Second Wednesday, 6:00 PM
Parkville Community Center
11 New Park Ave.
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Joseph Langlais, President
Phone: (860) 232-5403
E-Mail: jalanglais@peoplepc.com
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Parkville is
one of Hartford's smallest neighborhoods. The area has 6,000 residents
and spans about 330 acres. It is located at the western edge of
Hartford bordered on the north by Capitol Avenue, on the east by Pope Park, and
by the Behind the Rocks neighborhood to the south.
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Columbia bicycles were manufactured in
Parkville, as were typewriters, rubber, brick, chains, automobiles, and
during WWII, 37-millimeter cannons for fighter planes.
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A vibrant, working class neighborhood,
Parkville is composed of a thriving commercial strip, a large industrial
corridor and tree-lined residential streets. Its community center
includes an elementary school, a library, day care center, and the senior
center. Parkville's residents are of varied backgrounds, including
Portuguese, Asian, Hispanic, Italian, African American, and Middle
Eastern. A variety of churches, ethnic shops and restaurants reflect this
diversity. Other assets include Real Art Ways -- a premier arts
organization, the new Stop & Shop and Crown Theater.
But the industrial corridor has many vacant properties, and businesses
throughout the neighborhood are struggling. Alongside the well-kept homes
are deteriorated and vacant houses. Like some other Hartford
neighborhoods, Parkville has issues such as poverty, drugs, noise,
litter, and crime.
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The Parkville
Revitalization Association (PRA) completed its NRZ Strategic Plan in
1999. Since then the PRA has formed a number of partnerships that
have enabled it to make substantial progress in achieving its goals.
The PRA joined with the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG) and
the City of Hartford to undertake the Picture It Better Together (PIBT)
project. Funded by the Federal Highway Administration, the project is
utilizing "Smart Growth" principles to implement some positive changes to
the area. The PRA will design streetscape improvements for the major
commercial corridors, and develop a plan to convert abandoned state and
city land along I-84 into "Pope Park West." The association also will
formalize guidelines for ensuring that private development is compatible
with existing uses and structures within the neighborhood. In addition,
the PIBT project has enabled the PRA to participate with the Connecticut
Department of Transportation in planning the proposed Hartford/New
Britain busway along the existing railroad line.
The PRA is also assisting Real Art Ways in developing a design
competition, funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, for
the twelve busway stations along the Hartford/New Britain line.
In other initiatives, the PRA worked with the City and others to develop
a landscape design for the community green and a gateway at the Park
Street railroad overpass. Habitat for humanity and private housing
developers have worked cooperatively with the PRA to construct and
rehabilitate housing.
The group worked successfully with the developers of a new Seven-Eleven
store at Prospect and Park to create a design and layout that would fit
into the existing streetscape. The design will be an attractive
gateway to the neighborhood, and still assure an economically feasible
business.
The PRA collaborates regularly with the Parkville Community Association,
Senior Center and Business Association, as well as Real Art Ways, the
Problem Solving Committee, City of Hartford, and Hartford Public Library.
The organization is in the process of incorporating and is planning to
apply for nonprofit status. The PRA, which holds an annual planning
retreat, has a 30-member board of directors.
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