St. Paul Travelers

[mikel]

I think you should try to submit a formal proposal to Travelers. Also, if you are going to cover Grove St. why not cover Pratt St too? A year round outdoor venue would be awesome (no cars allowed of course!)

Well, Pratt Street is a bit long and it's more of a road than an alleyway. Plus you'd ruin all the beautiful buildings...

Bill Mocarski's idea reminds me of some streets in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas (except those are uncovered). They are just lovely alley-ways full of life. It's an excellent idea.

[drc72]

I know it seems funny to have offices at multiple locations but I would rather keep it that way. Why add more office space because they will just be moving all their operations into a new building and leaving more vacant office space. Also if there are multiple locations I am sure there are people going between the downtown buildings.

The last thing we need is a huge new office building that has its own parking garage and inside food court so employees can drive right in, stay inside for lunch and leave at the end of the day without ever stepping foot downtown.

As much as I would love to see a new tower built, you do make a great point!!! We need to utilze current office space first, before building new ones.

[mamul]

I'm not sure if Travelers and Phoenix would support making Grove Street a pedestrian plaza, as I believe that is the only way to currently enter the parking garages for the buildings on either side of Grove. Obviously there are ways to change that, but the most obvious would be to make the entrance only on Columbus which will be a nightmare for cars/trucks travelling north on Columbus. Just a thought. I also think the general perception of pedestrian only streets is that they don't work...I believe it was Pratt Street in Hartford as well as State Street in New London that both tried this and within short periods of time realized that car traffic actually boosts the life on streets.

[jcrc]

I'm not sure if Travelers and Phoenix would support making Grove Street a pedestrian plaza, as I believe that is the only way to currently enter the parking garages for the buildings on either side of Grove. Obviously there are ways to change that, but the most obvious would be to make the entrance only on Columbus which will be a nightmare for cars/trucks travelling north on Columbus. Just a thought. I also think the general perception of pedestrian only streets is that they don't work...I believe it was Pratt Street in Hartford as well as State Street in New London that both tried this and within short periods of time realized that car traffic actually boosts the life on streets.

I am not sure about that. The reason why Pratt Street stopped it was because of the construction of H21 and Sage Allen. And I think getting the permit and organizing it so all of the restaurants were a pain. But without a doubt the foot traffic was substantially more when Pratt Street was closed off then now..

[beerbeer]

It reminds me a little of the little alleys in the Latin Quarter in Paris. Not on the same scale. But it has the same intimate feel.

There is also a place called Burlington Arcade in London (near Bond Street) that is enclosed with a score of tiiny upscale shops.

Hartford shouldn't be afraid to copy ideas from these world class venues.

[ctman987]

Now if a new employer were to come to the city and was planning on moving its headquarters or moving lots of jobs to the city I might be persuaded to let them build a new office tower and not rent some of the current space that is still availible downtown.

And I know if many of us worked at State House Square we would be outside getting a coffee before work, going out somewhere for lunch and walking the streets and hitting a downtown bar after and there are people who do that but I also feel there are people who dont...people who have seen the city decline and are afraid to give it a shot again...people who need a bit of a push to see the city a bit

[Bill Mocarsky]

I'm not sure if Travelers and Phoenix would support making Grove Street a pedestrian plaza, as I believe that is the only way to currently enter the parking garages for the buildings on either side of Grove. Obviously there are ways to change that, but the most obvious would be to make the entrance only on Columbus which will be a nightmare for cars/trucks travelling north on Columbus. Just a thought. I also think the general perception of pedestrian only streets is that they don't work...I believe it was Pratt Street in Hartford as well as State Street in New London that both tried this and within short periods of time realized that car traffic actually boosts the life on streets.

Mamul,

The section of Grove Street that we are talking about is between Prospect and Main Streets. It has been closed off for decades.

The only thing is I don't necessarily think its essential to cover it.

Mike,

I don't think it is essential to cover it either. However, I wouldn't want the rain or snow to keep anyone away. I would like it to draw even more people in the rain. It doesn't need to be enclosed. I am thinking just at the top, 11 or so stories up.

[beerbeer]

If the cover is higher up the buildings, say the third floor, the space will remain open, airy and have an outdoor feel.

Bill do you still have your photoshopped concepts of Grove Street?

[mamul]

I stand corrected. I thought you were referring to the part of Grove between Columbus and Prospect which used to be only an alleyway but now is much too big of a road to turn into a pedestrian way. This idea sounds much better now. Sorry for the confusion.

[MadVlad]

The 3rd floor is the connector from Travelers Main Complex to the Tower building. Currently there are 4 ways to get over: the basement (where the contractors go, regular Travelers people won't use this way), the ground floor (gone with this idea) a 3rd floor connector (also gone with this idea?), and outside. Travelers would need to keep either the 1st or 3rd floor connectors, they would never, ever accept both connectors gone. Currently you can get from the Plaza building all the way through Central Row without going outside, this is how they planned it for their employees. If the 3rd floor connector remained, I would think that might be ok (not working for them, I really don't know).

[redbaron]

I am not sure about that. The reason why Pratt Street stopped it was because of the construction of H21 and Sage Allen. And I think getting the permit and organizing it so all of the restaurants were a pain. But without a doubt the foot traffic was substantially more when Pratt Street was closed off then now..

Hopefully next summer with H21 done and Sage Allen done you guys (JoJos, Joe Black, Vaughans, russel, sweet janes, whateverelse comes in, etc..) organize... Pratt should be closed to traffic and throw some tables on the street... I imagine that street filled with foot traffic...