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3 Developers Propose Major Project in Bloomfield


HartfordTycoon

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There are some pretty big plans in the works for this area that have been a long time coming. Looks like something will definitely happen there at some point in the near future now. The 2 proposals unveiled already call for a mix of residential and retail/commercial all built in several phases. One proposal also calls for an 80 room hotel. Thinks are looking pretty good for Bloomfield.

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Why exactly do you feel this is a bad idea? This area is already developed and the infrastucture needs to be totally overhauled. It's already on a busy commercial corridor that is growing. This seems in line with logical development patterns to me. It should be part of a larger plan to redevelop the entire Cottage Grove, Granby Street area from Copaco all the way to Bowles Park. Bloomfield has done pretty well in my opinion with keeping rural areas of town rural and steering development to already developed areas.
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I feel that it's yet one more example of a suburb that is thumbing it's nose at the core city that it largely depends on. Is it good for Bloomfield, sure, they're having a great week. They have syphoned yet one more company from Hartford and are now trying to keep their citizens in their own town. Good for them, yet another blow to the Hartford area, in my opinion. This isn't good for the region, that would imply they are using regional thinking when in fact they are using local thinking. A great local decision, a bad regional decision. Just my opinion.
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There are some pretty big plans in the works for this area that have been a long time coming. Looks like something will definitely happen there at some point in the near future now. The 2 proposals unveiled already call for a mix of residential and retail/commercial all built in several phases. One proposal also calls for an 80 room hotel. Thinks are looking pretty good for Bloomfield.

Courant Article

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I agree with MadVlad's view on this is the continuation of the suburbs taking away from the very core city is depends on. But development cant be stopped sometimes. What I want to ask is....is the developer sure whatever is built will be fully occupied? Will the retail space be fully leased? Will the office space be fully leased? etc...

Towns like West Hartford, Avon, Glastonbury, etc. have trouble attracting retail tenants because of the cost of rents and these are very reputable towns...towns where many businesses could do great. Is there really enough retail and office tenants to go around in an area of the country that is really more expensive then other areas...like the south for example

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I agree with MadVlad's view on this is the continuation of the suburbs taking away from the very core city is depends on. But development cant be stopped sometimes. What I want to ask is....is the developer sure whatever is built will be fully occupied? Will the retail space be fully leased? Will the office space be fully leased? etc...

Towns like West Hartford, Avon, Glastonbury, etc. have trouble attracting retail tenants because of the cost of rents and these are very reputable towns...towns where many businesses could do great. Is there really enough retail and office tenants to go around in an area of the country that is really more expensive then other areas...like the south for example

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I don't like the fact that MetLife is moving to Bloomfield one bit, and generally, I condemn the office park development of open space in the suburbs. I do, however, appreciate Tycoon's point that this area--Cottage Grove--is integrated with the northern part of Blue Hills. Moreover, it's already-developed. The one thing I'll say for MetLife's departure is that it's to an existing building--not something I can say for ING. New urbanists, smart growth, fair growth--whatever you call them--planners are about redeveloping existing infrastructure before building anew. And, the trend has been toward "exurbs"--the outer-ring suburbs. Cottage grove is as "inner ring" as you can get. So, frankly, is Blue Back Square. I always would champion redevelopment in Hartford over development/redevelopment in the burbs. That said, I'm all for redeveloping an inner-ring area, as it's better news than a new big box development / 1-acre single family lots in Canton or Windsor.

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Even though MetLife is a hot topic im not going to discuss in this section....

But I do agree that this area of Bloomfield is becomming very hot but even the retail metropolis of Buckland and of the Berlin Turnpike has vacancies and trouble attracting tenants sometimes. This doesnt mean new things arent coming to these areas, for example look at Stew Leonards but older plazas may have trouble. Even hot retail markets like some in Manhattan have trouble leasing.

This is all because of the cost of doing business in the northeast. Yes parking may be free in Bloomfield as opposed to Hartford or Manhattan but the electricity, water, heat, the lease itself, etc are all not free. Costs of doing business as well as living in the south and southwest is much cheaper and something the northeast must deal with

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Bloomfield must be the new West Hartford... :rolleyes: This is exactly what shouldn't be happening. The area should be attempting to funnel people into Hartford, this is funneling people out of Hartford. You guys readily admit how close this is to Blue Hills, so instead of the people from Blue Hills being drawn even further into the city, they are being drawn away. Awesome idea!! Why not build up Blue Hills? That's the area that needs a little love, not Bloomfield....

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Bloomfield must be the new West Hartford... :rolleyes: This is exactly what shouldn't be happening. The area should be attempting to funnel people into Hartford, this is funneling people out of Hartford. You guys readily admit how close this is to Blue Hills, so instead of the people from Blue Hills being drawn even further into the city, they are being drawn away. Awesome idea!! Why not build up Blue Hills? That's the area that needs a little love, not Bloomfield....
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Even though MetLife is a hot topic im not going to discuss in this section....

But I do agree that this area of Bloomfield is becomming very hot but even the retail metropolis of Buckland and of the Berlin Turnpike has vacancies and trouble attracting tenants sometimes.

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I totally disagree with the Buckland comment. I've yet to see an empty storefront and in fact they fill them as fast as they build them. I just watched two new "centers" go in and are already at capacity and they are expanding the Evergreen walk already. An old shopping center was knocked down and a BJ's is being built there. Two new restaurants just opened too. The one empty strip mall which isn't even in the Buckland area has been purchased and being demolished for a new 18 acre retail center.

Buckland doesn't have a problem attracting anything, right now it's white hot...I see it in real time as I live here.

Well said.

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I agree, however Blue Hills doesn't have any developable land for this type of project currently. If we do, I have surely missed it. That's why we must wait until Westbrook Village and Bowles Park are razed. This project will help the area become even more attractive to developers and thus will improve the final products on both reinvented housing projects, Bowles Park and Westbrook. This is a section of Bloomfield that can use a little love too. It's not about competition either way. Just because something is being built in Bloomfield, doesn't mean it should have been built in Hartford. Developments must serve the needs of their surroundings and go places that make regional sense. Just wanting to lump every new development in Hartford just so it's within city limits doesn't make sense and is not a responsible regional approach to development.
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Bloomfield is doing well lately. This area is close to the North End of Hartford and even the population in this area of Bloomfield is somewhat underserved by retail in my opinion. I still feel this is a good developement for the Blue Hills and Bloomfield areas. This area is already developed as housing, but the infrastructure like the sewage system, sidewalks, streets, etc. all need to be redeveloped. The single family homes currently on the site are not spectacular and the residents are ready to sell to the developer as this will be the best offer coming along for them. I know that this is suburban development, but it's in an already dense area that can use revitalization. Refer to my previous post as to why this is in line with the plan of development for adjacent Hartford neighborhoods.

Bloomfield has no trouble attracting tenants. Copaco is filled to capacity and a New IHOP is currently under construction there. There is a Lowes that opened few years ago and Home Depot has been there for probably close to five years now. There's the brand new golf course at Gillette Ridge further west on cottage grove near Cigna and as we all know Metlife is moving into that area. There is also the Hawthorne at Gillete Ridge Apartment complex that just weeks ago was sold shattering the sales price records for rental housing in all of Central CT. Near there is a new retail plaza with a Ruby Tuesday, Starbucks, and Simsbury Bank and Trust Branch that is doing very well. Bloomfield rents are affordable and it's a good community to do business in. I also own a business located in the Town Center myself.

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