IN PROGRESS: Front Street @ Adriaen's Landing

[HartfordTycoon]

So, if this development is a flaming sucess, as a lot of us think it will be, does the state get any kind of return on its investment, aside from the increased tax revenue?

That's a good question. Who does own this stuff? I pretty sure the Marriott is owned by Waterford and H21 is definitely owned by Northland, but I think the CCC is and the CSC will be owned by the state. So I'm not sure about Front Street. Anyone know what the structure is for sure?

Edited October 5, 2006 by HartfordTycoon

[Luca Brasi]

That is quite a housing subsidy. Works out to what... about $85,000 per unit?

At this point I'm just glad its getting built. If construction is starting this month, there must be plans to be released...

[uconn99]

That's a good question. Who does own this stuff? I pretty sure the Marriott is owned by Waterford and H21 is definitely owned by Northland, but I think the CCC is and the CSC will be owned by the state. So I'm not sure about Front Street. Anyone know what the structure is for sure?

I hope we see some updated plans soon. It would be nice to see a 10-12 floor building, but I would be happy with 8-10 buildings all in the 4-5 floor range so it would be like the old neighboorhood it once was.

[Yankee.Peddler]

That's a good question. Who does own this stuff? I pretty sure the Marriott is owned by Waterford and H21 is definitely owned by Northland, but I think the CCC is and the CSC will be owned by the state. So I'm not sure about Front Street. Anyone know what the structure is for sure?

If my memory serves correct, CCEDA owns the land. Nitkin owns the right to construct the buildings and lease the space.

Carter, to answer your question, I think the state will earn sales tax revenue from the retail; the City of Hartford will earn property tax revenue on the buildings (assuming the city did not forgive all property taxes as an incentive). In any case. I don't think there's much of a chance this project will provide a positive return on all the state and municipal money invested -- at least in the near-term.

Nor do I think Front Street will have a substantial positive impact on Hartford. I don't mean to say it will hurt Hartford at all. Rather, I think -- because of its location -- it won't serve as a catalyst to revitalize other city neighborhoods. This is a shame.

I drove by the Front Street site again early last month. When you think about it, the site is really isolated. The convention center and Marriott (not to mention I-91) largely block it off from the river; the Whitehead Highway largely blocks it off from Sheldon-Charter Oak (a neighborhood that definitely could use some revitalization); Travelers, the Wadsworth, and the Bushnell Towers complex largely block it off from Bushnell Park; and Constitution Plaza arguably blocks it off from other areas of downtown. If the state and city really wanted to invest in something like Front Street that would provide a long-term positive return, then I believe they should have invested in something located in a better-connected urban area that would have sparked further privately-funded development. For example, Plaza Mayor -- when built -- will not only fill a gaping hole in the urban fabric of South Green; it promises to spark subsequent development along Park Street and Capitol Avenue.

I don't like to be a pessimist, but I find it hard not to be one when discussing Front Street!

Edited October 5, 2006 by Yankee.Peddler

[NewEnglandsTeam]

Does someone know the extent of the utility work already done on the site? I have to be honest I'm living out in the Boston area now and haven't been down to the site in atleats 2 years. I know much of the existing utilities was relocated in the 1st phase.

I have to assume a lot of the preliminary work will be layout and utlity work. So at the very least even without renderings we'll be seeing stakes indicating building and road locations.

[grock]

Front Street will have a substantial impact on Hartford. It will include state of the art housing, and attraction from ESPN, and local and national retailers. Word is Brooks Brothers will open a flagship store there. Combined with the Science Center and Adriaen's Landing will be hopping.

To see the impact of the Convention Center check out Spris and Morton's. They are very busy with conventioneers.

Front Street will link Adriaen's Landing to downtown. The Travelers is building a walkway to Front Street from Constitution Plaza. It will also bridge the gap between downtown and Colt, Charter Oak Terrace and Main Street. The Wadsworth is taking over the Hartford Times building.

I like Plaza Mayor but let's face it. Park Street is dirty, because the people who hang out don't care. Where do you think all the litter comes from? Who wants to walk by the methodone clinic at Main and Buckingham to get there? What about people drinking out of paper bags at noon on Park Street? Sitting at the lights with stereos so loud the car shakes?

I hope Plaza Mayor fixes this.

[beerbeer]

Front Street is a neighborhood that will be in place for a hundred years. It will bring more middle and upper class incomes into the city. It will provide a welcome mat for convention attendees. It will help tie Capewell and the Colt Complex to the rest of the downtown. It will also provide impetus for future development in the area.

A big impact is that it gets the monkey off the city's back. It is the final piece of Adriaen's Landing. It fills a gap in the Hartford's smile.

It is not the be all end all. But it provides nothing except positives for the city.

Adriaen's landing was the driving force that led to Rowland's six pillars. Everything that has happened in the city since 1999 has been propelled by the AL development. All of it - H21, the Metropolitan, Sage-Allen, the G. Fox renovation and Hartford Comminity College downtown, the American Airlines building renovation, the Colt renovation, the Frog Hollow Gateway, the Athenium expansion ---ALL OF IT --- came on the heels of Adriaen's landing.

So complain away ye New England pessimists.

In my opinion, the Connecticut Convention Center, The Marriott, the Science Center and Front Street are worth their weight in gold. And it's great to see the final piece of the puzzle about to be put in place.

[mikel]

We need skycrapers not housing and retail. Scrap it and just put in a tall skyscraper with parking lots all around it.

[MadVlad]

Note to MadVlad (or is his new name MadDad).

115 units could mean (at 9 units per floor) a 12-floor building. So with a floor or two of retail, you might get a 14 floor building. I doubt it, but it is possible.

I'd say that is about the right size for that area. With no residential, that area has a bad chance of becoming desolate if there's a smaller convention. I'm always a proponent of increasing residential in those areas. To be truthful, I had expected them to (again) pare down the residential like they did with Constitution Plaza. What are the chances that Cohen doesn't act like a spurned lover and add some retail to the bottom of his CP buildings?

[uconn99]

I'd say that is about the right size for that area. With no residential, that area has a bad chance of becoming desolate if there's a smaller convention. I'm always a proponent of increasing residential in those areas. To be truthful, I had expected them to (again) pare down the residential like they did with Constitution Plaza. What are the chances that Cohen doesn't act like a spurned lover and add some retail to the bottom of his CP buildings?

How much retail was there on Constitution plaza? Is there anyway to create retail again in this area? It would be nice if Constitution plaza could have some kind of residential and retail tied into it. I think the city and state should consider redeveloping CP sometime in the near future after Front St takes off.

[drc72]

So, if this development is a flaming sucess, as a lot of us think it will be, does the state get any kind of return on its investment, aside from the increased tax revenue?

Increased tax revenue will probabaly recoup all of the state's investment in the project, and then some.

[Luca Brasi]

When Spris signed on to Constitution Plaza, they were excited to be part of a plan to circle the fountain at CP with restaurants, bars and cafes. The retail was to extend down to the plaza at the clock tower and down to Market St. It never happened and Spris... which serves out of this world authentic Italian cuisine... was left alone as an island.

The city or state can't renovate CP because it is private property owned by Capital Properties. There is a broad misconception that CP is public property. It isn't. If there is going to be any development at all, it needs to come from the owners.

And on another note, there is nothing I would like to see more than the Front St. neighborhood eventually extend down to Charter Oak Ave. replacing that awful housing project and disjointed neighborhood. Restore the street grid and restore a true downtown neighborhood from St. Cyril's, the Capewell and The Polish National Home down to the Wadsworth, Constitution Plaza and the Convention Center. It is very doable now.

[MadVlad]

When Spris signed on to Constitution Plaza, they were excited to be part of a plan to circle the fountain at CP with restaurants, bars and cafes. The retail was to extend down to the plaza at the clock tower and down to Market St. It never happened and Spris... which serves out of this world authentic Italian cuisine... was left alone as an island.

The city or state can't renovate CP because it is private property owned by Capital Properties. There is a broad misconception that CP is public property. It isn't. If there is going to be any development at all, it needs to come from the owners.

And on another note, there is nothing I would like to see more than the Front St. neighborhood eventually extend down to Charter Oak Ave. replacing that awful housing project and disjointed neighborhood. Restore the street grid and restore a true downtown neighborhood from St. Cyril's, the Capewell and The Polish National Home down to the Wadsworth, Constitution Plaza and the Convention Center. It is very doable now.

That would be an optimal plan. Richard Cohen, while doing a nice job with CP, could do much better than just redoing the glass and renting the offices (Joe Lieberman is in there, I believe). I've been by Spris late at night when I worked for Travelers, and it was desolate. It just isn't a place you wander by unless you have a reason. At least Morton's can be seen from the street. They really need some residential and retail in there in the worst way. Of course, making it Constitution College would be a great way to do that **cough**

[grock]

The days of Spris being desolate are over. During lunch it is packed and the weather is nice its patio is jammed. Inside it is busy with conventioneers and biz types. They have lighted the fountain at night with different colors and the UConn biz school is making a difference.

The owner of Spris, who owns a company in Windsor, also says he will make a major investment in Front Street.

[MadVlad]

That's good to hear, I genuinely felt bad for that place, it'd be 9PM on a thursday night and I'd see the bartender in there by himself.

[beerbeer]

Spirs must be doing something right, they have been open for years.

Edited October 6, 2006 by beerbeer

[newlondonboy]

the "new" front street at $55 M is one third of the size/price of H21. How much of an impact is it realistic to expect from this scaled down development?

[HartfordTycoon]

the "new" front street at $55 M is one third of the size/price of H21. How much of an impact is it realistic to expect from this scaled down development?

I still think a great deal should be expected of this. That price tag for H21 also probably figured in the demo cost for the old HCC Mall. Front Street is basically a blank slate, with some prep work already done so it should only be new construction costs. Also I doubt we will see a large tower in the plan so this will be mid rise development. One parking deck has already been built by the state so some of the work is done already. This will bring national retailers across the street from the CCC on the edge of Downtown. That in and of itself will be huge for Hartford. It will also bring some new residents and entertainment options. I personally think we will all be impressed.

Edited October 6, 2006 by HartfordTycoon

[beerbeer]

if ESPN follows through with its multimedia interactive exhibit/musuem/whatever -- the the Science Center, the Athenium, the Old State House and ESPN exhibit will all be within a three block walk from the convention center. In a couple of years you can ad the Colt National Park. Few cities can boast of such a divise arrray so close together.

BTW, just the fact, that the the phrase, "the troubled front street project" has been laid to rest is a MAJOR positive in itself.

Edited October 6, 2006 by beerbeer

[HartfordTycoon]

Here are some links to Robert A. M. Stern's website to give some ideas of what we might expect. It should at least be very attractive given the track record of the architect.

RAMSA Residential

RAMSA Retail Development

Edited October 6, 2006 by HartfordTycoon

[spatulashack]

Front Street's New Hope

Compromise On Project's Scope Leads To Deal

October 6, 2006

By JEFFREY B. COHEN, Courant Staff Writer

http://www.courant.com/hc-front1006.artoct06,0,3824953.story

I'm glad to see they are keeping the name of the district but I do hope that if the second phase isn't under construction by the time the first phase opens, that they do something with the land that will sit vacant. The whole point of Front Street was to link the streetscape with the rest of Downtown and the Wadsworth so they better not have a street leading to a dirt pile! Either way, I'm still excited and amazed that they will break ground within 2 weeks! Although I wonder how that is possible seeing as how they still have a lot of details to work out. I hope the front street groundbreaking doesn't turn into another World Trade Center groundbreaking from 2004. Lord knows that was just keeping up appearence. "Costruction beginning" better not mean moving dirt around like the have for the past two years.

Edited October 7, 2006 by Cotuit

[Carter711]

An interactive ESPN experience thing would be great. ESPN ought to do something for Hartford seeing as how it's based there (close enough anyway) Look at the CNN Center in Atlanta, it's become a major tourist attraction in itself. And ESPN has an infinitely higher cool factor than CNN.

[uconn99]

An interactive ESPN experience thing would be great. ESPN ought to do something for Hartford seeing as how it's based there (close enough anyway) Look at the CNN Center in Atlanta, it's become a major tourist attraction in itself. And ESPN has an infinitely higher cool factor than CNN.

Imagine ESPN putting a downtown news room! Kind of like what they have in NYC.

[grock]

Just saw Brad Nitkin downtown being interviewed by Channel 3. He will talk about Front Street on the news tonight.

[grock]

Nitkin says he has a major retailers committed to Front Street, both national and local.