PROPOSED-STALLED: Westbrook Village and Bowles Park Redevelopment

[MadVlad]

So, reading the Courant today (plenty of good articles in there today, please go buy it), there's a story about the deterioration of some of the remaining housing projects in the city, in this case Westbrook Village and Bowles Park. They will be knocked down, but in the mean time, they are BRUTAL. Having worked in those buildings, I wouldn't want a stray cat to live in some of the apartments (having saved a few myself) never mind people and children. Great area, those buildings should (and are, I guess) be knocked down. They abut the University of Hartford, and it could create a great student housing and/or recreation area if some cheap shops etc were put in there (don't think that's the plan). I only skimmed the 2 articles I'm going to post, but the sooner these places get torn down, the better in my opinion....

Older Article from last September

Today's Courant article

Enjoy

[HartfordTycoon]

So, reading the Courant today (plenty of good articles in there today, please go buy it), there's a story about the deterioration of some of the remaining housing projects in the city, in this case Westbrook Village and Bowles Park. They will be knocked down, but in the mean time, they are BRUTAL. Having worked in those buildings, I wouldn't want a stray cat to live in some of the apartments (having saved a few myself) never mind people and children. Great area, those buildings should (and are, I guess) be knocked down. They abut the University of Hartford, and it could create a great student housing and/or recreation area if some cheap shops etc were put in there (don't think that's the plan). I only skimmed the 2 articles I'm going to post, but the sooner these places get torn down, the better in my opinion....

Older Article from last September

Today's Courant article

Enjoy

I think the idea for those areas is mixed use/ mixed income. That area could support heavy retail. Bowles Park down Granby to Bloomfield is a few blocks to Home Depot, Capaco, and Lowes and abuts UHart. Westbrook is next door to the in progress Hartt/UHart Performing Arts Center and leads to Mark Twain Drive which will be redone and opened up as an entrance to the school once Westbrook is rebuilt. This area is a stones throw away from West Hartford, the West End, and Blue Hills. New Housing and retail will be a great success there.

[The Voice of Reason]

Apparently the $300 million plan to re build Westbrook Village is close to falling through

Hartford housing authority is trying to change the terms, Corcoran are not willing to budge

I have dealt with hartford housing as an owner of a section 8 multi family. Lets just say that I prefer other agencies and will take one of their tennants reluctantly only.

http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-hartf...,0,894945.story

[Afro Saxon]

I think the idea for those areas is mixed use/ mixed income. That area could support heavy retail. Bowles Park down Granby to Bloomfield is a few blocks to Home Depot, Capaco, and Lowes and abuts UHart. Westbrook is next door to the in progress Hartt/UHart Performing Arts Center and leads to Mark Twain Drive which will be redone and opened up as an entrance to the school once Westbrook is rebuilt. This area is a stones throw away from West Hartford, the West End, and Blue Hills. New Housing and retail will be a great success there.

So much potential in that area. How do I know we are going to let this go to waste.

[HartfordTycoon]

So much potential in that area. How do I know we are going to let this go to waste.

I really hope not. It's really much to important to let that happen and while I'm concerned with what happens to the residents there it really is more important at this point to figure out what helps Hartford truly improve it's neighborhoods. I'm looking for a place now and I'm not finding anything I like in my price range in the city. That would be a nice spot for me if something nice existed.

[The Voice of Reason]

has anyone ever seen plans for what was planned?

There is nothing on their web site.

not hartford housing not Corcoran Jennison

http://www.corcoranjennison.com/

[HartfordTycoon]

has anyone ever seen plans for what was planned?

There is nothing on their web site.

not hartford housing not Corcoran Jennison

http://www.corcoranjennison.com/

The only thing I've seen is this. Westbrook Village Plans from The Land Planner

Looks like retail/commercial fronting Albany with housing going back to Plainfield St.

[Afro Saxon]

I really hope not. It's really much to important to let that happen and while I'm concerned with what happens to the residents there it really is more important at this point to figure out what helps Hartford truly improve it's neighborhoods. I'm looking for a place now and I'm not finding anything I like in my price range in the city. That would be a nice spot for me if something nice existed.

In regards to moving the resident of the project most of the residents do not seem to be from West Brook or even this side of town, I'm not sure about BP to be honest. That would be a great area to live in, close to Jamaican and Soul food spots, Bishop Corner, Barber Shops on Albany, both Keney Park and Elizabeth Parks with-in walking distance. I am optimistic but scared to get my hopes up.

[HartfordTycoon]

This just blows.

Hartford Courant

Courant.com

Hartford Housing Authority Ends Talks With Developer

The Hartford Courant

9:54 PM EDT, May 12, 2009

Click here to find out more!

It's back to the beginning for Westbrook Village and Bowles Park.

The Hartford Housing Authority has worked for years on plans to tear down the roughly 770 units of state-built public housing and build anew on the sought-after land near the University of Hartford. Since 2006, it has tried to negotiate a deal with the Boston-based developer Corcoran Jennison.

But Tuesday night, the housing authority board's decided to end its talks with Corcoran Jennison

[The Voice of Reason]

I am begining to see more and more why you guys, and others end up losing faith in this city and reside to it always being less than it can be

[HartfordTycoon]

I am begining to see more and more why you guys, and others end up losing faith in this city and reside to it always being less than it can be

Seriously, it's really not freakin rocket science to get this thing turned around. The ineptitude of our leaders at both the municipal and state level is appalling.

[HartfordTycoon]

The Courant has a pretty spot on editorial about what needs to be done here. I think getting CCEDA involved may be helpful.

Hartford Courant

The project represents the biggest development opportunity in the city. It is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to redefine the University of Hartford campus, to create a mixed-use, mixed-income community that connects the school to the Albany Avenue corridor while providing better housing and possibly job opportunities for current tenants. The land abuts the lightly-used Griffin rail line that goes from Hartford to Bloomfield and Windsor, which could allow a transit-oriented development. The University of Connecticut is building a kind of college town adjacent to the campus in Storrs, which will add another dimension to the UConn campus. An urban version of the same thing could provide the same benefits to the University of Hartford and the Upper Albany and Blue Hills neighborhoods.

[Afro Saxon]

I have to question the wisdom of keeping the current tenets. We have enough low income housing in the North End, not sure why this should continue on as such. This land can be used to lure back those we have lost to Windsor and Bloomfield over the last few decades.

[beash19]

I have to question the wisdom of keeping the current tenets. We have enough low income housing in the North End, not sure why this should continue on as such. This land can be used to lure back those we have lost to Windsor and Bloomfield over the last few decades.

I'm with you. If the place is in such disarray now with the current tenants, why allow them to stay and turn whatever becomes of it, back into what is already there? The tenants need to be replaced. You need to give outsiders from other towns and other parts of Hartford a reason to move there. Help UHart with not only some housing options for their students but also with their current safety problems. Build a buffer for the University with Hartford police rather than campus police authority.

[MadVlad]

I have to question the wisdom of keeping the current tenets. We have enough low income housing in the North End, not sure why this should continue on as such. This land can be used to lure back those we have lost to Windsor and Bloomfield over the last few decades.

Perfectly worded and a point we've been making for years. Hartford has PLENTY of low income housing, making more is stupid. The problem is that once housing that was low income is on a magic list to become non-low-income, suddenly a crop of people appear telling the city it's being unfair to the poor, at which point the city folds thinking that these are the people that voted them in. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy....

[The Voice of Reason]

it is a tough place.

I think that the real problem here us technical or legal term versus reality.

Low Income housing is a legal term.

market rate is a legal term.

most of hartford is market rate housing.

the problem is that the market rate in much of hartford is so cheap that people with little or no legal income can afford it, there for it becomes a lower income area or poor area or whatever ya want to call it.

the low income controlled housing is actually a step up from our poor areas. you have to live to a certain standard to get low income housing.

not saying its right, just that this deviation is what the problem is here.

we need controlled middle income development.

"projects" for the middle class downtown

[The Voice of Reason]

This is back in the news again.

 

http://courantblogs.com/ct-real-estate/city-seeks-redevelopment-proposals-for-north-end-housing-complexes/

 

Thewre was some mention in regards to the Albany Ave redevelopment corredore thing, but this is seemingly an actual RFP.

 

Not sure what will happen in the long run but it would be great if they could be inproved to at least be a neautral influence on the area and not a negative influence.  Blue Hills was/is middle class, but middle class with some issues.  mauybe call it lower middle class?  The proximity of the projects have hurt the area and its possible that without the negative influence that this area could rise up a bit and have a better perception.  I know that my above statements might be disagreed with by HT who is from the area, but in perception at least the area is lower class working families with some "ghetto" elements that walk through from time to time.  Tn reality is better than that, and hopefully with the housing project removed or redeveloped the area can geain the better reputation it deserves.  Also maybe even show some improvement because it really is actually flose to the university and that should help pull up property values if there isnt a housing project seperating the two.

 

[HartfordTycoon]

http://www.courant.com/business/real-estate/hc-bowles-westbrook-redevelopment-20140130,0,1608527.story

 

Here we go again. Trying to develop this all as one project was asinine as was the initial rejection of the Corcoran Jennison proposal for Westbrook village. These are two very different locations although they aren't far from one another. Redevelopment of Westbrook Village is vital as it is around the corner from Hartford's most prestigious neighborhood and is on one of the most heavily traveled thoroughfares into the city. It is an eyesore, is barely occupied, and just needs to go. The potential for this area is great in my opinion. I grew up on nearby Canterbury St., which is actually solidly middle to upper middle class. The neighborhood is trying to hold on but it needs to get quality development nearby. Folks with the money to live elsewhere are not going to stay there forever and much of the younger generation have already moved to the burbs or out of CT to places like DC, Atlanta, NYC, etc. Much of the middle class in these neighborhoods welcome the prospect of gentrification. Let's just get on with it.

 

Bowles Park also has the potential to be much better than what it currently is. That area is not that bad either, it's pretty much just Bowles Park that is really dragging down what could be a middle class neighborhood on the border with Bloomfield.

[The Voice of Reason]

These are like icebergs in the North Atlantic it seems.  very slow to do anything, and probably opretty scary to take on for most develkopers.

 

Heck, Dutch Point is still not done being redeveloped, so I can understand why this takes forver.  Let hope though for all the reasons HT mentions.  its just crazy that there are "projects" next to Mansions and a University.