18 concludes, “Based on the extent of the structural deficiencies observed, the upgrades required to bring the structure into code compliance, and the architectural repairs and improvements required, our opinion is that the cost for the repairs would be extensive enough that demolition of the structure should be considered.”
After November’s HDC meeting, people across the city rallied, arguing that the two-story property carries unique cultural and historical significance.
The building, a Romanesque Revival structure, was constructed in 1895. It served as the city’s Third Police Precinct for decades and later housed the nonprofit Hill Development Corporation. The building has sat vacant for around 15 years.
On Wednesday, members of the public again testified before the HDC as to the uniqueness of the structure.
My mom “has great memories” of the building providing “community services and support” to Hill residents, said Janice Parker. The Hill has “enough parking lots in our community already. What we need is community services.”
Miguel Pittman, chair of the Hill North Community Management Team, also submitted a statement against the demolition, arguing that Hill Health’s proposal would permanently erase the building’s “architectural character, cultural value, and potential community uses.” He also pointed out that nonprofit organizations have expressed interest in rehabilitating the property.
A board member from one such group, Dr. Kishwar Rizvi, said the Ely Center of Contemporary Art has “tried many times through many intermediaries” to broker an agreement with Hill Health. She said the Ely Center is seeking a new, permanent home after leaving 51 Trumbull St., but Hill Health, in a “rather unfriendly gesture,” has not allowed them to conduct an independent feasibility study of 649 Howard Ave.
“I think that removing the history of a city is probably the most violent gesture that we can enact on a community, on a people, and on our city,” said Rizvi. “So I do hope that we can move towards saving this building.”
Shawn Galligan, a director at Hill Health and attendee of Wednesday’s HDC meeting, did not respond to Rizvi’s comment. Hill Health did not offer a comment by the publication time of this article.
Jim Paley, an executive director of Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven (NHS), an affordable housing developer, told the Independent on Thursday that NHS has not been able to get into contact with Taylor. He said the group would still be interested in creatively reusing the building.
“It would admittedly be a weird looking property for homeownership,” said Paley, “but it’s certainly possible and worth exploring,” given the “historic significance of the building.”
During Wednesday’s meeting, Commissioner Michael Waters asked City Plan Executive Director Laura Brown about the property’s Development and Land Disposition Agreement (DLDA), which contains language that appears to prohibit demolition of the building without city review. The DLDA, dated Nov. 9, 2021, governed the sale of 649-651 Howard Ave from the city to Hill Health.
Brown said that there’s still ambiguity over what the provision means, but either way, the City Plan Department cannot stop demolition.
“The lack of clarity is [the phrase] ‘approval by city plan,’” said Brown, in reference to the relevant provision in the 2021 DLDA. “Does that mean an administrative review? Does it mean approval by the City Plan Commission? It’s not entirely clear.”
Even if site plan review is required, Brown added, “We can’t stop a demolition,” as “the historic nature of the building is not something that’s considered for zoning compliance.”
Brown said the city will have to resolve the ambiguity before a demolition permit can be issued.
“I can’t think of a more impassioned argument for saving a building than what we heard,” said HDC Commissioner Cordalie Benoit. Without more discussion, the commission unanimously voted to send two letters of opposition.
South side of the building. Credit: Michael Horton Associates.
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