120 Whitney before

Early last fall Marcus Lane, a West End homeowner, applied to the city for building permits to remodel their house which had been oddly modified over many years and renovate it to an original design.  The character of the house was hidden under odd exterior additions, inexpensive siding, an industrial handicap ramp and none-to-pretty windows. Standing at the corner of Whitney and Fern Streets, drivers stopped at the traffic light got a good lesson in what ought not to be done to a property in an historic district. The city Planning Department staff referred the owner to the Preservation Alliance for our guidance in getting the Historic Preservation Commission’s approval.

Valerio Giadone, the unsung hero of our technical assistance program, responded in typical fashion, quietly assessing the scope of the project.  His skill and talent lies in a deep knowledge of historic architecture, an architect’s eye toward design and his experience in offering suggestions which work well on a property but will not break the bank.

120 Whitney now – a work in progess

The petition going before the Hartford Historic Preservation Commission on this renovation project was nothing short of epic.  No element of the house exterior was being ignored – new siding, new windows, a new front door, modifications to exterior entrances and the elimination of the ramp.  With slow and steady patience, good drawings of the proposed work and great coaching Valerio sharpened the request to a manageable discussion of what was to be a terrific improvement for the neighborhood. In his note of thank, the homeowner spoke of Valerio’s patient technical assistance that has made the project much easier and resulted in a favorable approval from the commission.  Now under construction, a lovely center hall colonial is reemerging, ready to once again contribute to a neighborhood of homes which owners take great pride in preserving.

During 2015 the Preservation Alliance created a team which dedicates itself to making historic preservation less painful both in process and pocketbook.  We welcome all inquiries and are happy to help.  We join the National Trust in its program “This Place Matters” and want to extend that to mean we can guide property owners on achieving that goal.  Give us a call, we can help!

In 2011, I founded the Land Bank of Indianapolis, now known as Renew Indianapolis, which was created to address the festering problem of vacant and abandoned properties in Indianapolis, blight to be sure.  At the time there were some 5,000 properties which is a seemingly huge number until you realize that the land mass of the consolidated city of Indianapolis is basically 12 times the size of Hartford.

We worked for nearly two years to analyze the negative impact on the city and why did it matter.  Working with the city administration, corporate, community and elected officials we educated the public on the economic impact that blight effects on the fiscal life of a city.  We had a very easy job of proving to neighborhoods that the negative impact of vacant and abandoned property is real.  If the house next door is empty and the owner non-existent the concerns of personal safety are a major factor in an overall decline of a community wellbeing.  Morale and a sense of belonging is truly tested as one stands on a front porch and views a street of bad repair and a lack of urban commitment. Along with blight comes arson, drug deals, squatters and prostitution.

23-25 Madison – a vacant property in historic Frog Hollow

Working closely with a relatively new non-profit, the Center for Community Progress, we learned that there are cities with far greater problems like Detroit, Cleveland and Flint.  The issues we face here in Hartford are totally similar but for the scale.

We now know that a property’s value is diminished by 2.5 % if within 200 feet of a vacant structure.  The cost to a municipality is staggering.  South Bend, Indiana calculated that 28 % of its public safety budget was directly related to problems caused by vacant and abandoned properties.  Police and fire runs are routine; drug activity will always find the opportunity of no witness and little resistance.

On Monday evening Mayor Luke Bronin laid out a fairly bleak fiscal picture for Hartford yet among his priorities was the need to address blight. The Preservation Alliance recognizes its role to play as a critical partner in reducing neighborhood blight. Our strategic plan declares our commitment to community economic development as the basis for our work here.  Of the 400 Hartford properties listed as vacant, nearly half are located in historic districts.  On this year’s  list of our Top Ten Endangered properties, 80% are vacant.  We believe that we can help to effect positive resources for communities:

1. During 2015 our Technical Assistance team has become a property owner resource for design and cost-effective approach to rehabilitation. We have worked closely with the Development Services staff to ease the process of getting a building permit to do work on historic properties including consulting with the Hartford Preservation Commission.
2. Connecticut has an amazing historic tax credit program which is available to property owners located in designated districts. This is a tremendous financial tool which can encourage a property owner to renovate and rehabilitate with additional funds for a rehabilitation project. We now routinely offer our services to consult on navigating the process to utilize tax credits.

We are eager to be part of the Hartford’s solution to blight and welcome you to join us!

Last Thursday evening I attended one of Mayor Luke Bronin’s Town Hall Meetings. The topic which is of keen interest to me was Public Safety. It is impossible to convey just how excited I am to have a mayor with Luke’s vision, capability, intelligence and vigor (love the Kennedy-esque term because it fits!). My great concern for this meeting is the total misconception of personal safety in Hartford.

For decades in mentioning that I live here I am greeted with shock and surprise that I am somehow vulnerable to rampant crime and bodily harm. Just this past weekend I was at a dinner where someone who does not nor has ever lived in Hartford explained to the table that Hartford teems with crime. I politely pointed out that his opinion was one of perception based in absolutely no reality.

The Mayor was candid about the pressing financial burdens which the city will shoulder for the near future. He acknowledged that the police force is not staffed to the level which would be advisable. However, we surely benefit from the great management of Chiefs Ravella and Freeman of the Police and Fire Departments, respectively. These leaders are doing a fine job of keeping us safe. We are an urban center so there will be crime yet the statistics do not bear out any form of reality that we exist on mean streets.

Rather than carry on I want to pin a blog to this post written by Kevin Brookman. His blog “We The People” has become for me the must-read for what is happening in Hartford. Please take a look at his blog representing the town hall meeting regarding Public Safety:

Perception, regardless of how false, is something we here live with. As Mayor Bronin asked, it is incumbent on all of us to push back and talk about the reality of safety in our city. Just as I did at dinner. I politely asked my fellow guest to prove his words or simply stop bashing Hartford. He fell silent.

On Sunday, February 14, Valentine’s Day we announced a list of what we believe are the Ten Most Endangered historic properties in Hartford. Not to our surprise with the media attention of our HARTBomb event, the Preservation Alliance heard from people with truly interesting stories to tell about properties with which they are connected. One such email came from Jim Newton who grew up in the house located at 16 Harvard Street. 

We were delighted to see 16 Harvard St. on the Hartford Endangered Property list. My parents Flora and Bob Newton bought the house in 1964 and moved to Simsbury in the late 1970’s.Bob Newton was a Chief in the Hartford Fire Department and a descendent of Thomas Hooker.

The house was moved from the Batchelor School property to Harvard St. The house was remodeled in the early 1960’s and the original handrail and balusters were removed much to the dismay of the neighbors the Flamio’s. During the renovation there was a fire caused by a spark from the plumber that went up the balloon framed walls to the attic and scorched the original timbers. There is still evidence of the fire today. Bob had a woodworking shop in the basement and made many pieces of furniture there. We have been observing the property and feel sad that the house looks empty and that someone removed the two front ceiling to floor windows. The front attic had the original lead glass window, we don’t know if it is still there. It will be wonderful to see the house preserved and hopefully restored.

Jim and Mary Ann Newton

We are really pleased that attention has been focused on historic buildings which live throughout the City. Often we drive by without paying any attention to the historic significance of the properties or their important contribution to the historic fabric we cherish about Hartford. Our work is not only to draw attention to these properties but provide technical assistance to advise and guide realistic strategies of restoration and renovation. Our office welcomes inquiries and we are available to anyone. Please consider exploring our website and definitely like us on Facebook. We want to help because we believe that Historic Preservation Matters!