East Hartford is working to shape downtown into a destination for a night out. The town has received money from the state to revitalize the area to attract more visitors and get community members to stay.
“I can’t wait to see this done. I have been rooting for this for quite some time,” Carlos Costa, the owner of Favela Aroma, said.
Costa is excited for what’s in store for downtown East Hartford. He’s always wanted to see new development and that’s happening with the Bissell Street vision.
“It’s the best thing that’s happened to East Hartford since its inception,” he said.
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East Hartford Mayor Connor Martin says this vision involves turning the one-way street into a pedestrian entertainment hub like Hartford’s Pratt Street.
It’s all meant to attract visitors and encourage neighbors to stay in town.
“We need something we can call East Hartford, a destination that we can become known for, that we can program,” Mayor Martin said.
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The town got a boost with a $1.5 million grant from the state’s Community Investment Fund. While it’s short of the $6.1 million the town originally applied for, Mayor Martin says it’s a good start.
“We’re very grateful for the funding. It was not the total amount that we had applied for but any funding to kind of kick off this vision, get it to come to fruition, we’re very welcoming of that,” he said.
The town has already hosted two events, including one this month, and shut down Bissell Street to showcase the possibilities.
The owner of nearby Grassillini Creations was pleased with the energy she saw.
“There was a lot of activity there. There were food trucks. There were vendors and there was live entertainment, so yeah. Bissell Street was jamming,” Gracia Hemans-Martin, owner of Grassillini Creations, said.
Mayor Martin says as the town moves forward and adjusts the downtown plans, he’s confident East Hartford can become a destination for fun.
“You can come here and you can feel what East Hartford is great about. Everything that we have to offer, right here on Bissell Street,” he said.
Mayor Martin says there are plans to have another event on Bissell Street some time towards the end of October.
