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Hartfordfan

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Posts posted by Hartfordfan

  1. Its about time someone tried to please me. 

    Success!

     

    It is all nice stuff but ya know most of it does seem pretty low density. 

    Its OK I am OK with that but i do much prefer 5+ story busilding this close to a city center.

     

     

    HT its transformative, thats for sure, but It wont connect much.  that section of Albany is really dead ... DEAD DEAD DEAD from the train tracks North for a decent while.

     

    Im not sure how it will really play out along other roads such as Walnut either.  thats kind of a wasteland

     

    the big win though is that residents in the near North will be able to walk here to shop work and play.  So to that extent surely there is a huge improvement

     

     

    well  dont forget its hartford every big project (look at front street) gets downsized. that being said i really hope the plans work out. nice renderings and good for the neiighborhood!

  2. http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-womens-basketball/hc-jacobs-column-1015-20131014,0,4821851.column

     

    Interesting commentary here.

     

    I think it is pretty accurate even though I think the timing stinks.

     

    I think in 5 years Hartford will be much better positioned to compete, but really, especially for the womens tournament, the Casino has the perfect venue.

     

    Sadly though I think it has a smaller economic impact for the state if held there and thats a shame.

     

     

     

     

    This ultimately makes me think back to a new arena!

    it also makes me think about the arena they are building in Detroit.

     

    that is actually what Hartford needs, a commitment from a developer to build a pretty massive associated development with the state covering most of the arenas actual cost.  the result is an impressive complex that will be vibrant even when there are not games happening.

     

    So, Hartford is tiny compared to Detroit, and the Wolfpack are NOT the Red Wings...

    But a less glitzy arena it absolutely an option.  Build something for Uconn like Louisville did for the U of Louisville.

    Build something for the school and essentially buy their commitment to Hartford long term.  Also get a developer to commit to building up the associated area up to make it more vibrant.

    their arena is gonna cost 444 Million, Im thinking the 350 million range would be plenty for Hartford.  add in even 150 million in additional development and that would be a game changer for the area just north of I-84.

     

    Get another developer lined up for the current arena site and move forward.

     

    would the state need to pny up?

    yes, would the tax payers shoulder that burden?  yes

     

    but when it comes down to it, its for the good of the state and the region to have a large arena downtown.

     

    one suitable for Concerts, UCONN, Events, Hockey, and maybe even a professional team, but the arena would be worth it even if just for one Mens NCAA regional or the promised land of a Final four.

     

    The investment in the convention center has been paying off for certain, and a new Arena would pay off as well.

     

    But do it right, make sure its not just an arena, make sure its a district and inclides parking garages and public spaces too.

    I agree but the final four will not come to hartford. recently the final four has been hosted in indoor football venues because it could hold more people.  It could of happened if the state built the domed stadium at the convention center site after the patriots debacle. I would like the ncaa tournament in hartford again because it would be a way for hartford to redeem itself when it screwed up hosting part of the tournament in the mid 90's.  

  3. By BRIAN DOWLING, [email protected]The Hartford Courant

    2:53 p.m. EDT, July 29, 2013

     

    HARTFORD — The city's new restaurant and entertainment cluster, Front Street, added a new name Monday: Ted.

    Ted Turner and his Montana Grill, that is.

    HB Nitkin Group, the firm busy filling Front Street with restaurants, confirmed that Ted's Montana Grill will take up about 4,700 square feet of the development, a name held close by developers after news of a casual mid-priced restaurant broke late June.The news is the latest in a string of bookings for the urban business: Infinity Hall and Bistro, UConn's downtown Hartford campus, Front Street Bistro, Capital Grille.


    "Leasing and moving forward on residential, and the announcement of UConn moving, we will have really created — and are in the process of creating — a dynamic urban environment," Helen Nitkin, co-founder and chairman of the Greenwich-based HB Nitkin Group, said in an interview Monday.

    Ted's Montana Grill doubles the number of "grills" on Front Street, raising some questions about whether there's room in this town, at least this part of the town, for restaurants so similar. Nitkin says the similarities don't concern her because they are focused on "different markets."

    "One's more of a middle market, and Capital Grill" —announced by developers in November — "is … considered one of the more premium steakhouse's in the country," she said. Ted's, she said, is more of "a casual type of restaurant."

    Ted's Montana Grill, which also has a South Windsor location, should be open in six to nine months, Nitkin said. The booking puts the development's occupancy at 72 percent. Another restaurant, which Nitkin declined to name, has also signed onto the development, she said. That addition would push the occupancy rate to 76 percent.

     

  4. By KENNETH R. GOSSELIN, [email protected] The Hartford Courant

    7:00 a.m. EDT, June 26, 2013

    A casual, mid-priced family restaurant may soon join the growing roster of tenants at Hartford's Front Street entertainment district, which includes a live music venue and an upscale steakhouse under construction

    Developer HB Nitkin Group is close to a deal with the restaurant, which would lease space on the same side of the development as a movie theater, now open for six months, Nitkin's director of development Peter Christian said Tuesday.

    Christian declined to name the restaurant, but if a lease is finalized, the venue would occupy about 4,500 square feet. The lease would reduce the space left to lease to about 20,000 square feet, down from the original 60,000 square feet.

    "In the last six months, interest has picked up because of the construction activity," Christian said. "Front Street is finally — after a long period of time — at the tipping point."


    The entertainment district is the first phase of the heavily taxpayer-subsidized Front Street, which will be followed by an apartment building in the second phase, and redevelopment of the former Hartford Times building in a third phase. Front Street is part of the larger Adriaen's Landing development, which includes the Connecticut Convention Center and the Marriott Hartford Downtown hotel.

    On Monday, news that the University of Connecticut will likely redevelop the 1920's Hartford Times edifice for relocating its campus in West Hartford to downtown provided another boost for Front Street.

    "If this ends up being the site chosen for UConn, it will be great for the area and a boon for the project," Christian said.

    Christian said Nitkin thinks other restaurants would be viable options for Front Street as well as an ice cream or frozen yogurt shop and coffee shop.

    Few would have imagined this much hubbub at Front Street just a few years ago. After years of delays and a change in scope and developer, Front Street began construction in 2008. They finished the shell of the buildings in 2010. Then, the buildings stood vacant for two years. Front Street's opening originally was intended to be timed to the opening of the convention center in 2005.

    Tens of millions of dollars in public subsidies have boosted the project — much of it going toward two parking garages. More recently, Infinity Hall received a $1.3 million state grant to help pay for construction.

    Last year's opening of Spotlight Theatres is expected to be followed by Capital Grille in September and Infinity Music Hall & Bistro in the spring. Infinity had initially targeted an opening for earlier in 2014, but a spokeswoman said Tuesday there were delays in securing permits. As a result, construction did not begin in earnest until May, even though a ceremonial groundbreaking was held in March, the spokeswoman said.

    Christian said construction on the 121-unit apartment building with a floor of ground level retail space is expected to begin in late October or early November and take about 20 months to complete.

  5. i don't really know how they will add more luxury boxes, if they do then they would have lower capacity. capacity for hockey is only 15,000. any lower capacity then 16,000 the nhl is not going to put an nhl team in that arena. the drawings look cool but i still think a new arena is needed. the building is 40 years old and a renovation would be just a bandaid.

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