Chapel West Special Services District

News and Events

Recap: Business Information Session with the City of New Haven

· Anthony Giano

Thirteen business owners and City staff standing together in front of the Chapel West logo backdrop at the district office after the session
Business owners and City staff at the Chapel West office after the session.

On Wednesday, September 30, staff from the City of New Haven Office of Economic Development came to the Chapel West office at 1207 Chapel St for a Business Information Session with district business owners, led by Carlos Eyzaguirre, the City's Deputy Economic Development Administrator. Thank you to everyone who came out. If you missed it, here is what we heard.

Business owners and City staff around the conference table at the Chapel West office, the Chapel West website on the wall screen and on a laptop, with City handouts spread on the table

City grants that help pay for your space

  • Leasehold Improvement Program: the City reimburses 50% of interior cosmetic improvements and equipment purchases, up to $15,000. It takes an application, a business plan and some community impact, such as hiring locally, and it runs while funds last.
  • Facade Improvement Program: exterior work such as awnings, lighting and storefront improvements, reimbursed at 50% up to $30,000, or up to $60,000 for a corner building with two street-facing sides. It can also help with the cost of architectural renderings. It is usually the landlord who applies, working together with the business tenant.
  • Working capital grant: up to $10,000, through the NHE3 (New Haven Equitable Entrepreneurial Ecosystem) grant program, run with The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, to use as your business needs (not for real estate or past debt). Expect about 30 to 45 days from application to approval. You will need your tax returns, financials, good-standing letters from the Connecticut Secretary of the State and Department of Revenue Services, a description of how you will use the money, and a photo ID.

Free help starting and growing a business

  • DNA of an Entrepreneur for new owners and for anyone who opened without learning the business side first.
  • Growth Accelerator, a 12-week program for established businesses, meeting Monday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at the business school at Southern Connecticut State University.
  • Technical assistance, workshops, mentors and help finding capital, including support aimed at restaurants. All of it at no cost.
Two women smiling side by side in office chairs at the Chapel West office, one wearing a black shirt with a blue turtle logo

Tips from City staff

  • Talk to the City before you buy. These programs cannot reimburse purchases already made, so bring big-ticket items to them first.
  • Plan for time. Reimbursement programs need several sign-offs and can take a couple of months.
  • Keep your books clean. Keep business and personal money separate, and keep your City property and car taxes paid, or an application gets flagged.
  • Outdoor dining permits still need seven or eight sign-offs. The City says it is working to make that easier, and the annual renewal cost is coming down substantially.

Big projects on the way

  • Unilever is bringing its research and development to a planned lab and office building at 2 Church Street.
  • A $50 million state grant to build a quantum computing hub in New Haven, with Yale and UConn.
  • Closer to home, a developer is proposing housing on the vacant former gas station site at 49 Howe Street, which was previously approved for an apartment building.
  • Union Station's 8 retail spaces will become 13, and proposals from new tenants are being taken now through the New Haven Parking Authority.
  • Two new Yale buildings are under way: the Adams Neuroscience Building, expected to be finished in 2027, and the Geffen Dramatic Arts Building, expected in fall 2030.

The message of the night: these programs work best when you know about them before you open or buy. Please share this with any business owner you know in New Haven.

Slides and City contacts

Download the City's presentation slides (PDF, 2.5 MB). Questions about any of these programs can go to the Office of Economic Development staff who presented:

See the original event announcement.