Prime Real Estate

[MadVlad]

... I realized there are plenty of prime places to build things that no one really talks about. Most of Flower St. (backside of the Hartford Courant) is all parking lots, it would have been a great spot for ING to purchase, build and move to (very close to Aetna and ING). No one speaks of those ugly lots along Capitol Ave where all the residential has been rumored to be going for the last 8 years. How about Allyn St. across, next to, and diagonal from NV and the Brickyard. What about the corner of Ayslum and Ford St?!? That is prime, right on the park, who owns that goldmine? North Ann St is almost vacant, there could be some great things put there to suplement the City buildings that are rumored to be going there. How about Myrtle, Spring and Spruce, right near the Federal Cafe and next to the I-84 eye-sore? I think the mayor just needs to make a list, do what he needs to do to get these spots in the right hands, and get the ball rolling....

[Bill Mocarsky]

In downtown Hartford, I would think the lots that create the most visual holes are:

Main and Asylum

You would think this would be the most valuable lot in the city. The lack of development here is as obvious as a missing tooth. I would like to see a substantial filler building here.............something that fills out the site............and between State House Square and Bank of America in height. Like Renaissance(sp?) Place. I would love for it to be a hotel so that the Old State House is not completely surrounded by office buildings.

Pearl, Ford, Asylum

On downtown Hartford's primary east west commercial street and abutting the park. I think of this as being Hartford's version of where 5th Avenue meets Central Park South.

lot 12B

Looking up Main Street from the Old State House gives the impression that civilization ends just a few blocks away.

The blocks west of the train station would probably be much more appealing if I-84 could be surmounted. I think we have a different situation here than "north of 84". Asylum Hill already has a business district and many other assets that just need to be hooked up with downtown. Spanning 84 to the north doesn't really connect to anything but vacant lots waiting for downtown to spill over.

How about rienforcing the residential units around Pulaski Circle?

[MadVlad]

How about rienforcing the residential units around Pulaski Circle?

Glad you brought this up, that's another plot area that I forgot, the lots on the south side of Pulaski Circle. It boggles that that is empty. Also, the spot on Washington St where they knocked down that 15 or-so story building a few years ago. That would be an awesome place to make a nice condo tower (15-20 stories anyone?). The Pulaski Circle spot would be a great place to live.

[Luca Brasi]

Back in the late eighties, early nineties, a twin tower condo complex was planned for those lots called Linden Arms or something like that. The leasing office they built on the corner of West and Elm is still there (and empty ever since this project was abandoned).

[GregV]

Funny MadVlad, I was in Windsor last week visiting my family and took similar trips through Hartford. On the way back from a tour of the Mark Twain House and its new museum (which is excellent if anyone hasn't been) I passed through the insurance companies of Asylum Hill and was amazed at how many parking lots there are, even behind the Cathedral!

Everywhere I went, downtown, Parkville, the West End, or any other decent neighborhood I passed through, there are lots that appear to be prime real estate just sitting there. And don't get me started on that Allyn St. parking lot...it looks like the rest of downtown is a wall of skyscrapers built to conceal this huge parcel righ in its center. Pardon my French, but WTF is wrong with that site? That should be a mixed-use high rise NOW, not tomorrow. If I only had the money...

[beerbeer]

If that site on Allyn was big enough it would be a the perfect place for the new arena. It just isn't large enough.

[Bill Mocarsky]

If that site on Allyn was big enough it would be a the perfect place for the new arena. It just isn't large enough.

The problem I have about that site for an arena is that it would be moving the "clog" one block to the west.

[MadVlad]

Another road I've been eyeballing is Windsor St. Go past Rensellaer, and there's a lot of free space. Some of it is right next to the tracks, but lets be honest, there is residential built next to rail tracks all the time....

[DECDGUY]

... I realized there are plenty of prime places to build things that no one really talks about. Most of Flower St. (backside of the Hartford Courant) is all parking lots, it would have been a great spot for ING to purchase, build and move to (very close to Aetna and ING). No one speaks of those ugly lots along Capitol Ave where all the residential has been rumored to be going for the last 8 years. How about Allyn St. across, next to, and diagonal from NV and the Brickyard. What about the corner of Ayslum and Ford St?!? That is prime, right on the park, who owns that goldmine? North Ann St is almost vacant, there could be some great things put there to suplement the City buildings that are rumored to be going there. How about Myrtle, Spring and Spruce, right near the Federal Cafe and next to the I-84 eye-sore? I think the mayor just needs to make a list, do what he needs to do to get these spots in the right hands, and get the ball rolling....

The Mayor does have a list. Many of the sites you mention, and similar ones, are part of the Redevelopment Agency's list of available properties. The problem with urban property is finding someone who won't mind entering into the nightmarish byzantine world of developing something in a poor and mismanaged city. There is always the business of "brown field" remediation to deal with, and if you are building workspace, the fact that prospective tenants find, cheaper safer oprions five minutes away. There is also the matter of available skilled workforce. Businesses do not make their location decisions out a sentimental desire to reinvigorate dead cities. They make what they hope will be profitable decisions, and those decisions generally preclude development or risky sites such as the ones you mention. Please keep in mind that all of this can change rapidly if the tiny bit of progress that has happened in Hartford's downtown catches fire or snowballs. An interesting aside: get a hold of the redev agency's list of available residential properties. there are some really great buys to be had for any one willing to gamble on Hartford's future.