[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 62 (Thursday, April 1, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15777-15778]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-8056]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-4491-N-01]


Draft Environmental Impact Statement: City of Hartford, CT; 
Section 108 Loan Guarantee/BEDI Grant

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and 
Development, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Housing and Urban Development gives this 
notice to the public that the City of Hartford, Connecticut intends to 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Adriaen's 
Landing Project, which, among other components, includes a 68,000 
person open-air stadium in the city of Hartford, Connecticut.
    This Notice is in accordance with regulations of the Council on 
Environmental Quality as described in 40 CFR parts 1500-1508. Federal 
agencies having jurisdiction by law, special expertise, or other 
special interest should report their interests and indicate their 
readiness to aid in the EIS effort as a ``Cooperating Agency.''
    A Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be completed for the 
proposed action described herein. Comments relating to the Draft EIS 
are requested and will be accepted by the contact person listed below. 
When the Draft EIS is completed, a notice will be sent to individuals 
and groups known to have an interest on the Draft EIS and particularly 
on the environmental impact issues identified therein. Any person or 
agency interested in receiving a notice and making comment on the Draft 
EIS should contact the person listed below.

ADDRESSES: All interested agencies, groups and persons are invited to 
submit written comments on the within-named project and the Draft 
Environment Impact Statement to the

[[Page 15778]]

following contact person. Such comments should be received by the 
office of the contact person and all comments so received will be 
considered prior to the preparation and distribution of the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement.
    Particularly solicited is information on reports or other 
environmental studies planned or completed in the project area, major 
issues and date which the EIS should consider and recommended 
mitigating measures and alternatives associated with the proposed 
project. Federal agencies having jurisdiction by law, special expertise 
or other special interest should report their interests and indicate 
their readiness to aid the EIS effort as a ``cooperating agency''.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dennis J. Johnson, Contract Manager, 
City of Hartford, Division of Management & Budget, Office of Grants 
Management, Room 108, 550 Main Street, Hartford, Connecticut, 06103. 
Telephone: (860) 543-8650.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The City of Hartford, acting on behalf of 
the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, in cooperation 
with the Capital City Economic Development Authority, the Federal 
Highway Administration, and other interested agencies will prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze potential impacts of 
constructing a 40-acre mixed use development complex including: (1) An 
entertainment/retail venue of approximately 426,000 square feet, (2) an 
approximately 68,000 person capacity open air stadium, (3) an 
approximately 200,000 square feet convention center, (4) an 
approximately 700-room convention center hotel, (5) an NFL pavilion for 
theme dining, interactive entertainment and other non-football 
business, (6) an interactive Connecticut River Discovery Center 
(aquarium/history museum, (7) approximately 350 residential apartments 
with some retail frontage, (8) an approximately 350-room business 
hotel, (9) parking facilities representing approximately 7,500 spaces, 
(10) relocation and modification of sewer, water, and other utility 
infrastructure and vehicular and pedestrian traffic access 
modifications. Adriaen's Landing will be located in downtown Hartford 
along the Connecticut River. The estimated cost for this project is 1.3 
billion dollars.
    The City of Hartford has been awarded a Brownfield Economic 
Development Initiative (BEDI) grant from the DHUD which will help with 
the costs associated with site preparation activities. The grant funds 
will be combined with up to $13 million in the Section 108 loan 
authority, $5 million of which will be specifically used in conjunction 
with the BEDI funds on the entertainment/retail component of the 
project.
    The remaining $8 million will be used for eligible activities 
associated with the project. DHUD funds will not be used to support the 
stadium. Seven acres of the 40-acre development are air rights over 
Interstate 91 and the Whitehead Highway. The Federal Highway 
Administration would need to approve the use of this air space and 
will, therefore, be a cooperating agency.
    To ensure that a full range of issues related to this proposed 
action are addressed and all significant issues identified, comments 
and suggestions are invited from all interested parties.
    An information open house followed by a scoping meeting will be 
held on Thursday, April 15, 1999 at Betances School, 42 Charter Oak 
Avenue, Hartford, CT 06103. The open house will be held from 5-7 p.m. 
followed by the scoping meeting from 7-9 p.m. The scoping is for 
determining the scope of issues to be addressed in the EIS and for 
identifying the significant issues related to the proposed Adriaen's 
Landing project.

Need For the EIS

    It has been determined that the project may constitute an action 
significantly effecting the quality of the human environment, and an 
Environmental Impact Statement will be prepared by the City of Hartford 
in cooperation with the Capital City Economic Development Authority in 
accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (Pub. L. 
91-190) on such project.
    Responses to this notice will be used to:
    1. Determine significant environmental issues;
    2. Identify data which the EIS should address; and
    3. Identify agencies and other parties which will participate in 
the EIS process and the basis for their involvement.
    This notice is in accordance with the regulations of the Council on 
Environmental Quality under its rule (40 CFR part 1500).
    The Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be published and 
distributed about August 9, 1999 and a copy will be on file at the City 
of Hartford, Division of Management and Budget, Room 108, 550 Main 
Street, Hartford, CT 06103 and available for public inspection, or 
copies may be attained at the same address, upon request.

Scoping

    This notice is part of the process used for scoping the EIS. 
Responses will help determine significant environmental issues, 
identify data which the EIS should address, and help identify 
cooperating agencies.
    The Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be published upon 
completion and will be on file, and available for public inspection at 
the address listed above. Copies may also be obtained upon request, at 
the same address.
    This Notice shall be in effect for one year. If one year after the 
publication of the Notice in the Federal Register a draft EIS has not 
been filed on the project, then the Notice for that project shall be 
cancelled. If a draft EIS is expected more than one year after the 
publication of this Notice, a new and updated Notice must be published.

    Dated: March 26, 1999.
Richard H. Broun,
Director, Office of Community Viability.
[FR Doc. 99-8056 Filed 3-31-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-29-P