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January 9, 2025

Arulampalam: Hartford has cut building permit wait times by more than half

HBJ PHOTO | STEVE LASCHEVER Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam in City Hall.
By Michael Puffer

Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam came into office last year pledging, among other goals, to make the city the most business-friendly municipality in Connecticut.

At a press conference on Thursday, he claimed major gains in that arena by cutting waiting times for building permits by more than half.

"A year ago, upon taking office, I promised to work to make Hartford the easiest city to do business in the state of Connecticut,” Arulampalam said at the city’s development services office.  “By cutting wait times by more than half in just one year, we’re not just improving processes – we are sending a clear message that Hartford is open for business, ready to support entrepreneurs, and committed to driving economic growth in every neighborhood across the city.”

Arulampalam said the average wait for a permit dropped 57% between 2023 and 2024, from 40 days to 17.

That comes at a time when building permit demand is up, with a 1.4% increase in applications and 4.7% increase in permits issued, according to the city.

The Department of Development Services has implemented new strategies under the leadership of Jeff Auker, a former executive of IT company Infosys, who was appointed by Arulampalam in June 2024. The new strategies include identifying common application errors and encouraging complete submissions at the outset, as well as streamlining the process for long-standing and non-responsive applications.

"Our goal is to create a more business-friendly environment in Hartford," Auker said. "These improvements are just the beginning of our efforts to support economic growth across all neighborhoods."
 

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