1156 replies to this topic

[HartfordHope]

http://www.courant.c...0,320250.column

How awesome would this be.

[MichaelQReilly]

I've been down to the Fairfield Theater Co. several times. It would be great to have that type of venue in the city.

[HartfordHope]

Looks like the Infinity rumor was true.  This would be pretty awesome for the city!

http://www.hartfordb.../news22160.html

[HartfordTycoon]

Signs of life at Front Street. Imagine that. According to the article the movie theater is now under construction and Infinity Hall Hartford is picking up serious steam. Now if they can get a few restaurant/lounge type places Front Street could be pretty inviting to locals and visitors alike. Also with an operating retail district in phase 1 the housing in phase 2 becomes that much easier to get financing for. It's been a long, tough battle but I think it is finally going to start paying off.

[HartfordHope]

Convention center attendence up 50%.  This has to help businesses look at Front st too.

http://www.courant.c...,0,790041.story

[Theophrastus Bombastus]

Jeez Louise......  it's been empty so long they now have a MOLD problem....

http://courantblogs....ne-youd-expect/

Edited by Theophrastus Bombastus, 23 February 2012 - 10:26 AM.

[mikel]

Front Street sucks.  Just tear the stupid strip mall down.  We need housing.. not more nonsense.

[The Voice of Reason]

I love that this is one project we all agree on.  I mean its got to be the first that there is a concensus on.  it sucks in almost every way, but it is also better than a parking lot. but we still hate it as much as a parking lot, and we also all have some faint hope that it becomes an asset to the city.


for my part, if the recent comments about the residential component are true, This project overall will start to show signs of hopo.

here is the breakdown...
IF they build 115 Apartments on the parking lot between the Hartford Times and The Elks Hall,  Front Street would be much more tied-in to the city.  The apartments would also add much needed life to this very "pretty" part of the city (the area in front ofg the Elks is my favorite part of the city, it just needs improvements to Travelers Plaza and Wadsworth so they interact with the street)
The apartment building would have 16,000SF of retail.  these 16,000SF would surely be likely to attract tenents because of the apartments and (hopefully) theater and music venue.
If the movie theater, infinity Hall, the Apartment building and maybe a couple eateries move into the complex, I see the potential for a decent development at the Hartford times building.  Again mixed use with apartments etc...  If this were to happen I think it would just be a matter of time before the sliver of land next to the whitehead would be developed, and the striplall would therefore be redeveloped with a higher use.

no guarantees, but if in the end we get 115 apartments Near the Elks, and 100+ more at Hartford times, the overall project would not be an abject failure.  especially if the entertainment district were to "stick"


I still hate it though!

[beerbeer]

It only took 52 years to have someone propose apartments at Constitution Plaza ( should have been day one).

[The Voice of Reason]

Yeah, and they are just proposed, not built.

I wanted to put this link here too because if we are getting 115 apartments above 16,000SF of retail, it would be pretty simular to the project in the link a 106 unit over 12,000SF
its in Minneapolis, where their apartment boom makes ours look pathetic.

http://m.startribune...d=140248383&c=y

Edited by The Voice of Reason, 25 February 2012 - 10:56 AM.

[Theophrastus Bombastus]

It's still spelled "Adriaen", right?  They just put up a sign on 84 West in East Hartford:

"EXIT 54 - Adrian's Landing District"

Yo, Adrian!!!!!

[The Voice of Reason]

LOL,

I write it wrong all the time, which is sad, but I dont make highway signs.   why does this kind of thing always keep happening?

[HartfordTycoon]

A few Spotlight Theatres construction pics have been posted to their facebook. Definitely good to see some actual progress. No matter how flawed this project is, it still has potential. In all reality, it's pretty exciting that Downtown Hartford is getting a movie theater! It's a huge step forward and a pretty big amenity for people living downtown to have within walking distance, or star shuttle distance or whatever. I just hope that it works out, but I think it has a good shot. It's actually pretty accessible to some of the neighborhoods just south of Downtown so it won't be depending on Downtown residents solely for it to be successful.

http://www.facebook....223766820990888

[beerbeer]

Progress is progress.  Good find. The original finsh date for the theaters was late 2011. Nice to see is moving forward.

Eventually Front Street will begin to fill up.  It's just a question of time frame.   Once again, housing would have made a huge difference.  The theaters are a good start. In the original proposal there was a bar/restaurant included with the theaters operated by Spotlight.

Edited by beerbeer, 11 May 2012 - 05:20 AM.

[MichaelQReilly]

I love this project. To many of us in the greater Hartford area there is no good movie theater close by. Usually when I go to the movies I get stuck going to the sprawling hell that is Manchester. Once this theater opens there is no question that it will be my movie theater of choice.

Edited by MichaelQReilly, 12 May 2012 - 11:01 AM.

[The Voice of Reason]

Fully agree!   Since I moved to Wethersfield a couple years ago I never know what theater to go to.  I dont go to many movies, but its always a bit confusing.

I have been to WH Center, Manchester, Plainville and New Park Ave in that time.  Would much rather head to downtown!

Also, in a report on the old cceda from 2011 there is multiple mentions of phase 2 as residential and retail like Nitkin has said, but the fact that CCEDA was involved and aware makes me think this project is even more likely and maybe further along in planning than I thought

so, we shall see!

[Theophrastus Bombastus]

Theophrastus Bombastus, on 08 May 2012 - 10:51 AM, said:

It's still spelled "Adriaen", right?  They just put up a sign on 84 West in East Hartford:

"EXIT 54 - Adrian's Landing District"

Yo, Adrian!!!!!

5/22/12: They fixed it, thank goodness.