Is Connecticut's Utopia Good or Bad for RI?

[Germaine]

Do you think that the Utopia project planned for SE Connecticut will help the economy of Rhode Island?

[CtownMikey]

you have a good or bad poll with a yes or no answer fyi hehe

anyways if I read correctly... Utopia would have movie/production/sound studios included or nearby the project. I think something so close by would complement the fact of R.I. having it's new movie incentives.

So the question shouldn't be "is this good for RI?, but "is it good for New England?", which I think it is. Anything coming to the region is good.

We always say that Providence is close to Multiple Casinos, close to Newport, close to Boston, and about a short 3 and a half hour drive to the greatest city in the world. SOO if Utopia happens.. then just add that to the list of close things to Providence and R.I.

[Cotuit]

you have a good or bad poll with a yes or no answer fyi hehe

I edited the poll choices.

[virgo20]

I have stated my opinion on this in the Hartford forum repeatedly and got nowhere with anybody. Great project. Terrible location. One word. Sprawl City. Good news for CT. Terrible news for Hartford. This project draws away from the urban centers of Connecticut that need the most help. Norwich might be a little urban village, but it is certainly not in despair. Just because Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun are in the area doesn't mean that we should continue to neglect our already urban areas and build everywhere else. This project would fit just fine in Bridgeport, New London, Hartford, or even older suburbs like Manchester or Winsor. There's plenty of space. Although, they may be developing a vacant commercial parcel, that scale would never fit into the landscape. Bradley Airport would prosper and Hartford would suffer as they pass the city on 291 or the monorail that would carry them there. Legislators are blinded by tax dollars and this project would bring just that. ...but with plans to build a huge convention center, Utopia, and more and more hotels down there...explain to me how that WOULDN"T hurt the city. There would be absolutely no need to visit the city if everything is going on down there. This was the case when Providence had no identity during the 80's. People would bypass the city to go to Newport or veer right to the Cape. There was no reason to stop there as we were overshadowed by places in our own state where everything was going on...Hartford does have a lot of things going on now, but they will be completely overshadowed by this entertainment corridor in the SE part of the state. The good people of CT deserve better and deserve to have legislators in power that focus their attention on the great urban areas that already exist in the state. The city is the lifeblood, identity, and center of the state and if this project is built there...I feel that it further takes away from the cities identities....

[CtownMikey]

I disagree with that.

Providence and Hartford are responsible for themselves. We can't deny projects surrounding them because we are afraid of losing people coming downtown. Providence took care of that with its rennaissance with the mall and waterfire and present time projects... just as Hartford is doing in their own way right now. This project isn't meant to drain our region into one spot.. it's meant to drain the surrounding regions and say "HEY! New England has 1 more attraction that you should come see!!"

[MikeR]

I disagree as well.

All I know about Utopis is from some I know who has a business interest in the development and he described it as the "Hollywood of the east", or something along those lines. There has been no loss of tourism in Newport or Providence due to Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun. In fact, I never knew about Randall's Ordinary until AFTER Foxwoods opened. And, if organizations prefer to book conventions in facilities that offer gambling, well, I just don't see how Providence or Hartford would be able to attract them, anyway. A facility of this nature would be difficult to situate in a city in the Northeast due to the compactness of our cities.

[CtownMikey]

newport's mansions have seen a drop in tourism actually but that i think is whole different situation.

[virgo20]

I disagree as well.

All I know about Utopis is from some I know who has a business interest in the development and he described it as the "Hollywood of the east", or something along those lines. There has been no loss of tourism in Newport or Providence due to Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun. In fact, I never knew about Randall's Ordinary until AFTER Foxwoods opened. And, if organizations prefer to book conventions in facilities that offer gambling, well, I just don't see how Providence or Hartford would be able to attract them, anyway. A facility of this nature would be difficult to situate in a city in the Northeast due to the compactness of our cities.

It's the point of it getting built in the first place after the state of CT pumped millions of dollars into a convention center in the city. We , as people that grow up in this generation, can't even come to fathom or ever truly realize the affects of sprawl. The people that are fleeing these older suburbs are building larger and larger homes away. This big misconception that Northeastern cities are too compact and we don't have enough space is ridiculous and shortsighted. That's years of people being subjected to the city exodus....i.e. driving 20 miles to shop, driviving to the corner store, and neglecting cities. You're used to it. You can't imagine anything like that ever fitting anywhere unless they pave roads, knock down forests, and make an exit ramp. New England is nothing without character, character that separates it from other places in the US....i.e. dense cities, rural roads, great architecture, and changing seasons. When you constantly overdevelop and allow areas to be turned into sprawling developments, places lose their character..While you can't change the monstrosities of the past, ( Mohegan , Foxwoods )you can always change the future.

[glassandsteel]

"A facility of this nature would be difficult to situate in a city in the Northeast due to the compactness of our cities."

False.

How about East Providence? I think it would have been the perfect location for this project (personal bias included, obviously). There's a lot of land that could be very useful there. It would have been an adrenaline shot for the local economy, and it would have also given instant recognition to the project. As long as people think "Hollywood of the east" it'll be just that, an east coast annex of west coast operations. If you put it in Hartford, Providence, or any city between Boston and New York, it'll take on it's own identity (or scene). Instead of "Hollywood of the east" Norwich, it'll be a place people will already be familiar with.

We also have to remember that there's a lot more than just space in the equation. What about a nearby talent pool? Is that even a factor in this? What about a vibrant setting for your workers and stars to go relax and/or live? Where's the excitement of Norwich? I dated a girl from there, it's nice, that's it. How do the people of Norwich even feel about this? It's seems to me that the most we know about this is the tangible aspects, the land, cost, operations, and such. I don't think that anybody really knows what kind of impact this will have and it seems that none of the sources of information really care to discuss it.

Is it bad or good for RI? It's a good project, it could just have been a better placed one.

I would grade it a C+ from this side of the border.

Oh! Norwich (and surrounding towns) better start seriously looking at their zoning laws before this happens so as to have some control over the flood of development that may follow. I'm not entirely ruling out that this could (within a couple decades) put Norwich on the map someday as considerably larger city, but they'll have to be wise about what to do with all this suddenly on their plate.