mikel
-
Posts
667 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Gallery
Project Database
User Guide
Store
Events
Posts posted by mikel
-
-
Lack of progress on this lot is the least of my concern. It can stay that way for as long as it wants, as long as no parking is allowed on it.
I'd rather we start filling in the holes in buildings that already exist and making sure no historic building ever gets torn down in Hartford again! Priorities are important. It's like having 5 kids who you can't properly raise or support and then going off trying to have another, not that this would happen in this city...
-
I am a big rail fan. However, I happen to believe that this corridor is best served by the proposed bus rapid transit system. First, infrastructure associated with the bus system will be less expensive to operate and maintain than a rail system. Second, the bus system will offer more route flexibility than a rail system. Built correctly, it could offer dozens of neighborhoods adjacent to or near the corridor with "no transfer" service to downtown Hartford or New Britain. And third, the bus system will provide faster service than a rail system. Let's face it. Buses would operate more quickly along the line and spend less idle time at station stops than either heavy or light rail. Trains would be bogged down with the multiple at-grade crossings that still exist in New Britain and Hartford.
I think buses can be made attractive to the commuting public. In D.C., Metro operates some newer models of sleek buses that are quieter and more comfortable than the subway cars.
In my view ConnDOT needs to focus on expanding commuter rail along the Springfield Line.
Seems like you drank the kool-aid. Buses faster than trains? What? I also think the idea that the buses will hop on the corridor at random points is a farce. If the suburbanites use the buses, they will drive to the station. There is no enough density. And there are not enough stops in the cities due to the location of the corridor. It will be cheaper to start, but will turn out to be more expensive in the long run. The same train tracks laid in the late 19th century are still active in parts of this state. Petroleum prices will go up. It's a big corrupt mistake to lay asphalt on this corridor.
-
There is no way this corridor was going to have "high-speed transit" but the busway is complete disgrace. I bet the consultants either had an agenda to push this mode, or the DOT fears doing anything other than paving more land.
The fact that this "busway" is to be built on a rail corridor is even more insulting. I could undertstand if they were just adding a lane on a highway to be used as a busway, which makes way more sense than ruining this corridor like they are with buses.
-
You can upload photos to imageshack.us without registering and just copy the links into a post here. Or sign up for an account at a number of photo sharing sites (webshots, pickle, photobucket, etc. etc. etc.).
-
husky shop is moving out from pratt street to the 4th floor of the hartford downtown mba campus with the goal of solely serving the mba students. yet another loss for pratt.
Too bad. They had the cheapest prices for Ipods and accessories around. The clothes are so ugly though.
-
Deleted my photo summary bc i will no longer be contributing here.
-
Vote YES (the state SHOULD block this project) on courant.com poll.
-
Vote against this proposal on the front page of courant.com poll !!!
-
Isn't the uconn med school in farmington? it would make sense why they would build a hospital there.
Erm... the school IS the hospital. Which is another great reason why this needs to go in Hartford.
-
Only in CT...geese absolutly amazing. It amazes me that they build a replacement in Farmington...there are a lot of UCONN med students who do work with Hartford Hospital and CCMC doctors...pathetic.
Exactly, and I thought we wanted students in downtown Hartford. So why is the state allowing public funds to keep this place out in the 'burbs?
-
I'm surprised nobody mentioned this yet.
http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-uconn...-headlines-home
Why Farmington? I thought it was a mistake to put it there in the first place, it should've been built downtown. And now they're going to replace it, in Farmington? So this hospital caters to the upper class in fringe suburbs, while offering discount services for poor residents with student staff? Yet most of the poor people will be filling up Hartford Hosp, and St. Francis, because the UConn hospital is too far away. This makes no sense at all. Our state money shouldn't be spent on this. It should be built in the north end of Hartford, help rivatalize that area.
-
Woulda, coulda, shoulda. It's so depressing. I agree that something is better than nothing, but we didn't bite when there was a market. If you put stores that previously didn't exist in Hartford County (Cheesecake Factory, Crate and Barrel) in Front Street, you corner that part of the market and give people something downtown that they can't get in their suburb. But Blueback beat us to the punch on that one--and to the extent there was a void of upscale shopping east of the river, Evergreen filled that gap.
Frankly--and I don't mean to sound naive--I still think there's an unmet upscale market in Hartford. We need the likes of Saks, Zara, Barney's and Pink. The folks who dine at the Emperor are the target. Avon, West Hartford, Simsbury; they buy it online or take trips to Boston or Manhattan. You still can't find this stuff in Westfarms or Evergreen Walk, and it's what cities are made for. Make Front Street beautiful and safe, and offer nice restaurants and convenient parking, and I'm telling you; they'll buy. Then, you've got the conventioners to boot. I have a hard time believing it wouldn't take off if it were built.
Aren't those people already shopping at Stackpole Moore Tryon and Tuesday's? Most of those types of people aren't going to come downtown just because it's a national retailer as opposed to a local. It's the same product for the same price.
The ones who live in Farmington and Canton and don't come downtown, they still aren't going to come, until we get some real property tax reform and they start paying for the priveledge of contributing to sprawl. Then downtown won't seem so bad.
-
If the case of prep-work were true, we should be seeing the Society for Savings building that they leveled half of Hartford's history for any day now.
-
I'm sorry, but Front Street is drifting sideways. They have to move on this or the city will lose momentum, and they need a commitment from a national retailer, like Borders. I realize that after the state fired Cohen, the word was that national retail wouldn't be interested yet, but I think the market is here, there just has to be buzz. You can create demand by creating supply.
Who cares if its a national retailer? I'd prefer local stores if possible, especially for something like books where you save nothing by shopping at a chain store. But most of all, I'd prefer ANYTHING, local or not. I want to be able to buy anything I need in the city center.
-
Just spoke with someone at Arts Council who I am assuming knows a bit about the inside scoop. He is pretty negative about Front Street, while he did not say it won't happen he mentioned the slow moving condo market is not helping.
I wish they could just build the guts of the buildings, put in the ground-floor retail, and then fill in the upstairs living quarters at a later date. I've actually seen this in Europe.
-
My opinion is that a rail right-of-way should be used for rail transit. To pave that over with asphalt and run buses on it is a joke.
This whole project is a joke. All Connecticut DOT is capable of is getting more and more of the state paved with asphalt. Even when it's mass transit, they need asphalt. A JOKE.
-
All right how bout a Trolley down Farmington?
That would be nice, but in order for a trolley to work it would need the complete right-of-way. Farmington Avenue could be widened since most buildings aren't built to the sidewalk.
When you take away I-84 from the picture.. which is what should be discussed, but of course now the DOT wants to invest 100 million in it...... then it would be a whole different story. But with the highway cutting right through, there isn't the traffic on Farmington Avenue needed to really sell a project like that.
I'd love to erase I-84, widen Farmington Avenue to a proper avenue, and put a trolley line in the middle with stations on the median. Program people to learn how to drive with a trolley since that skill has all but been erased in America. Maybe in the future.......
-
I agree, the two downtowns are only 3 miles apart. Maybe a star shuttle linking the areas would be benefitial.
The CT Transit service is pretty good along Farmington Avenue.. Those who say they want the Star Shuttle to go down Franklin Ave or Farmington Ave. are missing the point of it. That's what the interurban buses are for.
-
If you read the article, you know the deal. The hotel is owned by a guy who is sitting on the property and wants 10 million for a building worth two to four million. He bought it for 1.5 million.
Hartford's problems are really Connecticut's problems. A state in a Democratic stranglehold that favors unions and punishes businesses. Until the state figures out that hurting employers isn't good for jobs, the same slow pace of growth (or even a decline) will continue.
Well Wal-Mart is still offering full time hours and no benefits to employees, so maybe we're not tough enough on business yet...
That Maharishi guy is scum. Something needs to be done about how that guy can just let the building rot without penalty.
-
It is nice to see some height added down in the southeast part of the state but Hartford better regain the tallest building if this one passes cityplace.
Come on all you insurance giants, we all know you want to build a nice new 700 footer downtown!
-
I bet it's going to be the biggest and most exciting thing in the whole entire world!
-
Sorry, but there's just no getting past the BIG F***ING UGLY INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 25 FEET AWAY!!! Either bury 91, or orient everything in the development to the west, i.e. facing away from the highway.
It will never be buried. However, someday hopefully it will be re-routed way outside the city centre.
-
New Rt 2A ByPass Proposal
Hopefully the DOT gets on board with this, it would help Norwich in a big way. Preston residents would also benefit with less disruption to their properties.
-
Their probably surveying the site.
They're probably getting ready to pave it over for parking.
IN PROGRESS: Front Street @ Adriaen's Landing
in Greater Hartford
Posted
Give up on Adriean's Landing and move on. It was a stupid plan to begin with. The core of the CBD should have been fixed before this new project came along.