5. Notice of Scoping for MLK Apartments Hartford
Address of possible location: 79-107 Van Block Avenue, Hartford, CT
Municipality where proposed action might be located: Hartford
Project Description: The low-income residential apartment buildings located at 79-107 Van Block Avenue are proposed for demolition and redevelopment. The planned activities include the demolition of the existing residential apartment buildings (eight residential apartment buildings consisting of eight apartment units; each consisting of six 3-bedroom units and two 2-bedroom units built circa 1966 and a community building built 2004). The redevelopment of the site will consist of low-income housing to include fifteen buildings and 161 residential apartment units (70 1-bedroom units, 72 2-bedroom units, and 19 3-bedroom units). The redevelopment will not increase the project sites footprint or impact any adjacent properties. MLK Apartments is a 64-unit apartment community located on Van Block Avenue in Hartford’s Sheldon/Charter Oak neighborhood. The complex was built in 1970 as affordable housing for families displaced by urban renewal. To attract residents of a mix of incomes, while ensuring no displacement of current residents, the proposed unit mix consists of both market rate and affordable flats and townhouses. The newly transformed community will include 70 one-bedroom units, 63 two-bedroom units, and 22 three-bedroom units. Sheldon/Charter Oak, Hartford's oldest neighborhood, has recently seen investment through the re-purposing of historic buildings, including Colt Gateway and Capewell Lofts. The neighborhood has riverfront access, a soccer stadium, and a newly designated National Historical Park encompassing the Colt Factory and Samuel and Elizabeth Colt's mansion. The building heights and exteriors of the re-envisioned MLK Apartments will reflect the scale and design palate of the surrounding historic neighborhood. The property is within walking distance of Hartford's downtown, and also benefits from multiple bus stops in the immediate vicinity. The MLK apartments in Hartford are not in any storm surge zone, floodzones. The location does not have any critical habitat. State Historic Preservation Office found no adverse impact with this project and Tribal consultation was done also.
Written comments from the public are welcomed and will be accepted until the close of business on: September 8, 2023
Any person may ask the sponsoring agency to hold a public scoping meeting by sending such a request to the address below. If a public scoping meeting is requested by 25 or more individuals, or by an association that represents 25 or more members, the sponsoring agency shall schedule a public scoping meeting. Such requests must be made by: August 18, 2023
Written comments and/or requests for a public scoping meeting should be sent to
Name: Mithila Chakraborty
Agency: Department of Housing
Address: 505 Hudson Street, Hartford, CT 06106-7106
E-Mail: mithila.chakraborty@ct.gov
Inquiries and requests to view and or copy documents, pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, must be submitted to the sponsoring state agency:
Name: Mithila Chakraborty
Agency: Department of Housing
Address: 505 Hudson Street, Hartford, CT 06106-7106
E-Mail: mithila.chakraborty@ct.gov
What Happens Next: The sponsoring agency will make a determination whether to proceed with preparation of an Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) or that the project does not require the preparation of an EIE under the Connecticut Environmental Policy Act (CEPA). A Post-Scoping Notice of its decision will appear in a future edition of the Environmental Monitor.