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July 31, 2020

Hartford seeking redevelopment bids for former firehouse HQ

SAM RODRIGUEZ | ALL AMERICAN AERIAL LLC The historic former fire station at 275 Pearl St. in Hartford.
By Joe Cooper

The city of Hartford says it's seeking buyers to redevelop the former three-story fire department headquarters on Pearl Street.

Hartford's department of development services recently invited developers and investors to submit proposals to buy and redevelop the city-owned firehouse at 275 Pearl St. that was decommissioned in January. The fair market value of the property is approximately $2.3 million, according to a 2016 appraisal cited in a newly issued request for proposals (RFP).

The deadline to submit bids is Oct. 20. City council approval would ultimately be needed to sell the property.

Hartford officials say the city will only consider submissions that aim to rehabilitate the existing firehouse while complying with land-uses and architecture of the surrounding area. That includes the building facade, which must be retained and preserved. All renovation work is subject to review by the city’s planning and zoning and historic commissions. 

The Pearl Street site is zoned DT-2, which the city says is intended to regulate the "highest intensity of development in the city, while respecting the historic building scale of the downtown and the adjacent blocks."

Hartford boosters have argued that the century-old, brick structure would be best suited for apartment, restaurant or craft-brewery space.

[Read more: Vacant buildings, parking lots continue to blanket a key gateway to downtown Hartford]

According to the RFP issued July 21, the firehouse was built in 1918, and expanded in 1926. It served as Hartford's fire headquarters until the city debuted its new public safety complex for both police and fire department operations in Jan. 2013.

The city touts the firehouse as being well positioned -- just 500 feet from the 50-acre Bushnell Park, less than a half mile away from Union Station, and near major transit bus routes, including the CTfastrak bus system.

"The site represents an excellent development opportunity in the heart of downtown Hartford within close proximity to public transit, parks and entertainment,” it says.

Larry Gottesdiener, the CEO and chairman of Newton, Mass.-based developer and downtown Hartford landlord Northland Investment Corp., is a key player who could help determine the Pearl Street block’s fate.

Gottesdiener, who built and owns the 36-story Hartford 21 luxury apartment tower, has eyed the 11-story deteriorating former YMCA building next door, at 160 Jewell St., as a prime target for redevelopment into apartments since Northland acquired the property in 2008.

The old YMCA building on Jewell Street has been vacant since 2006.

In 2015, Northland proposed a $70-million project to knock down the current building and erect a seven-story, 200-unit apartment complex. The project also incorporated converting the historic fire station space into a restaurant or brewery, Gottesdiener previously told HBJ. But that proposal never moved forward.

Key dates

The city says it will hold a bidder conference and open house at the firehouse on Aug. 20. Applicants must submit at least one copy of submission to the development services department at 260 Constitution Plaza.

The deadline to submit questions is Oct. 6, and the deadline for submissions is Oct. 20 at 2 p.m.

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