Hartford Civic Center Discussions

[jcrc]

This came to me from metrohartford.com. I thought I post it here so everyone can voice his/her opinion on the future of HCC.

http://www.customintercept.com/surveys/web/civiccenter.htm

[HartfordTycoon]

Interesting, but too long to take at work. Thanks for posting it.

I think we will be getting our New Arena. Amann has all but a subtantiated that the money will be there. I can't wait until an official announcement is made. We really need that Arena, I agree with Amann when he says it's a missing tooth downtown. To be a national city we need to at least have all of our major amenities up to national standards. Arena, Convention Center, Science Center, etc. Hartford is not in this to be New England's second city. We have been there and done that forever. The sooner everyone gets it in their heads that Hartford can be a national city the better. Only then will we stop half assing projects because we don't feel we are major enough.

[uconn99]

HAHA, I just took it at work. A little long but I basically put the HCC sucks and we need a new arena bad, not only for NHL but for concerts and events Hartford is losing out on now that the HCC is outdated.

Remember when hartford use to have NCAA reginonal games, the big east tournament, and all the best concerts?

[ctman987]

It' still loading but anyways I want Hartford to get a new facility but I also love the location of the civic center downtown. There are numerous clubs, bars, restaurants, cafes, etc. that benefit from the people going to events at the civic center. When people go to the civic center they have to experience urban life not suburban life....even at the Dodge Music Center it's Hartford but it is just a big commerical/industrial area. I think it's great to draw people into urban life even if its just for a few hours. Also there is the Hilton right next to the current civic center the goodwin is practically next door, the holiday inn & homewood suites by hilton down the road and a residence inn by marriott down the road...all good hotels to house visitors to events.

[HartfordTycoon]

I'm kinda up in the air over the location. Northland's plan could do wonders for that spot, and a relocated Arena could do wonders for wherever it goes, thus killing 2 birds with one stone. I'm all for the Arena either constructed on the current site or a new one. However, if we put it somewhere else, we can still use the old one while the new one gets built. A definate plus to slight location change.

[sp1dey]

OMG... not to put the cart before the horse, but this is catching on something fierce. I really think this was going to happen.

LETS GO WHALERS!

[Hartfordfan]

yes, my voice can finally tell people how the civic center is a crap shack. I also emailed amann to keep on the good work.

[drc72]

Looks like the arena talks are starting to gain momentum.

[SOCOM]

I'm 100% against keeping the current location of the civic center. It's right smack in the middle of our CBD. That's great for a couple hours a week when there's a UConn game or concert, but most of the time the arena isn't in use and it sucks the life out of downtown. I think the area would be much better served as a "town square" type neighborhood with retail, housing, and entertainment. I love the ideas Northland has proposed that would include one or more residential towers to acompany Hartford 21.

Is this picture not the perfect backdrop for a public square? As you all well know, this area sandwiched between the civic center and Union Station is a sea of parking lots. The potential for this area blows my mind. If we get rid of the civic center, we can finally get rid of all the surface lots as well.

[ctman987]

If we move the arena to another area we can assure ourself that development will follow...development that will bring restaurants, cafes, bars, etc. around the new arena to cater to these visitors. If development is built around the arena will it be mixed use or will it be sprawl like development home to chain restauants because right now people can come downtown and go have a bite at the numerous locally owned and operated restaurants downtown, go to the game, and then hit a bar or club after the game

[SOCOM]

If we move the arena to another area we can assure ourself that development will follow...development that will bring restaurants, cafes, bars, etc. around the new arena to cater to these visitors. If development is built around the arena will it be mixed use or will it be sprawl like development home to chain restauants because right now people can come downtown and go have a bite at the numerous locally owned and operated restaurants downtown, go to the game, and then hit a bar or club after the game

I still don't understand why you are in favor the current location. There are major events at the civic center maybe 50 days out of the year (and I'm being generous here by including the Wolfpack as a major event). The other 300+ days the civic center is a huge empty building with blank walls facing Church & Ann streets. I don't think an arena, or a convention center, for that matter, should be something a city builds around. Big buildings need tons of parking, hence the many surface lots around the current civic center.

The current civic center does have great access to the bar/club district, I'll give you that (but again, think about how many days a year there are major events held at the civic center). That alone doesn't persuade me enough to keep this monster sitting in the middle of our CBD. I say tear it down, build housing, retail, entertainment (a "2nd Front Street", if you will) that will connect the bar/club district of Union Station to the rest of downtown.

[HartfordTycoon]

I still don't understand why you are in favor the current location. There are major events at the civic center maybe 50 days out of the year (and I'm being generous here by including the Wolfpack as a major event). The other 300+ days the civic center is a huge empty building with blank walls facing Church & Ann streets. I don't think an arena, or a convention center, for that matter, should be something a city builds around. Big buildings need tons of parking, hence the many surface lots around the current civic center.

The current civic center does have great access to the bar/club district, I'll give you that (but again, think about how many days a year there are major events held at the civic center). That alone doesn't persuade me enough to keep this monster sitting in the middle of our CBD. I say tear it down, build housing, retail, entertainment (a "2nd Front Street", if you will) that will connect the bar/club district of Union Station to the rest of downtown.

I favor moving it, not only for improvements to the current CC location, but due to the fact that it can still be in use during the construction phase. We can't afford to be without an Arena for a year or two while they build the replacement.

[ctman987]

If a new center is built we must try to get development built around it also. Mixed use development that includes maybe retail, office and residential space so that we do not end up with a facility that looks like it could just as well be in the suburbs (for example the CT Expo Center, Dodge Music Center). I still do feel there is a risk by taking the civic center out of downtown. Restaurants and bars do see a huge influx of people during events...a lot more influx then they see when people go to the Dodge because downtown is to far (so the people say). We cannot have a period where a new arena is open somewhere else meaning the old arena is closed and at the same time have not a lot of people living downtown because that may very well may put numerous downtown businsses out of business.

[uconn99]

The arena needs to be close enough to downtown that it is still within walking distance to the varous establishments. Any arena being built should consider how Columbus, Ohio built theirs. They have what's called an arena district with various shops, hotels, and residential all around the arena.

Somewhere on the river would be nice. You could integrate some sort of Connecticut museum with a Whaling theme (Since a new NHL should be the Whalers).

[Lone Ranger]

I still don't understand why you are in favor the current location. There are major events at the civic center maybe 50 days out of the year (and I'm being generous here by including the Wolfpack as a major event). The other 300+ days the civic center is a huge empty building with blank walls facing Church & Ann streets. I don't think an arena, or a convention center, for that matter, should be something a city builds around. Big buildings need tons of parking, hence the many surface lots around the current civic center.

What if you built a parking structure to eliminate some of the surface parking? And what if you were to eliminate some of those blank walls with some retail?

[drc72]

I favor moving it, not only for improvements to the current CC location, but due to the fact that it can still be in use during the construction phase. We can't afford to be without an Arena for a year or two while they build the replacement.

I doubt they would knock down the current civic center, while a new is being built.

[uconn99]

I doubt they would knock down the current civic center, while a new is being built.

I think what he ment was that if the current location of the HCC was either renovated or used for a new arena, then we would not have anything for a new team or UConn while a new arena or renovations were complete.

[Luca Brasi]

What if you built a parking structure to eliminate some of the surface parking?

Did anyone ever attend an event at the New Haven Coliseum? During the event, was it ever on your mind that thousands of cars were parked on the roof over the event and 9000 people?

[uconn99]

Did anyone ever attend an event at the New Haven Coliseum? During the event, was it ever on your mind that thousands of cars were parked on the roof over the event and the heads of 9000 people?

Parking should be built under the arena with eleators spilling people out at the retail pavilions around the arena. Doesn't the Garden in Boston have parking under it?

[drc72]

Wasn't there talks of putting a new arena by Interstate 84?

[Captain59]

^ Yes. The 12-B site is the only one I can think of. In my opinion, the best spot would have been where the convention center is. You would be able to see it from both 84 and 91, and on game nights the thing could be illuminated with bright blue and green lights. That would let people know The Whale was playing inside at that moment. But other than the corner of Trumbull and Main, where else will it go?

[beerbeer]

The site for the new Whalers Arena that K. turned down was near the Holiday Inn next to 91 and 84.

Site 12B would be visible from the highways as well and only hidden if you're coming north on 91.

[Frankie811]

Did anyone ever attend an event at the New Haven Coliseum? During the event, was it ever on your mind that thousands of cars were parked on the roof over the event and 9000 people?

For some reason snow on the roof of the Hartford Civic Center crossed my mind.

[drc72]

For some reason snow on the roof of the Hartford Civic Center crossed my mind.

I'm glad I wasn't in there, when the collapse happened.

[MadVlad]

Actually, I'm sure that a parking infrastructure above that is designed to hold cars would prevent something like the Civic Center collapse from happening...