City of New Haven Neighborhood Commercial Districts Strategy

BJH Advisors, in collaboration with Pirie Associates and Connecticut Main Street Center, supported the City of NewHaven in the development of a comprehensive citywide Neighborhood Commercial District(NCD) Program. As part of this initiative, the team created a Playbook, a detailed roadmap and procedural toolkit to guide the City and its stakeholders in planning and implementing the NCD program.

BJH conducted a study of national best practices and evaluated existing programs for their effectiveness and accessibility. Additionally, BJH performed an existing conditions analysis for each of the 17 proposed NCDs, incorporating sociodemographic profiles, business profiles, and retail market studies.

For the Playbook, BJH identified optimal management and organizational structures tailored to each category of NCD and outlined funding sources and strategies that avoided the need for assessments. In 2024, the team presented their findings, recommendations, and a draft Playbook to the City of New Haven, offering a clear pathway for the successful implementation of the NCD program.