When Riverfront Recapture was established in 1981, the Connecticut River was isolated from Hartford and East Hartford by flood walls and an interstate highway. The river was dirty and its banks were overgrown and uninviting. Thanks to the efforts of a public/private partnership put together by Riverfront Recapture, the riverfront has evolved into a beautiful green oasis that welcomes urban residents and visitors. These efforts have national recognition and earned prestigious awards such as the Waterfront Center’s Top Honor Award.

Riverfront Recapture has built a respected reputation for our unique knowledge and experience in developing an urban waterfront that is subject to flooding, and we are often sought out by other organizations across the country for our waterfront planning expertise.

Our Riverfront parks lie entirely within a flood plain, which means that the Riverfront will always remain a public greenway for recreational use. But as the Riverfront parks have become vibrant destinations that draw large numbers of people, they have become catalysts for economic investment, with development projects being located as close to the parks as possible. Since public access was restored to the Riverfront in downtown Hartford, for example, a convention center, a science center, a hotel and an entertainment complex have emerged on land that is connected to the Riverfront parks. Hundreds of apartments are planned for land within easy walking distance to the parks. Near the parks in East Hartford, hotels and a new Goodwin University campus is flourishing.