PROPOSED: 160 Jewell Street/Northland YMCA Tower

[The Voice of Reason]

I always thought that housing would be a tough sell adjacent to a fire house... especially downtown with all the false alarms. The city is probably giving Northland the fire house with the intent of moving to the long proposed safety complex downtown on the other side of I-84.

[beerbeer]

100 extra units might be a high rise/low rise type complex.

[The Voice of Reason]

100 extra units might be a high rise/low rise type complex.

[beerbeer]

I would love to see town houses facing the park with a high rise behind them. It would give the park a neighborhood feel and add to the city street scape. But it's Larry's money, he will do what he wants (and he should).

[Chessplayer]

This is certainly encouraging news. I think that the atmosphere is definitely improving for Hartford and that 2008 will see the city's redevelopment really pick up steam. I think this project will ultimately get built, and when that occurs it will be a huge sign that we have not only turned a corner, but have become a development hotspot.

[mikel]

I and many others will be fighting vigilantly to save the firehouse building.

[The Voice of Reason]

I and many others will be fighting vigilantly to save the firehouse building.

[mikel]

I hope you do fight for the facade. The building is not as key as its face. and the face can be saved while progress is served.

that way everyone wins

[beerbeer]

Mikel, LOL. Good one.

[mikel]

Mikel, LOL. Good one.

[beerbeer]

This building is not historic or important in any way. But I love how you are playing the board. I for one, ain't playing.

[mikel]

This building is not historic or important in any way. But I love how you are playing the board. I for one, ain't playing.

[The Voice of Reason]

That's great but you have no voice in the matter.

[mikel]

Mikel, sadly you have no voice either. wait thats not actually sad. but the point is that money talks. Open your checkbook if you really want to save that fire house. I for one am a huge fan of historic buildings, but I am not diluted enough to think that a small architecturally insignificant fire house from 1926 is so valuable to the city that it should stop the most significant project in Hartfords recent history.

You are trolling.

[beerbeer]

I think you should get a sign and stand in front of the fire house. Lay in front of the fire trucks to bring publicity to your cause.

[jcrc]

No, you are trolling. I'm contacting all relevant agencies.

[MichaelQReilly]

I'm not usually one to agree with Mikel, but I don't want to see this building go either. There is something very charming about old school, downtown firehouses like this one. I've always enjoyed this building when I drove by it and though that it went a long way toward maintaining the character of Pearl Street. Believe me, I want the new Northland tower as much as anyone, but too much of historic downtown is gone as it, do we really need to lose yet another piece?

[The Voice of Reason]

I'm not usually one to agree with Mikel, but I don't want to see this building go either. There is something very charming about old school, downtown firehouses like this one. I've always enjoyed this building when I drove by it and though that it went a long way toward maintaining the character of Pearl Street. Believe me, I want the new Northland tower as much as anyone, but too much of historic downtown is gone as it, do we really need to lose yet another piece?

[mikel]

MQR, the answer to that question, rhetorical as it may be, is dependent on perspective. To me this 400 unit condo is the tipping point for Hartford. This building is much more than just 400 more housing units downtown. So to me, there are a lot of things I am willing to give up in order to get this built. That being said, I would like the front of the fire house saved. In fact I already said the best way to use it in the design. but if I had to choose fire house vs condo. the condo still gets built. If I had to choose between the old YMCA and the condo, the YMCA stays. But to MikeL there is no middle ground.

I think there are others here in Hartford that would be ok with leveling the S. side of Pratt Street if a shiny building would be built.

I for one think projects that keep the old while breathing new life into it such as Goodwin Hotel tower. or 242 Trumbull street and the attatched N side of Pratt Street.

[dapapabear2]

No facade. The whole building. No historic building should be demolished for any reason. Hartford has lost too many already. Northland better be keeping up with the times or this project should not be allowed.

[MichaelQReilly]

Aside from the front and maybe the first floor on the street side there is nothing about that building that marks it as historical, inside you have basically a garage with offices, locker rooms etc upstairs correct? Has the original inside been preserved all these years? I would doubt it. What what would the city be losing if the outside was incorporated into the design of whatever goes up there. In NYC you can find plenty of old buildings that have been gutted and are used for parking garages. Some of the look horrible but it can be done without destroying the outward look. Yes, we have lost too many historical buildings here and should save as many as possible. But, realistically there has to be some value to saving a building aside from it looks good. A bunch of empty buildings sitting around just because they are historical doesn't make much sense. Your energies would be better used trying to save places like the CT Mutual building (ok, I have selfish reasons for wanting that one saved) or other buildings and neighborhoods that are threatened by "progress".

Dave

[Chessplayer]

I agree that the CT Mutual Building is in need of saving too. But I disagree with your premise that, because the building is unremarkable, its not worth keeping. Good neighborhoods are made up of most unremarkable buildings just like that firehouse. I'll admit, its loss wouldn't be the worst that the city has suffered. I know that losing this building might be necessary for the realization of the Northland project, which will be huge for the city. But I will still hate to see the firehouse go, it helps the street retain a "Penny Lane" like quality that is all but gone from the city. It helps make the area feel like a real neighborhood. In a city that still feels somewhat sterile at times, it will be a shame to lose.

[The Voice of Reason]

Good neighborhoods are made of people, of which this building provides none. The Northland project brings up to a thousand.

[shwoz]

Just build it!----Let mikel and his like whine all they want,as VoR said "money talks"

[MichaelQReilly]

If it came down to choice between the fire station and the new tower, of course I would chose the tower. All I ever really meant to say is that it is too bad that we would have to lose the building because I though it was a warm, handsome, functional building.