Natasha Khazzam, Contributing Photographer

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Historically, New Haven’s proximity to the water served a largely economic purpose, facilitating the movement of commercial goods in and out of the harbor. However, recent developments including the effects of climate change and the call for more housing in the city have led city representatives to rethink the significance and use of the city’s coastlines.

“As our value for the water and the waterfront has changed over the decades, we’ve realized that there are different and perhaps more valuable uses for that land,” explained Laura Brown, executive director of the City Plan Department.

Changing attitudes have manifested in several construction projects that seek to revitalize the city’s connection to the water. The largest of these projects is the Long Wharf Responsible Growth Plan, an ongoing construction plan that envisions the development of five waterfront neighborhoods in the Long Wharf area linked together by a park and walkway.

The construction at Long Wharf seeks to foster connectivity between city residents and the coastline while also boosting economic growth. Brown explained that the construction will facilitate access to the shoreline and help foster a communal appreciation for the waterfront. Additionally, commercial developments will attract more residents to Long Wharf, fueling the economic vitality of businesses already present in the area, including the Long Wharf food trucks. 

In partnership with Fusco Corp., a construction management company, the plan also entails the construction of a 500-unit residential complex that will help to address the need for additional housing in the city. 

New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker explained how recent regulations regarding water pollution have improved the cleanliness of waterways, increasing the desirability of residing in waterfront neighborhoods. 

“There’s been more interest in beautifying cities and embracing cities as a source of residential housing that was not the focus 40 or 50 years ago,” Elicker said. 

In addition to bolstering community and financial development in the Long Wharf sector, the plan will prioritize coastal resiliency in response to climate change. City Engineer Giovanni Zinn explained that the coastal location of Long Wharf made the area susceptible to flooding. 

In accordance with the Long Wharf Responsible Growth Plan, the city has built over 200 bioswales in the downtown area that will address this threat, facilitating drainage and thus reducing the potential for flooding. 

According to Zinn, much of the remaining construction outlined in the plan is set to begin in 2024.

“It is our responsibility not only to do something that’s resilient and responsible from a climate perspective but also serves all the needs of residents… needs for jobs, for education, for opportunity,” Zinn said.

Other construction projects throughout the city similarly look to revitalize the city’s waterfronts and facilitate movement between the waterfront and the city center.

Brown discussed the recent opening of Hotel Marcel, which is located in the Long Wharf district and includes a view of the waterfront. The Hotel, which was originally built in 1970 as the headquarters of the Armstrong Rubber Company, repurposes historic brutalist architecture to draw people to the New Haven waterfront. 

According to Brown, development in New Haven has largely occurred in the form of “redevelopment” — in other words, maximizing the use of space in previously developed areas. 

Additionally, the city is looking to install a new bicycle and walking trail in partnership with the  Shoreline Greenway Trail initiative, which includes building a 25-mile corridor that runs from East Haven to Madison. The city is also looking to expand the Mill River Trail, which will link different areas of the city while improving public access to the waterfront.

These developments also highlight a shift away from constructions that have historically cut off public access to the city’s waterfront. According to Brown, urban renewal decisions in the 1950s and 60s led to the construction of the Route 34 highway which ran through the city and cut off neighborhoods from the shoreline. Ongoing efforts such as the Downtown Crossing initiative, Brown said, will seek to reverse these impacts, transforming Route 34 into a system of urban boulevards reconnecting New Haven neighborhoods.

These waterfront developments are not limited to the coastline — riverfront developments similarly seek to make use of existing waterways within the city.

One such effort includes the ongoing construction of a 10,000-square-foot commercial-industrial building at the former site of the Bigelow Boiler Co. on River Street.

Elicker said that he views River Street as a “major opportunity” for the city to “embrace the waterfront and connect people to it again,” and emphasized his belief that the city should focus on residential development in the area in addition to industrial development.

Ongoing construction at 500 Blake St. in Westville is expected to provide 129 additional units of market-rate housing. Melinda Agron, a principal architect working on the project, explained that the project seeks to revitalize access to the neighboring West River through the construction of a multi-use riverside pathway.

Elicker described reconnecting with the waterfront as a “broader pattern” that characterizes recent constructions in New Haven. 

“There’s been a realization by many cities that the waterfront is a very important asset,” Elicker said.

The Long Wharf Development Plan was first adopted in 2019.