Aetna Building Projects in Asylum Hill

[HartfordTycoon]

Courant Article

Good to see the company bolstering it's stake in the city and the Asylum Hill neighborhood.

The shortage and expense of parking in downtown Hartford and surrounding areas has long made it difficult to attract and keep businesses in the city.

The lure of free parking in the suburbs was a factor in MetLife's decision to move to Bloomfield next year and take 1,300 employees out of Hartford's central business district.

But in Asylum Hill, a $27 million project now underway will bring nearly 1,150 parking spaces to the corporate campus of health insurer Aetna Inc. The nine-level parking garage now rising above Flower Street is a prelude to the transfer of about 4,000 workers from the insurer's Middletown campus by the end of 2010.

[beerbeer]

Parking is the biggest problem the city has. The reason? It is not run to serve the public. City officials use it as a political payoff. And theses idiots can't add two and two and figure out why thousands of jobs leave the city. Very sad.

[MadVlad]

I was wondering what that construct was.

[beerbeer]

The area highlighted in red is the surface parking lot across the the street (west) of the train station.

I have advocated building a parking lot on this virtually useless parcel for many years. You could put a garage here that parked 1,800 cars (maybe more). Such a garage would serve two functions. It would provide adequate parking downtown for major corporations like MetLife. In the evening it would provide parking for entertainment venues downtown and be able to accommodate increased volume for events like first night or Bushnell Park events.

It ain't sexy and it isn't a high rise. But it would be one of the most important structures downtown.

[MadVlad]

The area highlighted in red is the surface parking lot across the the street (west) of the train station.

I have advocated building a parking lot on this virtually useless parcel for many years. You could put a garage here that parked 1,800 cars (maybe more). Such a garage would serve two functions. It would provide adequate parking downtown for major corporations like MetLife. In the evening it would provide parking for entertainment venues downtown and be able to accommodate increased volume for events like first night or Bushnell Park events.

It ain't sexy and it isn't a high rise. But it would be one of the most important structures downtown.

[robm324]

How about parking with residential above it?

[T52]

You know, I like that idea a lot for that spot, Vlad. In my opinion, anything within a stones throw of Bushnell and the Capitol is still an undervalued asset in Hartford. A tower right at the edge of the Park and in that section of town would have great views of the park, the rest of the City and the valley on up to Springfield.

[beerbeer]

I understand the parking lot/high rise concept but I think that this should be a city project. And given the powers that be, if they were able to build the parking lot I would be astonished.

Also since the parcel backs up to the highway, that diminishes its lure as residential. The highway is noisy and not a pretty view for apartments on the west side.

I completely agree Aetna deserves kudos for stepping up.

[MadVlad]

I understand the parking lot/high rise concept but I think that this should be a city project. And given the powers that be, if they were able to build the parking lot I would be astonished.

Also since the parcel backs up to the highway, that diminishes its lure as residential. The highway is noisy and not a pretty view for apartments on the west side.

I completely agree Aetna deserves kudos for stepping up.

[drc72]

I was wondering what that construct was.