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IN PROGRESS: Front Street @ Adriaen's Landing


Cotuit

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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!

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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

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

http://www.realhartford.org/2010/09/28/developing-connective-tissue-in-downtown/#more-5149

Front Street Mall District, which was supposed 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

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http://www.realhartford.org/2010/09/28/developing-connective-tissue-in-downtown/#more-5149

Front Street Mall District, which was supposed 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.

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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.

its gotta be resturant related.

there is almost no chance of retail since its the last thing to move into an area, and hartford has a long damn way to go before it can support any real retail (at least as far as outsiders are concerned)

Heck if there were 1 resturaunt and 1 bar, that would be enough of a start.

it would look like its at least the "begining" of something for conventioners

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its gotta be resturant related.

there is almost no chance of retail since its the last thing to move into an area, and hartford has a long damn way to go before it can support any real retail (at least as far as outsiders are concerned)

Heck if there were 1 resturaunt and 1 bar, that would be enough of a start.

it would look like its at least the "begining" of something for conventioners

It doesn't need much for it to be a decent start and beat the heck outta an empty hole in the ground. Get an Irish pub, an Italian restaurant, and an upscale lounge and you have the beginning of a convention center entertainment district. This is Hartford. It doesn't take a heck of a lot to make an impact.

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It doesn't need much for it to be a decent start and beat the heck outta an empty hole in the ground. Get an Irish pub, an Italian restaurant, and an upscale lounge and you have the beginning of a convention center entertainment district. This is Hartford. It doesn't take a heck of a lot to make an impact.

I imagine a TGIF to be honest.

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I imagine a TGIF to be honest.

TGIF would be a good addition Downtown. It's not gourmet but it's a recognizable chain that people are familiar with. If it has to be one of these chains I'd take TGIF over say an Applebees anyday but even if it's Applebees it's better than nothing. We have excellent non chain restaurants downtown already so I'm of the mind that what we really need are mid priced chains.

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Unfortunately I think a lot of things are working against this project. Personally I think it was a huge mistake not including apartments in this development. I liked the original plan in which the retail was below 3 floors of walk-up apartments. Just having the residential brings SOME activity for when conventions are not happening. I also think most of the conventions booked are daytime type meetings with no overnight stay which sevely limits how successful a restaurant or bar can be. And lastly... which isn't brought up here often enough and I think the biggest deterent... Hartford is without a doubt the worst place to open a small business in the area. Property taxes, high real estate taxes, a hostile city government, etc. make Hartford a very unattractive place to take a risk. The reality is there are competing areas outside Hartford that are much less risky and much more attractive to bet your life savings on.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I thought tenant announcements were "imminent"..... what the sh*t?

In these situations, are ALL tenants usually announced at once, or just one-by-one?

I can't really think of much to go in here.... maybe a City Fish restaurant, a Pepe's Pizza (although there's already one in Manchester) a Max for the convention crowd (which may be the ONLY clientele other than the Travelers lunch crowd), a UConn/sports bar, an[other] Irish pub,,,,, that's about it.

How about a Foxwoods/Mohegan satellite casino? I would love to see what the approval process for THAT would be.

I agree, no apartments/condos is a killer.

Edited by Theophrastus Bombastus
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  • 3 weeks later...

This is major!!! Super major really. If this pans out it will be one of the most significant new businesses opening in Downtown for a long time and will be a great boost to the whole Front Street area! Please let this happen!

Hartford Courant

It's not official yet but word on the street is there will be a new movie theater in part of the 65,000-square-foot Front Street complex in downtown Hartford .

While there is no official press release yet, the first tenant for the revitalized Front Street building is being billed as "a dining and entertainment experience" with a due date of summer, 2011.

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Where the eff is a movie theater going to go? Maybe the Times building???

Don't know how accurate this is but according to HBJ the theater would be taking up almost the whole phase 1. Not sure I believe that but I think it will certainly take up a good chunk of it. That actually may be a good thing though if they can fill the whole thing with 1 or 2 major tenants and then only a 1 or 2 smaller ones. It'll be filled and maybe the financing can fall into place for phase 2.

Hartford Business Journal

Developers of the much anticipated Front Street project have signed their first official tenant, a dinner/movie theatre that will occupy about 65,000 square feet, people familiar with the matter confirmed to the Hartford Business Journal.

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These buffoons will still find a way to screw this up. While actually getting a tenant is a positive, I'm not sure a movie theater with food and beer is going to work. It might work in an area where PEOPLE ACTUALLY LIVE, which isn't here. Every time I think of this development I get enraged. I'm not seeing the problem with building the whole thing at once. Two towers of residential with retail below. Give incentives to have some cornerstone retail that would be true destinations: an ESPNZone type thing, Dave and Busters, Medieval Times, and one other (Coyote Ugly? Toads North? a world class nightclub?). C'mon, figure this stuff out guys...

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These buffoons will still find a way to screw this up. While actually getting a tenant is a positive, I'm not sure a movie theater with food and beer is going to work. It might work in an area where PEOPLE ACTUALLY LIVE, which isn't here. Every time I think of this development I get enraged. I'm not seeing the problem with building the whole thing at once. Two towers of residential with retail below. Give incentives to have some cornerstone retail that would be true destinations: an ESPNZone type thing, Dave and Busters, Medieval Times, and one other (Coyote Ugly? Toads North? a world class nightclub?). C'mon, figure this stuff out guys...

Something will have to be a destination type of establishment. I guess the movie theater could be one if the experience is very different than at the other theaters currently in the area but I agree they need a Dave and Buster's type of establishment that will be a definitely draw for the younger people in the suburbs. That will definitely help get people to the vicinity and maybe stay for a movie or whatever. I'm sure the theater will do brisk business when national conventions come through though and hopefully the relative handful of Downtown residents will frequent it.

I am assuming that the theater will be in the mold of this company with a few theaters out west. Looks promising to me. At least it would be unique to the area.

Gold Class Cinemas

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I have to say this is very promising...

Its something unique to the Hartford area and its something designed to draw in people with disposable income. Not so sure I like the idea of the theater taking up practically the entire Phase 1 (diversity is needed), but this is a great anchor tenant to have. This type of venue will draw people all week and hopefully make it easier for other tenants to now commit.

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ok, so this lease is great, but to clear a few things up

the lease is about 1/3 the space, and if ya look at the space for lease, it is likely going to tie up 3-4 of the planned 8 units. and i am guessing, based on square footage that its the entire building that is attached to travelers

they mention in another article 2 more far along tenants.one will be a bar, because that area can support a bar or 2 more.

also i hope there are no clothing stores or a book store. this is supposed to be an entertainment district.

i want retail in the core of downtown.

i will go to the movies here for sure.

A movie theater and more housing? Cool!

http://dennishouse.w...g-first-tenant/

cant wait to hear about the housing. i wonder where? it ays not far from frnt street. that could be anywhere downtown

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This really is great news. It is in fact a chain called Cinema Grill and judging by their website at least one other location seems to be near the Indianapolis Convention Center based on a link provided for Indianapolis Convention Center Hotels. This really will make it much more appealing for convention and business travelers to stay at the Hartford Marriott. This is clearly a win for Hartford.

Cinema Grill

Hartford Courant

A movie theater chain with a pub-style restaurant menu will open at the Front Street complex in downtown Hartford by the middle of next year, leasing nearly a third of the entertainment and dining district near the convention center.

Cinema Grill, which has locations in the Midwest and Southeast, has signed a lease for 22,500 square feet at Front Street and will become the complex's first tenant, Gov. M. Jodi Rell announced Tuesday.

The theater will be multi-screen with pub-style food and a full-service bar. It will run a range of films, from mainstream to independent and foreign films.

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I found it interesting that in the courant article I just read that the two other potential tenants would both be concidered major/lead tenants here is the quote

"The deal with the theater could help boost further leasing. City officials confirmed Monday that Nitkin was negotiating with two potential tenants, both of whom would be considered major, lead tenants."

I am not sure what this means, but its gotta be a good sign right? I would assume that major lead meand bigger space rentals

this hopefully will fill most of the space leaving just a couple small places for bars or smaller footprint food places (think Vaughns or subway or whatever)

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I found it interesting that in the courant article I just read that the two other potential tenants would both be concidered major/lead tenants here is the quote

"The deal with the theater could help boost further leasing. City officials confirmed Monday that Nitkin was negotiating with two potential tenants, both of whom would be considered major, lead tenants."

I am not sure what this means, but its gotta be a good sign right? I would assume that major lead meand bigger space rentals

this hopefully will fill most of the space leaving just a couple small places for bars or smaller footprint food places (think Vaughns or subway or whatever)

It has to be good news. I think that Front Street has kind of turned the corner from nightmare to possible dream. Depending on what the 2nd and 3rd tenants are it could be a very encouraging sign of really getting this Convention Center/Entertainment District off the ground. The things that are there now are all extremely high quality. The Science Center, The Convention Center, The Marriott, The Wadsworth. I'm sure that the Cinema Grill will be a high quality venture as well so I'm feeling pretty good about Front Street at the moment and the prospects for Phase 2 actually happening. I want to see Malloy get hands on with this and work with Segarra to really get this stuff moving full speed ahead.

Also, did you see Dennis House's blog where he mentioned lowering a portion of I 91 and creating a contiguous zone for development from Adriaen's Landing to Coltsville? That would truly be epic. A national park a short walk away from our Convention Center? It could happen.

There is a possibility that Adriaen’s Landing could expand eastward. On Face the State last year, Congressman John Larson said if Coltsville becomes a National Park (and he thinks it will) he will propose legislation lowering the stretch of Interstate 91 from the Colt Armory all the way to Interstate 91. That would free up acres of land for development east of the Convention Center, Science Center and Marriott.

frontstreettocoltsville.jpg

I wonder if the large parking area at the corner of Charter Oak Ave. and Taylor Street where the the possible new housing near Adriaen's Landing would be going???

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"Also, did you see Dennis House's blog where he mentioned lowering a portion of I 91 and creating a contiguous zone for development from Adriaen's Landing to Coltsville? That would truly be epic. A national park a short walk away from our Convention Center? It could happen.

There is a possibility that Adriaen’s Landing could expand eastward. On Face the State last year, Congressman John Larson said if Coltsville becomes a National Park (and he thinks it will) he will propose legislation lowering the stretch of Interstate 91 from the Colt Armory all the way to Interstate 91. That would free up acres of land for development east of the Convention Center, Science Center and Marriott. "

Do they mean lowering the highway to street level? How would that free up land? They don't mean underground, do they? The Park River makes that impossible. Do they mean more platforms over the highway? Not sure I understand this...

Edited by Luca Brasi
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