Why Hartford’s first food truck park is delayed and to open later than expected this summer
Quan and Rebeca Quach knew their plans for the first food truck park in Hartford was moving into new development territory for the city, so it would take some time.
“So, I completely understand that,” Rebeca Quach said. “Did I expect it to take this long? No.”
The couple had hoped to open Westside Square, at the corner of Farmington and Girard avenues in the city’s West End, by the end of May, but the opening has now been pushed back to early July.
Rebeca Quach attributed the delays to a combination of the couple not knowing all the ins and outs of dealing with multiple city departments on a project for which there were no existing zoning regulations and slow responses from city departments to their questions during construction.
“It definitely all isn’t on the city,” Rebeca Quach said. “It really isn’t. But when you’re waiting a day, two days for answers, that is a long time in the construction world.”
I. Charles Mathews, the city’s director of development services, said the city has “bent over backwards” to work with the Quaches on the project.
Mathews said the city is certainly supportive of creative projects like the food truck park, but there were challenges. There were not yet zoning regulations for such a project, and changes were made midway through the project, Mathews said.
Mathews said he understands contractors, developers and others may expect a turnaround of 24 hours or less, but the expectation isn’t reasonable given the department’s personnel and resources.
The department strives to meet all the needs of residents, small businesses and contractors, but often projects must be sequenced “so maybe we won’t reach you on Monday, but we will reach you on Wednesday, not because we’re not working but there are hundreds of other people before you,” he said.
On Tuesday, a meeting of three city departments — licenses & inspections, planning & zoning and health & human services — drew up a list of remaining issues.
Plans for the food truck park include a central pergola, a stage and seating for dozens of people on huge wooden wire spools. The planning for the park started a year ago, and Quan Quach is heading up the construction using repurposed materials.
The park will accommodate up to four trucks at a time in a rotation similar to GastroPark, the West Hartford food truck park. The park will be open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 9 p.m.
The uncertainty surrounding the opening date for the Quaches’ project was further complicated recently when the owner of property where Westside Square is being built agreed to sell the land to the city. The owner had a long-running lawsuit with city over developing the property.
“The phone keeps ringing,” Rebeca Quach said. “Everyone keeps sending messages: ‘Are you guys even going to open anymore now that the city has the lot?’ We are opening this season, that I do know.”
The city has targeted the property for mixed-use redevelopment but has not disclosed any potential timelines.
“Hopefully, [the city] will work with us going forward next year,” Rebeca Quach said. “It’s the perfect location for this. It’s a busy street.”
The Quaches now have a month-to-month lease.
Rebeca Quach said she regrets Westside wasn’t ready for Sunday’s DominGO! celebration held on Farmington Avenue. The “Open Streets” celebration — Domingo is the Spanish word for Sunday — blocks off different streets to vehicles on three Sundays this summer to promote community interaction.
The Quaches had to cancel food trucks and a band that was set to play.
“We will miss that one, but we ourselves — our family will be here,” Rebeca Quach said. “We’ll all be supporting it.”
Contact Kenneth R. Gosselin at kgosselin@courant.com.
