INTRODUCING
HERITAGE PARK
REVISIONING A NEIGHBORHOOD CAMPUS VILLAGE IN WEST HARTFORD
Pictured: An aerial view of Asylum Avenue, including the new townhouses and the entrance to the west side of campus.
An assisted living building is the first white-roofed building on the right side of the internal drive.
Bringing life to a former UCONN campus
In 2018, the people of West Hartford began a process to shape a future vision for the former West Hartford campus of the University of Connecticut.
After five years and two attempts, the people who live and work in this area have waited a long time for the empty campus to re-emerge in a way that befits the size, scale and natural features of this property and its surrounding neighborhood.
This proposed development continues to evolve and improve to reflect input received from our neighbors, West Hartford residents and our ongoing discussions with West Hartford’s land use authorities. This includes our decision to rename the development “Heritage Park,” and to pursue permitting approval for the project in two separate phases: one for the housing at 1700 Asylum Avenue and one for the proposed mixed-use village on the western side of Trout Brook Drive at 1800 Asylum Avenue.
About The Project
The 58-acre property, located at the crossroads of Asylum Avenue and Trout Brook Drive, served as the home of the West Hartford campus of the University of Connecticut from 1970 to 2017. Before its development as a university satellite campus, the property was farmlands around which a neighborhood of single-family homes was established.
UPDATES & LINKS
UPDATE FROM THE TOWN OF WEST HARTFORD: West Hartford Town Manager Richard C. Ledwith announced that he will recommend the Town Council postpone consideration of the zoning application for 1800 Asylum Avenue, the western portion of the former UConn Greater Hartford campus. This short delay will allow time for updates to the project's traffic and parking studies. As a result, Ledwith stated that the public hearing scheduled for December 19th will be opened and then continued to a later date. “I appreciate the applicant’s ongoing collaboration with town planning staff to ensure the Town Council and the public have all the necessary information to fully evaluate and discuss the merits of the application,” Ledwith said. “Delays like this are common with large-scale projects, and I look forward to the future discussions about the potential redevelopment of this property.” As a result of the postponement, no public comments or applicant presentations will be heard at the December 19th meeting. The Town Council will announce a new date for the continuation of the hearing in early 2025.
Click here for the November 27, 2024 update mailed to area neighbors.
Click here for the presentation to the Design Review Advisory Committee on January 25, 2024.
Click here for the Town of West Hartford’s Meeting and Agendas page.
Click here for the July 8, 2024 update mailed to area neighbors.
Click here for the presentation to the Town Council on April 15, 2024.
Click here for the West Hartford Town Council website, including meeting agendas and minutes.
Click here for the March 6, 2024 update mailed to area neighbors.
Click here for the January 12 update on neighborhood outreach provided to the Town of West Hartford.
Click here for the December update mailed to area neighbors.
Click here for two views of the latest site plan.
Click here for the presentation to the Design Review Advisory Committee informal study session on January 25, 2024.
Click here for the entire presentation shared at our September 26, 2023 neighborhood meeting at the University of Saint Joseph.
NEIGHBORHOOD & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT HELP RESHAPE AND REDUCE CAMPUS PLAN
We are happy to have met the people who attended our Neighborhood Meeting on September 26th. This meeting gave our development team a great opportunity to talk with and involve our closest neighbors in our planning process. We appreciate everyone’s feedback and we look forward to continuing to shape and evolve our project based on the ideas and concerns we heard.
Since that meeting, we have made changes to the designs we presented to reflect input received that night and from our ongoing discussions with West Hartford’s land use authorities.
These changes continue to improve the village character we are working to bring to the campus and will help blend a nature-focused experience into the existing landscape and the residences, shops and features we hope to bring to the campus. We believe the revised plans which we will be presenting at the November 6 public hearing before the Town’s Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency, are evidence of our continuing commitment to be responsive to comments to help us shape our vision to positively blend with the character of the neighborhood. Highlights, which we will soon post illustrations for, include the following:
Shrinking and realigning the assisted living facility: We have repositioned and reduced the size of the assisted living facility envisioned for the western side of campus, drawing it further away from wetlands and reducing the number of parking spaces needed. The building, which will shrink from 158,000 square feet to 108,000 square feet, with the number of units dropping from 158 to 117.
Reducing the number of townhouses:We have decreased the number of townhomes planned along Asylum Avenue and Lawler Road from 34 to 24, and have also set the Asylum Avenue units further back from the street.
Enhancing the natural landscape:We continue to work to enhance the natural landscape on the site and optimize it for those who will live in the new residences as well as for the benefit of those in the neighborhood. The site will have public walking trails designed to invite people who live in the surrounding neighborhoods to utilize the park-like campus.
Meeting West Hartford’s housing needs:The residences we are developing will help meet the housing needs of West Hartford. The one-floor apartment homes on the east side of campus will be particularly suited to provide the “age in place” independent living opportunities requested at the neighborhood meeting. Combined with the assisted living residences, the proposed residences will provide a continuum of living options for current West Hartford residents looking to downsize from large homes.
Providing walkable, welcoming neighborhood stores and shops: The inclusion of a small neighborhood grocery store is incredibly important to our village concept. People living within the development and in the surrounding neighborhood will be able to walk from their homes to the store for fresh meats, fruits, vegetables and other food items. The same goal—providing people with accessible, walkable and welcoming places to visit—is behind our plans for a coffee shop, restaurant and other commercial uses right in their neighborhood.
Stormwater improvements:With one of the rainiest summer seasons in memory, stormwater and flooding were a focus of discussion at the September 26th meeting. Our development will provide a comprehensive stormwater management system that will mitigate peak stormwater flows offsite and maintain the flood-holding capacity of 1700 and 1800 Asylum Ave. We are also working with West Hartford on a town-led project for culvert replacement in the neighborhood to improve the historic flooding issues.
Parking and traffic:We plan to have sufficient parking on site so neighbors are not bothered by people parking on their streets as we were told was the case when the UConn campus was open. It is our priority to properly address that—and all traffic concerns that might arise—in conjunction with an OSTA (Office of the State Traffic Administration) review and approval. We are preparing our traffic study which will be shared with the public once complete for filing with the Town.
We thank area neighbors and residents who have reached out with their comments of both concern and support, as well as their suggestions and ideas. We look forward to continuing the dialogue and moving to the next steps in West Hartford’s land use review process.
About Us
West Hartford 1 LLC was created specifically for the acquisition and development of HERITAGE PARK. We are joined by a seasoned development team with first-hand knowledge of West Hartford and experience designing and building beautiful residential and multi-use projects scaled for their surroundings.
The wetland pond and foot bridge that leads east from the spa toward the lawns and meadow walk.
The apartments across Trout Brook Drive can be seen in the distance on the right.
HARMONIZING WITH THE NATURAL FEATURES OF THE CAMPUS
We have been taking the time to come to know and understand the landscape and natural features of this site and achieve the right mix of recreational, residential and retail element to properly scale and blend HERITAGE PARK with the neighborhoods along Lawler Road, Trout Brook Drive, Asylum Avenue and their surroundings. We are also working with the town to ensure the proper maintenance of the campus as we resume the remediation work that will safely contain, remove and dispose of any remaining contaminants or building materials on the site that were identified by UConn.
View from Wet Meadow Walk to Assisted Living.
DESIGN PLANS DEVOTE OVER 44% OF THE SITE FOR PUBLIC USE AND RECREATION
In addition to committing to continue the Town’s uninterrupted use of the ball fields on the property and preserve the beautiful champion white oak tree, we believe we can devote more than 44% of the property to public use and parkland and connect with the extension of the Trout Brook Trail for the benefit of pedestrians and bikers.
Click here to see details about the enhanced landscape and ecological features.
View from village Main Street to mixed-use residential building.
West Side of Campus
The west side of campus, looking from the woodland trail that begins on Trout Brook Drive, westward toward the central plaza with its mixed-use retail and residential buildings.
East Side of Campus
Aerial view on Trout Brook Drive, looking north.
CREATING A VILLAGE FEEL
Our goal is to create a small village of residential apartments and assisted living, townhouses, an organic market, signature steakhouse, small retail shops and other features that will blend with the homes on Lawler Road and Asylum Avenue and calm traffic flow throughout.
The village Main Street, looking north.
A street view of the townhouses envisioned for Asylum Avenue, looking westward.
A FITTING ADDITION TO AN ALREADY SUCCESSFUL TOWN
This is an exciting time for West Hartford, which is enjoying residential, restaurant and retail business openings and expansions in nearly every corner of town. HERITAGE PARK is being designed to complement and harmonize with the amenities that make West Hartford such a vibrant community—from Blue Back to The Center, Bishops Corner, Corbin’s Corner, Elmwood and New Park.
Click here for the latest site plan, updated November 16th.
THE HERITAGE PARK TEAM
Together, the HERITAGE PARK team looks forward to discussions and idea-sharing with the Town of West Hartford and with neighbors, residents and community organizations. These discussions will ultimately shape the plans we propose for HERITAGE PARK, a plan that is worthy of this neighborhood and which will contribute to West Hartford’s vitality.
Garden Homes
Garden Homes is one of the largest multifamily development and management companies in the United States. It has developed several multi-family communities in Connecticut, including Aspen Green in Simsbury, Woodland Green in Bloomfield and Country Walk at Windsor.
Newman Architects
Newman Architects is a knowledge-driven architectural practice based in New Haven that brings more than six decades of design leadership to public and private organizations. In partnership with clients and communities, Newman seeks to create sustainable places that enhance the way people live, learn, and work. Newman seeks sustainable architecture – aligned with its time, culture, purpose and setting – an architecture of belonging and possibility: connecting people to each other, to the world, and to their capacity for experience.
BL Companies
Founded in 1986, BL Companies is an employee-owned company that has grown to become a leading multi-discipline design firm known for its quality, creativity and successful track record. The company has offices in 12 states, from Connecticut to Florida.
Alter & Pearson, LLC
Alter & Pearson is a boutique business and real estate law firm located in Glastonbury, Connecticut, representing clients throughout the state. Founded by Peter Jay Alter and Robin Messier Pearson in 2012, Alter & Pearson has become synonymous with high-quality, result-driven representation and numerous well-received developments.