Yale's retail redevelopment incites controversy

It usually only takes a half-hour of moving, a couple trips to a fourth-floor dorm room, or one flustered lunch invite before Yale's newly-arrived make their first venture onto Broadway. A key New Haven junction, this street represents one of Yale's most prominent commercial districts, providing necessities and diversions alike to the gaggle of students constantly cycling through its shops, restaurants and bookstores. Given Broadway's influence on student life, it came as little surprise a few years back when the University's plans to renovate the street provoked an intense reaction from the Yale community. Some lauded Yale's efforts to bolster the somewhat lackluster performance of Broadway's businesses; others denounced the University's plan to "support" smaller, locally-owned retailers by introducing national chains as "anchors" to the street. Despite the disagreement, Broadway's facelift will continue through these summer months, and the street will continue appearing a little bit better for each incoming class.

JULIA PAOLITTO/YH In its first day of operation, the Ivy Noodle was forced to close—it had run out of food.

So far, the most obvious changes have come in the form of new retailers. Starting with Broadway's most major addition—a massive Barnes & Noble bookstore that opened in 1997—the street has seen a plethora of new storefronts. The Asian restaurant Ivy Noodle, which just opened this May, has replaced Pizza Empire as the Broadway district's most recent newcomer. An office supply store, a branch of the national Urban Outfitters chain, a creperie and a second convenience store promise to vie for that title in the months to come. Even the street's more established retailers such as Cutler's record store and the restaurant Au Bon Pain have undergone recent renovations.

Other changes have been more subtle. In attempts to invoke the feel of 18th century New Haven, city planners have widened sidewalks, narrowed streets, and moved utility lines below ground. Hundreds of American elm trees, planted throughout the greater Broadway area, help to remind patrons of New Haven's "Elm City" nickname. Such changes have won their designers national recognition. This year, Yale, New Haven and local architectural firms collectively received an award from the American Institute of Architecture for their work on the Broadway district. To complement these changes, developers have since called for a new lighting system, a return to two-way streets, and further redevelopment of the area's businesses.

Yet the renovations have not escaped criticism. In efforts to bring bustle back to the area, Broadway planners have introduced national chains to a street traditionally known for its local character. As a result, the independent bookseller Book Haven must now compete with the corporate-backed Barnes & Noble, and the Yankee Doodle restaurant celebrated its 50th birthday sitting across from a branch of Au Bon Pain. Moreover, the exodus of many smaller businesses from the Broadway area have guaranteed their replacements a lukewarm reception. In the last two years, the long-established Y Haircutting and Broadway Pizza each left for greener pastures, while the popular Daily Caffe coffee house and Ashley's ice cream parlor both closed shop. Though the names mean little to incoming students, some members of the Yale community worry that the national chains will be weak compensation for the character provided by these past retailers.

The controversy has only grown more intense in recent months, as the greater New Haven area has become embroiled in debate over whether to allow a mall to be built in nearby Long Wharf. Arguments over the proposed mall parallel those concerning the Broadway redevelopment, and local retailers have decorated the city with tape reading that "a mall is a poor substitute for a community," while Mayor John DeStefano, Jr. retorts that "Any project that is going to generate $7 million in taxes and 3,000 new jobs is a good thing." As Yale's University Properties and city planners continue to redevelop Broadway and the surrounding areas, local businesses further their protests against corporate integration, and each new class of Yale freshmen settle into the inevitable routine of patronizing Broadway both to purchase and to procrastinate. Such controversy shows no sign of abating.

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