IN PROGRESS: Front Street @ Adriaen's Landing

[zimbu1228]

this lowering I-91 stuff is 20 years down the road considering the re-building of the I-84 viaduct is 15 years out. I just want McFaddens Pub, Jerry Remy's sports bar and Legal Seafood in the next 30% leasing of front street, then maybe howl at the moon, coyote ugly, and couple of local places to round out phase one and then the residential tower and cool use of times buildingh for phase 2

[MadVlad]

That whole area between Adriaen's Landing and Coltsville is really poorly planned. I drive through there every single day imagining what i could do with the CL&P parking lot , the Candy Cane Bdg parking lot, and other areas. I REALLY hate surface parkign with a passion, this new Mayor needs to get his ass in gear and change some tax codes or something...

[Bill Mocarsky]

"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...

The multi-tier interchange for the highway stub (known as the Whitehead Highway) is responsible for the roller coaster profile of I-91 in the Adriaen's Landing/Coltsville area. At one time, it was intended to be part of the I-91/84 interchange.

[beerbeer]

The multi-tier interchange for the highway stub (known as the Whitehead Highway) is responsible for the roller coaster profile of I-91 in the Adriaen's Landing/Coltsville area. At one time, it was intended to be part of the I-91/84 interchange.

Yep, that plan had I-84 going through the middle of Bushnell Park. The DOT is the true enemy of the people.

[grock]

The apartments Dennis was talking about are not in Adrian's Landing

http://dennishouse.wordpress.com/2010/11/11/apartments-coming-to-constitution-plaza/

[HartfordTycoon]

The apartments Dennis was talking about are not in Adrian's Landing

http://dennishouse.wordpress.com/2010/11/11/apartments-coming-to-constitution-plaza/

Wow, I wonder how much restoration it will take to bring that building back. I guess it must be possible if they were able to convert other long vacant buildings like the Hollander Foundation Center and Lofts at Main and Temple. Would be thrilled to see this really happen.

[MadVlad]

Apartments anywhere are a bonus...

[The Voice of Reason]

word

[beerbeer]

Apartments on CP would be a tremendous lift for downtown.

[The Voice of Reason]

i am very curious as to how this would pan out.

an interested developer does not mean much of the owner of the building is not interested.

but it seems as though the city will be assisting in this likely by acquiring the building or some such move.

if I recall it is a 205k sf building. at 12 floors. and 17000SF per floor

I bet they would try and cram a bunch of apartments in that footprint all with small, no, TINY kitchens, and on average be smaller than other apartments in the city. maybe as much as 200 total apartments seems possible. Heck, this could be one of the largest apartment buildings in the city with numbers like that.

Im gonna go and try and fins another thread we had on this subject

[MadVlad]

I'm sure a ton of people would be more than happy to move into small apartments downtown so long as they are affordable and not killing you in the wallet...

[HartfordTycoon]

I suppose this would have to go in the good news category since we all probably assumed that ESPN was not coming to Front Street. I assumed that they would not help at all but at least they are making a financial contribution.

CTNow.com

Sports media giant ESPN will announce today that it will donate $5 million to help attract tenants to downtown Hartford's Front Street entertainment and dining district, but the Bristol-based company will not open a venue there.

While not having ESPN as a big-name tenant is a disappointment, the contribution will provide a major boost for the district near the convention center, helping to attract tenants by providing subsidies for building out spaces and reducing rents.

[HartfordHope]

Definately good news. I know I had given up completely on the idea of ever seeing ESPN there so having some of their money is awesome.

[MadVlad]

So they are giving money but not content?

[Theophrastus Bombastus]

Front St. seems like the culmination of this really fascinating history of how Hartford got to where it is now:

http://books.google.com/books?id=e4I2fveWvw4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+progressive+city:+planning+and+participation,+1969-1984&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false

Start on Page 19, it shows how the Civic Center was located, the royal f-up of Constitution Plaza, etc.

[MichaelQReilly]

Hopefully this money can be a small down payment on the residential in phase 2.

[The Voice of Reason]

Hopefully this money can be a small down payment on the residential in phase 2.

I agree, but the paper said it will be used to entice tenants through defraying the costs to build out the spaces, or for rent reductions.

it kind of bothers me that ESPN was guilted into donating 5 million to a state developed project that had insane subsidy, but never delivered on what the subsidies asked for, and yet its getting even more help from the provate industry.

IF this project was built as it was supposed to with 150 or more residential units, and all in one phase, I would be ok with someone trying to support it lik this, but what happened was a strip mall was built in a city and its incredibly subsidized and is now apparently being additionally subsidized through guilt to a past potential tenant 11 years after they commited to an entirely differnt project.

I hope the nitkin group builds a crap load of residential and proves my wrong, but I feel like they have a honey hole of a strip mall here and it cost them only 10 million out of pocket

[HartfordTycoon]

Hey, I'm for whatever can help move this thing along. We have 1 announced tenant so that's good and now we can reduce rent or help pay for build outs or both to get more tenants. Having an occupied phase one is what is going to dictate what happens with phase two so all I'm hoping for is to see some activity over there soon. On the bright side I honestly think that the phase two residential would probably be at a higher quality coming into an already established entertainment/retail development then it would have been had it all been built at once. If they can make phase one work then phase two shouldn't be hard to make happen.

[The Voice of Reason]

Hey, I'm for whatever can help move this thing along. We have 1 announced tenant so that's good and now we can reduce rent or help pay for build outs or both to get more tenants. Having an occupied phase one is what is going to dictate what happens with phase two so all I'm hoping for is to see some activity over there soon. On the bright side I honestly think that the phase two residential would probably be at a higher quality coming into an already established entertainment/retail development then it would have been had it all been built at once. If they can make phase one work then phase two shouldn't be hard to make happen.

there is no guarantee that the success of one would create quality in the other.

they can go cheap and take all they can for phase 1 then get help making it work then do the minimum to get all the subsidy they can for phase 2. and again take anyu assistance offered.

i dunno i just keep imagining what it COULD have been.

[HartfordTycoon]

there is no guarantee that the success of one would create quality in the other.

they can go cheap and take all they can for phase 1 then get help making it work then do the minimum to get all the subsidy they can for phase 2. and again take anyu assistance offered.

i dunno i just keep imagining what it COULD have been.

I guess my question is what could it have been? It was looking like it wasn't going to be anything but a hole in the ground. There is a reason that this took 4 developers before someone could deliver ANYTHING. They had to scrape together financing for what we have so I find it hard to believe that there was any money to build the project the way we would have wanted to see it any time soon. At least now there is something to build on that if it goes well could bode well for the future. I think as a retail component phase 1 is pretty high quality. I obviously wish it was some BBS type development but the financing simply wasn't there for that.

[Theophrastus Bombastus]

Any word from this new theater company? Not for nothing but their website is pretty dippy, and only lists the one location (not Hartford).

[HartfordTycoon]

Any word from this new theater company? Not for nothing but their website is pretty dippy, and only lists the one location (not Hartford).

I haven't seen anything but from what I've seen online searching about them they have a bunch of different websites for the different locations so it seems to be more of a independent operator/franchise type of thing with some of the sites and establishments seeming better than other ones.

[beerbeer]

We've seen this movie before.

http://www.courant.com/business/hc-front-street-movie-theater-0325-20110325,0,7006554.story

[HartfordTycoon]

I'm still optimistic about this. This seems like possibly a franchisee switching affiliation or something. Either way, I still think this is going to happen.

Alerion LLC Press Rlease

Spotlight Theatres Press Release

[Theophrastus Bombastus]

Jeez, anyone who can still remain optimistic about this project is a better theophrastus than I.