{"id":314,"date":"2025-06-03T18:12:36","date_gmt":"2025-06-03T22:12:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/?p=314"},"modified":"2025-07-02T12:40:35","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T16:40:35","slug":"rising-waters-closes-doors-of-star-hardware","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/2025\/06\/03\/rising-waters-closes-doors-of-star-hardware\/","title":{"rendered":"Chronic Flooding Closed Hartford Neighborhood Hardware Store"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

By Mia Jaworski
UConn Journalism<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

For years, Star Hardware was a cor\u00adner\u00adstone of Hartford\u2019s North End, serv\u00ading res\u00adi\u00addents with the tools, sup\u00adplies and appli\u00adances they need\u00aded. But despite strong sales and a ded\u00adi\u00adcat\u00aded cus\u00adtomer base, the store has faced an enemy it sim\u00adply couldn\u2019t fight any longer: flood\u00ading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Located in an area long plagued by com\u00adbined sewer over\u00adflows and street flood\u00ading, the store has endured repeat\u00aded water dam\u00adage, lead\u00ading own\u00aders Max and Parul Kothari to close the hard\u00adware side of the busi\u00adness in 2023 after incur\u00adring mil\u00adlions in loss\u00ades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story of Star Hardware is not just about a sin\u00adgle business\u2014it\u2019s about an entire com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty strug\u00adgling against a decades-old prob\u00adlem that no amount of sand\u00adbags or resilience can seem to fix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hartford\u2019s North End has bat\u00adtled chron\u00adic flood\u00ading for years, a con\u00adse\u00adquence of an out\u00addat\u00aded sewer sys\u00adtem that mixes stormwa\u00adter with raw sewage. With each heavy rain\u00adfall, water over\u00adwhelms many of the streets, pours into some busi\u00adness\u00ades and hous\u00ades and leaves res\u00adi\u00addents scram\u00adbling to recov\u00ader. As storms have inten\u00adsi\u00adfied in recent years, so has the prob\u00adlem, and Star Hardware has been one of its many casu\u00adal\u00adties.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Workers at Star Hardware waded through flood waters in early July 2023. PERMISSION STILL NEEDED FOR THIS PHOTO from NBC CT]]<\/p>\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-22-at-5.55.43\u202fPM.png\" src=\"http:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-22-at-5.55.43\u202fPM.png\" alt class=\"wp-image-315\" style=\"width:400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-22-at-5.55.43\u202fPM.png 606w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-22-at-5.55.43\u202fPM-246x300.png 246w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-22-at-5.55.43\u202fPM-123x150.png 123w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 606px) 100vw, 606px\"><\/a>
Workers at Star Hardware waded through flood waters in early July 2023. Image cour\u00adtesy of NBC Connecticut.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The store\u2019s owner, work\u00aders, and cus\u00adtomers have all expe\u00adri\u00adenced the dev\u00adas\u00adta\u00adtion first\u00adhand. Under a con\u00adsent order between the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC), $170 mil\u00adlion is being allo\u00adcat\u00aded to fix the sew\u00ader\u00adage sys\u00adtem infra\u00adstruc\u00adture and stop the flood\u00ading cri\u00adsis, includ\u00ading $5 mil\u00adlion in aid for affect\u00aded res\u00adi\u00addents, and busi\u00adness\u00ades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star Hardware flood\u00aded four times in the past five years, with each flood caus\u00ading any\u00adwhere from $750,000 to $1 mil\u00adlion in dam\u00adages. The store has lost more than $1 mil\u00adlion, mak\u00ading it impos\u00adsi\u00adble to con\u00adtin\u00adue oper\u00adat\u00ading, the own\u00aders said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The worst flood\u00ading began after the devel\u00adop\u00adment of a near\u00adby reten\u00adtion pond next to a res\u00adi\u00adden\u00adtial neigh\u00adbor\u00adhood behind the store. Instead of solv\u00ading drainage issues, the pond has seem\u00ading\u00adly wors\u00adened them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pond has at times filled with debris and clogged. Christopher Levesque, MDC\u2019s chief oper\u00adat\u00ading offi\u00adcer, of the MDC, vis\u00adit\u00aded the area behind Star Hardware with staff mem\u00adbers of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2023, when he report\u00aded find\u00ading \u201csig\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcant debris in the reten\u00adtion basin, includ\u00ading var\u00adi\u00adous sports balls,\u201d Levesque said in an email sent to DEEP, the city of Hartford, and other MDC offi\u00adcials. The MDC cleared the clog and billed the city at that time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The prob\u00adlem \u201cis a storm drainage issue more than a sewer issue, said Nisha Patel, direc\u00adtor of DEEP\u2019s water plan\u00adning and man\u00adage\u00adment. \u201cHowever, since much of Hartford is still a com\u00adbined sys\u00adtem, storm drainage improve\u00adments are an impor\u00adtant part of address\u00ading sewer over\u00adflows.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The impact of the store\u2019s clo\u00adsure extends beyond its walls. The North End com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty has long felt neglect\u00aded when it comes to infra\u00adstruc\u00adture invest\u00adments, and many res\u00adi\u00addents feel that the city\u2019s response to the flood\u00ading prob\u00adlem has been slow and inad\u00ade\u00adquate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Former Star Hardware employ\u00adee and cur\u00adrent Express Kitchens employ\u00adee Tony Brown, who worked at the hard\u00adware store for 27 years, said he miss\u00ades the role the busi\u00adness played in the com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty. \u201cI liked work\u00ading there,\u201d Brown said. \u201cIt was a sta\u00adple of Hartford.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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<\/a>
A reten\u00adtion pond behind this berm and pipes has made flood\u00ading even worse behind Star Hardware. Photo by Christine Woodside<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Now, the space that once housed Star Hardware is part of Express Kitchens, but rem\u00adnants of its past remain. A sign still hangs above the ware\u00adhouse, and Brown said he can still see Star Hardware when he walks through the build\u00ading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are still the same tiles, and you can even see where shelves were, the mark\u00adings are still on the floor,\u201d he said. \u201cThe place was repaint\u00aded to a brighter white color. It used to be an off-white before. It\u2019s hard\u00ader on the eyes now, espe\u00adcial\u00adly with the lights. The chains still hang from the ceil\u00ading. It\u2019s weird. When I walk around, I can still see Stars, but it\u2019s not Stars any\u00admore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star Hardware cel\u00ade\u00adbrat\u00aded its 100th anniver\u00adsary in 2015, though the Main Street loca\u00adtion was not estab\u00adlished until 1963. In a now near\u00adly empty room, where only a sin\u00adgle chair and table remain, pho\u00adtos of past mile\u00adstone events still hang on the walls, com\u00admem\u00ado\u00adrat\u00ading the store\u2019s his\u00adto\u00adry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brown fond\u00adly recalls the shelves once filled with paint and plumb\u00ading supplies\u2014the store\u2019s best-sell\u00ading items. \u201cPeople came the most for paint and plumb\u00ading sup\u00adplies,\u201d he said, chuck\u00adling at the irony of sell\u00ading plumb\u00ading sup\u00adplies in a store that was repeat\u00aded\u00adly flood\u00aded. \u201cWe did a lot of removal and replace\u00adment of water heaters. We only sold parts and pieces; we didn\u2019t install any\u00adthing. That was a contractor\u2019s job, but we still made friends with every\u00adone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also remem\u00adbers how per\u00adson\u00adal the busi\u00adness was. \u201cWhen Stars was closed\u2014man, I miss Stars,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThe vol\u00adume of peo\u00adple and the type of peo\u00adple just aren\u2019t com\u00ading any\u00admore. You\u2019d see these peo\u00adple every week.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The store was more than just a retail space; it was a hub for the com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty. Brown rem\u00adi\u00adnisced about the reg\u00adu\u00adlar cus\u00adtomers he saw every week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star Hardware used to sup\u00adply local ele\u00admen\u00adtary and high schools, offer\u00ading equip\u00adment and a break in a school main\u00adte\u00adnance worker\u2019s day, like Bill, a man who would visit for one small item but stay for an hour just to talk. \u201cHome away from home,\u201d Brown said. \u201cI miss that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also spoke about how tight\u00adly knit the employ\u00adees were. \u201cThe guys who work here were pret\u00adty relaxed,\u201d he said. \u201cOn spe\u00adcial occa\u00adsions, we would get drinks on our birth\u00addays. It was\u2014and still is\u2014a close envi\u00adron\u00adment for those of us still here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The flood\u00ading didn\u2019t just destroy the store\u2014it dis\u00adrupt\u00aded lives. Brown said employ\u00adees had to close the store for days to clean up the after\u00admath, deal\u00ading with foul-smelling water that seeped through the floor and shut\u00adters. \u201cYou couldn\u2019t even expect or under\u00adstand how gross it was,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was so bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Restrooms were closed for an entire sum\u00admer due to back-up, leav\u00ading patrons and work\u00aders alike to share one of the other small bath\u00adrooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The once-filled Star Hardware "Wall of Fame," now empty inside Express Kitchens. Photo by Mia Jaworski<\/p>\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/Star-Hardware-empty-wall-of-fame.png\" src=\"http:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/Star-Hardware-empty-wall-of-fame.png\" alt class=\"wp-image-311\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/Star-Hardware-empty-wall-of-fame.png 810w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/Star-Hardware-empty-wall-of-fame-300x210.png 300w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/Star-Hardware-empty-wall-of-fame-150x105.png 150w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/Star-Hardware-empty-wall-of-fame-768x539.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 810px) 100vw, 810px\"><\/a>
The once-filled Star Hardware \u201cWall of Fame,\u201d now empty inside Express Kitchens. Photo by Mia Jaworski<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The build\u00ading still floods. Brown said the new busi\u00adness keeps sup\u00adplies in the back to pre\u00adpare for future storms. \u201cEven now, when\u00adev\u00ader we are expect\u00ading rain, we keep stuff in the back to pre\u00adpare for the dam\u00adage,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Star Hardware closed its doors in 2023, it left behind more than just a storefront\u2014it served as a stark reminder of Hartford\u2019s per\u00adsis\u00adtent flood\u00ading cri\u00adsis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether the store will reopen else\u00adwhere or remain closed for good is uncer\u00adtain. But one thing is clear: with\u00adout real, last\u00ading solu\u00adtions, it won\u2019t be the last busi\u00adness forced to make this dif\u00adfi\u00adcult deci\u00adsion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

TOP PHOTO: The exte\u00adri\u00ador of the for\u00admer Star Hardware store at 2995 Main Street in Hartford\u2019s North End. The store closed in 2023 after con\u00adstant dam\u00adage from com\u00adbined sewer over\u00adflows. Photo by Mia Jaworski<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Mia JaworskiUConn Journalism For years, Star Hardware was a cor\u00adner\u00adstone of Hartford\u2019s North End, serv\u00ading res\u00adi\u00addents with the tools, sup\u00adplies and appli\u00adances they need\u00aded. But despite strong sales and a ded\u00adi\u00adcat\u00aded cus\u00adtomer base, the store has faced an enemy it sim\u00adply couldn\u2019t fight any longer: flood\u00ading. Located in an area long plagued by com\u00adbined\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":991,"featured_media":310,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[18],"class_list":["post-314","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories-from-the-north-end","tag-north-end"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/Star-Hardware-exterior-by-Mia-.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/314","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/991"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=314"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/314\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1184,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/314\/revisions\/1184"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=314"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=314"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=314"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}