IN PROGRESS: Front Street @ Adriaen's Landing

[penetcostal_iglesia_faith]

That might be hard.

LOL, maybe a store that they have in LA that we don't have on the East coast. I have a Idea, what about big Boy is a fast food place that we use to have here in CT and they have allot of that in the West Edited April 7, 2007 by penetcostal_iglesia_faith

[uconn99]

LOL, maybe a store that they have in LA that we don't have on the East coast. I have a Idea, what about big Boy is a fast food place that we use to have here in CT and they have allot of that in the West

Fast food wise, In -N- Out would be great to have @ Front street. How about fatburger, Chipotle, or Peiwei.

[drc72]

I like that idea...for radio, too. Cold Pizza is based in New York City. How about Mike & Mike based in Hartford?

Cosi's which is located in West Hartford Center would be perfect for downtown. It's kind of fast food, but unique at the same time.

[beerbeer]

Chipotle is owned by McDonald's. Not my idea idea of exclusive or high quality.

[uconn99]

Chipotle is owned by McDonald's. Not my idea idea of exclusive or high quality.

Chipotle isn't high end, but it isn't something you see a lot of in the northeast. There is one in Medford Ma, and some in NYC. Same goes for fatburger or Peiwei, and In -n- Out is mainly west coast. Having one of these in Hartford would be different than the norm.

Edited April 7, 2007 by uconn99

[penetcostal_iglesia_faith]

Chipotle isn't high end, but it isn't something you see a lot of in the northeast. There is one in Medford Ma, and some in NYC. Same goes for fatburger or Peiwei, and In -n- Out is mainly west coast. Having one of these in Hartford would be different than the norm.

That would be really great for Hartford

I think front street should have store that is not commend in Connecticut even in NY, MASS, RI and NJ.

I think it would be great because front street would have good Christmas Shopping place then NYC that they don't have because some of family and friend would go to NYC to buy because is harder to find in CT so that would be great for CT and the City of Hartford to have a store that is not commend in the northeast

[Whaler0718]

(1) Chipotle is no longer owned by McDonald's and they do not franchize, which means they're consistent, and, IMO, consitently good. I would welcome them anywhere in Hartford, but I imagine they'd prefer to be downtown b/c it'd be easier to attract the lunchtime crowd.

(2) I have been advocating for Hartford to try to attract stores not elsewhere in CT, and not in most cities--though I can't imagine there's anything not in New York--such as Pink or Zara. This would unquestionablly be a huge challenge, if not down-right impossible, despite my confidence that we're a very strong market and that folks from Avon, Canton, West Hartford, etc. would come into town to shop there--not to mention the folks staying for conventions.

[Yankee.Peddler]

It's probably inevitable that Front Street will contain at least a few chain stores (whether restuarant or retail). My hope is that at least a few establishments will be independent businesses.

The rendering in HBJ (thanks again, editor) doesn't particularly excite me. However, I'm withholding my final judgement until some more detailed drawings are released.

[blackstone]

Thanks editor, much appreciated.

The street parking is probably important for the retail component. It reminds me of the diagonal parking in West Hartford center. And that seems to work pretty well. If the speed limit is low and the traffic is broken by wide crosswalks, it should keep the area lively. Cars are not the enemy.

The most important part of the project will be its quality.

cars are the enemy. the rendering shows street parking for 30 to 40 cars. this parking is irrelevant to business. having a street here will not make it a destination. cars speeding through this short street as a cut through is not going to create a retail atmosphere.. the layout is just too small for a street used by cars here. are people going to have to walk up to prospect or down to columbus to cross the street or dodge cars parking, coming, and going? or will some point in between be all mucked up with stop signs and traffic lights. there are lots of off street parking areas surrounding this location. without cars on this front street, the potential is spectacular. and if you have the hooks for people, they will come. if you don't they won't. also, somehow, columbus has to become a boulevard for people, not just cars. It would be really nice if science center people wouldn't mind walking down columbus to front street. if they have to get in their cars when leaving the science center, they are leaving town.

Edited April 9, 2007 by blackstone

[beerbeer]

Blackstone,

Cars are an important part of any urban environment. Short term street parking, say a half-an-hour max, really helps businesses. The survival of the street level businesses is vital to this development. Eliminating cars would seriously hurt the retail component.

Speeding traffic will not be an issue. This street is not a cut though to anywhere. It dead ends on both sides after two blocks. This will be a low speed, pedestrian heavy area. It is strikingly similar to LaSalle Road in West Hartford Center. There is no problem with the car/pedestrian mix there. Front Street would do well to duplicate its success.

And forget Columbus Avenue becoming a pedestrian walkway, it won't happen.

Edited April 9, 2007 by beerbeer

[heyyyitsrob]

There has to be high end retail IMO. The Hartford area is lacking high end retail, and the area has one of the highest per-capita incomes in the country. Put some stores in that you can't find in Connecticut and people will be forced to visit Hartford. Putting a Bobs store or a TJ Max isn't going to acomplish anything.

Having a few high end chain restaurants would also be nice. I know people on this board hate chains, but they are needed to draw most people. Capital Grill anyone? Legal seafood? How about a book store in front street? We all want it @ H21 but front street would probably work just as well or better.

ESPN needs to add a venue, and I think they should add a true ESPNzone not a smaller place like first thought. ESPN calls Connecticut home and there needs to be some sort of connection with downtown. Imagine them putting a ESPn zone with a studio for smaller shows! Wow, that would be amazing.

I work part-time in retail at Buckland Hills mall for a clothing company that caters more to the professional image. I can't tell you how many men and women have come into the store sporting a purse or satchel or wallet from Louis Vuitton. Out of curiousity, I usually compliment them on their LV and ask where they got it. Usually they respond with NYC, or Boston. LV seems like a viable option for downtown at Front Street for higher-end retail.... if a LV can survive in the Copley Sq mall in Boston, an LV could surely survive here There's certainly the demand.

Edited April 9, 2007 by heyyyitsrob

[Yankee.Peddler]

I work part-time in retail at Buckland Hills mall for a clothing company that caters more to the professional image. I can't tell you how many men and women have come into the store sporting a purse or satchel or wallet from Louis Vuitton. Out of curiousity, I usually compliment them on their LV and ask where they got it. Usually they respond with NYC, or Boston. LV seems like a viable option for downtown at Front Street for higher-end retail.... if a LV can survive in the Copley Sq mall in Boston, an LV could surely survive here There's certainly the demand.

I'd be careful to make the comparison that just because a store survives in a place like the Copley Square Mall, it could survive in Hartford...

Edited April 9, 2007 by Yankee.Peddler

[blackstone]

Blackstone,

Cars are an important part of any urban environment. Short term street parking, say a half-an-hour max, really helps businesses. The survival of the street level businesses is vital to this development. Eliminating cars would seriously hurt the retail component.

Speeding traffic will not be an issue. This street is not a cut though to anywhere. It dead ends on both sides after two blocks. This will be a low speed, pedestrian heavy area. It is strikingly similar to LaSalle Road in West Hartford Center. There is no problem with the car/pedestrian mix there. Front Street would do well to duplicate its success.

And forget Columbus Avenue becoming a pedestrian walkway, it won't happen.

if you are right about columbus not being more for pedestrians than what it is now, its a real lost opportunity for everyone involved with adriaen's landing. from builders to visitors. maybe i just don't understand the types of business that are going to be on front street. i see the area as the most densely populated on any day of the week in hartford because of the atheneum, science center, convention center, office towers, and housing. and yet 40 cars parking and leaving are important. is this place going to have convenience stores, drug chains, and takeout? and forget west hartford already. think bigger than that. there is no reason, other than to eat, to visit west hartford. think city.

[heyyyitsrob]

I'd be careful to make the comparison that just because a store survives in a place like the Copley Square Mall, it could survive in Hartford...

You absolutely have a point - Boston does enjoy a far greater concentration of pedestrian traffic and Copley/Pru are more or less established "destinations" for shopping for people touring the Backbay area or want to go eat in a food court setting, etc. Hartford clearly lacks the pedstrian traffic, but I think that the presence of higher-end retail may be a draw. It's a risk on the retail companies' end for sure, but I think the point has been discussed at length in this forum that if the high end retail comes in, so will the clientele.

I know it's a stretch, but I think the success of commercial outlets like Clinton Crossings could be a sort of inspiration. The presence of a Barney's, a Saks outlet, a Kenneth Cole, and a Calvin Klein at the CC outlets is probably a draw to people who would otherwise trek to NYC or Boston for their higher-dollar shopping experience...or Westport for that matter.

A Tiffany's in Hartford would be cool.

I really wish H.B. Nitkin had information about Front St. on its website. I wonder what kind of work (if any) they are doing to market the property to retailers....and what the city might be doing on the marketing front as well.

[redbaron]

I'd be careful to make the comparison that just because a store survives in a place like the Copley Square Mall, it could survive in Hartford...

I think it could survive in Hartford, the only problem is Blue Back, they seem to be getting the higher end chains...

[Theophrastus Bombastus]

Something tells me it was a mistake to make the Convention Center DIAGONAL to Columbus Blvd., leaving a big triangular parking lot of nothingness butting up to Front St (it's not even that many spaces and the garage is huge, I'm sure they wouldn't miss the lost parking). If they could fill that in with retail or whatever, and get something on street level where the Phoenix and Travelers buildings are, then you'd have a nice uninterrupted pedestrain space on Columbus from the Founders to Arch St.

[grock]

The Convention Center was built that way to allow for expansion of the hall.

Metro Hartford is a well to do region with expendable money. High end stores could do well downtown.

[HartfordTycoon]

Something tells me it was a mistake to make the Convention Center DIAGONAL to Columbus Blvd., leaving a big triangular parking lot of nothingness butting up to Front St (it's not even that many spaces and the garage is huge, I'm sure they wouldn't miss the lost parking). If they could fill that in with retail or whatever, and get something on street level where the Phoenix and Travelers buildings are, then you'd have a nice uninterrupted pedestrain space on Columbus from the Founders to Arch St.

That front lot was actually kept that way to accomodate any future expansion of the Convention Center. Who knows if we'll ever need that, but the point is that it was kept open for future construction at Adriaens Landing, so there is still hope and the vision that the land could be developed.

[Theophrastus Bombastus]

How IS the Convention Center (and Marriott) doing anyway? Are they better than / worse than forecasted activity? Sometimes it looks hopping, other times not so much. What is the vacancy rate of the hotel?

[uconn99]

Kierland Commons in Scottsdale has street parking and it is located off Scottsdale Road which is a major road and busier than any road in metro Hartford. Look how nice it came out. If front street could do the same thing but with more residential and taller buildings (most in Kierland are 3-4 floors) it would be awesome.

[HartfordTycoon]

How IS the Convention Center (and Marriott) doing anyway? Are they better than / worse than forecasted activity? Sometimes it looks hopping, other times not so much. What is the vacancy rate of the hotel?

They are both exceeding expectations, a very good prospect for the Science Center and Front Street if you ask me.

[drc72]

I'd be careful to make the comparison that just because a store survives in a place like the Copley Square Mall, it could survive in Hartford...

I concur here.... There's got to be a good market for it here in Hartford, although I believe the chances of it doing good downtown are excellent.

Edited April 9, 2007 by drc72

[penetcostal_iglesia_faith]

Did Hartford use to be a best place to shop in CT, if so, then so be it because that is great stuff!!

[Luca Brasi]

Something tells me it was a mistake to make the Convention Center DIAGONAL to Columbus Blvd., leaving a big triangular parking lot of nothingness butting up to Front St (it's not even that many spaces and the garage is huge, I'm sure they wouldn't miss the lost parking). If they could fill that in with retail or whatever, and get something on street level where the Phoenix and Travelers buildings are, then you'd have a nice uninterrupted pedestrain space on Columbus from the Founders to Arch St.

I agree wholeheartedly. After all we've learned about what Hartford has done wrong in developing downtown over the years, what do we do? Put a huge surface parking right smack in the middle of this important development. Its maddening. The story given by developers is that this was room left for expansion. I'm sure we'll see this when the Marriot is also completed and the second wing is added. I'm not holding my breath for either. What would be ideal is to build a street that would cut right infront of the CC creating a triagular lot fronting Columbus. A mixed use (office space/boutique hotel/residential) flatiron shaped building with retail at the bottom floor could go here giving Front St some continuity to the CC and the Science Center.

[Theophrastus Bombastus]

I agree wholeheartedly. After all we've learned about what Hartford has done wrong in developing downtown over the years, what do we do? Put a huge surface parking right smack in the middle of this important development. Its maddening. The story given by developers is that this was room left for expansion. I'm sure we'll see this when the Marriot is also completed and the second wing is added. I'm not holding my breath for either. What would be ideal is to build a street that would cut right infront of the CC creating a triagular lot fronting Columbus. A mixed use (office space/boutique hotel/residential) flatiron shaped building with retail at the bottom floor could go here giving Front St some continuity to the CC and the Science Center.

Good idea - plus, if they wanted to leave room to expand, they should have lined it up to Columbus, then put the empty triangle between the building and 91.

Edited April 10, 2007 by Theophrastus Bombastus