Crown Street Buildings
196 College Street, New Haven, CT
196-212 College (image 1) is a modern office and retail building at the intersection of College and Crown that is an exemplary New Haven redevelopment era building in the area surrounding the Oak Street Connector. The building was completed in 1961, making it contemporary with the Southern New England Telephone building and the College Plaza Shopping Center (image 2), all located on College street surrounding the Connector. 196-212 College shares a very similar aesthetic to the SNET building and the shopping center, all of which have vertical aluminum ridges rising up between each column of windows on their facades. While the emphasis on verticality is appropriate for the lowrise SNET building on George and College, it is less fitting on the two story 196212 College and the Plaza Shopping Center which both have a much stronger horizontality. The aesthetic choice was made in order to fit all of these buildings into a cohesive new cityscape that New Haven intended to create in order to reinvigorate the area surrounding the 1959 Oak Street Connector. All of these redevelopment buildings are steel frame construction with aluminum cladding and details on the facades. The ground floor of 196212 College and the College Plaza Shopping Center are brick and masonry respectively, differentiating the ground floor retail from the upstairs office spaces. The 1959 for the Oak Street Connector required the demolition of many of the existing buildings in the area in order for the new redevelopment plan to come to fruition.
Prior to the construction of 196212 College Street the site was occupied by a local clothing store called Albram's Clothing Incorporated. When the current building was built in 1961 it included eight retail spaces and office space on the second floor. Albram’s Clothing Inc. was one of the building’s first tenants occupying the space in 210 College street. All of the building’s retail spaces were initially filled with clothing stores which reflected the area’s former character as a tanning, leatherworking and garment district.
The initial tenants were Town Shoes in 202, AH Brown Leather Goods in 204, Fenmore Hats in 206, Felmont Maternity Shop in 208, Albram’s Clothing Inc. in 210 and Samuel’s Shoes in 212. In the first year after completion 12 of the building’s 14 second floor office spaces were vacant, the only two occupants being the Mass Indemnity & Life Insurance Company and Powder Actuated Tool Manufacturers.
By 1964 Joseph’s Custom Tailoring had moved in to occupy the 198 College. Upstairs offices were occupied by insurance companies, credit companies, and claims agents.
In the 1967 New Haven Directory Sue Jean Tall Clothing Shop had moved into 196 and Joseph’s Custom Tailoring was replaced by a Christian Science reading room that would stay until the mid-1990s. The first occupant, Albram, was replaced at 210 by Ted Cooper's Clothing Shop. AH Brown Leather Goods was also replaced in 204 by Zinn Furs Inc. Changes in the late 60s are significant because non-clothing businesses moved into the retail spaces, signifying the area’s move from being a specialty shopping district towards becoming part of an active downtown New Haven area that serves a variety of local communities.
1972 New Haven directory indicates that the Goodway Copy Center moved into the previously vacant 196 College and Kelly Services Labor Division moving into 202 to replace town shoes. AH Brown Leather Goods at 204 and Fenmore Hats at 206 were replaced by Weinstein's Shoes, and a Dr. Scholl's Foot Comfort Shop respectively.
By the late seventies Kelly Services had moved out of 202 and Goodway moved to replace it. Cartier Opticians also moved into 208 in place of Felmont Maternity Shop.
The growing importance of this downtown area is also reflected with the construction in 1970 of the Crown Street Parking Garage across the intersection from 196212 College. This massive parking structure has a capacity of 750 cars in order to handle the greatly increased volume of people working in and visiting the downtown area.
The larger amount of people coming to the area facilitated the change from clothing retailers to restaurants and services occupying 196–212 College. By 1984 we start to see some familiar stores enter the building as College Wines open at 212, where Samuel's Shoes had once been. Ashley's Homemade Ice Cream also moved into the vacant spot at 196 College. In 1991, Cooper's (now a dress shop) was the only clothing store left in the building after the closing of Dr. Scholl's. Scarpellino's Restaurant had moved into 204, the former location of Weinstein's Shoes, and Park Plaza Rosebud had replaced Cartier Opticians in 208. Park Plaza Rosebud would move out before 1995 leaving 208 vacant. By 1995 B.R. & A. Engineers had moved into 200 College and Sera Nail Salon occupied 206. By 1999 the Christian Science reading room moved out and left 198 vacant. B.R. & A. Engineers in 200 was replaced by Empire Financial Group and the Goodway Copy Center, after going through a series of rebrands during its time in the building, moved out. Through the late 80s and 90s, New Haven’s depressed economic state is evident in the multiple vacancies in 196212 College left by departing organizations.
The most recent directory from 2005 showed Ellas & Eros Beauty Salon in 196, Vierra Home Improvement in 202, Scarpellino's Restaurant still in 204, Sera Nail Salon still in 206, The Great Connecticut Jazz Festival in 208 and Cooper's and College Wines still in 210 and 212 respectively. Cooper's was the only longstanding store that occupied 196212 College Street, having lasted around 40 years. By the end of it's time there it had gone from being a general clothing store to a feminine apparel specific outlet. One Yale student recalls Cooper's as "that sleazy lingerie store next to College Wines"1 showing us how the store’s reputation took a downturn since its opening in the 60s.
The rest of the story has been gathered through personal observations, news archives and inquiries at the institutions closest to 196212 College (The adjacent parking lot and the Coop High School across the street). In 2006 a plan was approved to demolish 196212 College street and replace it with a high rise residential and retail tower called College Square (image 3), designed by Robert A.M. Stern architects and financed by Centerplan. The project would include 272 luxury apartments, parking and over 50,000 square feet of retail space.2 In the 2008 economic recession a lack of funding for the project caused it to go on hold indefinitely.
When I first arrived to New Haven in 2009 College Wines was the only store I remember being in the building, the rest of the storefronts were vacated in anticipation of the building’s scheduled demolition. College Wines closed later that year. Now in 2012, although the building’s abandon is clearly visible in its dilapidated retail spaces it is again showing signs of life. The Cooperative High School, which moved into their new building across the street
from 196212 College in 2009 is using a few of the old retail spaces for afterschool programs like the New Haven Student Journalism Project and the Coop Creative Arts Center. The People’s Art Collective now occupies 212 and the Sustainable Furniture Initiative occupies 202. The presence of these new organizations fits well into the current urban revival New Haven has had within the last several years. Organizations like the People’s Art Collective and the Sustainable Furniture Initiative represent a new trend of inner city gentrification that has captured sections of New Haven in the 21st century. For now 196212 College street remains standing. With no active plans for its destruction and new organizations moving back into its vacant retail spaces it stands as an ongoing testament to the rich history of the downtown New Haven area.
1 The student wished to remain anonymous. 2 Yu, Lea.
Sources
New Haven Directories 19602006
Brown, Elizabeth Mills. New Haven: A Guide to Architecture and Urban Design. New Haven: Yale University Press. 1976.
Bass, Paul. “College Square Hotel On Hold”. New Haven Independent. Aug 21, 2008. Sept 28, 2012.
Yu, Lea. “City Welcomes New Residential, Retail Tower”. The Yale Daily News. Nov 16, 2006. Sept 28, 2012
Prior to the construction of 196212 College Street the site was occupied by a local clothing store called Albram's Clothing Incorporated. When the current building was built in 1961 it included eight retail spaces and office space on the second floor. Albram’s Clothing Inc. was one of the building’s first tenants occupying the space in 210 College street. All of the building’s retail spaces were initially filled with clothing stores which reflected the area’s former character as a tanning, leatherworking and garment district.
The initial tenants were Town Shoes in 202, AH Brown Leather Goods in 204, Fenmore Hats in 206, Felmont Maternity Shop in 208, Albram’s Clothing Inc. in 210 and Samuel’s Shoes in 212. In the first year after completion 12 of the building’s 14 second floor office spaces were vacant, the only two occupants being the Mass Indemnity & Life Insurance Company and Powder Actuated Tool Manufacturers.
By 1964 Joseph’s Custom Tailoring had moved in to occupy the 198 College. Upstairs offices were occupied by insurance companies, credit companies, and claims agents.
In the 1967 New Haven Directory Sue Jean Tall Clothing Shop had moved into 196 and Joseph’s Custom Tailoring was replaced by a Christian Science reading room that would stay until the mid-1990s. The first occupant, Albram, was replaced at 210 by Ted Cooper's Clothing Shop. AH Brown Leather Goods was also replaced in 204 by Zinn Furs Inc. Changes in the late 60s are significant because non-clothing businesses moved into the retail spaces, signifying the area’s move from being a specialty shopping district towards becoming part of an active downtown New Haven area that serves a variety of local communities.
1972 New Haven directory indicates that the Goodway Copy Center moved into the previously vacant 196 College and Kelly Services Labor Division moving into 202 to replace town shoes. AH Brown Leather Goods at 204 and Fenmore Hats at 206 were replaced by Weinstein's Shoes, and a Dr. Scholl's Foot Comfort Shop respectively.
By the late seventies Kelly Services had moved out of 202 and Goodway moved to replace it. Cartier Opticians also moved into 208 in place of Felmont Maternity Shop.
The growing importance of this downtown area is also reflected with the construction in 1970 of the Crown Street Parking Garage across the intersection from 196212 College. This massive parking structure has a capacity of 750 cars in order to handle the greatly increased volume of people working in and visiting the downtown area.
The larger amount of people coming to the area facilitated the change from clothing retailers to restaurants and services occupying 196–212 College. By 1984 we start to see some familiar stores enter the building as College Wines open at 212, where Samuel's Shoes had once been. Ashley's Homemade Ice Cream also moved into the vacant spot at 196 College. In 1991, Cooper's (now a dress shop) was the only clothing store left in the building after the closing of Dr. Scholl's. Scarpellino's Restaurant had moved into 204, the former location of Weinstein's Shoes, and Park Plaza Rosebud had replaced Cartier Opticians in 208. Park Plaza Rosebud would move out before 1995 leaving 208 vacant. By 1995 B.R. & A. Engineers had moved into 200 College and Sera Nail Salon occupied 206. By 1999 the Christian Science reading room moved out and left 198 vacant. B.R. & A. Engineers in 200 was replaced by Empire Financial Group and the Goodway Copy Center, after going through a series of rebrands during its time in the building, moved out. Through the late 80s and 90s, New Haven’s depressed economic state is evident in the multiple vacancies in 196212 College left by departing organizations.
The most recent directory from 2005 showed Ellas & Eros Beauty Salon in 196, Vierra Home Improvement in 202, Scarpellino's Restaurant still in 204, Sera Nail Salon still in 206, The Great Connecticut Jazz Festival in 208 and Cooper's and College Wines still in 210 and 212 respectively. Cooper's was the only longstanding store that occupied 196212 College Street, having lasted around 40 years. By the end of it's time there it had gone from being a general clothing store to a feminine apparel specific outlet. One Yale student recalls Cooper's as "that sleazy lingerie store next to College Wines"1 showing us how the store’s reputation took a downturn since its opening in the 60s.
The rest of the story has been gathered through personal observations, news archives and inquiries at the institutions closest to 196212 College (The adjacent parking lot and the Coop High School across the street). In 2006 a plan was approved to demolish 196212 College street and replace it with a high rise residential and retail tower called College Square (image 3), designed by Robert A.M. Stern architects and financed by Centerplan. The project would include 272 luxury apartments, parking and over 50,000 square feet of retail space.2 In the 2008 economic recession a lack of funding for the project caused it to go on hold indefinitely.
When I first arrived to New Haven in 2009 College Wines was the only store I remember being in the building, the rest of the storefronts were vacated in anticipation of the building’s scheduled demolition. College Wines closed later that year. Now in 2012, although the building’s abandon is clearly visible in its dilapidated retail spaces it is again showing signs of life. The Cooperative High School, which moved into their new building across the street
from 196212 College in 2009 is using a few of the old retail spaces for afterschool programs like the New Haven Student Journalism Project and the Coop Creative Arts Center. The People’s Art Collective now occupies 212 and the Sustainable Furniture Initiative occupies 202. The presence of these new organizations fits well into the current urban revival New Haven has had within the last several years. Organizations like the People’s Art Collective and the Sustainable Furniture Initiative represent a new trend of inner city gentrification that has captured sections of New Haven in the 21st century. For now 196212 College street remains standing. With no active plans for its destruction and new organizations moving back into its vacant retail spaces it stands as an ongoing testament to the rich history of the downtown New Haven area.
1 The student wished to remain anonymous. 2 Yu, Lea.
Sources
New Haven Directories 19602006
Brown, Elizabeth Mills. New Haven: A Guide to Architecture and Urban Design. New Haven: Yale University Press. 1976.
Bass, Paul. “College Square Hotel On Hold”. New Haven Independent. Aug 21, 2008. Sept 28, 2012.
Yu, Lea. “City Welcomes New Residential, Retail Tower”. The Yale Daily News. Nov 16, 2006. Sept 28, 2012
Current Use
Era
Architect
Structural Conditions
Street Visibilities
Threats
External Conditions
Dimensions
Style
Neighborhood
OtherYear Built
1961
Roof Types
Researcher
Bahij Chancey
Street Visibilities
Owner
Client
Historic Uses
Image 1: Chancey, Bahij. Panoramic photograph of 196_212 College Street, New Haven, CT. Taken September 23 2012.
Image 3: College Square Development Rendering. Centerplan.
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