We need to face it: Downtown Hartford is dying

[grock]

As much as I hate to admit it, but business in Downtown Hartford is about to collapse. For the past few years, the city has lost the following and it is starting to take its toll on merchants

1. MetLife moved to Bloomfield

2. WFSB moved to Rocky Hill

3. Mass Mutual moved to Enfield

4. ING moved to Windsor

Northland kicked out the following tenants from the Civic Center and they have not returned

1. GNC

2. B Dalton

3. Wendy's

4. several others

The UConn Store, Lux Bond and Green, Beckers, Sweet Janes, all left Pratt Street

Parfums du Jour is leaving Asylum, Bellini's coffee shop is gone

The Goodwin Hotel closed.

Blue Back Square took Parfums du Jour, and what is next?

The XL Center/Hartford 21 has one retail tenant.

Front Street is eliminating housing and now ESPN is not committed.

Prime Real Estate that would be perfect (like the lot across from the capitol, the old Hilton lot) have been vacant for decades.

The YMCA closed, eliminating child care, a pool, basketball, racquetball.

City Hall is anti business and the downtown organizations like the Metro Hartford Alliance and Business for Downtown Hartford are afraid to stand up and call City Hall out. "The region is strong, they keep saying."

In the past few years, surrounding towns have built the Shoppes at Farmington valley, Evergreen Walk and Blue Black Square.

WE HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT THERE IS NO AVAILABLE RETAIL TO MOVE TO HARTFORD. THE SUBURBS HAVE TAKEN IT ALL.

Until someone stands up and fights for Hartford, this death spiral will continue.

[The Voice of Reason]

As much as I hate to admit it, but business in Downtown Hartford is about to collapse. For the past few years, the city has lost the following and it is starting to take its toll on merchants

1. MetLife moved to Bloomfield

2. WFSB moved to Rocky Hill

3. Mass Mutual moved to Enfield

4. ING moved to Windsor

Northland kicked out the following tenants from the Civic Center and they have not returned

1. GNC

2. B Dalton

3. Wendy's

4. several others

The UConn Store, Lux Bond and Green, Beckers, Sweet Janes, all left Pratt Street

Parfums du Jour is leaving Asylum, Bellini's coffee shop is gone

The Goodwin Hotel closed.

Blue Back Square took Parfums du Jour, and what is next?

The XL Center/Hartford 21 has one retail tenant.

Front Street is eliminating housing and now ESPN is not committed.

Prime Real Estate that would be perfect (like the lot across from the capitol, the old Hilton lot) have been vacant for decades.

The YMCA closed, eliminating child care, a pool, basketball, racquetball.

City Hall is anti business and the downtown organizations like the Metro Hartford Alliance and Business for Downtown Hartford are afraid to stand up and call City Hall out. "The region is strong, they keep saying."

In the past few years, surrounding towns have built the Shoppes at Farmington valley, Evergreen Walk and Blue Black Square.

WE HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT THERE IS NO AVAILABLE RETAIL TO MOVE TO HARTFORD. THE SUBURBS HAVE TAKEN IT ALL.

Until someone stands up and fights for Hartford, this death spiral will continue.

[mikel]

OK Grock, why don't YOU stand up and fight for Hartford instead of whining on an internet forum and saying "someone" needs to do something?

[Lowerdeck]

Pretty soon the suburban era will be over. No longer will be people be crazy enough to commute from far flung corners of the state, so downtown will rebound.

How would it also make sense that there's tons of life in one circle, and a massive void in the middle? Eventually people will see the potential and jump in. Might be a while, but things will happen.

EDIT: I can't spell anymore. Ugh.

[beerbeer]

Perez has been a disaster. He is the single biggest problem. Even worse, th Courant endorsed him meaning they are clueless as well.

[jcrc]

There are going to be more layoff coming, but Hartford, being so down in the abyss, can't go that much lower. We are certainly not hurting like Miami, but we never had the boom like Miami. My grip is that the average per square foot in downtown Hartford is $30+ which is insane; and the landlords/leasers are mostly unresponsive to inquires - at least, that was my experience. I don't know what they are smoking, but most people going into business kind of want to have quick replies and want make some money, with low foot traffic, low residential population and mostly dead weekends, they should thank their lucky star if someone wants to take a risk in Hartford, but instead they think they sitting on prime retail spots and are being snooty and choosy.

Overall, I'd say we gain more than we lost, but no doubt about it, the city is still morbid bond.

[grock]

I've suggested things for years, but I think City Hall is dragging down downtown. Maybe the Alliance and Business for Downtown hartford and the state can team up and bring in new business on their own.

[drc72]

Perez has been a disaster. He is the single biggest problem. Even worse, th Courant endorsed him meaning they are clueless as well.

[Afro Saxon]

I hate to say it, but the anti-business attitude between City Hall and the State will always make it difficult for Hartford to gain economic traction.