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A staircase inside 649 Howard Ave. Credit: Michael Horton Associates.<\/p>\nA staircase inside 649 Howard Ave. Credit: Michael Horton Associates.<\/p>\n
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HCD Commissioner Cordalie Benoit (right), with Commissioner Karen Jenkins: \u201cI can\u2019t think of a more impassioned argument for saving a building than what we heard.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Ready for the bulldozer? The building at 649 Howard. Credit: Thomas Breen photo<\/p>\n
The city\u2019s Historic District Commission (HDC) voted Wednesday to send letters opposing a health center\u2019s plan to tear down a dilapidated, 130-year-old building on Howard Avenue \u2014 less than two weeks before the proposed demolition can begin.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The commission\u2019s 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)<\/a> and Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center<\/a>, the building\u2019s owner. <\/p>\n Ultimately, the commission\u2019s letters are only advisory, as the HDC lacks veto power over proposed demolitions in national historic districts.<\/p>\n The property, located in the\u00a0Howard Avenue National Historic District<\/a>, is subject to a city-mandated, 90-day demolition delay. The commission\u2019s letters must be sent before the waiting period ends on Jan. 26.<\/p>\n Hill Health, a federally-funded clinic that supports underserved communities, presented their demolition plans <\/a>to the commission in November. CEO Michael Taylor said restoration would be cost-prohibitive, and that clients of Hill Health\u2019s nearby\u00a0substance abuse treatment center<\/a> would benefit from 12 to 15 more parking spots. <\/p>\n A report contracted by Hill Health and performed by Michael Horton Associates on Nov. 18 concludes, \u201cBased 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.\u201d<\/p>\n After November\u2019s HDC meeting, people across the city rallied<\/a>, arguing that the two-story property carries unique cultural and historical significance.<\/p>\n The building, a Romanesque Revival structure, was\u00a0constructed in 1895.<\/a> It served as the city\u2019s Third Police Precinct for decades and later housed the nonprofit Hill Development Corporation. The building has sat vacant for around 15 years<\/a>.<\/p>\n On Wednesday, members of the public again testified before the HDC as to the uniqueness of the structure.<\/p>\n My mom \u201chas great memories\u201d of the building providing \u201ccommunity services and support\u201d to Hill residents, said Janice Parker. The Hill has \u201cenough parking lots in our community already. What we need is community services.\u201d<\/p>\n Miguel Pittman, chair of the Hill North Community Management Team, also submitted a statement against the demolition, arguing that Hill Health\u2019s proposal would permanently erase the building\u2019s \u201carchitectural character, cultural value, and potential community uses.\u201d He also pointed out that nonprofit organizations have expressed interest in rehabilitating the property.<\/p>\n A board member from one such group, Dr. Kishwar Rizvi, said the Ely Center of Contemporary Art has \u201ctried many times through many intermediaries\u201d to broker an agreement with Hill Health. She said the Ely Center is seeking a new, permanent home after leaving 51 Trumbull St<\/a>., but Hill Health, in a \u201crather unfriendly gesture,\u201d has not allowed them to conduct an independent feasibility study of 649 Howard Ave.<\/p>\n \u201cI 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,\u201d said Rizvi. \u201cSo I do hope that we can move towards saving this building.\u201d<\/p>\n Shawn Galligan, a director at Hill Health and attendee of Wednesday\u2019s HDC meeting, did not respond to Rizvi\u2019s comment. Hill Health did not offer a comment by the publication time of this article.<\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n \u201cIt would admittedly be a weird looking property for homeownership,\u201d said Paley, \u201cbut it\u2019s certainly possible and worth exploring,\u201d given the \u201chistoric significance of the building.\u201d<\/p>\n
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South side of the building. Credit: Michael Horton Associates.<\/p>\n