The City Plan Commission met by Zoom on Tuesday and voted unanimously to approve both a soil‑erosion and sediment‑control permit and the site plan for a new four‑story, 177,022‑square‑foot lab‑office building at 2 Church Street. The approval clears the final hurdle before construction can begin on the latest phase of development along the former Rt. 34 corridor.
Project details and partners
Massachusetts‑based developer Winstanley Enterprises will build the tower next to its existing lab‑office towers at 100 and 101 College Street. The building will house the state‑backed nonprofit QuantumCT and a new research and development center for multinational consumer‑products company Unilever.
The project is supported by a $50.5 million state Innovation Cluster grant, which will fund surrounding public infrastructure, including tunnels beneath the site and an expanded public plaza.
Historical context
City Plan Director Laura Brown reminded commissioners that the land was once part of the Oak Street neighborhood, a working‑class community of Black, Italian, Irish, Jewish and Puerto Rican residents that was demolished in the 1950s for a highway that was never completed. Brown called 2 Church Street “the last of three major developments meant to reconnect the Hill and downtown on that land” and said the building will be “one of the most visible buildings in our city, at the gateway to New Haven from the I‑95 highway.”
Economic impact and local sentiment
Developer Carter Winstanley said the project reflects a shift in New Haven’s economy after decades of companies leaving the region. “We now are starting to see tenants choose New Haven,” he said. “This is a rare moment in time. We’re seeing a huge amount of momentum in this market that justifies and warrants this building being built.”
Commission member and Westville Alder Adam Marchand noted the site’s downtown location and tight physical constraints, emphasizing the need for careful construction logistics. Civil engineer Joseph Lenahan estimated roughly 28,000 cubic yards of soil will be removed – about 1,400 dump‑truck trips.
Winstanley senior vice president Ted DeSantos explained that trucks will use tunnel service drives beneath the site and operate mainly between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to avoid rush‑hour traffic. He expects 150‑200 construction workers on peak days, with parking at nearby garages and a lot on Prince Street.
Parking and pedestrian improvements
The tower will include only 35 underground parking spaces, but a separate agreement with the New Haven Parking Authority will allow up to 400 permits at the nearby Temple Medical Garage. The project also expands the public plaza between 2 Church Street and 101 College Street by nearly 50 percent, creating a pedestrian link between South Frontage Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Marchand voiced support for a walk‑able site and raised concerns about fast‑moving traffic on the frontage roads. DeSantos agreed, noting that the development will install a new crosswalk at Congress Avenue and South Frontage Road – a feature originally planned for the Downtown Crossing project but previously deferred.
Construction timeline
Economic Development Administrator Michael Piscitelli said major construction is slated for 2027‑2029, overlapping with the city’s Arc Bridge and Church Street Promenade projects, as well as work around Union Station and two new Yale initiatives on the Hill. He expects the busiest construction period to occur around mid‑2028.
No members of the public testified at the meeting, and the commission received no written comments.
Original reporting: New Haven Independent — read the source article.
