Alliance to help preserve Elmcrest structures

PORTLAND – As they await final approval for the traffic permit for the Elmcrest/Brainerd Place project, town officials got another bit of good news last week.

The Hart Jarvis Revitalization Alliance has received formal recognition as a Section 501(c)(3) nonprofit under the Internal Revenue code.

“To be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, an organization must be organized and operated exclusively for exempt purposes set forth in section 501(c)(3), and none of its earnings may inure to any private shareholder or individual,” according to information on the Internal Revenue Service’s website.

The HJRA was established to protect the 19th century mansion, one of a number of historically significant structures that occupy portions of the 14.7-acre former hospital grounds.

Specifically, the “HJRA has been formed to ultimately take ownership of the house, protect its historic designation and preserve and restore it so that it may be used as a cultural, economic and social resource for the community,” Frisbie wrote in a Jan. 30 letter to developer Dan Bertram.

More than just retaining an historic building, the preservation of the Hart Jarvis (and the Brainerd House and Sage House) is also critical to the eventual of development of of the site as mixed-use development.

In a letter for First Selectwoman Susan S. Bransfield this past November, HJRA president Claire Frisbie reminded her the Planning and Zoning Commission had made the retention and revitalization of the mansions “an integral part of the overall approval” for the project.

“The preservation and reuse of the buildings is required for the applicant to recent approval for the 240 residential units,” Frisbie noted.

In her Nov. 2 letter to Bransfield (and, by extension, to Bertram) Frisbie listed three areas of concern about the condition of the House leading into winter.

1. “Water is infiltrating the roofs, further deteriorating the structural integrity and historic fabric of the building.”

2. “Many windows and doors are inadequately covered, making the building vulnerable to damage from weather, animals and vandals.”

3. “Overgrow vegetation against the building is further encouraging rot and mildew. It also makes assessment of water infiltration increasingly difficult.”

Frisbie said she had called Bertram and Bransfield’s attention to the issues “to ensure the success

of the Brainerd Place project and its place in Portland’s economic development efforts.” She included recommended steps that should be taken to correct her concerns.

Bransfield said this week that Bertram had adopted the suggestions and dealt with the issues. Those efforts involved securing the roofs with tarps; securing the windows with “continuous panels; and removing overgrown vegetation and

addressing water infiltration issues,” Bransfield said.

For her part, Bransfield has returned to draft traffic permit to the Office of State Traffic Administration.

Bertram must file a bond to clear the way for the state to issue a traffic permit.

Bransfield said she is looking forward to a ground-breaking ceremony for the project this spring.

Jeff Mill / Hearst Connecticut Media Some of the buildings on the former Elmcrest property are considered historically significant.