Project seeks to unite Elm City

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) -- New Haven's Board of Aldermen have given the green light to the largest downtown development project in the city's history.

The DeStefano Administration says the Downtown Crossing project will create thousands of jobs and radically change the way people come in-and-out of the Elm City.

"If you don't get a sense of this, if nothing else we should all give ourselves a pat on the back, because it was really a team effort, these things are not easy," said Major John DeStefano.

Ground is expected to be broken on the project in January of 2013.

It will radically change the landscape of the city, connecting the downtown area and the medical district by closing Exits 2 and 3 off of Route 34.

"Today you can see we've got this highway that runs through the middle of the city and the ability to close this down and try to reconnect the two sides of town is a great challenge and makes for a rewarding project," said developer Carter Winstanley.

The multi-million dollar project also calls for the creation of 100 College Street, which will eventually house Alexion Pharmaceuticals , currently based in Cheshire, as its primary tenant.

"It fits in with what this city's focus is for a new economy in the bio-science industry, fits in with bringing jobs and construction on the full time side," Winstanley said.

City Hall expects the project to create at least 2,000 construction jobs and believes it will pump millions of dollars worth of business into downtown restaurants and stores.

Gateway Community College, which is ready to open its new downtown campus later this summer, will also be a winner.

"For Gateway Community College this project will mean scholarship dollars for training, internship experiences for students and most importantly jobs," said the college's president, Dorsey Kendrick.
        
Of course making the project a reality will cost big money. Sixteen million federal stimulus dollars will help pay for the initial phase of the Downtown Crossing project.
        
The state will also kick-in more than $50 million to help Alexion move from Cheshire to its new location in Downtown New Haven.