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July 22, 2024

East Hartford seeks $6M in state funding for re-imagined downtown

Contributed An artist's rendering of a redeveloped Bissell Street in downtown East Hartford.
By Michael Puffer

East Hartford Mayor Connor Martin is seeking $6 million from the state to advance his planned revitalization of East Hartford’s downtown, including the transformation of a short section of Bissell Street into a vibrant boutique retail and public entertainment space.

The town has applied to the state’s Community Investment Fund (CIF) program and expects an answer this fall.

A portion of the funds would be used for infrastructure work targeting the transformation of a bland section of Bissell Street into a retail, arts and entertainment strip. Martin imagines shops, a brewery, public seating and amenities that would draw people to about a block of pedestrian-only road in the center of the town. Martin said he would like to emulate Hartford’s downtown Pratt Street.

CIF funds would be used to put utilities underground and reorient traffic around Bissell Street, to lessen the traffic inconveniences of shutting the throughway down to motorized traffic.

Another portion of the funds would be used to advance a study of traffic-calming measures on downtown Main Street, where fast-moving traffic currently makes pedestrian crossings daunting. The town is considering the installation of traffic rotaries and other means to slow motorists.

In the meantime, the town has allocated $500,000 toward the “enhancement and activation of downtown East Hartford,” according to East Hartford spokesperson Marissa Baum.

The town has used $25,000 to engage arts nonprofit RiseUP to coordinate four events on Bissell Street and consult on setting the stage for subsequent events by the town.

The first of those events, an arts celebration, will be held this Friday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The event marks the completion of murals on the formerly drab walls of Bissell Street, including a large “Welcome to East Hartford” mural on the south side. The event will include arts activities and live performances, as well as food vending by local Brazilian restaurant Favela Aroma.

“It will start to show this is a destination here in East Hartford,” Martin said of Friday’s event. “We want people to start buying into this vision. We hope it might lead to people wanting to invest in community development.”

Martin will be among government leadership on-hand Friday to explain the downtown-revitalization vision.

The stretch of Bissell Street targeted for redevelopment will be closed to traffic during Friday’s event. 

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