Robert T. Wolfe and “Union Square” (aka Hill) Neighborhood in New Haven Receives a Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant for Transformational Revitalization 

NEW HAVEN, CT October 4, 2023 – Elm City Communities (ECC/HANH) and their development instrumentality The Glendower Group (Glendower) is proud to announce a significant milestone in its mission to revitalize New Haven neighborhoods. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has granted $500,000 in Choice Neighborhoods planning funds transforming the Robert T. Wolfe Building and surrounding “Union Square” community.  This partnership signifies a shared commitment to transforming the community into a vibrant, accessible, and inclusive space.

Robert T. Wolfe is a 92-unit, low-income, public housing high rise located adjacent to the Union Station Train Station, New Haven Police Headquarters and the former site of Church St. South housing development in need of significant redevelopment to meet the needs of its residents.  It is located adjacent to downtown, The Hill and the Medical Center District in the newly monikered Union Square area, an area like Robert T. Wolfe, in need of reinvestment.

Union Square has shown promising signs of investment, yet a significant segment of the community continues to contend with poverty and disinvestment. Challenges such as substandard housing, vacant properties, and underutilized lots persist in the neighborhood. Nevertheless, the potential for revitalization of Robert T. Wolfe and the broader Union Square area gleams brightly, thanks to its central location within a bustling transportation hub, proximity to the Central Business District, available vacant land, and a private sector eager to contribute to its future success.

ECC/HANH and Glendower’s vision for urban renewal and community enhancement will revitalize the Union Square community. Glendower, in close collaboration with ECC/HANH, is proud to lead this transformative initiative. Together with the active involvement of city officials and residents, including those living in the area, and the broader neighborhood community, they aim to craft a comprehensive community plan that will pave the way for substantial positive change in Union Square.

HUD’s Choice Neighborhood Program leverages significant public and private dollars to support locally driven strategies that address struggling neighborhoods with severely distressed public housing and/or HUD-assisted housing through a comprehensive approach to neighborhood transformation. Through CNI communities develop comprehensive neighborhood revitalization strategies known as “Transformation Plans” that focus on three main goals:

1. Housing: Replace severely distressed public and HUD-assisted housing with high-quality mixed-income housing that is well-managed and responsive to the needs of the surrounding neighborhood
2. People: Improve outcomes of households living in the target housing related to income and employment, health, and education; and
3. Neighborhood: Create the conditions necessary for public and private reinvestment in distressed neighborhoods to offer the kinds of amenities and assets, including safety, good schools, and commercial activity, that are important to families’ choices about their community.

The $500,000 CNI Planning Grant award enables EC/HANH and Glendower to complete the development of the Transformation Plan.

The vision for the site is one of innovation, opportunity, and community empowerment. Through a comprehensive redevelopment plan, Glendower will aim to follow HUD’s three-pronged “Housing, People and Neighborhood” approach by:

1. Gathering data at the resident and neighborhood level by holding resident, community & stakeholder engagement charrettes to assure that residents and other stakeholders are meaningfully engaged in the planning and implementation process

2. Developing a plan for housing design, neighborhood improvements and employment, education and health care programs
3. Embarking on initiatives for Beautification, Community Arts, Fresh Food access and Homeowner/Business Façade enhancement programs

“We are immensely grateful for the support from HUD,” stated Karen DuBois-Walton, President of Elm City Communities and The Glendower Group. “This funding represents a pivotal moment for transforming Robert T. Wolfe and the underutilized Union Square area and its connections to Downtown and the Hill Neighborhood and underscores our dedication to creating vibrant, sustainable communities that benefit all.”

Community engagement will be a cornerstone of this redevelopment effort, with opportunities for residents to participate in the decision-making process. This inclusive approach ensures that the revitalization meets the unique needs and aspirations of the community.

“We are excited to embark on this transformative journey and are dedicated to creating a neighborhood that everyone can be proud to call home,” said Shenae Draughn, Executive Vice President, ECC/HANH and The Glendower Group.

The Glendower Group invites all community members, stakeholders, and partners to join us on this exciting path forward. Together, we will build a brighter, more inclusive future for New Haven.

SPECIAL THANKS: Mayor Justin Elicker; Honorable Rosa L. DeLauro; Senator Richard Blumenthal, Senator Christopher Murphy; Alderwoman Honda Smith; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) staff: Suzanne Piacentini, Jennifer Gottlieb, Commissioner Alexandra Daum, Binu Chandy, and Shawntay Nelson from the State Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), Rob Vest and Lauren Henry from Redstone Equity Partners, Joshua Reiss from Lument Capital Holdings

About The Glendower Group: The Glendower Group (Glendower) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation established in November 2001 as an instrumentality to the Elm City Communities / Housing Authority of New Haven (ECC/HANH), located in Connecticut.  Glendower is at the forefront of those leading the private sector market in affordable housing.  Glendower provides comprehensive and integrated real estate development services specializing in affordable housing.  Together, Glendower and ECC/HANH have undertaken an aggressive redevelopment / modernization program allowing for the transformation of our housing portfolio throughout the City of New Haven.   Partnering with the City of New Haven, we have been able to close over 10 major redevelopments. Since 2009, Glendower has served as the sole developer or co-developer on 15 major affordable and market rate development projects with assets in excess of $850 million. Glendower’s vision has always been high-quality, innovative, and fiscally sound housing for families.

About Elm City Communities / Housing Authority of the City of New Haven (ECC/HANH): We, at Elm City Communities, believe public housing is the foundation from which the American Dream will survive and thrive for generations to come. Our vision is a New Haven where every resident has a safe and decent home that they can afford and opportunities to fulfill their goals. Since becoming a HUD-designated Moving To Work (MTW) agency in 2000, Elm City Communities has become an incubator of innovation and an economic engine in New Haven, Connecticut. As a result, Elm City Communities has increased affordable housing choice, provided an array of self-sufficiency programs, created across the board cost savings measures, and spurred millions of dollars of indirect economic activity through redevelopment projects and job creation. Through the development and operation of affordable communities of choice and by providing opportunities for greater self-sufficiency in New Haven, we offer a lifeline to the American Dream.