Hartford's Future.... NOW!

[MadVlad]

Admittedly, these are all personal favorites of mine, and, well, since it's my poll, you have no choice but to play along. The boards have been a little dead lately, so I figured I'd spice it up MadVlad-style. I had originally made "MadVlad to STFU" but I removed it since I know no one would have checked that one anyways....

[MadVlad]

My choices, in order:

An Arena with the Whalers back

Annexation of surrounding towns

Constitution College

Bradley to add International flights and market skiing and gambling

Bill M. to become dictator

Monorail!!!

Space Needle type tower

Casino

Uncover the Park River

[Captain59]

I like them all! Of course, the arena for the Whalers was my chouce. The monorail would be cool. I remember Dodd saying it was pretty much a done deal, linking Downtown to the Meadows Music Theater. A casino Downtown would be great as well. If that fat lard Weicker had done it, can you imagine what Hartford would be like now? I also like the idea of uncovering the Park River. I hate to say it, but we should follow Providence's lead on that one.

[HartfordTycoon]

Looks like we all want that Arena. I say lets go for it!! C'mon Northland, Eddie, Jodi. It's new Arena time.

[Bill Mocarsky]

If I voted for Bill M, we would get most of the other things listed.

But I can't vote for myself.

I voted for annexation. I thought with annexation, there may be a better chance of achieving the rest of the things on the list.

[HartfordTycoon]

If I voted for Bill M, we would get most of the other things listed.

But I can't vote for myself.

I voted for annexation. I thought with annexation, there may be a better chance of achieving the rest of the things on the list.

I would have voted for it, but we all know it's not going to happen so I voted on what I though actually had a chance. I have been wanting to annex East and West Hartford for my entire life.

[GregV]

I'd honestly rather not see a monorail or space needle, and I certainly don't think Hartford should (or could) encourage casino gambling. For me residential development is always #1, but from this list I liked the arena, followed by uncovering the park river and voting for Bill.

[MadVlad]

Bill, notice that on my personal list, you are actually in the top 5....

[HockeyStud2004]

I would have to order them:

Monorail

Annexation of surrounding towns

Casino

Bradley to add International flights and market skiing and gambling

An arena with the whalers back

[MadVlad]

Looks like Hartford really wants that Arena with the Whalers back....

[catdr]

My choices, in order:

1. Monorail

2. Tower

3. Uncover river

4. Constitution college

5. Other

[havok100]

1.Bring crime down

2. Commuter Rail line connecting New Haven to Hartford to Springfield, with BDL connection.

3. Bike lanes throughout the city and connecting suburbs.

[MadVlad]

And the Whalers are handily winning...

[drc72]

My first choice annexing surrounding towns. West Hartford would be a great start. My second choice and you know it BRING THE WHALE BACK!, third a Space needle tower would look really nice downtown, and the fourth would be getting international flights out of Bradley.

[Captain59]

After the arena is built, we need the monorail and to uncover the Park River. Somehow, I think all three could be tied in somehow!

[runawayjim]

bradley needs international flights... after all, it is considered an international airport (or at least was). market the gambling and the size of the casinos (aren't they the biggest and second biggest in the world?). but skiing in CT isn't really marketable to people who would be flying in... it's just not worth flying to CT unless you fly to bradley to drive north on 91 to VT or NH.

[MadVlad]

You don't market skiing IN Connecticut, you market it as the closest airport to VT skiing.

[uconn99]

Bradley does have International flights, to Montreal and Toronto and charters to the caribean, and Mexico.

BDL is indeed the closest airport to Southern VT skiing. Okemo, Mt Snow, and Stratton are all within 1-1.5 hours. Burlington might be closer to nothern Vt skiing and Killington but Burlington doesn't offer the flights that BDL has and is often more expensive.

[JimSawhill]

Hmmm..I'd say in order:

1) The Whalers -- nee the Pens with a SIDNEY CROSBY signed up to a multi-year contract and with some ex-Whalers (Francis, Dineen, Ulfie, Quennville, Sanderson) in management roles. And Sean Burke back (yes I'll scarifice the Lightning) in goal.

2) Space Needle -- I'd love to see it near Bushnell Park. A 5 star restaurant rotating on the top.

3)A Monorail -- from the North Meadows to the South Meadows and from Westfarms area to Rentschler Field. That would be cool... and have the monorailcars built in Connecticut.

4) Uncovering the Park River -- from the Mouth to Bushnell Park. Have a canoe rental place at Bushnell Park so people can enjoy the river. Of course the Whitehead would have to be gone, but it would be worth it to give Hartford a river to enjoy.

5) Bradley -- INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS. I would love to know if that guy is still thinking of that AIRLINE. I'd love to see KLM in here and Finnair and Icelandic and VIRGIN and RYANAIR.

6) Constitution College -- Yes.. and majors in naval architecture, insurance, aeronautical engineering --and a magnet high school for those, too?

THE ANNEXATION of East and West Hartford will never happen. I doubt the people on Avon Mountain -- in their 900K+ homes would want to be associated with East Hartford lower middle class image. I grew up in East Hartford's lower upper class neighborhood and we used to say we lived in HILLSTOWN.

[drc72]

Hmmm..I'd say in order:

1) The Whalers -- nee the Pens with a SIDNEY CROSBY signed up to a multi-year contract and with some ex-Whalers (Francis, Dineen, Ulfie, Quennville, Sanderson) in management roles. And Sean Burke back (yes I'll scarifice the Lightning) in goal.

2) Space Needle -- I'd love to see it near Bushnell Park. A 5 star restaurant rotating on the top.

3)A Monorail -- from the North Meadows to the South Meadows and from Westfarms area to Rentschler Field. That would be cool... and have the monorailcars built in Connecticut.

4) Uncovering the Park River -- from the Mouth to Bushnell Park. Have a canoe rental place at Bushnell Park so people can enjoy the river. Of course the Whitehead would have to be gone, but it would be worth it to give Hartford a river to enjoy.

5) Bradley -- INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS. I would love to know if that guy is still thinking of that AIRLINE. I'd love to see KLM in here and Finnair and Icelandic and VIRGIN and RYANAIR.

6) Constitution College -- Yes.. and majors in naval architecture, insurance, aeronautical engineering --and a magnet high school for those, too?

THE ANNEXATION of East and West Hartford will never happen. I doubt the people on Avon Mountain -- in their 900K+ homes would want to be associated with East Hartford lower middle class image. I grew up in East Hartford's lower upper class neighborhood and we used to say we lived in HILLSTOWN.

Annexation of East Hartford could be a possibilty. I know West hartford is out of the question.

[TaylorG4444]

Hmmm..I'd say in order:

1) The Whalers -- nee the Pens with a SIDNEY CROSBY signed up to a multi-year contract and with some ex-Whalers (Francis, Dineen, Ulfie, Quennville, Sanderson) in management roles. And Sean Burke back (yes I'll scarifice the Lightning) in goal.

2) Space Needle -- I'd love to see it near Bushnell Park. A 5 star restaurant rotating on the top.

3)A Monorail -- from the North Meadows to the South Meadows and from Westfarms area to Rentschler Field. That would be cool... and have the monorailcars built in Connecticut.

4) Uncovering the Park River -- from the Mouth to Bushnell Park. Have a canoe rental place at Bushnell Park so people can enjoy the river. Of course the Whitehead would have to be gone, but it would be worth it to give Hartford a river to enjoy.

5) Bradley -- INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS. I would love to know if that guy is still thinking of that AIRLINE. I'd love to see KLM in here and Finnair and Icelandic and VIRGIN and RYANAIR.

6) Constitution College -- Yes.. and majors in naval architecture, insurance, aeronautical engineering --and a magnet high school for those, too?

THE ANNEXATION of East and West Hartford will never happen. I doubt the people on Avon Mountain -- in their 900K+ homes would want to be associated with East Hartford lower middle class image. I grew up in East Hartford's lower upper class neighborhood and we used to say we lived in HILLSTOWN.

A 5 star restaurant would be cool on top of a space needle. I liked what I saw in the Hartford Courant a little while back....how it was zoned into 3 different trains. I'm unware of the businessman still going along with his airline though....and as far as those 5 airlines coming to Bradley. KLM is the most likely of them all followed by Icelandic for the single reason of Reykivic having a sizeable network of connecting flights throughout Europe. Finnair, Virgin Atlantic, and Ryanair, however will NEVER have scheduled service to Hartford.

[JimSawhill]

A 5 star restaurant would be cool on top of a space needle. I liked what I saw in the Hartford Courant a little while back....how it was zoned into 3 different trains. I'm unware of the businessman still going along with his airline though....and as far as those 5 airlines coming to Bradley. KLM is the most likely of them all followed by Icelandic for the single reason of Reykivic having a sizeable network of connecting flights throughout Europe. Finnair, Virgin Atlantic, and Ryanair, however will NEVER have scheduled service to Hartford.

TaylorG:

I know those Airlines wouldn't schedule sevice from BDL, but it is nice to THINK about it! I think Bradley - should be run without control of the DOT (aka Department of Highways -- and no other transportation), but a board created by the towns of Windsor, Windsor Locks and Suffield along with members of the local Chambers of commerence. (Non-partisan!)

The Space Needle restaurant should be something like 'L'american', 'Last National Bank' or 'Brown Thompsons'. It would be nice to have Mario Batali to run it!

JimS

[SOCOM]

My wish list reads a little bit different than most.

#1 - Relocate/bury I-91 away from downtown so we have complete access to the river.

#2 - Knock down the civic center and build residential/retail in its place (Northland's plan).

#2 - Relocate/bury the 1/2 mile section of I-84 that cuts off downtown from Asylum Hill.

#3 - Unearth the Park River.

$4 - Build a row of Brownstones/Townhouses in the empty lots near the Bushnell theatre on Capitol Ave.

As much as I'd love to see a new NHL team back or an NBA franchise, I'd be even happier if we could do away with I-91 downtown.

[jcrc]

^^ I think I-84 is more problematic than I-91. If I-84 is a belt way like it was originally designed, we would have a lot of space for residential development

[HartfordTycoon]

^^ I think I-84 is more problematic than I-91. If I-84 is a belt way like it was originally designed, we would have a lot of space for residential development

I agree, 84 totally kills a ton of prime land right in the middle of the city. Being cut of from the river sucks too, but I think 84 is a bigger problem if I had to choose.