PROPOSED: The Pearl aka 95-101 Pearl Street

[HartfordTycoon]

To be fair, while I don't think it should win any awards, there is nothing really wrong with the building. In fact, the only real change I would make is to get rid of the recess between the sidewalk and the windowfronts, and if the rendering is anything to go by, the developer plans to do that.

Exactly, that's all the building needs on the exterior. To be made to look new again and to interact with the street.

[Hartford to WH]

where did those pictures come from? when I get to the office tomorrow I'll upload some renders and floorplans that were sent to me as part of some advance press for this project. They were different from what was uploaded earlier (by Chessplayer). Were those from Crosskey Architects? That is the architect for the project.

[Chessplayer]

where did those pictures come from? when I get to the office tomorrow I'll upload some renders and floorplans that were sent to me as part of some advance press for this project. They were different from what was uploaded earlier (by Chessplayer). Were those from Crosskey Architects? That is the architect for the project.

No, they were from Chritiaan Dinkenloo Associates; perhaps they're from a previous version of the project? The floorplans meshed with what we were told to expect, so I thought they were legit.

http://www.dinkeloo.com/95_pearl_street.htm

Anyway, hopefully the actual renderings show a better product.

[The Voice of Reason]

this was from Crosskey web site

[Hartford to WH]

From Crosskey:

http://i309.photobucket.com/albums/kk379/c...cs/Picture3.png

From presentation:

http://i309.photobucket.com/albums/kk379/c...arl_facade1.jpg

http://i309.photobucket.com/albums/kk379/c..._Page_2copy.jpg

I don't have all of them as digital files; I'll try scanning them later. The apartment floorplan represents the middle floors; higher floors will have larger apartments, lower floors more units, and slightly smaller. Sorry, the attachment thing didn't seem to be working.

[The Voice of Reason]

http://i309.photobucket.com/albums/kk379/c..._Page_2copy.jpg

those are huge units.

any idea what they will be costing?

Also based on their size etc, I would not be suprised if the plan was to do a condo conversion once the market rebounds.

2 full bed rooms with a study in the large unit. I would bet that a unit like that could get a very nice price given a market rebound. I would love to see more condos downtown.

[MichaelQReilly]

Wow, that rendering looks good, its really more than I'd hoped for. Crosskey seems to have done some real quality work, lets hope this project gets done.

[HartfordTycoon]

The Crosskey rendering does indeed look really good. It looks as if they will even be adding some balconies, which is a really nice touch and makes this look truly like a condo building.

[Hartford to WH]

They are adding patios. I do not have any idea what the cost will be- the proposal called for condos if the market was strong enough, and apartment to condo conversion as a second option.

[HartfordTycoon]

[drc72]

The renderings look great.

[The Voice of Reason]

Things are proceeding. Will be cool when this hits the planning board.

http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/news6219.html

Mouta said he hasn

[The Voice of Reason]

The other thread made me look this one up again.

even though the article in the Courant was completely unfair and utterly useless, the only thing that seemed like news was that this project was not moved forward.

now that I look back in here I am not overly worried.

the developer in this article mentions talking to the maoyr in September. with the stock market, and more important bond market in turmoil, I dont have a problem with unfiled plans at the moment. It would be great if they did have the ability to push this all the way through the approval status pending funding, and just wait for the liquidity to start moving again.

I hope its just a short delay.

[The Voice of Reason]

City Tells Developer: 'Build Or Move On'

HARTFORD -- Build or get off the site.

That's the message the city sent to developer Carlos Mouta regarding

his plans for the city-owned downtown building at 101 Pearl St. The

city made Mouta the property's "preferred developer" more than a year

ago. In a letter sent last month, development services director David

Panagore gave Mouta 45 days to sign a deal or move on.

Mouta says he still wants to build retail, office space and apartments

on Pearl Street. But the environmental remediation costs came in high.

"The environmental quote that I got seems a lot bigger than it was

originally," Mouta said. He's having the environmental company redo

the numbers to take a second look.

"I still want to do it, but if the [cost] went up [by a lot], that's a

whole different story," Mouta said Monday.

Mouta also said "there was another thing" at issue, but wouldn't

elaborate.

The city has tried to take the old downtown building and make

something out of it for nearly four years. In 2005, it picked New York

developer Full Spectrum LLC. That developer backed out in August 2006.

So the city will likely be without a developer yet again on this property in 45 days by the sounds of things.

Cant say I mind any way. I would like to see it built as planned, but if the guy is sitting on it then kick him off. yes times are tough, but the cities package on this is pretty damn generous.

[beerbeer]

Didn't Eddie corruption Perez hand pick this developer?

[watching hartford]

Didn't Eddie corruption Perez hand pick this developer?

Yes, King Eddie did select him, and Perez also just pushed through approval of $3.2million in stimulus money for Pope Commons, this same developers plans for the old Bradlee's on Park Street. This project has sat for several years now and nothing new has happened. They need to move quick, Perez's trial is coming in October, hopefully he'll be in prison by January, maybe sooner if more charges come and he pleads out

[The Voice of Reason]

Is pope commons a bad thing though?

Mind you I hate the idea of a strip mall downtown. even on the fringe of downtown. But this shopping center is the connector between Parkvilles art district and Middle class Park place towers.

if this connection could be made stronger, the area would be much better for it.

[MadVlad]

Is pope commons a bad thing though?

Mind you I hate the idea of a strip mall downtown. even on the fringe of downtown. But this shopping center is the connector between Parkvilles art district and Middle class Park place towers.

if this connection could be made stronger, the area would be much better for it.

Except that Pope Commons faces the wrong way and creates no flow through from Parkville to Park Place.

[HartfordTycoon]

They need to do something with it though. The way it looks now is a shame.

[The Voice of Reason]

I left a msg with the guy in charge of this project with the cities economic development authority.

hopefully he will let me know where it stands and maybe even we can bring some light on the whole project, who knows maybe send a note the way of the courant. thoese are such an easy project to develope it seems, and the city is totally willing to play ball, its just that the developers have yet to commit the money so its all about risk. anyways, its a damn good thread to re-read from the start. lots of info about whats possible here. up to 130 studios etc...

do any of you have links to anything about the property next to it? the one on the corner with Trumbull? 111 pearl I think

one comment was that Kenny was given development rights ages ago, but i have nothing...

[The Voice of Reason]

A HA!!!!!

google and the library combined, kind of rules...

http://www.hartfordi...bj_101606_a.asp

111 Pearl was bought by the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority

and they were working with Kenny to build apartments there, that later became a hotel, that obviously never happened.

according to this article

http://www.hartfordi...rant_071604.asp

When Trumbull on the Park is complete, Kenny hopes to immediately start more housing. The developer paid $800,000 in February to buy 111 Pearl St. adjacent to Trumbull on the Park, and he hopes to begin converting that building into 60 apartments next year.

too bad that never happened.

In this article

http://www.hartfordb.../news14657.html

there was coverage on many spaces all over the region, but the relevent part is as follows:

In downtown Hartford, the city, which owns 12-story 101 Pearl St.office tower, is working with the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, owner of the seven-story 111 Pearl St. office building next door, on a plan to partner in redeveloping both, said the city’s operations chief David Panagore.

“Having something happen on that corner,’’ Panagore said, “remains critically important.’’

A CHFA official confirms that a subsidiary of the housing finance authority owns 111 Pearl and that the agency is in redevelopment talks with the city. But Dara Kovel, CHFA’s chief housing officer, said much depends on the economy and any outside interest for redeveloping the site.

“It’s going to be an attractive asset,’’ Kovel said.

One plan was for Hartford developer Carlos Mouta to partner with the city to convert 101 Pearl into condominiums. But for now both sides have mutually agreed to shelve that proposal.

Mouta says difficulty obtaining financing in this economy forced his hand.

“I couldn’t move ahead,’’ he said.

Yet, Mouta holds fast to his belief the city’s central core can sustain development of desirable condo units that are 1,500 square feet and larger.

“What downtown needs is more people to own, not to rent,’’ he said. “To have buildings downtown empty for 10 years is unacceptable.’’

New Jersey landlord Ken Silverman, who has revived neighboring 100 Pearl St. into a desirable downtown office address, says he tried unsuccessfully to acquire both buildings.

“If I were to put my beautification hat on,’’ Silverman wrote in an e-mail, “I would suggest that the city destroy [them] and make it into a small, lovely park.’’

Man I am glad that Jersery guy didnt get his hands on them. a tiny park while nice, is not what downtown needs, we have bushnell park walking distance, and untill its full of people like Boston common I do not think we need more park space downtown.

and lastly......

http://www.addisonmill.com/about.ht

on the web site about addison mills, Kennys most recent enterprise, his bio references it as his next focus... interesting.....

.......He is pursuing plans to develop 111 Pearl Street, a 70,000 sq. ft commercial building into mixed-use retail and studio apartments in Hartford. Additionally, Mr. Kenny has a strategic alliance with the Texas based, Fairfield Residential LLC to work jointly to uncover and develop large multi-family residential opportunities in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts........

OKie Dokes!!!!!

so from what I can gleen from all of this, 111 Pearl has been designed to hold 60 studios and ground floor retail. 101 pearl has been proposed at betweek 36 and 130 apartments with retail.

How awesome would it be if both could be developed together with maximum units, 190!!!! and ground floor retail. what a great location and just think of the life brought to this area. not only Trumbull Street, but the Western part of Pearl, and even down Lewis Street. the bonus is that the parking garage associated with Trumbull on the park has to allocate spaces for these buildings so, its assumed that they both would have garaged spacess attatched to the buildings, so that would just be terrific.

now all we need is someone with money and balls

[The Voice of Reason]

spoke with a guy with the city today. He said they have nothing going on right now with 101, but expect to resubmit an RFP in 3rd or 4th Quarter. they are apparently getting some occasional interest in some city properties, but nothing strong or whatever.

111 is not owned by the city (as I posted above) but he said that organization is doing a study as to what best suits the city/site. and that ideally the two buildings will be done together because it just makes sense.