A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR DOWNTOWN MERIDEN HUD CHOICE NEIGHBORHOODS TRANSFORMATION PLAN PEOPLE PLAN HOUSING PLAN NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN DEVELOPED FOR: The Residents of Meriden To connect the neighborhood To build new mixed-income, To create a safe, cohesive, to high quality educational mixed-use, green housing richly amenitized, walkable city DEVELOPED BY: and employment units with access to transit, center that is sustainable and Meriden Housing Authority, The opportunities so that all employment and educational environmentally resilient City of Meriden, residents, and residents can reach their full centers that promote healthy partners with funding from U.S. potential living Department of Housing and Urban Development 20 OCTOBER 2015 Check us out @ MeridenChoice.com A Comprehensive Plan for Downtown Meriden HUD CHOICE NEIGHBORHOODS TRANSFORMATION PLAN DEVELOPED FOR: The Residents of Meriden DEVELOPED BY: Meriden Housing Authority, The City of Meriden, residents, and partners PREPARED BY: with funding from U.S. Department Wallace, Roberts & Todd, of Housing and Urban Development 2015 CONTENTS CHAPTER 4 what’s inside people plan 45 A detailed roadmap toward improving education, health and employment for Downtown Meriden residents A quick summary of the who, what, when, why, and how of neighborhood vi transformation in executive Downtown Meriden summary 79 CHAPTER 5 housing plan Introduction to the place, A blueprint for a well-coordinated, phased approach to new mixed-income, the people, and what makes mixed-use, green housing to serve existing and future residents Meriden unique – setting the scene for comprehensive neighborhood 01 transformation CHAPTER 1 context CHAPTER 6 neighborhood plan Summary of the comprehensive neighborhood-wide 95 household needs 15 assessment and an outline A plan for all necessary components of a sustainable transit-oriented CHAPTER 2 of the opportunities and development – walkable, safe and green streets, new retail and new analysis challenges community-serving amenities like parks and community centers A plan FOR the community Viable strategy to implement the and BY the community – a recommendations of this plan and fulfill summary of the planning the community’s vision for Meriden’s process and the layers transformation! of feedback gathered 31 123 from residents and CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 7 stakeholders that inform implementation the community’s vision for community transformation vision strategy ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Meriden Choice Neighborhoods Transformation Plan was made possible Linda Hamilton Ariana Karpey through a planning grant awarded to the Meriden Housing Authority, in Antonio Kowalczyk Denise Keating, City of Meriden Lillian Laracuente Larry Kendzior, City of Meriden partnership with the City of Meriden, by the U.S. Department of Housing and Rukiya Maulidi Sharlene Kerelezja Urban Development under the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative. Emely Morales-Varona Susan Killian Ajax Ramirez Rob Kosienski, City of Meriden Planning Team Maribel Guzman April Rodriquez James LaRosa Meriden Housing Authority James Ieronimo, United Way Meriden Pamela Savejs Joseph J. LaRosa City of Meriden David Lowell, City of Meriden Shannon Slaughter John Lineen, MPSD Meriden Children First Steve Markoja, Meriden YMCA Nyrka Soto John A. Malavenda Pennrose Properties Marlene McGann Veeani J. Sotomayor Lucille Malavenda Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC Emely Morales-Varona Christina Sylvestry Damaris Matias United Way of Meriden and Wallingford Mike Rohde Gryneshka Torres Wanda Mendez-Correa Ed Siebert, MHA Melody Vasquez Carmela Miceo Organizations/Agencies David Sunshine Zinyatta Young Minerva Morales Meriden Board of Education (BOE) Kenneth Morgan, City of Meriden Neighborhood Safety/Crime Meriden Family Resource Centers Participants Hannah Mudrick, UConn Reduction Task Force Meriden Public School District (MPSD) Kyle Abercrombie, MPSD Tim Mulcahy Beth Bryan Meriden YMCA Tom Adams Esther Narocho Nazly Bokhari Midstate Chamber of Commerce Jordan Agosto Dwight Needels Thomas Kilroy The University of Connecticut (UConn) Luzmari Agosto Susan Niemczyk Evan LeClair Zuajeily Agosto Sonia Ocasio Sgt. John Mennone Education Task Force Jessica Alvarado Bill O’Connor April Rodriquez Steven O’Donnell, MPSD David Bafumi Shaianna Askew Carlton Smith David Ordahl Jennifer Baglin, City of Meriden Bob Bass, City of Meriden Angie Swanger Felix Ortiz Pam Bahre, MPSD Mark Benigni, MPSD Melody Vasquez Vincent Parete Cathy Battista, Meriden Family Resource Ruffin Bennet Linsey Walters Aldo Parnasso Centers and City of Meriden Jannelys Bonilla Neil Brockwehl Larry Pelletier Miguel Cardona, MPSD Parking/TOD/Neighborhood Dan Brunet, City of Meriden Andrew Piatek Julie Copeland, MPSD Traffic Circulation Task Force Helen Buckley Diane Poirier Lois Lehman, MPSD David Bafumi Marie Burbank-Turner Maurice Poirier Naomi Malay John Benigni, Meriden YMCA Jim Canning Michael Quinn Rukiya Maulidi Christine Bonito Robert Cappelletti, MHA Lillian Reid Pamela Savejs Juliet Burdelski, City of Meriden Joann Carabetta Lenny Rich, City of Meriden Shannon Slaughter Tami Christopher Elly Carmona Idie Richardson Pamela Sonejs Brian P. Daniels, City of Meriden Dominick Caruso, City of Meriden Frank Ridley David Sunshine, MHA Roseann Ford, Midstate Chamber of Myrtha Chico Juan Rivera Palma Vaccaro, MPSD Commerce Linda Conchado Marsha Rivera Paul Vivian, Meriden Children First Ross Gulino Jeff Cossette, City of Meriden Brenda Rodriguez Patricia Wylie John LaRosa ZaQuavia Cox Karen Roesler, City of Meriden Steve Lespier, City of Meriden Jeisha Crespo Samantha Rogers Employment/Qualified Paola Mantilla, City of Meriden Edwin Cruz Carmen Rojas Workers Task Force Steve Markoja, Meriden YMCA Serenity Cuevas Iris Rojas Christina Bartucca Dave Puska, City of Meriden Yashira DeLarosa Diana Roman Michael Bennett Shannon Slaughter Jose A. Diaz Elaine Roman Tami Christopher Lacerda Vasco, City of Meriden Maria Diaz Jennifer Roman Maribel Guzman Melody Vasquez Orlando Diaz Tony Salerno James Ieronimo, United Way Meriden Howard Weissberg, City of Meriden Aldo Dibacco Henry Santiago Rukiya Maulidi Dona Ditrio Manuel Santos, City of Meriden Sean Moore, Midstate Chamber of Sustainable Meriden Task Force Matt Dominello, City of Meriden Kevin Scarpati, City of Meriden Commerce David Bafumi Eureka Dominguez Walter Shamock, City of Meriden Ajax Ramirez Michael Bennett Seth Eddy Joan Siebert Christine Reardon Kim Carbone-Pandiani, MPSD Pat Ferry Darla Smith April Rodriquez Maribel Guzman Pam Fields Lizbeth Soto Pamela Savejs Naoimi Malay Jose Flores Pablo Soto Shannon Slaughter Tharon Malay Doug Giacco Angie Sovanger Rich Tanasi, MPSD Emely Morales-Varona Richard A. Gill Emily Stratton Melody Vasquez Aprill Ouellette Eli S. Gonzalez Diane Szymaszek Lee Pandiani Larue Graham, City of Meriden Jason Teal Healthy Meriden Task Force David Sunshine, MHA Michael Grove, MPSD Carrie Teele John Benigni, Meriden YMCA Mega Mucas Hamilton Ramonita Valerti Beth Bryan Youth Task Force David Hanson Venus Garcia Vargas Miguel Castro, City of Meriden Michael Bennett Scott Hozebin Abdul Vatzquu Kashia Cave Yatzajira Caballero Mark Hughes, MPSD Diane Warner Canova Martha Coleresi Anthony Dow Steve Iovanna, City of Meriden Bob Williams, City of Meriden Lea Crown Genesis Espinosa Cornelius Ivers Donna Witkin, City of Meriden Tom Czarnosky Aida Feliciano Karen Jamie Jerry Zak Lynn Faria Maribel Guzman David James Edyn Zapata GLOSSARY 9% Credits – The 9% credit is generally reserved including building, buying and/or rehabilitating Housing Choice Voucher program, also known as for new construction. Each year for 10 years a tax housing for rent or homeownership and providing Section 8. PBVs are tied to a unit. Tenant Based credit equal to roughly 9% of a project’s qualified direct rental assistance to low-income families. Vouchers are portable. Tenant pays 30% of income basis (cost of construction) may be claimed. The for rent. Voucher makes up the difference up to FMR. applicable credit rate is not actually 9%; instead, HUB park – Located at I-77 State Street and 30-50 the specific rate that a project will receive is set so East Main Street, the HUB is a 14.4-acre City-owned QAP – Qualified Allocation Plan. Describes the that the present value of the 10-year stream of brownfield redevelopment site that has undergone process for allocation of LIHTC. credits equals 70% of a project’s qualified basis. extensive environmental assessment and cleanup. Renewable Energy/Low Impact Design – 4% Credits – The 4% credit is typically claimed The City is in the process of transforming the HUB Energy which comes from natural resources such as for rehabilitated housing and new construction site into a park that provides public green space, sunlight and geothermal heat which are naturally that is financed with tax-exempt bonds. Like the flood storage and 3.4 acres for redevelopment. The 9% credit, the 4% credit is claimed annually over replenished. $16 million project commenced in January 2014 a 10-year credit period. The actual credit rate and will be substantially completed in 2015. fluctuates around 4%, but is set by the Treasury Replacement Housing – Public Housing or PBV to deliver a subsidy equal to 30% of a project’s housing unit replacement for demolished Mills. Low Income - Household income between 30% qualified basis in present value terms. and 60% of AMI. School Readiness – Refers to a set of Affordable Housing – Housing deemed expectations, guidelines or developmental milestones – US Department of Housing and Urban