Ninth Square

The Ninth Square National Historic District, once a thriving commercial neighborhood in downtown New Haven, had succumbed to urban blight. A plan for renewal was developed that identified housing as the key to restoring life to the district.

In collaboration with Smith Edwards Architects, we rehabilitated virtually all of the historic four-to-six story buildings within the three-block district and sited new mixed-use buildings on vacant lots between them, integrating retail and residential ground floor spaces with apartments above. More than half of the apartments were reserved for low- to moderate-income tenants, and one large courtyard was turned into a residential community open space. Sited at an irregular intersection of two main streets, the highest new apartment building has a 12-story tower and protruding wings, making it a prominent landmark. We restored the streets with new paving, curbs, sidewalks, and lighting, and integrated two new parking garages into the fabric of the district.