Hollin.Tolland
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Posts posted by Hollin.Tolland
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Creamer said he won't post it if he doesn't trust the source. I can only hope that the source is just trying to stir up some rants. You'd think the selection committee might take it as seriously as they did for the Hardware City Rock Cats moniker.
Centerplan has put a webcam on the Ramada Plaza roof to watch the construction. The link I got from Dean Z @ the RC is down. Waiting to see if they just need CP to log back in. URL: https://www.workzonecam.com/projects/centerplan/hartfordballpark/workzonecam
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If you can get this video to play it's pretty cool. You may have to watch it twice for it to completely render.
It the wadsworth/picture/movie at the bottom of the age.
I just get google listing things on the map related to Hartford ballpark like NB stadium and Ballpark Frankies. What am I missing?
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The raised concrete mall in front of the Travelers Rotunda and Main South (tower) building has been closed for two years and the signs inside say it will re-open next year. If all they were doing was shining up the tower exterior top to bottom, then there might not have been need to close the entire mall area. I am pretty sure it was confirmed that the motivator for the work was iQuilt just as for the Phoenix boat building area greenification.
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Friday night I had a friend in town and with my wife we walked a bit of downtown from Main street down to Black eyed Sallys and back. We also drove past this building as we left town because thats just the easiest way home for me.
A few things. Since this guy is moving to the area and interested in economic development to a degree I pointed out the building projects that we passed by.
777 Main Street, 101 Pearl and then of course this new construction on Front Street (Plus the Uconn Site) as we left town.
Mind you these three projects are likely the most impressive ones we have, he was pretty damn impressed and I have to say thats pretty Cool to have a complete out of towner impressed with the potential future of downtown Hartford.
Regarding The new apartments at Front Street.
WOW!!! this is a massive building.
I mean the steel is pretty well topped out and its just frekin massive in scale.
as stated before it comes right to the street, but it has no setbacks which we knew. but the result is from sitting in a car kinda oversized.
I dont think a 6-7 story building is oversized for this lot, just that in its raw steel form it looks like it might be pushing the edges a bit hard.
everything Front street has been done with frugality in mind, so I suspect they are maximizing square footage while keeping costs down.
I am optomistic that its going to look pretty good there. the renderings were pretty nice, so I think we have have a decent looking if not a little bland big apartment box here.
What I like though is again its size. Its much taller than I thought it would be and for that reason I am pleased. I was concerned that the design looked too short and squat, but the steel has changed my mind. it looks pretty good from a few angles in terms of massing except maybe again, a little crouding of the sidewalk.
but to be fair, thats not an issue anywhere else downtown, its just that with this building its not in live with the other buildings on the street.
The retail should resolve that nicely
For Front Street--I'm also wondering about the tiny
tiny courtyard abutting the Elks Lodge. Wouldn't it have made more sense opened up on Front Street facing UConns buildings? I haven't put the two renderings side by side, though.
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Here's what I meant by holes in the basement of the Sonesta visible through the 3 CP vacancy. Maybe they are windows, right now with no glass. They have painted the concrete also.no clue about the holes you mention. I have not looked since your post, but I do know there have been some holes down there all alone. they are for where the 3 CP development would integrate with the CP garage
regarding 3 CP, they have funding and went to the planing board as per a post I put in some thread here. so they were on the city planning agenda a week or so ago
FIXED PIC URL
http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php/gallery/image/3386-ontheplaza-hartford-08072014/
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Yeah, that hooker proposal is kinda crap, Id actually fight it and I frekin love the idea of there at that location just not in that context.
I am psyched Leyland is in on this and hope someone like them are chozen and that Hooker can be worked into it.
Here is the article from HBJ about the specific stadium developer coming with the Leyland group.
http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/20140806/NEWS01/140809950
These guys are great because I think they have actually exceeded the minimum requirements out in Storrs, so its is clear they understand that density and critical mass are important.
I essentially would say there are 3 proposals because that Hooker one can be scrapped as kind of a 3rd party single issue candidate.
they will likely be included in any of the other 3 proposals. In fact I am confident that the city will add that as a requirement to the winning bidder.
Found on their web site that Ballpark Design Associates of KC has designed a stadium concept for Hartford before, designing a plan for a stadium a few blocks away behind the Hartford Insurance buildings. A very similarly shaped lot, a bit bigger though, at Garden/Frazier/Myrtle where a few buildings were later torn down and it eventually became "HartBeat Park".
http://www.ballparkdesignassociates.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/hartford_A_20080226-page-0011.jpg
Hartford Minor League Ballpark Study, Hartford, ConnecticutConcept Designer for a proposed new 8,000-seat minor league ballpark. The design study was conducted in 2008 for another minor league ballpark franchise owner, who proposed a mixed- use development near the campus of the Hartford Insurance Companies campus.More details on the 4 plans from the Courant:
http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-hartford-stadium-bids-0807-20140806,0,1896951.story
Developers' Plans For Hartford Stadium, New Municipal Offices Revealed
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Anyone seen a timeline on this project? I'd imagine it'll be a while based on the sheer size... I can't imagine anything would still open on schedule later this year or in spring, right? Also, @The Voice of Reason, are you seeing it from up high? Do you have any pics?
Seeing more and more activity at this location. Lights are on about a third of the way down the tower now. they continue to demo and re-frame the space.
they closed the loading dock area and are using it for dumpsters and staging. this project is really moving along now and picking up steam
On the 777 site on Becker and Becker it reminds us that the building was designed by renowned master of concrete 1960's wrongness Welton Becket. It seems his work was so influential in the 60's that RTKL Associates got onboard when designing the Travelers Plaza Building in 68. I'm wondering with the removal of the 'butt ugly building' in DoNo a little while back, does the Hartford National Bank garage building become the biggest eyesore downtown? Yeeesh.
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I saw today that beside the Channel 3 hole in the ground, there were new rectangular holes cut out of the cinder blocks at what seems like the basement of the Sonesta "On The Plaza". Has anyone found any artist renderings? I checked on WonderWorks, Girona Ventures, Crosskey Architects, HBJ and Courant/Tribune and CRDA. Maybe I'll email Ken Gosselin and see if he's seen anything (or can get anything). Crosskey did 410 Asylum, but I have no idea if the style will be anything like that at On The Plaza.
Also, anyone heard anything about movement on "Residences at River View" at 3 Constitution/200 State Street? Is it still stuck with Tarob, LLC looking for money? There isn't a page for it on CRDA if that means anything. Klewin has banners up on the fencing and they have a page, http://www.klewin.com/project/residences-at-river-view/, but Ken Gosselin had reported in March that they had $5 million in bonding lined up through CRDA and Klewin shows the price tag at $13.5 million. Doesn't sound too tough to borrow $8.5 million, right? I think "On The Plaza" was going to be about $30 million.
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Chatted with a project manager at Nix's this morning. They have their inspection today and are hoping to open in 13 days. They are conducting interviews on site. That's about 2 weeks after they told CTNow.com they'd open the doors at the beginning of July. But, the fences are down and the furniture is out on the patio. The menu is posted, but still no prices. They also note that they will have bands, but nothing posted yet. http://www.nixshartford.com/
I can't remember if anyone posted this, but opening week at Infinity Hall Hartford is 8/28-8/30 with Toad the Wet Sprocket, The Outlaws, Aztec Two-Step. http://www.infinityhall.com/Events/#Calendar, The Bistro Menu isn't up yet. It looks to me like they just need carpeting. There's a second floor there that looks like office space, but I'm curious to see what it is anyway. I've never been to an Infinity Hall show, but the woodwork looks really cool at the Front Street one. If you walk down front street and go through the arched public via to the North Garage you can see inside really well but not into the main theater. If the semi-sheer curtains are open a bit, you can see into Nix's too across the hall.
I agree with The Voice of Reason that Ted's seems to be quickly becoming a good Happy Hour spot. It was really packed during World Cup games even early day games. Their HH prices are decent but not super cheap. The cookies are really good. The drink specials are a little better at Front Street Bistro and they have a patio which Ted's skipped. At the South Windsor Ted's in summer, their patio is part of the attraction, whereas in winter its nice down at the end of the bar where you can watch them cook your food. Also something different from Front Street Ted's, BUT the feel of the place is the same to me, at a table or at the bar.
Lastly, while Bear's BBQ isn't technically part of Front Street, I think it's close enough to be part of the neighborhood. I had lunch their last week. They have 4 different barbecue sauces you can pick ranging from wimpy to ballsy (sweet Kansas City, Texas pepper, hot Sriracha, grizzly ghost pepper). They serve Hosmer Mountain Soda from the soda fountain. The lines were literally out the door at 12:30. Hopefully that will keep up. There's a balcony with extra seating and Jamie the owner said he's considering opening the roof if things keep up. Its slightly more informal than the Cookhouse over the bridge (http://thecookhouse.com/), but the pulled pork is just as good. http://www.bearsbbq.com/menu/. The pulled pork sandwich, fries and drink were $11, I think. Aramark charges the same for two slices of cafeteria pizza and a fountain drink in the Travelers Plaza cafe.
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I think they do. It also feels very much like a small town mindset to me. Like Hartford is only for Hartford people and we don't need to attract new people from our suburbs and beyond. These people have no idea what a thriving, growing city should be like or if they do, they really don't want that for Hartford.
I know; let's wall off downtown, DoNo, SoDo, riverfront and Asylum Hill. Then only allow access by sentries at toll gates off of 84, 91 and 2. If you live in Clay Arsenal, Upper Albany, Frog Hollow, etc. $5 to get in. Heck, most of that segregation was already laid out by Lady Fox Auerbach 50 years ago, no?
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this is under construction.
noticed Friday.
excited to see progres!!
Did you mean Sonesta or WFSB? I saw a smaller crew in hard hats at the CP hole this week. A mixture of suits and jeans. And the Klewin banners are on the fence too. Those two make close to 200 units on CP alone, right, if the hole still gets built as apartments not commercial?
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Saw a small hardhat crew at the WFSB hole today. Some suits and some jeans. And a yellow construction machine, maybe a dozer. There are also the Klewin signs o the fence. Nothing since March on the Klewin web site though.
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Fenway has a Star Market/Shaw's a block away that seems to be thriving.
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Here comes Rennie again. Debbie downer. My thoughts on the promo suite for the city was that I imagined being used as honey to lure new businesses to DoNo. I'm sure UConn football and basketball tickets magically find there way into prospective businesses already. If leases get signed and empty lots get built on, then I see it as a positive.
http://touch.courant.com/#section/2225/article/p2p-80553691/
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Terminal B demo starts in August per Courant.
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I'm imagining I won't be able to afford one caviar egg at Nix's. Looks to be about the same progress there as at Infinity Hall next door. Still doing electrical and HVAC. I try to look in over at the new Bear's Smokehouse being built out in the other half of the carriage factory building on Arch Street but its hard to tell how far along they are.
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I remember initially the design plan on the Eagle Rock Retail (now Blackline RE) and the stale frontstreetdistrict.com showed a later Phase 4 with a few more square feet in the current Arch Street Tavern parking lot. That seems to be the only portion not built, building or to be built. Lolks like its still there. Havent seen any ideas for that space anywhere though.
Thoughts anyone?
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This Kevin Rennie kills me. Why would he possibly care enough to write piece on this stadium deal? I mean Malloy is not involved and CRDA isn't funding it. I think he should stick to his hometown South Windsor business. I mean he doesn't work or live here so WTF man? My mother in law is paying 74 mills to keep her house in this city and more tax revenue has got to lower that somehow. and I would love to be able to walk from my office to a ball game. He should really focus on something he has a stake in.
http://touch.courant.com/#section/2225/article/p2p-80485087/
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At the press conference Wednesday they had a giant poster of the Hartford 9 (dark blues). aside from the old fashion belts they looked a lot like last years throwback game St Paul Saints jerseys the Twinkies wore. http://www.twincities.com/ci_23235386/minnesota-twins-turn-back-clock-may-30-game
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I suggest you guys check out the PDF from the consultant
http://media.trb.com/media/acrobat/2014-06/189544840-06084300.pdf
Loads of info about our market (the numbers are very good for AA)
also info about the potential ball park details such as ....
8,998 Capacity
» 300 Club / Loge Seats
» 6,600 Fixed Seats
» 24 Suites
» 4 Party Suites
» Picnic Area (750 Tickets)
» Berm Area (1,000 Tickets)
220,000 SF
FYI--from the City Council agenda for Monday night (thanks to Jenna Carlesso and I guess some others at the Courant). She emailed me back and said they don't have any details on the street realignments yet other than that they are on Main, Trumbull, Pleasant and and Windsor Streets (like in the mayor's handout artist renderings from Wendesday). She said they'd post anything they get from the PZC and other city commissions as they get them after Monday's council meeting.
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I posted elsewhere that I went to Teds opening night but I did not describe my investigations into the construction happening....
The apartments are well under way. I scoped it out from the stairs on the travelers plaza there. you can see easily into the site.
It is hard to tell exactly how they are doing the foundation, but there is already a large ammount of poured concrete and rebar. it seems as though the street staggers down aver few feet rather than 1 full floor then another.
there seems to be no parking in this building so I suppose they will expect residents to be using the nearby garages. this is fine by me, but is also a little bit of lazy design. When you have a slope like this you could easily fit some parking under the ground floor of retail by using the existing grade at minimal cost.
anyways, It is nice to see and I am sure it will start to rise up from the foundation very shortly.
FYI--apartment renderings: http://production.wordpress.uconn.edu/downtownhartford/wp-content/uploads/sites/746/2014/06/UConn_Preliminary_Concepts_for_UConn_Hartford_Exterior.pdf and http://production.wordpress.uconn.edu/downtownhartford/wp-content/uploads/sites/746/2014/06/UConn_Architectural_Concept_for_UConn_Hartford.pdf
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Better change the brewery name.
Welcom to the forum.
Do you happen to have access to an old map when the little river was still there and the fort.
I have to say that I do not think I have seen anything as accurate as you are describing. That would be great to see.
Here's a good one with parcel information from the lots given out between 1626-1640 by the English. It doesn't show the land still owned by the Dutch or Native Americans --> http://www.babcock-acres.com/Misceallaneous/hartmap/hartford1640.htm. More on the folks who got the lots are here: http://www.foundersofhartford.org/founders/index.htm and here: http://books.google.com/books?id=b6xPAQAAIAAJ. Where you see in the 1640 Porter map "Highway on the bank of the River" that's Arch Street. On the original 1640 Porter map, the alley between Rev. Samuel Stone and Rev. Thomas Hooker was Meeting House Alley now Prospect Street (http://www.cthistoryonline.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/cho/id/15046/rec/8).They broke things down into South Plantation and North Plantation and each side essentially took care of their own business affairs for a while. Two of my ancestors Thomas Bliss Sr. and Deacon Andrew Warner had lots in the South Plantation and one of my son's ancestors John Warner in the North Plantation. Andrew Warner's lot was just across the Little River // Pig River // Park River from Samuel Stone and Thomas Hooker. I guess that might be because he didn't come through the wilderness with the Hooker Party but came a few months afterward.
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I can't say I disagree with you. Having the brewery at the Convention Center would add significantly to what will already be a strong lineup of attractrions. This would probably make booking conventions here a hell of a lot more enticing. If they can make it work logistically, which I'm sure they can. I say go for it.
While the CRDA has declined to identify the tenant interested in occupying the building, a member of the authority’s board told me today the tenant would match the area’s entertainment focus.
“It is a use that would fit in with what is happening on Front Street,” Thomas E. Deller, the city’s development director and a CRDA board member, said.
A brewery would do that. The current venues are restaurants and entertainment. A hotel? Apartments?
Last May Ken Gosselin from the Courant reported about the interest of Curt Cameron of Hooker Brewery in occupying the former Hartford Times site on the corner of Prospect and Arch Streets. I reached out to Curt to let him know that the location was ideal since Thomas Hooker's home was built on that same site in 1640. I think it would have been an ideal fit, but in the Convention Center parking lot would have been on the Little Meadow across the Little River to North Meadow road from neighbor James Olmstead's house during Hooker's life. Close enough I guess...
PROPOSED: North Downtown/Baseball Stadium Development
in Greater Hartford
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threw up in my mouth a little. The kids and I love the Rock Cats and can't wait to use our opening day tix in 4 weeks. I'm not sure I can really rally behind this name. My seven year-old can't figure out how to pronounce it yet. Oy you Solomon kids! What is this?