1156 replies to this topic

[drc72]

Unfortunately the economy as stated in the article is slowing things down a bit.

[mikel]

Sad how the Evergreen Walk, built on farmland off the highway can lure retail but a brownfield redevelopment in Hartford cannot.  Every time our taxdollars go to another whacked out DOT highway expansion project, we are killing our cities.  This angers me to no end.  America is going down the toilet because of our oil and asphalt addiction.

[HartfordTycoon]

mikel, on 28 May 2010 - 08:20 PM, said:

Sad how the Evergreen Walk, built on farmland off the highway can lure retail but a brownfield redevelopment in Hartford cannot.  Every time our taxdollars go to another whacked out DOT highway expansion project, we are killing our cities.  This angers me to no end.  America is going down the toilet because of our oil and asphalt addiction.

I completely agree. It's insane that the central core of a large metro area in the USA cannot attract showpiece retail that would be able to draw from throughout it's own region in this day and age.

[Theophrastus Bombastus]

Still nothing (tenant-wise) - what the frick?

[HartfordTycoon]

lol.

[Theophrastus Bombastus]

"The Landing" newsletter.
 TheLanding_0610-3.pdf   1012.03K   80 downloads

[MadVlad]

"while funding for the project (Phase 2) is being persued"... yeah, I don't need a crystal ball to see where that is going...

[Theophrastus Bombastus]

Surprise, surprise.....

Focus Shift At ESPN Puts Plans In Doubt
By Greg Bordonaro
gbordonaro@HartfordBusiness.com
The outlook for the long-discussed ESPN presence in the Front Street entertainment project remains cloudy. ESPN at one time said it envisioned a shop retailing sports apparel and memorabilia — but not one of its ESPN Zone restaurants — for Front Street. But Mike Soltys, a spokesman for the Bristol-based sports conglomerate, said the company has been focusing less on its retail business. Over the past year, for example ESPN has closed Denver and Atlanta ESPN Zones and scaled back dramatically on its consumer products line. In announcing the closings, Rick Alessandri, senior vice president of ESPN, told reporters “A decision like this is never easy...Unfortunately, the current economic environment gave us no other choice.” “Since we made our commitment (to Front Street) 11 years ago, both the project and our business have changed substantially,” Soltys said in a written statement. “But, we continue to have discussions with the developer and state to see if we can find a role in the development.” Peter Christian, an official with developer HB Nitkin Group, said ESPN has always been committed to the project but he’s not sure what type of presence the sports powerhouse may have. “We have to wait and see how some of the leasing goes,” he said.

ANY word on ANY tenants yet??????

[MadVlad]

The key here is:  "Since we made our commitment (to Front Street) 11 years ago, both the project and our business have changed substantially"

11 years.... some kid that was born when this started is in middle school by now....

[Theophrastus Bombastus]

The silence is DEAFENING.  Also, I saw the first (what sure looked like) homeless individual wandering around peering into the empty storefronts... yay

[HartfordTycoon]

Theophrastus Bombastus, on 23 August 2010 - 02:56 PM, said:

The silence is DEAFENING.  Also, I saw the first (what sure looked like) homeless individual wandering around peering into the empty storefronts... yay

It is deafening and ridiculous really but no one with money believes in Hartford apparently. There are certain businesses that would be perfect for that location and if I had the money I'd jump on it. I'm still glad it's there so that at least there is a possibility of opening a business in that area if you wanted to but apparently right now nobody wants to.

[MadVlad]

Sure, let's put the residential in Phase 2, just like Constitution Plaza.  Yeah, you know, the people that would live there that would go to all the shops that are supposed to exist, yes, those people...

[HartfordTycoon]

MadVlad, on 23 August 2010 - 07:36 PM, said:

Sure, let's put the residential in Phase 2, just like Constitution Plaza.  Yeah, you know, the people that would live there that would go to all the shops that are supposed to exist, yes, those people...

I never agreed with doing it in phases but if that's all the funding they could dig up then I still think we had to take what we could get. It doesn't need residents to support a few restaurants and lounge type places.

[The Voice of Reason]

HartfordTycoon, on 24 August 2010 - 08:14 AM, said:

I never agreed with doing it in phases but if that's all the funding they could dig up then I still think we had to take what we could get. It doesn't need residents to support a few restaurants and lounge type places.

maybe it would not NEED residents, but any one looking to put a business would surely rather be in a place with 600 apartments than a place with ZERO.

lets not forget that this is on the far edge of downtown, and therefore does not get much foot traffic.

By adding 600 apartments in here, you would have had significantly more traffic, and therefor potential commercial renters would at least see some life.

hell, 600 apartments typically house 800+ people, and 800+ people would be eating about 1000 dinners per week downtown that are currently not being eaten.

based on my past resturant experience(and pure conjecture), that would fully support at least 2 new resturants.  So, while those people may not be "needed"  they sure as heck would help!.

and for argument sakes i bet Downtown residents eat way more than 1.25 dinners per week out.


and yes i am accepting of this being better than nothing etc...   but damn we need those apartments more than we need more retail space.   it just sucks!

[HartfordTycoon]

The Voice of Reason, on 24 August 2010 - 09:41 AM, said:

maybe it would not NEED residents, but any one looking to put a business would surely rather be in a place with 600 apartments than a place with ZERO.

lets not forget that this is on the far edge of downtown, and therefore does not get much foot traffic.

By adding 600 apartments in here, you would have had significantly more traffic, and therefor potential commercial renters would at least see some life.

hell, 600 apartments typically house 800+ people, and 800+ people would be eating about 1000 dinners per week downtown that are currently not being eaten.

based on my past resturant experience(and pure conjecture), that would fully support at least 2 new resturants.  So, while those people may not be "needed"  they sure as heck would help!.

and for argument sakes i bet Downtown residents eat way more than 1.25 dinners per week out.


and yes i am accepting of this being better than nothing etc...   but damn we need those apartments more than we need more retail space.   it just sucks!

I agree that we need the apartments. I go back and forth between thinking it should or should not have been built without them and always come to the same conclusion that if this is all we could get for right now then it's good that it's there. I don't understand why that is all we could get though as demand for housing Downtown seems pretty stable. Maybe phase one should have been the apartments instead of the retail.

[The Voice of Reason]

HartfordTycoon, on 24 August 2010 - 04:26 PM, said:

I agree that we need the apartments. I go back and forth between thinking it should or should not have been built without them and always come to the same conclusion that is this is all we could get for right now then it's good that it's there. I don't understand why that is the all we could get though as demand for housing Downtown seems pretty stable. Maybe phase one should have been the apartments instead of the retail.

perfectly stated HT

i dont get it either especially since there was 7 mill in HUD money earmarked for this.  

even if the minimum of housing, (was it 110 units?) were built, this would be an infinitely better project.  3 storys of apartments on top of that retail space..... that would be a thing of beauty actually, and I suspect it would be well more occupied than the retail space

shoot, thats 63,636 in federal subsidy for the housing.  what a bargain!

[The Voice of Reason]

ok, so I just spent some time back in this thread.   apparently there was a total of 70 million in total available for this entire property, and out of that, there were and apparently may still be 12 million for housing alone, in addition there is another 7 million from the HUD.  19 million for housing.  and taxa baatements and such that might have helped add housing.

lastly the plan was for 115 housing units.  the
so, the monies really could have been more than 165K per housing unit!!
yikes

I think Nitkin is a shopping center company, so they built a shopping center.   this development needes someone interested in owning housing


if you want to explore its near page 40

[Theophrastus Bombastus]

You can forget about them doing anything at 'Affront Street'.

ESPN Zone closes five ESPN Zones, including D.C. and Baltimore restaurants

http://www.washingto...0060906292.html

[The Voice of Reason]

http://www.realhartf...town/#more-5149

Front Street Mall District, which wassupposed to make an announcement in August, apparently has some businesses contracted to go into the empty, brand new storefronts. They never made a public announcement in August and have been tight-lipped about which companies would be coming to the area near the Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford Public Library, City Hall, and Connecticut Convention Center. They are so tight-lipped, in fact, that they would not even tell Segarra, who said they gave him detailed descriptions of the types of businesses, but never named names



So, good news I guess, but a lack of info likely means, no real contracts yet.
but notice that its written as plural

[HartfordTycoon]

The Voice of Reason, on 28 September 2010 - 12:21 PM, said:

http://www.realhartf...town/#more-5149

Front Street Mall District, which wassupposed to make an announcement in August, apparently has some businesses contracted to go into the empty, brand new storefronts. They never made a public announcement in August and have been tight-lipped about which companies would be coming to the area near the Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford Public Library, City Hall, and Connecticut Convention Center. They are so tight-lipped, in fact, that they would not even tell Segarra, who said they gave him detailed descriptions of the types of businesses, but never named names


So, good news I guess, but a lack of info likely means, no real contracts yet.
but notice that its written as plural

I hope they do have something but I'll believe it when I see it. I do not think the location is bad for certain business. I think it won't be retail but probably restaurant/nightclub/lounge type of tenant to bite first on this.