MichaelQReilly

The federal high speed rail funding has been announced: http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-rail-money-0128.artjan27,0,6545761.story The New Haven-Hartford-Springfield commuter rail project only got $40 million in funding. It's a start, but not nearly enough to fund the entire project, which is estimated at around $800 million. I'm glad something is getting done here, but it is really frustrating to see how slow a project that almost everyone agrees is vital for the region is taking. At this rate, the thing isn't going to be built until 2030, if ever.

Well said, intoxicated or not. Is a bank as as good as a grocery store or a Barnes & Noble? No. But, it is a piece of the puzzle. The more filled store fronts generating pedestrian trips, the more likely the kind of retail establishments that we all want become viable.

Business as usual in CT: Courant Article

Here is the latest on this from the Courant: Busway This stupid busway idea is dead on arrival. Can the state please be forward thinking for once and do this the right way as a commuter rail line?

I will get some more pictures eventually. In the meantime, the blog Design New Haven has pretty good coverage of this project.

Was down in NH on thursday. The facade is starting to go up on the outside of the structure. I will be back down there soon, I will get some more pictures.

http://www.courant.com/news/breaking/hc-ha...0,4519908.story Interesting article in the Court today about the efforts to complete Riverfront Recapture down by the Colt complex.

I was down in NH for work today and I managed to snap some pictures from the State Street Station. Looks like progress is coming along nicely on this one.

Great job with the frequent picture updates Voice.

Finally! It's not what it should have been, but hopefully it is the start of good things.

My thoughts echo everyone else's. The low rise nature isn't ideal, but they fill in a big gap in the city. As long as empty lots are getting filled in with buildings that interact with the street I'm happy. Yes, I would like them to be 4-8 stories, but the reality is that there are plenty of other empty lots in the city that are in need of filling in. If this is a success and fills up, then there will be more demand to develop the Main Street or Parkview Hilton lots.

Ok, so I finally have few minutes to post the recap of the Hartford Magazine article. The article quotes Peter Christian, Nitkin's Director of Development and Acquisitions. Here are the highlights: The first phase of Adriaen's Landing will primarily be a restaurant district. The entertainment portion "might be a small music venue" and there may be some small convenience retail. The second phase doesn't have a set start date , but a market study is ongoing. The plan is for the residential component to be made up of studio and one bedroom apartments, not condos.

Hartford Magazine came today. It has some new info on this project and others I will post it when I have a few minutes.

Agree 100% that that is the ideal scenario.

Maybe UConn Law and MBA kids could have the option of living there cheap since the two schools are in the city anyway.

At least some people get it. Hopefully they can actually move the legislature toward getting things done. http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-fr...0,3654122.story

With the way the economy is, if we wind up getting what's in that brochure I'll be happy. Of course, the project as originally conceived should have been done long ago, but getting what's in the brochure wouldn't be all terrible.

I saw this article. I'm very happy to see that there are some people in the legislature that get it. I actually emailed the Rep. from Glastonbury quoted in the article and told him he will always have my vote as long as he keeps pushing mass transit and smart growth.

My dad worked in Science Park when I was a kid back in the 80's. I remember meeting him at work a few times, the area was pretty dodgy, but there are a lot of great architectural assets around there.

I was running errands around town yesterday and it occurred to me that for those of you wondering what kind of project we are going to get at Front Street need look no further than Sommerset Square, Nitkin's other retail development in the area.

If I had my where there would be a very special place in hell for all of the urban planners and architects from the post World War II era until the advent of post-modernism.

There is so much surface parking its ridiculous. And you didn't even include the giant lot near the state office building.

I forgot which article it was exactly, but Larry G said something to the effect that he believes the state will eventually go to them to take over the Front Street project.

I've been meaning to ask this question for a while. What happens to the new retail that Northland built on Trumbull street under the plan get rid of Church Street and build the new arena on it? Looking at the site, I don't see how you could align the new street (or is it pedestrian walk way) with Pratt Street without wrecking some of the new retail that Northland built. Am I looking at this wrong or is that indeed the plan?