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June 7, 2021

Developer breaks ground on 101 College St. project

PHOTOS | Michelle Tuccitto Sullo A new 10 story bioscience tower is under construction at 101 College St. in New Haven.
By Michelle Tuccitto Sullo

Amid speeches and the customary shovels flinging dirt, construction officially began Monday on a new bioscience tower in downtown New Haven.

Monday was also the ceremonial beginning of Phase 3 of the ongoing Downtown Crossing project. It aims to fix the division caused decades ago by the so-called Route 34 “highway to nowhere,” by stitching back the downtown area with the Hill neighborhood.

Mayor Justin Elicker, Gov. Ned Lamont, Massachusetts-based developer Carter Winstanley and others spoke about what the projects mean for the city during a groundbreaking ceremony.

“This is an exciting time for our city - we are on the cusp of doing incredible things,” Elicker said. “With the construction of 101 College St., we’re moving towards an expanded city tax base, approximately 700 to 1,000 new jobs on site, and an expected spur of 3,000 jobs throughout the local economy.” 

Winstanley’s 10 story tower at 101 College St. will have roughly 500,000 square feet of laboratory, research and meeting space. It is being built across from the Alexion Pharmaceuticals building, which is at 100 College, another Winstanley development. 

The tower is intertwined with the Downtown Crossing project, as 101 College is being built on the old Route 34 connector’s previously unusable right of way.

The new tower, which will take about two years to construct, has already attracted tenants - including Yale University and bioscience company Arvinas. BioLabs of Cambridge, which manages co-working space for life science startups, will run a new Yale-backed incubator in the building.

Lamont said the bioscience tower will bring high-paying jobs for local New Haven residents and the surrounding area. 

“We have solidified New Haven’s standing as one of our state’s key bioscience hubs,” Lamont said. “It’s a great day for New Haven and Connecticut.”

Yale University President Peter Salovey said 101 College is a “symbol of a shared vision.”

“We can make New Haven an international hub for bioscience, pharmaceutical and health technology companies,” Salovey said. “I look forward to working with all of you in the years ahead.”

Winstanley noted that there will be a collaboration with area schools, colleges and universities, such as Yale, Southern Connecticut State University and Gateway Community College, to educate young people and area residents in the sciences and train them for bioscience jobs.

Carter Winstanley at Monday morning's groundbreaking ceremony.

Winstanley said he is committed to hiring locally for construction. 

“We will continue to make connections to this industry through the BioPath, a new STEM classroom for New Haven high school students, and workforce opportunities with New Haven Works,” Winstanley said.

Arvinas President and CEO John Houston said, “I believe we are at the beginning of something truly exciting. We recognize the potential of New Haven as a bioscience hub. Our commitment to New Haven is strong and lasting.”

Meanwhile, the multi-year Downtown Crossing project is creating new urban boulevards on the former Route 34 highway site, by creating new pedestrian and bicycle friendly streets. Construction on Phase 2 began in spring 2019 and when finished this summer, it will reconnect Orange Street across the former Route 34 highway. 

Phase 3, which started in late May and will continue through 2021, begins reconnecting Temple Street and Congress Avenue, and includes improvements to allow for the 101 College St. development. A fourth and final phase of Downtown Crossing is tentatively slated to begin in 2023.

Contact Michelle Tuccitto Sullo at msullo@newhavenbiz.com.

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