The News
Hamden officials and project consultants outlined plans for an $18 million infrastructure project in the Newhall neighborhood during a community meeting on Feb. 19 at Breakthrough Church on Shelton Avenue. The project covers foundation repairs for dozens of homes and the demolition of the long-vacant Michael J. Whelan Middle School.
About 60 residents and legislative council members attended the meeting, which was organized by the Hamden Newhall Neighborhood Association. Mayor Adam Sendroff addressed the crowd and pledged his commitment to "not just getting them started, but making sure they're done right."
The roughly $18 million in federal, state, and local funding will cover both projects, which town officials said will run concurrently. Of the 305 properties within the project's consent boundary area, 75 are eligible for foundation remediation. Twenty-three homes will be included in the first round of repairs.
Hamden Foundation Repairs Target Decades of Industrial Damage
The foundation problems in the Newhall neighborhood date back to years of industrial waste dumping by New Haven-area manufacturers. A previous environmental cleanup effort left much of the structural damage unresolved, and homes in the area have continued to deteriorate. The contamination caused foundations to crack and shift, threatening the structural integrity of homes across the neighborhood.
Residents organized in response, forming the Hamden Newhall Neighborhood Association in early 2024 with the specific goal of securing repair funding. After sustained advocacy from the HNNA and neighborhood residents, the group and town officials assembled a funding package of approximately $18 million. The money comes from a combination of American Rescue Plan Act funds, Connecticut's Community Investment Fund, and an earlier $1.6 million allocation from the town, according to the New Haven Independent.
Carol Hazen, Hamden's director of Grants and Capital Projects, told attendees the meeting was designed to give residents "a clear picture of what to expect." Hazen is managing the project alongside engineering consultants from Haley & Aldrich and BL Companies, with 7 Summits Construction Company handling the construction work.
Sam Haydock of BL Companies said the project is on track to begin this year. "The funding is in place. So, barring some unforeseen issues, we see the project moving forward this year," Haydock said at the meeting.
Tim Barry of 7 Summits Construction addressed quality control concerns raised by residents. He said contractors working on the project must hold state licenses, maintain a completed contract history, and have no OSHA violations on record. "If the work is not meeting specifications, that work will be stopped," Barry told attendees.