The Voice of Reason

votes are all set, the only risks now come down to a petitin that could get this on a refurendum or something this would delay the project making it harder to get done. might scare developer away who knows.. it only takes 1000 signatures. Not sure about Trumbull to the train station.. This is my thought... the intermodal triangle and reallocation of bus stops SHOUD, HOPEFULLY make the area around the old state house "look better" I think a huge win for the city would be to have the core of downtown cemented. thinking of this ballpark district being a 3-5 year plan, and Front Street has another 3 years of work in it... so in say 3 years, its safe to assume that 777 Main will be complete, and maybe even 101-111 Pearl. after those.... its really all about the dead center... Main and Asylim lets see if the city can get an impressive enough proposal lined up for that parcel along 3 of downtown most important streets. Pratt, Main and Asylum. this lot with the other mentioned developments could really cement the city as "healthy" This also includes 1000 Main I guess too. so those 2 lots would really help if the other stuff happens with this gaping hole removed, all the scars would be on the edges.. Development West of Trumbul is inevitable due to the I-84 redo, and the mass transit projects, but I think we need to make the center of the city complete before we expand more.... Unless another developer comes along with another 4-500 Million in projects for the Allyn Street blocks what is most likely though???? Id say the Capitol districe around the Bushnell. remember the state is gonna re-do the office building across from the Bushnell and they are looking into plans for the parking lot up there Bushnell is acquiring land and wants to build 2 condo towers... so something will start to move at some point and trust me... people will want to live there thats gonna be a great mid rise neighborhood some day. also mlarge poarts of the area are converting from section 8 to market rate already... the demographiocs have shifted largely in the northern bits of Frog Hollow. this area is gaining some steam and if the Hartford office supply building happens and something with the bushnell, I can easily see this area really improving.

true story. and Downtown is even safer than the rest of the city Something funny I hear and occasionally agree with is comments like this. (while hanging in Citysteam or some other downtown place) an out of towner asks about safety and so many people say, yeah you are reletively safe in hartford, just dont walk North bla bla bla I'd think a tourist would need to be a complete bafoon to walk north of 84 at 11 at night simply based on the fact that there is a huge empty sea of parking and darkness, so whats the point? when people who are staying at the Raddison say, but hey my hotel is there, usually people say, well that is ok just dont wander north or whatever I think this stadium will change the definition of what is North That area near the new police station should also start to transform into a further extention of this development. adding some realness to the kind of fake neighborhood being developed. the biq question will soon become what happens North of the tracks and how it will be perceived? Id love for a bar like redrock to be up there where the neighborhood blends with the daytime visitors. redrock is a true melting pot type place with State workers, police.fire folks, and neighborhood regulars (kind of a dive bar so honestly its what makes a neighborhood a neighborhood) in 5 years visitors will walk in this ballpark area and at some point find themselves at the corner of Main and High Streets What will they do? What will be there? What will be across those train tracks? What will their experience be? How will they tell these stories? Albany Ave has a dead spot due to Hartford Lumber and the parking lots across from it.. Then you got that shopping center and its really got nothing for visitors other than Duncan and Subway. but I gotta imagine there will be one of each in the new development or a visitor could walk into downtown proper to get those services So, Albany Ave doesnt get interesting till you get to Chestnut street. An aweful lot more development will need to happen before the North end truly ties into downtown

http://touch.courant.com/#section/2224/article/p2p-81691049/ A nice article written from more of a sports angle and kind of mocking the p[olitical process. I have to say I generally agree with it all, and its now really what the community needs to do. Look at the new reality and see how we can make it succeed. for most of us this means we just check out the team when they arrive and continue to support the team if its at all interesting to you. another thing we can do is to not talk crap about Hartford in terms of safety etc, when we dont need to or its not valid. We are all guilty of this. Just the other night I had 3 friends over that all work downtown in hospitality. and 1 friend completely new to the region who is really just a sponge at this time. So we were joking about the neighbourhoods including Frog Hollow where one of these people lives. she considers it safe and stuff, but its a city to you always need to be aware... and we spoke of the actually bad areas like Barbour street. not realizing how our conversation sounded, I later had to assure my friend new to the area that hartford is a great place and its really quite safe downtown and all that kind of stuff. I had to assure him that the city is even on the rise and outlined every project underway including this baseball park as the only "planned" project I mentioned I caused damage and I need to be more aware even when joking around about late night gunshots on Barbour street and sharing stories based on the early 1990s I am downtown at least once per week for social purposes and that will likely continue to increase as there are more things to do. I guarantee Ill hit 5-10 baseball games a year downtown and likely with this friend new to the area (we have been close friends for 20+ years) and his family. I know I have a goal of making this slightly nrevous guy learn to love hartford just as much as I do.

that 30% thing is actually HUGE for the city. Im not sure how much stuff earns event wise, but there is huge potential revenues here. the tiny Wilmington DE team earned 211K a year on non tenent events. Im thinking this location would allow many more concerts and such, so that number is likely larger due to our larger market. either way earning 60K for the city is alot better than earning 10K High Other College School Sports Other Baseball Baseball Events Concerts Events Total Total Events 4 10 2 1 45 62 Average Turnstile Attendance 750 500 1,500 4,500 500 38,000 Ticket Revenue, net $2,700 $2,250 $2,250 $15,750 $16,875 $39,825 Concession Per Cap (1) $3.50 $2.50 $3.50 $10.00 $8.00 $3.44 Concession Revenue, net $5,313 $6,325 $5,313 $22,771 $91,082 $130,805 Merchandise Per Cap (1) $0.50 $0.50 $0.50 $5.00 $0.50 $0.02 Merchandise Revenue, net $75 $125 $75 $0 $563 $838 Parking Revenue, net $2,125 $5,313 $1,063 $0 $31,875 $40,375 Total Net Revenue $10,213 $14,013 $8,701 $38,521 $140,395 $211,842

the permit will need some looking it but should pass. the thing is that they just cant build walls against the sidewalk and stuff. the actual design needs to be conforming even with a variance to build a non conforming structure. or if its way outta line they need extra permits and variances. so as long as the developer "plays ball" and respects the city requirements they should be fine. the stadium is not in the plan as you know and was already voted down by planning but this is difference... this is a change to the plan that essentially forced the planners to vote against it therefore allowing them to vote in favor. more accurately if they approve the change they dont actually have to approve because it would be in complience

The big vote is today I guess. Lots of articles, over the last few weeks but very little actual details about the project. I did however see one tiny tidbit in Dan Haars piece http://touch.courant.com/#section/2224/article/p2p-81670738/ Hartford's DoNo project works financially and economically only if it all gets built, and then only if it's fully rented and leased. A stadium, by itself, surrounded by surface parking lots, would cost city taxpayers millions of dollars a year with scant spinoff benefits. Likewise, the 673 apartments, the Thomas Hooker brewery, the supermarket and other storefronts and the 216,000 square feet of office and commercial space all need to play off one another. 673 Apartments is the most specific number I have seen to date compare to 600+ and 650 Also 216K SF of office and Commercial space is more specific than 220K I had read before

seemingly repairs. I saw it during pipes in the valley like 2 weeks ago. its damn impressive how much work is happening even on weekends

on the CAA website I saw that they are negotiating with a Dairyqueen/Orange julius to be located in Terminal A Also negotiations are on with TAC air and a division of theirs called Keystone Keystone does charter flights and are negotiation for a hanger.. who knows what that is. Also.... Houston flights started today... Lets hope we hear about a replacement for that LA flight soon and maybe some other decent news

yeah I dont see this as bad at all. they will build an audience on campus that will come to the big games held at XL kind of the way Mens BB does today but likely 75% on campus

Like ten or so thousand other people, I went to Pipes in the Valley on Saturday on the riverfront. At 11 AM when we came into downtown there were 3 crews "sand blasting" 777 Main Street. There was a crane loading or unloading stuff from the top of Travelers mid rise buildings There was wild and crazy construction at the Clarion site There were construction fences and a total ruckus on Constitution Plaza as they apparently ripped up the plaza. Also there was some work near the Front Street Apartments, just couldnt see it. So essentially all of downtown seemed buzzing with construction. it really was super impressive so somewhere between 10 and 15 thousand people came into this environment and im sure were impressed or at least made curious... Heck, I am aware of all the projects and I was impressed, so i cant imagine the thoughts of a visitor. Thinking next year for this event many of these projects will be complete, or nearly so.

the parking thing is silly, especially since there is something like 5000 spaces within a quarter mile Also, the Jobs thing is good news and its nice that its an independent thing. I understand that folks can argue about the numbers because it seems to have some issues with it not being bonded and the increased cost. I think the project makes pretty good sense all through and through, but It is still lacking some details. Lets see the phased plan, the breakdown on the individual buildings etc...

yeah it makes me imagine that image to be more concept than substance It always was concept, but I thought it at least included Travelers vision. I thought the whole plaza was being rebuilt but it seems its just the planters removed (which is significant and removes many barriers to the street and will make it just the 4 steps or or whatever it is

I am inclined to agree that 2 might be excessive that being said, Id prefer one here than in the park.(I think) see a rink here will keep this area active at night and all winter. the fountain will be a positive in summer (Hartford needs more fountains) This activity will benefit Wadsworth Cafe, and anything that locates in the front street sretail spaces. Maybe a food truck or two also. The park seems to just benefit the food truck or 2 If there is demand (and there may be, Im fone with 2 of em.

There is a nice article about this project in the Courant. you need to register now, so, no link but the article mentioned that the first units will come available in March with all of them available by the end of summer it meantioneed that each floor will have one 2 bedroom in the NE corner overlooking the statehouse and with the best views of the river and the city. he expected the whole building leased within 2 years (I assume of completion?) I have to assume that the first units will go pretty fast as they are upper floors units and demand is high and they have an advantage over other ongoing projects with that height/views

Ill buy it Im thinking that any city hall might be a seperate measure and technically seperated from the innitial proposal for simular reasons I am HOPING that once this deal is secured that other stuff unfolds Such as the city hall and maybe a hotel near by Id think that another hotel in the area would become instantly genius! TONS of people book rooms when there is a concert at the meadows or XL. The crown Plaza struggled due to isolation. well the crown Raddison should do fine in 2 years as it will be part of downtown. Thinking that there is absolutely room for another hotel between XL and Meadows plus the ballpark... it would still be an easy walk into downtown for corporate reasons and the walk would now be safe. Here is to hoping that the overall development area grows as ancilliary uses pop up. Thinking a 200 room hotel and a 250sf city call also, i think serious development pressure would then fall on 1000 Main street (Owned by LAZ and slated for future development)

I like how the article quotes a negetive comment then points out that the person was from New Britain Here are some concerns I havee thant I have seen touched on by OZ, and by the courant. If with the private company taking out debt, the payments are something like 4.5 million, why not create a TIF pact and use city bonds with better credit ratings to cover most of the financing therefore lowering the annual debt service on the city... and helping the developer, also allowing less of a tax break so to speak further still, bring is the state as OZ said. lets use state revenue bonds and lower the cost still. This way the city makes more in terms of revenue growth and the developer gets fast tracked finaining at a lower rate. annother comment.... the plan no longer includes city offices Wonder why? I really think a new city hall helps this project a HUGE ammount. it has the potential to save city expenses but also consolidate services and quite frankly lower maintenance costs. the huge bonus for me is the city hall becoming available to the Wadsworth and they could then expand and become the museum they truly SHOUD be. an expanded Wadsworth would generate higher revenues and attract more visitors to the city. those visirots spend mopre money here and it improves the reputation and image of the place. I am also curious what the site plan looks like with NO office building

The dialogue I have read, quoting Travelers is paraphrased as follows Travelers needs to replace the plaza and to fix up their parking garage because its old and leaky and the execs expect better. as part of this re-do they intend on removing barriers to the street and working with iQuilt I took this as dropping it to one level, and the renderings (I have seen one from the North) back this assumption up. this leads to a couple questions ill note below, but it has been mentioned many times that they want a ice rink and and fountains, which is awesome! ****How will cars exit the garage though? Im thinking they exit and enter on the East. Just off of this rendering. the plan is for an ice rink here and one in the park not far away... interesting always thought the 2 rinks are interesting really.. not sure if one is free and the ther is pay

Building looked amazing last night all dressed up for the big Mo! they had a lavender LED system lining the roofline that looked terrific in the skyline. We dove into town to greb a beer and burger because we were just too damn busy to do the Mo this year. downtown was ablolutely crazy packed. country at the meadows, Tom Petty at XL, someone else at Infinity Hall, and every bar in town was just simply hopping. Heck I saw a big formal party at the elks lodge and there was a wedding reception in city steams richardson room. nights like Saturday are what give you hope for citys in America

taking that whole corner too. thats nice. now an equal sized slice across the street is all that remains here. that "bank" space im not sure what to make of so i choose to ignore it

interesting to have that but not this Chipotle rumor on there either way, both make sense and are pretty well likely a lock id say. so there are 3 spaces left, the one labeled a Bank, and the 2 corner pieces. OK, so one of those corners might be the Chipotle, then of course there is the 35,000SF of retail in the apartment building. I quite honestly expext that area will be open for leasing any day now because once the building is closed in retail tenents can actually start fixing up their spaces.

not disputing that... just that council refrained from making many things official. the committe made their reccomendation. Do I think its a foregone conclusion, yes.. but NBC is the only organization stating anything is official and the courant conversely had an article mentioning that council wanted more info. specifically about funding before transferring prperty. incidentally a nice source for info http://www.hartford.gov/dono

OK, but I think they held off on the official selection of a developer and the transfer of property. its because funding details were lacking.

Sounds like the city council did the right thing and asked for more details if they have as little as we do I cant blame em. the winning bid should be fully detailed at this point. at least project parameters and timelines. who knows.

I only remember the one. Gues it was best Western. I knew it was a discount chain. Just the same if this Centerplan proposal comes to fruition on this level of scale I gotta think another hotel becomes MUCH more viable. infact Id assume it would need to be larger than 81 rooms

dont think there is any actual effect. There is almost no customer overlap.