Lawmakers passed a bill last year that they hoped would lead to the creation of a vibrant area in East Hartford. It was a key move to push through an $840 million mixed-use overhaul of distressed office buildings, bringing dynamism to the area.
In an effort to expedite development, language was included in the law that would exempt development from a safety review process that applies to major traffic that is expected to generate significant traffic. State Department of Transportation officials, however, are calling for the exemption language to be repealed.
As a potential “major traffic generator,” Port Eastside would have to go through a review and approval process by the DOT’s Office of State Traffic Administration, the state agency said.
The large mixed-use development, located near an on-ramp and off-ramp for Route 2, “contains significant potential to generate traffic that can support state limited-access highways,” the DOT said. “This situation increases the risk of a high-speed collision.”
But last year’s bill, which Gov. Ned Lamont signed into law in June, “takes the extreme step of removing jurisdiction over this development away from the agency at a time when road safety is a central focus of CTDOT and the Lamont administration,” the agency said. “This would set a dangerous precedent that every future developer will try to duplicate.”
House Majority Leader Jason Rojas, D-East Hartford, said he expected lawmakers to follow up on the request during the legislative session, a 13-week period that began Feb. 4. Rojas said lawmakers did not receive the DOT’s rejection of the provision when they were drafting the bill. The record for the legislation shows no agency testimony.
“I think it was kind of missed during the legislative grind when we originally thought about it,” he said. “I’ve since met with (DOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto) and I know the commissioner has been talking to the project developers as well. So I think what’s being proposed is actually done as kind of an agreement and it’s not a contentious issue.”
Rojas said the purpose of granting the exemption, which the developers requested, was to put the project on a faster track, but “it was certainly not intended to avoid safety issues or anything like that.”
“It was just one of those things that was missed in the course of the debate,” Rojas said.
If the provision remains in place, DOT said, the project would not be subject to:
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A process to ensure that signage and markings comply with federal requirements;
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A review related to interactions between cars and cyclists or pedestrians;
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“Complete Streets” policies that prioritize the safety of non-drivers; and
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Policies to ensure data drives traffic control decisions.
The law also removes developers’ responsibility to make infrastructure improvements to mitigate the project’s traffic impact and affects the DOT’s ability to plan transit service, the agency said.
Port Eastside representatives did not return a request for comment.
Richard Kehoe, who chairs the East Hartford City Council, said the city was not directly involved in the matter to his knowledge, but he would be surprised if the developers challenged the DOT proposal.
“The state has really supported them throughout the project,” Kehoe said.
An $840 million project announced in 2023, Port Eastside will redevelop approximately 30 acres of land in and around Founders Plaza with 800 to 1,000 residential units and various retail uses, including storefronts and restaurants. The developers touted Port Eastside as a way to bring back vitality to an underutilized commercial area with more than 2,100 feet of riverfront property. A key component of the legislation is that it creates a special taxing district for the area.
Former Mayor Mike Walsh identified the redevelopment of Founders Plaza as a priority for East Hartford at the start of his only term in 2021. He announced in July 2023 that he would not seek re-election to instead serve as a “champion” for the Port Eastside, stating at the time that “nine mayors, including myself, over 50 years have not been successful in developing Founders Plaza.”
Existing structures in the project area include a parking garage and a 19-story office building at 110 Founders Plaza with several existing tenants, a former Bank of America at 99 Founders Plaza and a vacant office building at 300 East River Drive. The developers said the first phases of Port Eastside will upgrade 111 Founders Square with 240 to 250 residential units and build a new parking garage with ground-floor retail space.
As for when it might start, Port Eastside officials have described it as a decade-long project, and the timing will largely depend on when an interlocal agreement for the tax increment financing district is finalized, but previously anticipated occupancy could begin in late 2027.
Kehoe said conversations on the interlocal agreement have not yet begun, but he would expect more activity in “maybe another nine months” after construction ramps up.
The developers announced last week that demolition had begun on the old Bank of America and parking garage, with partner Bruce Simons saying in a prepared statement that it marked the start of a “multi-year transformation” of Founders Plaza.
“There is a lot of work that needs to be done to prepare the site and build the infrastructure that will support the residences, businesses and features here, and we are energized to take the first steps forward,” Simons said.
Kehoe said Monday that while he’s always been skeptical of large projects like Port Eastside, he was encouraged to see demolition begin after developers proposed about $20 million to buy all the properties.
“Hopefully we’ll see a lot more action this spring,” Kehoe said.
This article was originally published at ‘Dangerous precedent’: CT MPs called for overturning law exempting major project from safety assessment.