Theophrastus Bombastus

No offense, but unless I'm mistaken, these boards are for open, honest discussion about cities and their issues. They are not fan sites or booster clubs. If he thinks it's a failure, let him post his opinion, then if you think he's wrong, you can blow his thinking out of the water.

Good idea - plus, if they wanted to leave room to expand, they should have lined it up to Columbus, then put the empty triangle between the building and 91.

How IS the Convention Center (and Marriott) doing anyway? Are they better than / worse than forecasted activity? Sometimes it looks hopping, other times not so much. What is the vacancy rate of the hotel?

Something tells me it was a mistake to make the Convention Center DIAGONAL to Columbus Blvd., leaving a big triangular parking lot of nothingness butting up to Front St (it's not even that many spaces and the garage is huge, I'm sure they wouldn't miss the lost parking). If they could fill that in with retail or whatever, and get something on street level where the Phoenix and Travelers buildings are, then you'd have a nice uninterrupted pedestrain space on Columbus from the Founders to Arch St.

Site plan, site plan, site plan, Bueller, Bueller, anyone, anyone..................

I encourage everyone else to do the same... http://hbnitkin.com/contactus.php Questions/Comments: When will the site plan for Front Street be made available? Also, it would be beneficial if you could create an account in the "Greater Hartford" forum on www.urbanplanet.org to keep all interested parties updated as to your progress. Thank you, Theophrastus Bombastus Von Hoheimen

http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-ab...-headlines-home $140,000???? That include parking and dental? Why didn't I apply? As a first order of business he needs to: 1) Update the CCEDA website and: 2) Get us a frikkin' site plan for Front St.!!!!!

http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-stewa...-headlines-home That's bad news however you look at it - BDL better get with the rail service and added flights ASAP.

Spirit Air also. They have flights from Boston to Myrtle Beach for $150 RT.

Thanks! Know anyone that does packages (flight, 4 rounds, hotel/condo, car [better yet stay right at a course], mons venus, etc)?

If Nitkin has received ANY PUBLIC $$$ yet (Has he?), he is required to make public his plans. Where does Giggles Blumenthal stand on all this?

Anyone know a quick way to find out which SOUTHEASTERN cities (FL, GA, SC, etc) have DIRECT/NONSTOP service to/from Bradley? I know Orlando & Tampa, but looking for others - thx

WHERE IS THE !@#$%^&*& SITE PLAN?!? ANY WORD AT ALL FROM ESPN??? WTF!? Sorry, just a little irked by the delay.......

They MUST HAVE seen a site plan if they know where stuff is going to go! How do we get ahold of it??? The plan received mixed reviews from the committee members, although there were few comments on the tax deal itself. Instead, Bazzano and Councilwoman Veronica Airey-Wilson said they were concerned that the construction of a state-owned parking garage would make Arch Street a no man's land, but for the Arch Street Tavern restaurant. Airey-Wilson also said she wanted retail that would attract more than just out-of-towners and convention-goers. In response, the developers said the garage's Arch Street location was prompted in part by Mayor Eddie A. Perez, who didn't like the original plans for the garage to face Columbus Boulevard. As for the retail breakdown at the site - 75 percent restaurants, 25 percent "convenience" retail - the developer and the state said the retail mix was being designed to cater to everyone.

Building Plan Has Merit January 3, 2007 Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez's idea of creating a redevelopment zone that includes the empty former Clarion Hotel building and the soon-to-be vacated Broadcast House building, both located on Constitution Plaza along Columbus Boulevard, makes sense. The city may go so far as to take over the 12-story hotel building by eminent domain to get the project started - a controversial step that should be a last resort. But in this situation it may be the only answer. The hotel has been an abandoned eyesore since 1994, not long before it was purchased for $1.5 million by the Maharishi School of Vedic Sciences, which has done little more than try to sell the building for a ridiculously high price of $10 million, roughly $50 a square foot. Comparable properties downtown are priced at about $20 a square foot. Broadcast House, which is right next door to the hotel, appears headed in the same direction now that WFSB, Channel 3, is moving to more spacious quarters in Rocky Hill. Converting both parcels into a mixed-use condominium-office complex would help revitalize a key gateway to the city at the foot of Founders Bridge by bring more foot traffic to the plaza. It would also advance the mayor's goal of increasing homeownership in the city. The school of Vedic sciences to its credit has been paying the city about $375,000 annually in property taxes on the empty 42-year-old building. But the building is deteriorating and is a blight on the plaza. The owner would get appraised market value if eminent domain powers were used.

Here's the info: http://www.ctbusway.com Sounds like a bad idea to me. Ending at Union Station?? Most people work EAST of there!

Actually, he does have to pay taxes on it - per this article, he waits till the last second and then pays up each year. http://www.rickross.com/reference/tm/tm70.html What, if anything, has the city done to take over this concrete albatross? Well, Peters says that before his fourth term as mayor concluded two years ago, he, as well as then-City Manager Saundra Kee Borges, had instructed the city's corporation counsel to explore the legalities of taking ownership of the Clarion Hotel building under eminent domain. The problem with that move, according to one source from the corporation counsel office who asked not to be identified, is that such an action would've ended up being a white elephant for Hartford. "The idea of us taking that on wouldn't make any sense," says the source. "We could go after it, but with the kind of budget shortfall we have, we tend to look at these things very cautiously ... . We're trying to get out of the property-ownership business, because we want to expand our tax base." Plus, when it came down to identifying what public use the building could serve, city officials were at a complete loss, the source explains. The city did come close to foreclosing on the property back in 1995, when the maharishi owed more than $870,000 in delinquent back taxes. But at the 11th hour, payment was made. Since then, claims Thomas Morrisson, the city's finance director, it's been the same exact situation every year -- the maharishi waits until the very last minute to settle his tax debts with Hartford, preventing the city from foreclosing. In fact, two weeks ago, the maharishi settled his 2003 tax debts, paying Hartford more than $162,000 -- more than $9,000 of that figure, accrued interest. Still Freeman says he's optimistic that the Clarion hotel will, in perhaps even the next few months, be sold to developers. He says he thinks it will, in time, prove to be an asset.

A small 'boutique' hotel directly connected to Spris would work. If 'FSB can't be sold and the city doesn't want to tear it down, make it into a first class 'welcome center' with free drive-up parking and a small restaurant.

$140 I wish - its frikkin $180!! Theres a 1,000 person waitlist for Travelers employees - just let 'em in, nothing else is gonna be there for 5 years.

I caught the tail end of a story on Ch.3 about new signage for Front St.? Anyone see or know anything about it? WHERES THE SITE PLAN!?!?

Actually, I think this is one of the more important threads in the Hartford group, and judging by its length I think most people would agree. Ones I think should be dropped or moved: Hartford Drive-in in Newington is Gone The Berlin Turnpike! Election 2007 State suplus up to 486 million dollars Who's better for Hartford: Rell or DeStefano? 2006 Skate America Senators' Debate Anybody Catch The Debate Tonight On NBC30? SkateAmerica etc, etc

Took a look from the top of the Marriott - there's a huge circular underground tank or something visible now - are we talking months of environmental work?? Where are the PLANS? They've got to be on file with the city in order to start any work!

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.

Still no plans made public? At least they have the green felt from a blackjack table surrounding the site.