IN PROGRESS: Coltsville Nat'l Park/Colt Gateway

[HartfordTycoon]

Hartford Advocate

Peeling the Blue Onion

A new developer shows interest in reviving the Colt project. Let's hope all the baggage doesn't scare them off.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

By Daniel D'Ambrosio

There might still be hope for Colt.

There's a new sheriff in Coltsville. But whether or not that means the long-suffering former firearms factory in Hartford's South Meadows will finally become an engine of growth and prosperity for the city remains uncertain.

Urban Smart Growth, a California-based developer with an extensive East Coast operation based in Pawtucket, R.I., has been studying the troubled property for the past six months, weighing whether to get involved in its development into retail and residential space, according to USG's David Saadeh.

Lance Robbins, owner of the privately held USG, spoke briefly at a presentation last Thursday about what shape a proposed National Historic Park at Colt might take

[The Voice of Reason]

If I were a religous man, and if I thought it would make any difference I would pray for this to happen.

This is actually well written as well. there are so many layers, but none insurmountable. I truely think that this is such a large important property that if it were to succeed it would act as an anchor for improving all of south downtown. with the extremely nice charter oak place right near by, and the re done housing project, the area has plenty going for it.

[beerbeer]

April 2009. Colt gets a new developer. AGAIN. Good news but there is a long way to go.

[The Voice of Reason]

April 2009. Colt gets a new developer. AGAIN. Good news but there is a long way to go.

Is it that California company?

got a lilnk?

[beerbeer]

http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/editor...0,5321377.story

[The Voice of Reason]

NICE!

it is the California developer.

I really liked what I read about them.

Also things seem to be well situated for progress since part of the funding is coming from CHEVRON, and also an expected 12 Million in federal stimulous monies.

Right there we are head and shoulders above where we were.

[HartfordTycoon]

The developer's project in RI.

UP: IN PROGRESS - Hope Artiste Village - Pawtucket, Road Island

[The Voice of Reason]

The courant is writing up the new developer

California Developer Breathes New Life Into Troubled Colt Gateway

http://www.courant.com/business/hc-colt-ga...0,2252570.story

nothing new but it did mention that the project MIGHT start moving again this year, and that all but 1 residential unit is occupied.

so people like to live there even thouht the area sucks and the building sucks for the most part still.

it will be interesting to see how this progresses as the building gets more fixed up and the area looks nicer. With some office tennants things would change quite quickly down there.

[The Voice of Reason]

A recent article. it has some quotes from the new developer, but its mainly a lifestyle piece about mill conversions in general.

http://www.courant.com/features/home-garde...0,3814197.story

Hearing Robbins talk about re-purposing old buildings is a lot like listening to a preacher on a pulpit. He frequently uses the word "transcendence" to describe such ventures

gotta love a guy who really loves what he does ehh?

[MichaelQReilly]

http://www.courant.com/news/breaking/hc-ha...0,4519908.story

Interesting article in the Court today about the efforts to complete Riverfront Recapture down by the Colt complex.

[Theophrastus Bombastus]

interesting take

http://hartfordadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=14223

42 rented already? i was surprised

[The Voice of Reason]

I just got an e-mail from the city planning dept regarding OCOP, and on it is has the cities capital improvement plan budget for the next few years.

this will be endorsed by the mayor next Tuesday.

those 2 numbers at the end are for this year and next year expenditure.

Infrastructure Colt Gateway Streetscape Phase 1(Federal 90%) Grants 10,000,000 10,000,000

Infrastructure Pope Commons Streetscape Improvement State 3,650,000 3,650,000

Looks like we are getting a federallyt backed 20million streetscape. NICE!!!

HA, there is a 2nd document with descriptions.

Colt Gateway Streetscape Phase 1

Phase I of this project will enhance the City's Street Infrastructure by improving the

aesthetic, functional, and safety aspects thru streetscaping of sections abutting the

Colt complex. Phase 2 will be a separate project that will encompass the

resurfacing/landscaping of a parking area on Colt property totaling $1M.

Edited March 30, 2010 by The Voice of Reason

[HartfordTycoon]

I just got an e-mail from the city planning dept regarding OCOP, and on it is has the cities capital improvement plan budget for the next few years.

this will be endorsed by the mayor next Tuesday.

those 2 numbers at the end are for this year and next year expenditure.

Infrastructure Colt Gateway Streetscape Phase 1(Federal 90%) Grants 10,000,000 10,000,000

Infrastructure Pope Commons Streetscape Improvement State 3,650,000 3,650,000

Looks like we are getting a federallyt backed 20million streetscape. NICE!!!

HA, there is a 2nd document with descriptions.

Colt Gateway Streetscape Phase 1

Phase I of this project will enhance the City's Street Infrastructure by improving the

aesthetic, functional, and safety aspects thru streetscaping of sections abutting the

Colt complex. Phase 2 will be a separate project that will encompass the

resurfacing/landscaping of a parking area on Colt property totaling $1M.

That is great that the Feds are pumping in that much money to Coltsville! I'm glad to see that the city is putting some money into Pope Commons. It's such an eyesore the way it is now.

[beerbeer]

That post looks like an eye test.

[The Voice of Reason]

That post looks like an eye test.

I was copying it out of a PDF, so thems the brakes!

[HartfordTycoon]

Yay! Coltsville National Park is not dead!

Hartford Business Journal

According to the aide, Larson and Lieberman's bill would allow Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to declare Coltsville a national park, but only once the city, the site's owner, California-based Urban Smart Growth, and other related parties have firmly settled on a development proposal for the 260-acre site.

[The Voice of Reason]

I like the bit in there that states that the city, the developer, etc have to have a clear and solid development plan in order to get the status as well. its binding. so the CA developer will have to step up to the plate, period! but they will be rewarded with a shiny plaque and a cashet of the national park service and addes security etc..

incidently, I was talking to some people, and apparently at some point. not sure when, Oakleaf founder, and FM Facility mainenance owner looked into buying Colt factory as his office for the 2 companies. I kind of wish he had.

[The Voice of Reason]

http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-coltsville-park0430.artapr30,0,912068.story

more on Coltsville.

But Robbins, the principal of Urban Smart Growth, said he has to take care of some fundamentals first.

"Providing space for a national park boils down to repairing a financially broken campus," Robbins said Thursday.

[The Voice of Reason]

http://www.courant.com/business/hc-colt-gateway-0820-20100820,0,3964228.story

kinda a bummer the CA developer is out, but the local guys been there for 3 years, and actually brought in a tenant!!!

so, another magnate school is still good stuff, and I hope it encourages further progress.

YAY, construction at colt.

[The Voice of Reason]

I have noticed the work being done on the new school space as I drive home after work.

It looks like the very large but low building at the S end of the complex is the part the school is leasing. they are framing it up inside. its hard to tell, but it looks like they might be making it into a 2 story space.

this will put 2 magnet schools on opposite sides of the football stadium down there.

I really hope that these guys can get some more residential going though in this complex.

[Bill Mocarsky]

I have noticed the work being done on the new school space as I drive home after work.

It looks like the very large but low building at the S end of the complex is the part the school is leasing. they are framing it up inside. its hard to tell, but it looks like they might be making it into a 2 story space.

this will put 2 magnet schools on opposite sides of the football stadium down there.

I really hope that these guys can get some more residential going though in this complex.

How busy are those streets in that part of Coltsville (at peak hours)? Do you drive through there, or do you get on 91 in downtown?

[The Voice of Reason]

How busy are those streets in that part of Coltsville (at peak hours)? Do you drive through there, or do you get on 91 in downtown?

I drive through pretty often, and also I have been known to look randomly out my office window at them too.

there is not much traffic at all. in fact its a damn near vacant part of the city in terms of traffic.

Van Dyke is the busiest of them all, and its mainly drivers taking the back entrance to the airports industrial park. there is still so little traffic on this road that most rural routs have more cars on them

charter oak of course gets decent traffic, but most of that is just heading toward columbus and highway on ramps

[MadVlad]

I drive by there every day and there is little or no traffic. Like VoR said, I'm one of the people using it as a backdoor to downtown from Brainard Rd. The new magnet School there is nice, I believe it's the Sports Sciences one. Is there another over there too?

[The Voice of Reason]

I drive by there every day and there is little or no traffic. Like VoR said, I'm one of the people using it as a backdoor to downtown from Brainard Rd. The new magnet School there is nice, I believe it's the Sports Sciences one. Is there another over there too?

yes if you read my post from a couple months ago. youll see that crec is leasing some 60000 sf, and works well under way now. some magnate school

[Bill Mocarsky]

I drive through pretty often, and also I have been known to look randomly out my office window at them too.

there is not much traffic at all. in fact its a damn near vacant part of the city in terms of traffic.

Van Dyke is the busiest of them all, and its mainly drivers taking the back entrance to the airports industrial park. there is still so little traffic on this road that most rural routs have more cars on them

charter oak of course gets decent traffic, but most of that is just heading toward columbus and highway on ramps

I drive by there every day and there is little or no traffic. Like VoR said, I'm one of the people using it as a backdoor to downtown from Brainard Rd. The new magnet School there is nice, I believe it's the Sports Sciences one. Is there another over there too?

A lot of the Columbus Boulevard traffic is probably due to a lack of options. East-west traffic must use Columbus Boulevard to get over the river.