Space Needle

[blink55184]

The structure would be useless and not logical!!! It would be the opposite of logical!!

This sort of "landmark", or ugly landmark, is meant to be the icing on the cake, to compliment a thriving city.

This is not something that can be built in Hartford prior to a HUGE revitalization of downtown. It serves no purpose. How about better transportation first?

[HartfordTycoon]

The structure would be useless and not logical!!! It would be the opposite of logical!!

This sort of "landmark", or ugly landmark, is meant to be the icing on the cake, to compliment a thriving city.

This is not something that can be built in Hartford prior to a HUGE revitalization of downtown. It serves no purpose. How about better transportation first?

I'm not completely disagreeing with you. I'm just saying that I see some potential benefits. I personally don't prioritize it or feel it's at all neccessary.

[jcrc]

Didn't people in Paris hated Eiffel Tower when it was first built?

[mikel]

Didn't people in Paris hated Eiffel Tower when it was first built?

The Eiffel Tower is a very unique piece of art. A space needle in Hartford would make us look like copycat poseurs.

[MadVlad]

What purpose does the ST. Louis Arch have? It doesn't, it's an iconic piece of the greater city that is synonymous with the city, worldwide. Our needle doesn't have to be a cookie-cutter carbon copy of anything, it can be anything we want. Is CN tower in Toronto horrible because it too is a needle type structure like Seattle's? No, it is it's own unique thing. Because something is the same type of structure as something else does not mean it's a rip off, it doesn't have to be, only if uncreative people design it....

[blink55184]

What purpose does the ST. Louis Arch have? It doesn't, it's an iconic piece of the greater city that is synonymous with the city, worldwide. Our needle doesn't have to be a cookie-cutter carbon copy of anything, it can be anything we want. Is CN tower in Toronto horrible because it too is a needle type structure like Seattle's? No, it is it's own unique thing. Because something is the same type of structure as something else does not mean it's a rip off, it doesn't have to be, only if uncreative people design it....

These cities all have HUGE numbers on Hartford's population.

You are not seeing that we need PEOPLE to get a unique piece like this.

There is no justification to get it without the people!

There will be nothing for it to be "synonymous" with!

This is silly!!

[mikel]

What purpose does the ST. Louis Arch have? It doesn't, it's an iconic piece of the greater city that is synonymous with the city, worldwide. Our needle doesn't have to be a cookie-cutter carbon copy of anything, it can be anything we want. Is CN tower in Toronto horrible because it too is a needle type structure like Seattle's? No, it is it's own unique thing. Because something is the same type of structure as something else does not mean it's a rip off, it doesn't have to be, only if uncreative people design it....

Saint Louis's arch is again, a very unique piece of art. I'm not against art in Hartford at all. But your space needle idea has no artistic merit, it would only make us look 30 years behind the times and like a city with no creativity.

[blink55184]

St.Louis 2004 2,764,054

Toronto 2005 2,613,900

Seattle 2004 573,911

Hartford 2004 124,397

We need people. Period. If we can't lobby to get people into the city, do you really think there is any chance of lobbying state residents, politicians, corporations, city residents, the federal government, etc, to throw down money on a tall structure with a restaurant on top?

So far there is really only 1 big redevelopment company even interested in Hartford. We are just getting them to build buildings! If something like this were ever to happen, it would be 50 or more years down the road, and that is IF the city every grows and takes off.

[Luca Brasi]

I would like to see Hartford get some kind of recognizable icon in its skyline, but not a space needle. It would need to be something unique to Hartford or CT and something that would be done tastefully. Something like the Soldiers and Sailors Arch(in concept, not design), but larger. It could be part of a park, include restaurants at ground level, have an observation deck and be used as a communications tower in order to help with costs.

Don't know what it could be or how it would be paid for, but the idea of an iconic graceful Eiffel Tower like structure doesn't sound bad to me.

[MadVlad]

St.Louis 2004 2,764,054

Toronto 2005 2,613,900

Seattle 2004 573,911

Hartford 2004 124,397

Ok, first, when exactly did St Louis have 2.7 million people? Second, St Louis and Seattle are not surrounded by a Megalopolis. Do the math and tell me how many people are within a 3 hour drive of Hartford, then do the math how many are within a 3 hour drive of Seattle or St. Louis. What's silly is shoo-shooing a positive idea without a subsequent idea of something better. I find it ironic that something that would fill one of those horrible empty parking lots downtown is being blasted by people that have been vocal about parking lots downtown.

[Cotuit]

What's silly is shoo-shooing a positive idea without a subsequent idea of something better.

The something better would be focusing energy and funding that would go toward a 'space needle' into attracting more residents and businesses to the city.

[drc72]

There already is an observation deck in Hartford! It is in a building though.

Sorry guys, no need for a flying sandwich over the city

LOL! Nice fit to the skyline, but I would rather get a state of the art arena built first. Let's get the NHL back!!!

[Lone Ranger]

St.Louis 2004 2,764,054

Toronto 2005 2,613,900

Seattle 2004 573,911

Hartford 2004 124,397

I see the trouble. You've got a serious case of confused numbers there. The numbers themselves are actually right, or in the right ranges, but some of them represent metro populations whereas some represent city populations. Here are the numbers again with the confusion sorted out.

City pops:

Toronto: 2,481,494

Seattle: 573,911

St. Louis: 352,572

Hartford: 124,397

Metro pops:

Toronto: 5,101,600

Seattle: 3,806,453

St. Louis: 2,848,399

Hartford: 1,304,067

Of course, Hartford UP'ers would be the first to tell you that Hartford gets short-changed in its metro, and Springfield should be included. I guess when they say that, they mean the metro too, so that's another 600,000+ people, for those who are counting. And beyond that, you've got the Gold Coast cities, definitely a separate metro area but still Connecticut residents and about 350,000 strong if you're just counting Bridgeport, Stamford, and New Haven. And then, what's more, NE is the densest region of the country, and last I checked, Hartford wasn't all that far from NYC, so when you start talking about people within a 3-hour radius of Hartford, you're somewhere in the range of 25m people.

Anyway, point is that there's no shortage of people in the near vicinity of Hartford, if you think a space needle doohickey is the way to go. Now I'm not so sure of that idea, but ... well, there's clearly no shortage of people. FWIW.

[MadVlad]

The something better would be focusing energy and funding that would go toward a 'space needle' into attracting more residents and businesses to the city.

Now see, at least that's an idea.... I also never said the City would have to fund the whole thing, or the State for that matter. Let's say 5 years from now, we have a new Arena 75% completed. We have the possibility of an NHL team playing here, for giggles, the Florida Panthers have been drawing crappy and decide to be sold and move, and Larry G is the highest bidder. Not a done deal, but it looms. The downtown pop. has increased to 13k, and Trinity, UConn Law/WH, and UHa have decided to put more students in apartments downtown. The commuter rail line is about to start construction, and estimates are goods that there will be a nice influx of people, even if on the train. The Science Center is completed, as is Front Street, the ESPNZone thingee, and there are a few more plans left of downtown condos/apartments. The old Civic Center will be torn down for Gottesdiener Center as soon as the new arena is done, and three towers (H21 included) are planned with an urban park and Ice Rink is planned for the site. At that point, I wouldn't say it's crazy for someone to propose and build a Space Needle type tower. It would definitely fit into the fabric and vibe of the city.

[mikel]

Now see, at least that's an idea.... I also never said the City would have to fund the whole thing, or the State for that matter. Let's say 5 years from now, we have a new Arena 75% completed. We have the possibility of an NHL team playing here, for giggles, the Florida Panthers have been drawing crappy and decide to be sold and move, and Larry G is the highest bidder. Not a done deal, but it looms. The downtown pop. has increased to 13k, and Trinity, UConn Law/WH, and UHa have decided to put more students in apartments downtown. The commuter rail line is about to start construction, and estimates are goods that there will be a nice influx of people, even if on the train. The Science Center is completed, as is Front Street, the ESPNZone thingee, and there are a few more plans left of downtown condos/apartments. The old Civic Center will be torn down for Gottesdiener Center as soon as the new arena is done, and three towers (H21 included) are planned with an urban park and Ice Rink is planned for the site. At that point, I wouldn't say it's crazy for someone to propose and build a Space Needle type tower. It would definitely fit into the fabric and vibe of the city.

I personally think it really would be crazy for someone to do that, and I hope it would be rejected on the grounds of being completely unoriginal and not modern (an idea from the 70's).

I don't mind some funky buildings, as long as they are modern and original.

Just look at what London has done, who else has something that looks like this:

We are talking in the distant future of course if ever for a unique building, we can't even get enough normal structures in Hartford these days!

[MadVlad]

No idea why you are stuck on unoriginal. There are plenty of ways to be original with a needle-type tower. To be truthful I could care less if it's specifically a needle, I want it to be iconic, have a rotating restaurant with sweeping views, and be a towering presence that would draw people in, not sure what's so unoriginal about that....

[drc72]

I personally think it really would be crazy for someone to do that, and I hope it would be rejected on the grounds of being completely unoriginal and not modern (an idea from the 70's).

I don't mind some funky buildings, as long as they are modern and original.

Just look at what London has done, who else has something that looks like this:

We are talking in the distant future of course if ever for a unique building, we can't even get enough normal structures in Hartford these days!

Damm!!! That is ugly. London could keep it.

[Lone Ranger]

But mike, that's ... that's a tower.

[MadVlad]

But mike, that's ... that's a tower.

Now you see what we are dealing with.

Anyways, since I've been pestered, and we've hijacked poor Bill M's thread (Cotuit, can we split this thread up?), I decided to build my own tower for you folks. Now understand that I AM a professional tower builder, and I used Microsoft Paint just to dumb it down a bit so you terrestrials can understand my scary talent. Just for kicks, it was paid for by Burger King....

There, no more unoriginality nonsense. You can't get much more creative than that, in fact, I think I sense these springing up in every major city....

[Bill Mocarsky]

Just look at what London has done, who else has something that looks like this:

Uh, who wants to know?

[blink55184]

What's silly is shoo-shooing a positive idea without a subsequent idea of something better. I find it ironic that something that would fill one of those horrible empty parking lots downtown is being blasted by people that have been vocal about parking lots downtown.

Now see, at least that's an idea....

I gave my suggestions earlier in the thread, I am not just bashing yours.

Of all the rebuilding and revitalization Hartford needs

How about better transportation first?

I find it ironic that something that would fill one of those horrible empty parking lots downtown is being blasted by people that have been vocal about parking lots downtown.

Because Hartford needs things rebuilt in the place of those parking lots. There is no magical architecural structure that is suddenly going to put Hartford on the map for the world.

Now see, at least that's an idea.... I also never said the City would have to fund the whole thing, or the State for that matter. Let's say 5 years from now, we have a new Arena 75% completed. We have the possibility of an NHL team playing here, for giggles, the Florida Panthers have been drawing crappy and decide to be sold and move, and Larry G is the highest bidder. Not a done deal, but it looms. The downtown pop. has increased to 13k, and Trinity, UConn Law/WH, and UHa have decided to put more students in apartments downtown. The commuter rail line is about to start construction, and estimates are goods that there will be a nice influx of people, even if on the train. The Science Center is completed, as is Front Street, the ESPNZone thingee, and there are a few more plans left of downtown condos/apartments. The old Civic Center will be torn down for Gottesdiener Center as soon as the new arena is done, and three towers (H21 included) are planned with an urban park and Ice Rink is planned for the site. At that point, I wouldn't say it's crazy for someone to propose and build a Space Needle type tower. It would definitely fit into the fabric and vibe of the city.

Yes, It would still be a crazy proposal at that time!!! Not all of that can happen in the next 5 years! That is an absolute impossible best case scenario- Even if it happened like that, fortunately it would lead to more great development. When culture arrives and thrives in a city, these "synonymous" and "iconic" structures come naturally. You cant impose them somewhere.

Dont know why my quotes arent showing as quotes

[beerbeer]

I walked by that building in London at the begining of June. It's 30-40 floors tall. It's a great looking building.

[MadVlad]

I've seen that building too, it's a great building...

[redbaron]

The science center is going to be an iconic type building extremely visible from the highway... How bout we raise the colt onion dome a few hundred feet up...

[jcrc]

I've seen that building too, it's a great building...

I think that is an interesting building, but the Pheonix Boat Building is every bit as unique, so is the Stilts building for that matter. Maybe Mikel just got so use to the wonderful buildings in Hartford and started to think they are blas