Youth Career Pathways - Strategic Planning and Project Management

The City of New Haven is seeking a qualified and experienced project manager to assist with the implementation of a Career Connected Learning Hub / technical education program, building on the existing career pathways programs provided by New Haven Public Schools (“NHPS Career Pathways Program”) in partnership with various educational providers. The selected project manager will be responsible for coordinating with a range of stakeholders—including city agencies, educational institutions, employers, and community organizations – on programmatic and physical design as well as permitting and stakeholder engagement.

In 2024, the City completed a comprehensive study of workforce development/career pathway opportunities for high-school students and young adults (“Study”). A copy of this document is attached as supplemental information to this RFP. Building up from this work, the project manager shall continue integration with NHPS Career Pathways, expanding programs through two new initiatives, Comprehensive Career Pathways (“Comprehensive Program”) and Health Care Career Pathways (“Health Care Program”) and each as described in brief detail below:

Comprehensive Program: Based on the Study, the City has identified the now-vacant New Haven Armory as the identified location for the Comprehensive Program and may also be the selected home for the more-specific health care programs. The selected project manager will focus on both design and programmatic elements of the project. Given the scale of the Armory project, the Comprehensive Program will be one component to a larger vision which includes housing and community use of the Armory. On a parallel path, the City will be carrying out a feasibility study of the entire vision in partnership with the Armory Steering Committee. The Comprehensive Program will need to advance on an accelerated schedule; however, the project manager will be responsible for close coordination and alignment with other elements of the vision.

Health Care Program: New Haven Public Schools currently provides a wide range of career pathways and exploration programs. Working with NHPS and various partners, the Health Care Program is anticipated to be the largest of the expanded offerings, with a wide range of credentials, dual enrollment and other credits designed to accelerate living-wage career opportunities. As such, the Health Care Program will be largely designed by NHPS and may or may not be based at the Armory.

New Haven, Connecticut, a coastal city located along Long Island Sound, is home to approximately 130,000 residents and is the second-largest city in the state. As part of the New York Metropolitan area, New Haven serves as a major hub along the Northeast Rail and I-95 corridors. The city's rich history includes being the first planned city in the United States, originally settled in 1638. Over the years, New Haven’s urban fabric has evolved, though its nine-square grid remains a defining feature of its core. Recently, there has been a significant focus on neighborhood commercial corridor development.

The Goffe Street Armory is situated in New Haven’s Dixwell neighborhood, which has a unique historical and cultural significance. Dixwell, historically a center of African American community life in New Haven, has faced economic challenges but is currently undergoing revitalization through new housing developments, a newly constructed public library branch and community center, and the nationally significant mixed-use redevelopment of the former Dixwell Plaza. The neighborhood is also home to key community anchors such as Hillhouse High School, NXTHVN—an artist incubator and cultural hub—Goffe Street Park, and a well-loved community garden located directly on the Armory property. Together, these institutions and public spaces are actively shaping a more vibrant, creative, and inclusive future for Dixwell. The Goffe Street Armory, a historically significant and centrally located landmark, presents an opportunity for adaptive reuse that can further strengthen the local economy, deepen community engagement, and celebrate the neighborhood’s rich cultural heritage.

Bordering Dixwell to the west and south, the Beaver Hills and Dwight neighborhoods are integral to the surrounding community that the Armory can serve. Beaver Hills is a racially and economically diverse, predominantly residential area known for its early-20th-century architecture, tree-lined streets, and tight-knit community. The neighborhood brings together long-time homeowners, newer arrivals, and multigenerational families, contributing to a strong sense of inclusion and shared investment in local quality of life. It is also home to Beaver Pond Park, one of the city’s largest natural areas, which provides residents with trails, water access, and habitat conservation. An active community association and neighborhood pride are hallmarks of Beaver Hills, which continues to attract families, professionals, and retirees alike. The Dwight neighborhood, located closer to downtown and major institutions like Yale New Haven Hospital, is more densely populated and features a mix of multifamily housing,

commercial activity along Whalley Avenue, and ongoing development pressure. Both neighborhoods face challenges related to housing affordability, mobility, and equitable access to public resources, and the redevelopment of the Goffe Street Armory presents a unique opportunity to support inclusive growth across these diverse communities.

The Goffe Street Armory - Description and Historic Designation The Goffe Street Armory, built in 1915, is a key historic landmark in the Dixwell neighborhood. The building features a unique architectural design and has long served as an important civic asset. It is approximately 160,000 square feet across three floors and a basement and is owned by the City of New Haven. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2021 and the CT Freedom Trail in 2023 for its significance to the Civil Rights Movement and Connecticut's Black history. Its adaptive reuse is central to efforts to revitalize the surrounding area and create a vibrant community hub. The building’s location and scale make it a prime candidate for redevelopment that could serve a variety of community needs while respecting its historical significance.