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H.B. Davis Building

mikel

By mikel
in Greater Hartford

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mikel Hamlet

mikel

Posted
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Can anyone tell us more about the H.B. Davis Building?

It's the brick building on the corner of Trumbull and Main that is currently empty.

So far I have this (thank you Tom Condon):

* It is a sturdy, well-proportioned, beige-brick commercial building.

* It is an attractive background building in any city in the world.

* It once was home to a thriving department and catalog store and later turned to offices.

Does anyone else have more history and information on this building, such as when it was built, who were the tenants? Any old pictures on this building would be great.

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spatulashack Whistle-Stop

spatulashack

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Im very lost on where exactly this building is.......whats around it??

Nothing. It's right past the Hilton on your left. It sits directly above I-84 and it is sort of on it's own island. I don't see how the building could ever be properly incorporated into the fabric of downtown without an entire row of buildings on both sides. Either way, something has to be done.

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ctman Whistle-Stop

ctman

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what is going on with that building? there has been staging set up around it for a while, any news?

what about capital west, anything new there, or do we now have a windowless eyesore right on the highway, soon to be an artifact of the 2006 real estate bust, much like the surface lots are artifacts of the 1988-1992 bust?

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JimSawhill Hamlet

JimSawhill

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Can anyone tell us more about the H.B. Davis Building?

It's the brick building on the corner of Trumbull and Main that is currently empty.

So far I have this (thank you Tom Condon):

* It is a sturdy, well-proportioned, beige-brick commercial building.

* It is an attractive background building in any city in the world.

* It once was home to a thriving department and catalog store and later turned to offices.

Does anyone else have more history and information on this building, such as when it was built, who were the tenants? Any old pictures on this building would be great.

The H. B. Davis Building was the home of H. B. Davis Catalogue showroom. It operated until 1973, when H. B. Davis went bankrupt. It had some nice merchandise (jewerly and stuff) but the store closed up after someone 'borrowed' jewerly from the store and the police didn't want to do anything about the area. (That was just after the roits, so the relations between the police and the citizens were at a low point.)

I know I liked the store, but after 1970, when my parents were in there -- one of the employees was rude - so my parents went to 'Value House' (the former name of Servise Merchandise) in West Hartford (where Wild Oats is now.)

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uconn99 Hamlet

uconn99

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The H. B. Davis Building was the home of H. B. Davis Catalogue showroom. It operated until 1973, when H. B. Davis went bankrupt. It had some nice merchandise (jewerly and stuff) but the store closed up after someone 'borrowed' jewerly from the store and the police didn't want to do anything about the area. (That was just after the roits, so the relations between the police and the citizens were at a low point.)

I know I liked the store, but after 1970, when my parents were in there -- one of the employees was rude - so my parents went to 'Value House' (the former name of Servise Merchandise) in West Hartford (where Wild Oats is now.)

Sorry to go off topic but Service Merchandise is starting a new life again in the online retail industry.

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Theophrastus Bombastus Hamlet

Theophrastus Bombastus

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Posted

Hallelujah!!!

Eyesore Easing Toward Oblivion

Land Deal Expected To Spur Work At Site

October 27, 2006

By JEFFREY B. COHEN, Courant Staff Writer A run-down, boarded-up building off I-84 that the city has called a "butt ugly" eyesore appears closer to demolition, clearing the way for construction of upscale condominiums on the site.

http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-ctbut...headlines-local

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robm324 Whistle-Stop

robm324

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The condo project sounds great. You figure if we end up with a compromise of Plan A and Plan B you get around a 12-14 story building. Hopefully the housing market does not get too soft over the next 2-3 years so the we keep the developer's interest.

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mikel Hamlet

mikel

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The parking lots are more of an eyesore than the building itself.

If there is not a 100% guarantee that the land will be redeveloped, the building should remain.

In fact, it's a nice building, I don't see why they cannot incorporate the building into the plans. Just keep the facade. Don't keep screwing up Hartford...

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Bill Mocarsky Hamlet

Bill Mocarsky

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The parking lots are more of an eyesore than the building itself.

If there is not a 100% guarantee that the land will be redeveloped, the building should remain.

In fact, it's a nice building, I don't see why they cannot incorporate the building into the plans. Just keep the facade. Don't keep screwing up Hartford...

Any building has the potential to be a butt ugly building. Just tear everything around it down and board it up.

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Luca Brasi Hamlet

Luca Brasi

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Any development north of 84 downtown would be welcome. Ever since the the failed Lafayette Place (late 80's) and Wynn's Casino complex(early 90's), nothing has even been proposed for that land.

While we all love high rises, I'll take 6-7 stories any day. As long as it is built in a way to create density in the neighbnorhood.

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drc72 Burg

drc72

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The parking lots are more of an eyesore than the building itself.

If there is not a 100% guarantee that the land will be redeveloped, the building should remain.

In fact, it's a nice building, I don't see why they cannot incorporate the building into the plans. Just keep the facade. Don't keep screwing up Hartford...

I tend to see your point on this one. Hopefully the buyer will make good on his condo plan once the building is demolished.

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Yankee.Peddler Whistle-Stop

Yankee.Peddler

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I'm surprised that this condo plan is still in the works given the softening housing market. I know the building is an eyesore. However, I am not in support of it being torn down unless the developer is fully committed to building on the site. The last thing Hartford needs -- especially the area north of I-84 -- is another vacant lot.

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drc72 Burg

drc72

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This building sits in the middle of a vacant lot. Tearing it down, which should have been done years ago, will enhance the value of this parcel.

Yeah but look at all the valuable parking lots around town. These are prime pieces of property that have not been developed yet. If the buyer doesn't make good on his promise, at least the building will be there, and it can be developed into something else instead.

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