PROPOSED: North Downtown/Baseball Stadium Development

[Hollin.Tolland]

Yeah, that hooker proposal is kinda crap, Id actually fight it and I frekin love the idea of there at that location just not in that context.

 

I am psyched Leyland is in on this and hope someone like them are chozen and that Hooker can be worked into it.

 

 

Here is the article from HBJ about the specific stadium developer coming with the Leyland group.

http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/20140806/NEWS01/140809950

 

 

 

These guys are great because I think they have actually exceeded the minimum requirements out in Storrs, so its is clear they understand that density and critical mass are important.

 

I essentially would say there are 3 proposals because that Hooker one can be scrapped as kind of a 3rd party single issue candidate.

 

they will likely be included in any of the other 3 proposals.  In fact I am confident that the city will add that as a requirement to the winning bidder.

Found on their web site that Ballpark Design Associates of KC has designed a stadium concept for Hartford before, designing a plan for a stadium a few blocks away behind the Hartford Insurance buildings. A very similarly shaped lot, a bit bigger though, at Garden/Frazier/Myrtle where a few buildings were later torn down and it eventually became "HartBeat Park".

 

 

http://www.ballparkdesignassociates.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/hartford_A_20080226-page-0011.jpg

 

Hartford Minor League Ballpark Study, Hartford, Connecticut

 

Concept Designer for a proposed new 8,000-seat minor league ballpark. The design study was conducted in 2008 for another minor league ballpark franchise owner, who proposed a mixed- use development near the campus of the Hartford Insurance Companies campus. 

More details on the 4 plans from the Courant: 

 

http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-hartford-stadium-bids-0807-20140806,0,1896951.story

Developers' Plans For Hartford Stadium, New Municipal Offices Revealed 

[HartfordTycoon]

http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-hartford-stadium-bids-0807-20140806,0,1896951.story

 

Looks like a new city hall is part of the plan!

 

Fixed the link. Thanks VoR.

[The Voice of Reason]

HA you linked this page HT

 

Now imagine a world where this happens to Leyland Alliance levels of vision, and Downtown not only gets a new ball park but also...

600 housing units

a grocery store

Hooker Brewery

and a new city hall

 

that means the Old city hall could become part of the Wadsworth, and it would hopefully lead to their expansion and ascention as one of the best art museums in the country.

this easily could lead to additional visitors to the city and increased economic activity

 

my dream scenerio is coming together.... if only it can actually happen.

[HartfordTycoon]

The City Council is moving forward. Good to see that they aren't letting the opposition sway them.

 

http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Hartford-Residents-Protest-Ballpark-as-City-Nears-a-Deal-270827731.html

 

Opponents protesting the construction of a minor-league baseball stadium in Hartford raised their concerns at City Hall tonight, but the City Council moved forward with plans to build, approving land purchases for both the ballpark and the Downtown North development.

The council voted to buy two acres of vacant land on Windsor Street, where the ballpark would be situated, and 14 additional properties from covered bridge ventures where businesses, restaurants and residential buildings could crop up.

[The Voice of Reason]

http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-hartford-rock-cats-0822-20140821,0,4094209.story

 

Here we go folks!

 

Leyland alliance with a $350 million proposal  and CV with a $217 Million bid

 

Looks like some site plans too

 

Edited August 21, 2014 by The Voice of Reason

[HartfordTycoon]

The Leyland Alliance plan seems really good. The fact that they have signed letters of intent from ShopRite and Balducci's is really promising and should get many of those not crazy about the stadium to at least give this a serious look. I know many people were apoplectic when that the stadium plan had supposedly killed any interest from ShopRite. Hartford will be pretty transformed if this happens in conjunction with everything already in progress.

[The Voice of Reason]

HT, I couldnt agree more.

 

I mean if we are weighing a baseball dimond vs a 50K SF shoprite and 200-300 apartments with additinal retail, I am honestly kind of torn.  the apartments and shoprite are a big grab...

 

If however we get what we have now...

 

2-300 apartments and a shoprite vs

600+ Apartments and a shoprite...... PLUS a brewery, a city hall(220K office) .... oh and a baseball stadium and a littleague field and additional retail....  

hard to argue

 

 

my biggest concern now is this advisory panel.

 

I do not want the city and the loudmouths nitpicking the developers untill this project dies.  Im thinking about the people who killed Front Street 10+ years ago.  so I should hope they selected a better committe than that.

 

I hope they dont say 600 apartments is too many or that they are pushing out the locals so they need to include affordable housing and section 8.  I hope the advisors say that it should be 800 apartments, or that the buildings can be taller...

 

 

My point being that if that committe makes some reccomendations to the 2 main developers... Im cool.  if those reccomendations are absurd and ultimately deter development, Im not.

 

 

I think Hooker will withdraw their bid once they sign letters of intent with both the other 2 master developers.  they were only in the game so they could be included, and it seems as though that is a lock now.

 

Also i think that CV properties needs to secure the housing component sooner rather than later.

 

Leyland was smart to include a littleleague diamond.  its terribly out of place though...  I mean really are there littleague diamonds in any city center in the world?

maybe in a large park, but this is kinda weird.

It might be better as a multusport field.  no raised mound, and in the dimensions of a soccer field, so it can be used by the entire community including baseball.  but its also uneeded with riverside park right across 91

 

anyways, id love to see a nice lawn park there where people can picnic.  there are not many comfortable green spaces so any addition will be nice.

 

 

this is the thing that CV provides, that city hall park is pretty sweet

Edited August 22, 2014 by The Voice of Reason

[HartfordTycoon]

http://www.courant.com/real-estate/property-line/hc-centerplan-leylandalliance-hartford-ballpark-20140825,0,2294012.story

 

HARTFORD — Middletown-based Centerplan Development Co. — part of a partnership that wants to develop the city's Downtown North area — is the purchaser of a long-vacant data processing center in the area, property that is incorporated into its proposal.

[The Voice of Reason]

I like this pllan more and more.  From looking at this, we have a real nice layout here with the reuse of an older building as part of the project.  Gotta love when the already large scope is expanded my a proposal.

 

and that it has 650 units, which is more than the reported 600 and of course way more than the minimum required 300

 

 

only thing I noticed is that the 225 in the building that would replace the data center might feel a little isolated over there.  who knows tho

[HartfordTycoon]

I think the plan is to create significant activity in the vicinity of the old data center. You have the housing, the public fields, and the brewery, added to Travelers, Rensselaer, and the Ramada. There is room in that area for additional development as well across Market Street and even the Travelers and Rensselaer surface parking could be developed in the future.

[The Voice of Reason]

I wonder if that Motel 8 gets revived if this all comes to pass?

 

I mean there is certainly reason to believe that a hotel would do MUCH better in that location if there was a sweet apartment and brewery across the street..

 

honestly I hope to see a larger scale hotel proposed over there at this point

 

which brings me to another thought.  the Raddison plaza, will need to get in on this revitalization by possibly reconfiguring its lowest floors to better interact with the new built environment.  I mean there will be oipportunity for retail and such right?

[beerbeer]

http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-hartford-stadium-proposal-0903-20140902,0,2159099.story

 

Love to see the protesters march against this.

[HartfordTycoon]

I like that the development will be privately owned. That will give much less ammo to the critics. I have to say that I'm pretty impressed with the city putting this together. For once, they city may actually be able to pull off a huge, completely game-changing development without the direction of the state.  

 

VoR, weren't there actually two hotel proposals that kinda went dark proposed in this general vicinity?

[beerbeer]

I like that the development will be privately owned. That will give much less ammo to the critics. I have to say that I'm pretty impressed with the city putting this together. For once, they city may actually be able to pull off a huge, completely game-changing development without the direction of the state.  

 

VoR, weren't there actually two hotel proposals that kinda went dark proposed in this general vicinity?

 

I think there was a Best Western, a six or eight floor hotel a bit closer to I-91.

 

Yep my memory is correct.  http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/20080915/PRINTEDITION/309159985/plans-for-downtown-best-western-revised

Edited September 3, 2014 by beerbeer

[The Voice of Reason]

I only remember the one.  Gues it was best Western.   I knew it was a discount chain.

 

Just the same if this Centerplan proposal comes to fruition on this level of scale I gotta think another hotel becomes MUCH more viable.  infact Id assume it would need to be larger than 81 rooms

[beerbeer]

Special city council meeting on Thursday 6PM to move the project forward.

 

http://foxct.com/2014/09/03/hartford-ballpark-developer-chosen-mayor-calls-for-special-meeting/

 

The big complaint of the "opposition" is that they weren't involved enough.  LOL. As if any of them has anything to offer.

[The Voice of Reason]

Sounds like the city council did the right thing and asked for more details

 

if they have as little as we do I cant blame em.

 

the winning bid should be fully detailed at this point.  at least project parameters and timelines.

 

who knows. 

[beerbeer]

According to Channel 3...

 

The Hartford Common Council officially accepted a resolution for the development of a new Rock Cats stadium in the Downtown North section of the city. A public hearing on the recommendations was set for Sept. 17.

 

http://www.wfsb.com/story/26456745/hartford-council-accepts-rock-cats-stadium-proposal

 

The proposal called for 600 apartment units, 140,000 sq. ft. of storefront retail and restaurant space, a grocery store, a Thomas Hooker brewery and the ballpark

[The Voice of Reason]

OK, but I think they held off on the official selection of a developer and the transfer of property.

 

its because funding details were lacking. 

[beerbeer]

OK, but I think they held off on the official selection of a developer and the transfer of property.

 

its because funding details were lacking. 

 

From the WSFB article.

 

DoNo Hartford, LLC was selected as the developer.

 

"We are proposing to invest $350 million of private funds to create this neighborhood and included in this are the private funds required to construct the ballpark," said Yves Joseph, principal for DoNo Hartford, LLC.

[The Voice of Reason]

not disputing that... just that council refrained from making many things official.  the committe made their reccomendation.

 

Do I think its a foregone conclusion, yes..  but NBC is the only organization stating anything is official and the courant conversely had an article mentioning that council wanted more info.  specifically about funding before transferring prperty.

 

 

 

 

incidentally a nice source for info

http://www.hartford.gov/dono

[HartfordTycoon]

http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-hartford-stadium-public-hearing-0918-20140917-story.html

 

I think the tide is really starting to turn on this. My dad went and he spoke in favor of the stadium as a Hartford resident and said there were many others. Overall it was about 50/50 but most opposed to the stadium were clearly not Northenders. The son of the founder of Scott's Bakery spoke in favor of the proposal along with other business and community leaders from the North End. A representative of Shop Rite was also there conveying the grocers interest in being a part of this new mixed-use district. I think the community at large is starting to get excited.

[The Voice of Reason]

I like how the article quotes a negetive comment then points out that the person was from New Britain

 

Here are some concerns I havee thant I have seen touched on by OZ, and by the courant.

 

If with the private company taking out debt, the payments are something like 4.5 million, why not create a TIF pact and use city bonds with better credit ratings to cover most of the financing therefore lowering the annual debt service on the city... and helping the developer, also allowing less of a tax break so to speak

 

further still, bring is the state as OZ said.

 

lets use state revenue bonds and lower the cost still.

 

This way the city makes more in terms of revenue growth and the developer gets fast tracked finaining at a lower rate.

 

 

 

annother comment.... the plan no longer includes city offices

Wonder why?

I really think a new city hall helps this project a HUGE ammount.  it has the potential to save city expenses but also consolidate services and quite frankly lower maintenance costs.

the huge bonus for me is the city hall becoming available to the Wadsworth and they could then expand and become the museum they truly SHOUD be.  an expanded Wadsworth would generate higher revenues and attract more visitors to the city.  those visirots spend mopre money here and it improves the reputation and image of the place.

 

I am also curious what the site plan looks like with NO office building

[HartfordTycoon]

They won't say so publicly, but I suspect scrapping any city bonding is favored in part to avoid the possibility of a silly and potentially deal killing referendum being organized by the opposition. I wish that didn't have to be a consideration, but with the low turnout in Hartford a few thousand people could literally kill this.

[The Voice of Reason]

Ill buy it

Im thinking that any city hall might be a seperate measure and technically seperated from the innitial proposal for simular reasons

 

I am HOPING that once this deal is secured that other stuff unfolds

Such as the city hall and maybe a hotel near by

Id think that another hotel in the area would become instantly genius!

 

TONS of people book rooms when there is a concert at the meadows or XL.  The crown Plaza struggled due to isolation.  well the crown Raddison should do fine in 2 years as it will be part of downtown.  Thinking that there is absolutely room for another hotel  between XL and Meadows plus the ballpark...

it would still be an easy walk into downtown for corporate reasons and the walk would now be safe.

 

Here is to hoping that the overall development area grows as ancilliary uses pop up.

 

Thinking a 200 room hotel and a 250sf city call

 

also, i think serious development pressure would then fall on 1000 Main street (Owned by LAZ and slated for future development)