(a) There shall continue to be a master plan for the development of the Connecticut Capitol Center in Hartford within the following-described area to be known as the Capitol Center District: All of the land within the city of Hartford bounded by Bushnell Park, Wells Street, Main Street, Buckingham Street, Wadsworth Street to Cedar Street following the rear property lines of property fronting on Buckingham Street, Cedar Street, a line extended east from Grand Street, Grand Street, Oak Street, the parcel at the southwest corner of Russ Street and Oak Street, Russ Street, Broad Street, and the right-of-way of the New Haven Railroad to Bushnell Park. The Capitol Center District shall, where feasible, be the location of the central offices, and their ancillary facilities, of the three branches of the state government. The district shall also contain those noncentral offices, and their ancillary facilities, which serve the Hartford area and which can feasibly fulfill their functions at this location, except that this shall not prohibit the construction or leasing by the state of courts and courthouses outside of the Capitol Center District. Nongovernmental uses, including, but not limited to, social, cultural, residential, and retail uses may be incorporated in the area as ancillary uses.

(b) The master plan shall include, but need not be limited to, the following: Land use, property acquisition, business and residential relocation, street system alignments and dimensions, internal circulation systems, parking facilities, utilities and services systems, landscaping, lighting and amenities, and building space use priorities, including programming, controls and restrictions, provided such master plan shall not provide for the acquisition of the property known as the Horace Bushnell Memorial without prior certification by the board of trustees of the Horace Bushnell Memorial Hall Corporation that the acquisition by the state of said property is in conformance with the plans of the corporation. As an integral part of the master plan, there shall be a capital improvements program, both short range and long range, indicating recommended scheduling of the various phases of construction and estimated costs therefor in order that the development of the Connecticut Capitol Center may be undertaken in an orderly and logical way and so that the needs of the central offices of state government can be met in a timely manner.

(c) Not later than January 1, 2003, and every five years thereafter, the Connecticut Capitol Center Commission established pursuant to section 4b-66a shall (1) review the master plan, and (2) submit a report on its findings and proposed changes to the master plan to the Governor and to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations, government administration and finance, revenue and bonding.

(1967, P.A. 589, S. 3–5; 1969, P.A. 286, S. 3; 1971, P.A. 283; P.A. 75-425, S. 13, 57; P.A. 77-614, S. 73, 610; P.A. 83-111, S. 1, 2; P.A. 84-512, S. 3, 30; P.A. 01-172, S. 5.)

History: 1969 act clarified boundaries of Capitol Center District; 1971 act added exemption allowing courts to be located outside Capitol Center District; P.A. 75-425 required approval of public works commissioner for establishment of capital improvements program; P.A. 77-614 substituted commissioner of administrative services for public works commissioner; P.A. 83-111 amended Subsec. (a) to qualify requirement that the central offices be located in The Capitol Center District, by adding the words “where feasible”; P.A. 84-512 deleted references to Capitol Center commission, and deleted requirement that master plan accord with principles of State Capitol Government Center Planning Committee report of 1967; Sec. 4-24c transferred to Sec. 4b-66 in 1989; P.A. 01-172 amended Subsec. (a) to expand nongovernmental uses to those including, but not limited to, residential uses, and added Subsec. (c) re review of, and report on, the master plan by the Connecticut Capitol Center Commission.