IN PROGRESS: Front Street @ Adriaen's Landing

[The Voice of Reason]

its funny, I was out there yesterday, of course without my camera!

but this view right here is actually pretty damn nice.

sure this project stinks, but look at the background here.

some day, hopefully, there will be some more height here in phase II or whatever, and please let there be more people in this city in any development.

but thats a damn nice view.

walk another block N and you have loading docks galore!

[Theophrastus Bombastus]

I can't afford it ($150), but if someone can it looks like this will be when we find out what goes in here.Big Mo Invite for Email.pdf

Riverfront Recapture’s annual fundraising event The Big Mo’ is right around the corner and we hope that you’ll be there! Big Mo’ is known as the best casual party of the year. And 2010 will be no exception.

On May 15th, be the first to get a special preview of the new Front Street District that will feature exciting restaurant and entertainment venues, just a short walk to the newly-recaptured Riverfront.

Edited April 28, 2010 by Theophrastus Bombastus

[grock]

Just read on dennis house's blog on wfsb.com about possible tenants at Front Street, but nothing

[The Voice of Reason]

I took a bunch of pix the other day but I am having some computer issues and well am being lazy about fixing them.<BR><BR>buuuut,&nbsp;&nbsp;just found out my boss is helping us worker bees atend the big MO.&nbsp;&nbsp;I have plans this that weekend, but might end up going if the plans change.<BR><BR>could be an interesting thing <BR><BR><BR>Also, regarding tenants, the construction workers say there is an Irish pub for sure.&nbsp; <BR><BR>House mentioned a West hartford restaurateur has plans.&nbsp; I am guessing this to be the Grants guy.&nbsp; He just opened a place in Glastonbury, so putting something in the middle between Glastonbury and West hartford seems to make sense.&nbsp; Who knows.<BR><BR>also a venue like Toads place, and ESPN is mentioned again.<BR><BR>If we get those 4(a huge long shot in my eyes!) having 4 of the 8 locations filled would be damn amazing.<BR>I think it would also then be a catalyst to fill the rest.&nbsp; <BR><BR>if a few bars open up in front street, it would really quickly become an entertainment district as planned.&nbsp; if you think about the proximity of the Mariott, and its establishments (Crush, Vivo) and then Arch Street tavern next door, and the as yet unnamed club next to arch Street.&nbsp; there are allreadly 4 places in the area.&nbsp; if right in the middle of them we add a couple bars and maybe a music venue this area would be pretty dense for hartford in terms of entertainment options.&nbsp; The only place more dense would be the Pratt, Main, Asylum area with all its options.&nbsp; <BR><BR>its design is very suburbanite friendly too, so now I am hoping it draws more people downtown to socialize, and gets more people comfortable with the idea of downtown being safe<BR><BR>

Edited May 5, 2010 by The Voice of Reason

[Theophrastus Bombastus]

Uh-Oh..............

http://www.courant.com/business/hc-hc-front-street-0514.art0may14,0,308359.story

http://www.courant.com/business/hc-front-street-pictures,0,1781381.photogallery

I love how ESPN has been 'actively talking' for 11 YEARS now. If they do it, they should set up a shuttle to take tours of their studios in Bristol.

Edited May 14, 2010 by Theophrastus Bombastus

[drc72]

Uh-Oh..............

http://www.courant.com/business/hc-hc-front-street-0514.art0may14,0,308359.story

http://www.courant.com/business/hc-front-street-pictures,0,1781381.photogallery

I love how ESPN has been 'actively talking' for 11 YEARS now. If they do it, they should set up a shuttle to take tours of their studios in Bristol.

Your links don't work............

[The Voice of Reason]

Your links don't work............

in the Courant business section. pretty easy to find.

I am off to the Big MO

doubt there is anything to report, but I will be inside this complex and stuff.

cheers!

[HartfordTycoon]

Progress is always painfully slow in Hartford and there are always so many naysayers that small and large business owners are still going to feel like pioneers just for setting up shop in the fairly active center of a major metro area. It's crazy but there is seriously something wrong with the psyche of this area. I have faith that something will come of this. It's not ideal but I feel lucky to not have a hole in the ground welcoming our visitors any longer. That really looked bad. I think that whatever businesses open here have a good chance of success as long as they are quality establishments that serve a niche that Downtown needs. There definitely needs to be some sort of night club establishment in the mix probably a couple for good measure and a couple of high end restaurants and then some more casual ones on the level of The Counter or Johny Rockets that would be more family friendly. I think a Dave and Busters would work great here. I really want it to work and prove the naysayers wrong and spur a robust phase two with ample housing when the economy has picked up.

[MadVlad]

Dave and busters is the exact business that I foresee doing well here. That being said, I'd imagine we'll see snow on the Fourth of July before we see something like that ...

[Theophrastus Bombastus]

Slow or Non-existent? This frustrates me to no end

http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/news13202.html

Front Street Leasing ‘Slow’ As Completion Date Nears

[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]

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

[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

[email protected]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.