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Pope Commons

redbaron

By redbaron
in Greater Hartford

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MadVlad Town

MadVlad

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Just found this link from reading the Courant's "Keys to the city"

Pope Commons - Looks like it will (or hopefully will) replace that little strip mall by Pope park on th corner of Park and Laurel. Just another plus for rejuvinated park street.

Wow, that looks really great. That strip mall has been horrible since Bradlees left....

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JHChris280 Unincorporated Area

JHChris280

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Just found this link from reading the Courant's "Keys to the city"

Pope Commons - Looks like it will (or hopefully will) replace that little strip mall by Pope park on th corner of Park and Laurel. Just another plus for rejuvinated park street.

I think this goes a long way towards bridging the gap between the "two" Park Streets while also benefiting from continued redevelopment in Parkville. From 84 the current plaza looks about as unappealing to drivers as possible. With all the traffic the current plaza acts as sort of an unofficial "gateway" to the neighborhood. The current state of the building is far from inviting and I would think, from an outsiders perspective, screams "Don't get off this exit."

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redbaron Whistle-Stop

redbaron

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That's great news. I think Amenta, the guy behind Plaza Mayor is behind this as well. I knew he bought the plaza, but didn't know he planned such a dramatic redevolopment. That's great.

I believe the developers are Westside Property Management which have been doing most of the redevelopment of Park Street. I think they are trying to convert that whole area to a art/design mecca.

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MadVlad Town

MadVlad

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I believe the developers are Westside Property Management which have been doing most of the redevelopment of Park Street. I think they are trying to convert that whole area to a art/design mecca.

Well, they have a great headstart, the building diagonally across the street is incredibly remade. They will be offereing loft apartments in there soon....

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drc72 Burg

drc72

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Just found this link from reading the Courant's "Keys to the city"

Pope Commons - Looks like it will (or hopefully will) replace that little strip mall by Pope park on th corner of Park and Laurel. Just another plus for rejuvinated park street.

I didn't even know Plaza mayor was approved. It's to bad it had to be scaled back.

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MadVlad Town

MadVlad

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I didn't even know Plaza mayor was approved. It's to bad it had to be scaled back.

It didn't HAVE to be scaled back, it had to be returned to what they really wanted to build, which isn't the design they submitted. This is getting to be Hartford's M.O., promise a rose, deliver a dandelion. First the Sage Allen, now this. We could even look as far back as Constitution Plaza to see this happening....

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mikel Hamlet

mikel

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Plaza Mayor was not "Improved." The original plans were complletely appropriate to every but a few powerful home owners who didn't want their views blocked. NIMBY at its worst.

Right. We really need two more ugly half-empty apartment highrises. For those of us who really want Hartford to work, this new plaza plan is light-years ahead of the old tower plan.

I also do not live on Park Street, so I cannot be counted as a NIMBY, but the old plan sucked pretty much to everyone except those who are only interested in what Hartford looks like 'from the highway'...

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MadVlad Town

MadVlad

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Right. We really need two more ugly half-empty apartment highrises. For those of us who really want Hartford to work, this new plaza plan is light-years ahead of the old tower plan.

I also do not live on Park Street, so I cannot be counted as a NIMBY, but the old plan sucked pretty much to everyone except those who are only interested in what Hartford looks like 'from the highway'...

Remind me which apartment highrises are half empty? If you mean Hartford21, it's not even finished yet....

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Luca Brasi Hamlet

Luca Brasi

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An 11 and 17 story residential tower would have fit perfectly in that neighborhood with Travelers and Bushnell Plaza a few blocks north and the medical building on Hudson and the Hartford Hospital complex a block or two south. The heights of the new towers would have blended perfectly. It would have been a perfect gateway to a bustling neighborhood in an area in need of improvement.

If you want to talk about a development that's out of place, talk about the Sheldon Charter Oak apartments. Ironically, those are the people who complain loudest about developments like this and nothing looks more out of place downtown than the buildings they live in.

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redbaron Whistle-Stop

redbaron

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Getting back to Pope Commons, I'd like to see the retail tied into the Bartholomew St. stores - home improvement/renovation, furniture, etc. It could become the design district in Hartford.

Westside owns all those properties, I think that is their goal.

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Luca Brasi Hamlet

Luca Brasi

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I was parked in front of the Sheldon /Charter Oak apartments today (I worked in the Candy Cane building). Why is that still there? It looks stupid juxtaposed between the Candy Cane and Smith tower....

If I showed you a picture of what was there before, you'd cry. Streets of rowhouses with big broad sidewalks from Charter Oak to Arch St. All bulldozed for for Smith Tower and Sheldon Charter Oak apartments. They even removed the street grid which left The Polish National Home sideways to Charter Oak (the street that ran in front of it was removed).

The entire neighborhood should be razed (like Dutch Point), the rowhouses brought back and the street grid should be restored.

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HartfordTycoon Town

HartfordTycoon

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If I showed you a picture of what was there before, you'd cry. Streets of rowhouses with big broad sidewalks from Charter Oak to Arch St. All bulldozed for for Smith Tower and Sheldon Charter Oak apartments. They even removed the street grid which left The Polish National Home sideways to Charter Oak (the street that ran in front of it was removed).

The entire neighborhood should be razed (like Dutch Point), the rowhouses brought back and the street grid should be restored.

I'd certainly agree with that.

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Yankee.Peddler Whistle-Stop

Yankee.Peddler

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Folks, I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of this proposal. While it is an obvious asthetic improvement over the former Bradlees building, it nonetheless remains a glorified strip mall with a large parking lot surrounding it. I don't think it will provide a better link between Parkville and Frog Hollow. I also don't think it will attract the kind of "exclusive" retail and "upscale" dining the website suggests. You're going to successfully lure people from Farmington and Avon to this site? I don't think so. Yes, the site sits directly off I-84, but -- as we all know -- it's not exactly "immediately accessible" from the highway. Sisson Avenue is the closest exit and that requires a few left turns and probably a mile of city driving before you reach the parking lot.

Friends of Pope Park have done a great job thus far revitalizing this Hartford gem. The Bradlees building sits directly across from it. Instead of building another strip mall, why not build a mixed-use development with true streetside retail and lofts overlooking the park?

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redbaron Whistle-Stop

redbaron

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My thoughts exactly. I didn't want to seem negative, but why not build these buildings right up on the sidewalk like other streets in the neighborhood to help create density and more action on the street? The parking could go behind this development. Strip malls are awful.

It's not your typical strip mall as shown by the plans, with some retail streetside and on street parking. It appears that they are trying to stay within the current footprint of the existing site. Probably a lot cheaper to do so then regrading that whole parcel. It's such an eyesore right now, this would be a huge improvement. I hope the stick with the art/design theme that exists at westsides properties in the area, the location on a whole could become a draw to indeed bring in suburbanites.

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Bill Mocarsky Hamlet

Bill Mocarsky

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Folks, I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of this proposal. While it is an obvious asthetic improvement over the former Bradlees building, it nonetheless remains a glorified strip mall with a large parking lot surrounding it. I don't think it will provide a better link between Parkville and Frog Hollow. I also don't think it will attract the kind of "exclusive" retail and "upscale" dining the website suggests. You're going to successfully lure people from Farmington and Avon to this site? I don't think so. Yes, the site sits directly off I-84, but -- as we all know -- it's not exactly "immediately accessible" from the highway. Sisson Avenue is the closest exit and that requires a few left turns and probably a mile of city driving before you reach the parking lot.

Friends of Pope Park have done a great job thus far revitalizing this Hartford gem. The Bradlees building sits directly across from it. Instead of building another strip mall, why not build a mixed-use development with true streetside retail and lofts overlooking the park?

My thoughts exactly. I didn't want to seem negative, but why not build these buildings right up on the sidewalk like other streets in the neighborhood to help create density and more action on the street? The parking could go behind this development. Strip malls are awful.

If I remember correctly, the parking lot is sunken below Park Street. Even several years ago I thought that stores should front on the street, above the parking.

I would also take look at the corner of Laurel and Park Streets as a gateway to the complex.

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