University Towers

The site of University Towers at 100 York St. is the city block surrounded by York Street, Crown Street, Park Street and George Street. Today, the site contains the two identical, sixteen story residential towers with 238 units each, a parking garage for tenants, as well as a small pool.



Originally, the University Towers block was part of the Oak Street Redevelopment Project, adopted in December of 1955 by the City of New Haven. The Oak Street Project’s largest goal was the introduction of the Oak Street Connector, but also designated land use restrictions for the surrounding area, including residential, commercial-industrial, commercial, and institutional. According to the proposed land use plan, the site of University Towers was intended for residential use (Image 1).



Previous to the Oak Street Redevelopment Project the block encased by York St., Crown St., Park St., and George St., was dominated by residential and commercial use. Looking at maps provided by Sanborn Fire Insurance Company we can map the use of the land up until the project was initiated (Images, 2, 3, 4). In 1900, two-story, single-family wooden houses and row houses joined by Webster Public School, an Episcopalian Church, and a Woodwork and Repository Office dominated the block. In 1911 we see a few changes telling of the increasing level of industrialization: the presence of Mutual Realty Co. owning several lots of land, the appearance of Farmington Savings Bank and individuals like “G.A. Dale” who own more than one property. These distinctions are telling in that the most likely explanation is that the single-family houses in the block were beginning to rent to multiple families. This reflects the larger trend of an increase of population and decrease in average income that took place in New Haven during the industrialization. In 1924, we see the appearance of two new garages, expressing the automobile boom during the time. Along with the garages we see the introduction of a new church and a transformation of the Woodwork & Repository Office into an Automobile Painting Company entitled E.W. Baldwin & Son Inc. In whole, the block maintained a mostly residential land use, with the inclusion of a few commercial facilities. By looking at a map of the land use immediately prior to the initiation of the Oak Street Redevelopment (Image 6) we can see that during the years from 1924-1958 little changed. We see the commercial land spreading to cover more area within the block, and we also confirm our guess that most of the houses on the block had been converted from single-family dwellings into multi-family residences.



On March 12th, 1958 the leasehold agreement regarding the land in the Oak Street Redevelopment Project was signed for the residential blocks. From this point on the city had rights to use eminent domain to obtain the entire block for the two residential towers. (NOTE: I misunderstood this part of the narrative prior to my oral report. The buildings existing previously were grouped under the name “Corporation A” in the lease agreement documents, but there, in fact, were several different owners, not just one hegemony. The land use map of the Oak Street Redevelopment Plan proves this.). The City then continued on to demolish the entire site, and began construction of the residential towers.



Robert Allan Jacobs of Kahn & Jacobs Architects, a prominent New York architecture office during the time period, designed the original University Towers. With only two towers on an entire city block, the buildings allow for an impressive amount of air and light into the site and the buildings. The parking garage was also part of the original plans for the building. The towers, 16 stories each, were to be for residential use, with the exception of the first floor of each building, which had been designated for commercial use. At the time, this commercial use was cited as being intended, specifically, for medical offices and remains largely so until today. In November of 1958, the City of New Haven had agreed to University Towers as the owners of the two towers and surrounding land and on September 14th, 1961 the City handed over the buildings and all accompanying rights to University Towers, Inc.



Over the years, adjustments to the lease and to the buildings themselves were made in order to adapt to an evolving city. From the time of completion until today, both towers have undergone small construction changes including moving of non-load bearing walls, upgraded windows, heating, plumbing and similar adjustments allowing for the buildings to remain desirable for living. More notably, In 1981 New Haven Towers and Associates bought the rights for the Park Street side tower and renamed it “Madison Tower”. The Tower at 111 Park stayed a rental tower, while the York Street side tower entered into cooperative ownership. Consequentially, today the New Haven Towers owned building caters to a lower-income mass than does the University Towers building. The 111 Park Street tower caters mostly to younger New Haven residents, while the 100 York Street tower caters to mostly Yale Graduate Students and the elderly. Despite the difference in the demographics of residents, both towers have been able to maintain over a 95% occupancy rate for the past several years. In addition, both towers have maintained the use of the first level for commercial operations and continue to host mainly medical offices.



Like the Court Street Rowhouses Gabrielle Brainard writes of, the University Towers have sustained a profitable, enduring presence. By utilizing an adaptable structure, advantageous land placement, and accommodating a changing market, the University Towers have survived for 50 years and dare us to guess when they will fail.