IN-PROGRESS: Rentschler Field Mixed Use District

[HartfordTycoon]

Subway:

AMEN!!! Great Post!

Jim S

Tycoon:

I bet if we met -- we could be friends! You and I are both tycoons!!

Jim S

I bet we could too. I'm a tycoon in my mind. I am trying to translate that into my real life though. Hard work and dedication until I get to where I'm going!

[JimSawhill]

I bet we could too. I'm a tycoon in my mind. I am trying to translate that into my real life though. Hard work and dedication until I get to where I'm going!

Tycoon:

That is the way to go -- one of my friends is starting a store -- he'll open 3 stores in a few months. (Pool Supplies Store.) I think he'll do good...

[drc72]

Hmmm...

Mikel, I can't say what I think of you, but you are a closed-minded jerk. (If I really say what I think of you -- UP might ban me)

JimS

LOL!!! I think everybody in the Hartford forum, is thinking the same thing as you, including me. He's not worth the ban.

[JimSawhill]

LOL!!! I think everybody in the Hartford forum, is thinking the same thing as you, including me. He's not worth the ban.

drc72:

Very True!!!!!

Jim S

[HartfordTycoon]

I came across the new Rentschler Field website, it looks pretty impressive. If they can really pull this off it's going to change East Hartford forever.

Rentschler Field Development

[asylumhill]

Excuse me -- if you don't want to DRIVE an SUV, it is your RIGHT not to -- it is MY RIGHT to drive a SUV! I won't belittle you for driving a compact car.

And I guess YOU can thank soldiers like my brother who risk their lives every day in Iraq to preserve your "right" to SUVs and Wal-Mart. God bless America.

[JimSawhill]

And I guess YOU can thank soldiers like my brother who risk their lives every day in Iraq to preserve your "right" to SUVs and Wal-Mart. God bless America.

asylumhill:

I do thank the soldiers every day. I work near McDill in Tampa, so when I see a soldier -- or a spouse of one -- I do thank them. Also the Kurds do thank them -- unlike Ted LaMont.

JimS

One of my ex-gf's son - who grew up in South Windsor - is there in Iraq. I got to thank him, too.

[HartfordTycoon]

Looks like Loconche, king of the unions, is starting trouble again. This time in East Hartford. These guys never get tired of protests do they? Amazing.....

Courant Rentschler Union Article

[drc72]

Looks like Loconche, king of the unions, is starting trouble again. This time in East Hartford. These guys never get tired of protests do they? Amazing.....

Courant Rentschler Union Article

Yeah I saw this on the news this morning to my disbelief. Nobody is gonna want to do business around here if this keeps up.

[JayHass]

Looks like Loconche, king of the unions, is starting trouble again. This time in East Hartford. These guys never get tired of protests do they? Amazing.....

Courant Rentschler Union Article

Good Lord, this is rediculous. What drives these people? I can never figure it out.

Charles LeConche, business manager for the Connecticut Laborers' District Council, criticized Mayor Melody A. Currey and Dan Matos, the developer of Rentschler field, for allowing the construction manager for Cabela's to hire McCarthy Concrete Co. of South Windsor.

I guess they would have been happier with union labor from Mass.

"I work for the people of East Hartford. I don't work for any particular union," Currey said. "I have been a longtime supporter of unions but my first responsibility is to the people of East Hartford."

Good to hear this kind of thing for a change.

The Cabela's project is being competitively bid to union and nonunion people. The important thing is Cabela's is open to hiring union and they're using primarily Connecticut contractors," Matos said.

That's good news at least!

[Afro Saxon]

Jeez, mikel, I guess Southerners should be more like NORTHEASTERNERS -- LIBERALS!! Ignorance?? Mikel, you are the IGNORANT one. Today's South is not IGNORANT - UNLESS STATE RIGHTS is a IGNORANT ISSUE to you!

That's factually false. The Northeast contributes far more to the nation's tax coffers and receives far less in refunds. Also, is home to far more large companies. The South has driven job growth in the Nations, but they also pay less on average.

This Rentschler field idea sounds pretty good. It seems reasonable. Do you think East Hartford could have trouble attracting many of the businesses and residents due to negative stigmas?

[HartfordTycoon]

That's factually false. The Northeast contributes far more to the nation's tax coffers and receives far less in refunds. Also, is home to far more large companies. The South has driven job growth in the Nations, but they also pay less on average.

This Rentschler field idea sounds pretty good. It seems reasonable. Do you think East Hartford could have trouble attracting many of the businesses and residents due to negative stigmas?

It may make it a tougher sell then say West Hartford Center, but then again we're talking about Pratt's Campus. They have pull and plenty of jobs of their own. It shouldn't be too hard to get some kind of synergy going by getting companies who work with Pratt or other UTC Companies to locate there. Also, if they make it as nice and cutting edge as they are planning to it should start to change some of those stigmas. East Hartford is coming up. Once this is done and Goodwin College moves to the riverfront, they will have a little something going for themselves.

[JimSawhill]

That's factually false. The Northeast contributes far more to the nation's tax coffers and receives far less in refunds. Also, is home to far more large companies. The South has driven job growth in the Nations, but they also pay less on average.

This Rentschler field idea sounds pretty good. It seems reasonable. Do you think East Hartford could have trouble attracting many of the businesses and residents due to negative stigmas?

AfroSaxon:

I believe that no matter where you are -- you should have the right to work. If person A wants to open a business making widgets and he wants the United Widget Workers to organize the plant, let him. If Person B decides to open a plant making widget and he wants to be non unionized - he should have the right.

I believe that if you deal with your employees RIGHT, you don't need unions. I worked for UNIONIZED COMPANIES and for noin union companies. IMHO - union dues is STEALING!

JimS

[HartfordTycoon]

I was at the UConn - USF game on Saturday and the area of Rentschler where Cabela's is looks great. I'm truly able to envision a great mixed-use district over there and with the Football team growing in stature and Cabela's in place the sky truly is the limit. I haven't been to Cabela's yet, but not surprisingly it's getting rave reviews from it's demographic. I'm sure Silver Lane will see a rebirth soon and developers will be clamoring to rehab parcels, like Showcase Cinemas, in earnest. I wonder how much property values have already started to increase.

Anyway we're number 16 in the AP Poll for now ahead of many of college football's old powers, Go Huskies!!! A win over Rutgers should move us up even higher!

[MadVlad]

I was there too, I wish I knew you were going....

[HartfordTycoon]

I was there too, I wish I knew you were going....

I couldn't get Rutgers tickets so I have to find a bar to watch it at (no ESPNU, You know?). I have tickets to Syracuse already, but that's not gonna be anything like Saturday.

Last week was awesome though.....

[MadVlad]

We got our tickets through work, so there were a bunch of us up in 206. That was the first time I've been inside the Stadium, I was impressed, and couldn't have gotten a better game. It's probably a good sign that tickets are so hard to come by, it means success.....

[The Voice of Reason]

If they continue to sell out for 5 or so years and the program continues to develop this would be a very good thing for the area.

As an "outsider" who never went to any CT schools, and has no ties to the state other than my wife, I find myself interested in the UCONN football team. I only ever knew of Uconn as a basketball school, and I only found out they had a D1A team this year. I thought they were D1AA like most other basketball schools. I also knew Hartford had a stadium that held 30-40k because of a soccer site I have been involved in for quite a while. I was very suprised to find out that they actually sell out every game and that they actually compete in the Big East, and are not whipping boys.

If Uconn can establish itself as a regional powerhouse (not that hard in the NE) and build a stronger and stronger season ticket base, I could see a stadium expansion down the line. If the Stadium were over 60K its possible that Hartford could host some patriots games.. pre-season at least.

This kind of High level sport, even though it is NCAA can help keep young people in the area. Keeping young people helps in keeping companies here as well as attracting new ones. I much prefer this stadium here in Hartford than in Storrs.

[HartfordTycoon]

I agree that it will be great for the area if they keep up the momentum. I've been following since they made the leap to D1A years ago and have really seen them come of age. They've done so much in such a short time and now have set a record for the fastest transition from D1AA to being nationally ranked in the top 25 in D1A. My father has had season tickets since the stadium opened, so I'm one of those fans who was there from the beginning and am being rewarded now. It's great. I really can't believe how well the season is going. I think stadium expansion will definitely be discussed after another winning season or two. It was built to accommodate an expansion, so that should be easy enough to accomplish if the fan base is there.

[The Voice of Reason]

http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-rents...,0,133588.story

Field Of Uneasy Dreams

The downturn in the economy, tight credit and other problems have slowed United Technologies Corp.'s efforts to turn its 650-acre Rentschler Field into a $2 billion development of stores, hotels, offices and high-tech companies.

"Real estate is getting a shellacking. Retail is on its back. It's a very difficult environment out there," said Dan Matos, the developer for UTC.

"We've got a lot of irons in the fire and we're talking to a lot of retail and hotel people interested in locating at Rentschler, but the economy has made it tougher," he said.

Its not all doom and gloom though. They recently won a $7Million grant to help fund the building of a major road on the site that will allow further development. and there is this nice little snippit

Matos said he is in negotiations with two high-tech companies that are interested in relocating to Rentschler. He said he expects to announce a deal with one of the companies by summer.

I Think High-Tech companies are what this area needs most of all. Engineering type jobs and IT jobs are a great counterrpart to Insurance/finance jobs.

[JimSawhill]

http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-rents...,0,133588.story

Field Of Uneasy Dreams

The downturn in the economy, tight credit and other problems have slowed United Technologies Corp.'s efforts to turn its 650-acre Rentschler Field into a $2 billion development of stores, hotels, offices and high-tech companies.

"Real estate is getting a shellacking. Retail is on its back. It's a very difficult environment out there," said Dan Matos, the developer for UTC.

"We've got a lot of irons in the fire and we're talking to a lot of retail and hotel people interested in locating at Rentschler, but the economy has made it tougher," he said.

Its not all doom and gloom though. They recently won a $7Million grant to help fund the building of a major road on the site that will allow further development. and there is this nice little snippit

Matos said he is in negotiations with two high-tech companies that are interested in relocating to Rentschler. He said he expects to announce a deal with one of the companies by summer.

I Think High-Tech companies are what this area needs most of all. Engineering type jobs and IT jobs are a great counterrpart to Insurance/finance jobs.

All:

anything new to report on it yet??

[The Voice of Reason]

All:

anything new to report on it yet??

No sir.

I should also add that I never go by there, so I have little insight.

HOWEVER... If I can score the company seats at the Rent for the upcoming rugby match with the Eagles, I will see if I can take some photos of the area from a good elevated position.

[The Voice of Reason]

Well I obviously did not score the tickets

so no pictures.

But here is an article about Cabelas and on the project in general.

http://www.courant.com/business/hc-postscr...,0,653257.story

Last year, Cabela's, the town's second-largest taxpayer, paid $196,000 in personal property taxes and about $700 in motor vehicle taxes.

The company is expected to pay $24 million in real estate taxes, about $6 million more in personal property taxes and about $22,200 more in motor vehicle taxes when its tax abatements expire in 5 1/2 years.

During the current fiscal year, the state paid the town about $911,800 in lieu of taxes for the UConn stadium. That number is expected to drop to $680,600 for 2009-10.

[HartfordTycoon]

Not much happening here, but a new road may be going in soon.

Hartford Courant

The Army Corps of Engineers will announce today that the developer of Rentschler Field is seeking a federal wetlands permit for the site

[HartfordTycoon]

Looks like the road got approved. This project is moving slow but there is just so much potential here.

Hartford Business Journal

In addition to East Hartford Boulevard South, issuance of the permit has enabled UTC to proceed with its plan to donate to the state an additional 70 acres for parking facilities to support the University of Connecticut football stadium. The state has put the project out for bid and clearing of the area will begin after a contract is awarded this month.

UTC donated 75 acres at Rentschler to the state in 1999 so it could build a new home for the UConn football team. The stadium opened in 2003.

“There are seven UConn home games a year and the state currently uses the former runways and grassy areas of Rentschler for parking,” Matos said. “We want to develop that land, but have been unable because the state needed it for parking. But now they’ll have land adjacent to the stadium and can build their own parking lots.”