Garage Operations
Parking
CRDA has seven parking facilities in its portfolio with more than 17,000 spaces that accommodate students and faculty of the downtown branch of the University of Connecticut (UConn), area business employees, local restaurant and entertainment venue patrons, residents and state workers.
After the acquisition of 10 additional acres of land in 2016, 850 spaces were added to what was already the largest of the sites, Pratt and Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford with 10,150 spaces. Pratt and Whitney Stadium is home to Connecticut’s flagship university football team, the UConn Huskies. The property also holds the sell-out crowds for the U.S. Soccer’s Women’s World Cup Tournament and the USA Men’s Soccer Kickoff Games.
The next largest, with 2,339 spaces, is located in the heart of Adriaen’s Landing at the Connecticut Convention Center. Not only does the garage handle the transient volume of cars from convention and public show attendees, but it is also used by faculty and students from the University of Connecticut-Hartford and employees of Travelers Insurance headquarters. This facility had a better than budgeted year producing revenues above projections and delivering revenues to retire principal as well as interest on its outstanding revenue bonds. Two other structures in the area, Front Street Garage North and Front Street Garage South are located on the upper end of the Front Street District and are also utilized by faculty at UConn, Travelers’ employees as well as residents of the Front Street Loft Apartments and customers of the Front Street District businesses. Visitors to the Connecticut Science Center park in the garage below the building. The garage sits adjacent to the Connecticut Convention Center and also accommodates parking for Riverfront Recapture events and overflow for the events at the convention center. The four garages located within the Front Street District (CTCC, North and South Garages at Front Street, and the Science Center Garage) produced $7.5 million in revenue and covered $3.8 million in operating expenses and $3.7 million in debt service during the fiscal year.
The state acquired the 2,300 space Morgan Street Garage in the fiscal year 2014 and contracted with CRDA to manage its operations. The garage currently serves the employees relocated to the State Office Building complex at 450 Columbus Boulevard as well as the Capital Community College. The garage also serves as an emergency parking location during city street parking closures, i.e. snowstorms. The Church Street Garage continues to serve the downtown community including the Hilton Hotel and various corporate and residential users. Since its purchase by CRDA in May of 2015, the facility is managed more closely with the operations at the XL Center to complement the arena’s shows and sporting events. Major replacement of the buildings elevator system was completed as were lighting, signage, and structural repair capital improvements.
CRDA completed the construction of the 409 space Bushnell South Garage in 2021. The primary users of the facility are the state employees located in the adjacent state office building during the week with the remaining spaces available to the public.
CRDA-Managed Parking Facilities
- CT Convention Center: 2,339 spaces
- CT Science Center: 468 spaces
- Front Street North: 657 spaces
- Front Street South: 232 spaces
- Morgan Street: 2,300 spaces
- Rentschler Field: 10,150 spaces
- Church Street: 1,299 spaces
- Bushnell South: 409 spaces
