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Hotel Bond

tombarnes

By tombarnes
in Greater Hartford

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ctman987 Hamlet

ctman987

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Yes the hotel Bond is still up and it is crucial that something is in fact done with it whether it is through the current developer hurrying up the conversion of it into a Homewood Suites by Hilton or by someone else getting involved. In my opinion the city has taken the right actions because right now there is a lot of money being invested in downtown and so first of all there MAY be other parties interested in the site and second of all every developer doing something in Hartford has to follow the city building/construction/development regulations that for example require a certain number of minority workers at the site and sometimes impose a fine of $1,000 a day if the specified project is not completed at the time originally stated.

A few doors down from the hotel the former Ramada Inn was vacated but a little while ago was bought, renovated and converted into a Holiday Inn Express. The hotel is near Union Station, the Capital West Building which was just sold by the developer who is trying to convert the Bond and the new developer plans to convert the vacant office building into apartments, and a few doors down from the Bond are Metropolitan condos, Hartford 21 apartments at the Civic Center, the Goodwin Hotel and City Place 1 & 2 and Goodwin Square office buildings.

This at one time was an extremly grand hotel and thus something great needs to be done with it again.

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Luca Brasi Hamlet

Luca Brasi

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Robert Danial is the worst landlord in Hartford. He bought up a bunch of property downtown around 2000 at bargain prices and he sits on them to eventually sell and turn a profit.

He was responsible for that eyesore office building on Myrtle St, right next to I-84 by Union Place. He punched two huge gaping holes in the side of it and actually put billboards inside.

He has driven the stilts building into the ground by not maintaining it since he bought it. It has now been downgraded to class B office space and is over 90% empty because its tenants have all left.

He bought the Bond and began converting it into apartments in 2000. Then the project changed to a hotel renovation. Its 5 years later and its still nowhere near done. He is collecting the tax credits while stalling until someone offers to buy the building.

As for the hotel - I would make the smaller of the towers into apartments and restore the taller tower into a hotel... a very cool, hip boutique hotel with a restaurant/lounge on the ground floor.

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ctman987 Hamlet

ctman987

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Thats a great idea for the Bond!

Robert Danial is also a great disgrace to the city and to every single developer who is trying to make Hartford a better place.

One intresting thing I read on the Bond through an editorial in the Courant is that a family about a year ago signed a twenty year lease on the ballroom of the Bond Hotel and has spent one million dollars restoring it and they have hosted numerous functions such as weddings, meetings and parties and also employ 45 people.

The eyesore office building on Myrtle Street referred to as Capital Park West I beleive was sold to a Brooklyn developer who plans on turning it into apartments by redoing the entire exterior and converting the interior structure in apartments.

It is sad what has become of the Stilts building even though outside it looks very nice and even inside accpet for the fact that there are very few tenants and I am sure a driven developer who the right marketing techniques could fill up much of the office space as it is in a GREAT location.

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  • 1 month later...
Luca Brasi Hamlet

Luca Brasi

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I have a book called "Lost Hartford" which includes many shots like this. Probably the most startling is the shot of what now is Columbus Blvd. looking north from Talcott St. Today there is absolutely nothing but highway access ramps. 100 years ago it was a bustling street lined with buildings for as far as you could see.

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beerbeer Burg

beerbeer

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The Hartford Business Journal says the Bond will reopen in February 2006

This is part o the article in the current HBJ. "Despite the imbroglio between the owner of the building and the city, redevelopment of the Bond into a 107-room Hilton Homewood Suites by Mcsam Hartford LLC will continue unaffected, and Hilton executives appear pleased with the progress.

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beerbeer Burg

beerbeer

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The Courant continues to cite progress on the Bond even though February is long in the rear view mirror. According to them, the last touches are happening such as rugs and wall paper being put in. This project would add a lot to the city by bring the street alive between Black Eyed Sally's and Mayor Mikes.

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Luca Brasi Hamlet

Luca Brasi

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I drove by the Bond today and took a look at what was going on. Unfortunately, the large arches that were originally doors on Asylum (but had been bricked over in the 1970's) have been "re-cemented" and painted. This is extremely disappointing because I thought they were going to reopen these 3 entrances in order to open the building up to Asylum St. again and improve the streetscape. We are once again left with a concrete bunker feel. Only the entrance in the smaller tower looks like it is going to be restored.

What happened?

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GHartford Whistle-Stop

GHartford

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I drove by the Bond today and took a look at what was going on. Unfortunately, the large arches that were originally doors on Asylum (but had been bricked over in the 1970's) have been "re-cemented" and painted. This is extremely disappointing because I thought they were going to reopen these 3 entrances in order to open the building up to Asylum St. again and improve the streetscape. We are once again left with a concrete bunker feel. Only the entrance in the smaller tower looks like it is going to be restored.

What happened?

I saw the same thing. It looks terrible! The last thing that area needs is another solid wall with no winows. Of course the Bond's renovation is a positive, but how much if it adds nothing to the streetscape??

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Luca Brasi Hamlet

Luca Brasi

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Im not impressed with what they've done at street level. Its nothing like what was planned when this project started. Since we haven't heard anything about a new restaurant opening, I'm in fear of what it may be.

Hopefully, the restaurant will eventually blow out those huge arch windows/doors onto Asylum? I'm hoping here.... right now there is only one entrance on Asylum which doesn't bode well for a nice restaurant which almost certainly would have its own street entrance.

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beerbeer Burg

beerbeer

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New Bond Hotel News found at

www.magnahospitality.com

Check on the right side of the page.

Active Developments:

Magna to manage the Homewood Suites by Hilton, located in the historic former Bond Hotel in Hartford, Connecticut. The Hotel Bond originally opened its doors in September 1921. In the grand tradition of spectacular downtown hotels, the 12-story Hotel Bond included a penthouse ballroom, gilt chandeliers, rose and gray damask Louis XIV drapes and 17 towering, arched windows that presented unobstructed views of surrounding Hartford. The Homewood Suites is scheduled to open late summer 2006.

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ctman987 Hamlet

ctman987

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Sounds good to me...walked by there Saturday and was happy to see a small white sign that said "Homewood Suites by Hilton Opening Summer 2006" so at least out of towner and some suburbanites can know there is active work going on inside and that it is not just another abandoned building

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