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Capitol CC Expansion


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According to the HBJ the state is expected to approve a $5.5 million bond to expand the school.

"The bond funds will pay for the fit-out of the new space at a cost of $5.5 million, including new electrical and mechanical systems, full interior renovations, lighting and furniture. The new space will consist of classrooms, offices and a bookstore, totaling 40,000 square feet on two floors. "

http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article_li...3%3bArticleType

I guess moving downtown has been a success in terms of atracting students. I am pretty sure it is not quite a financial success, but may one day turn that corner. I would be interested to see the attendance figures that have led to this expansion.

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According to the HBJ the state is expected to approve a $5.5 million bond to expand the school.

"The bond funds will pay for the fit-out of the new space at a cost of $5.5 million, including new electrical and mechanical systems, full interior renovations, lighting and furniture. The new space will consist of classrooms, offices and a bookstore, totaling 40,000 square feet on two floors. "

http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article_li...3%3bArticleType

I guess moving downtown has been a success in terms of atracting students. I am pretty sure it is not quite a financial success, but may one day turn that corner. I would be interested to see the attendance figures that have led to this expansion.

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How do you know he overcharges?

I can tell you the students do not financially support any businesses at 960 Main. Room 960 closed at Happy Hour because of a lack of business, Global Gourmet went out of business and the open type market they used to have on Thursdays is long gone for a lack of customers. I think you realistically have to look at the demographic of the typical community college student and realize they are not going to contribute much in terms of spending downtown. They are in and out - many have jobs and families to tend to and not much disposable income.

The owners of 960 Main St have had a tough time recruiting tenants and filling their space.

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How do you know he overcharges?

I can tell you the students do not financially support any businesses at 960 Main. Room 960 closed at Happy Hour because of a lack of business, Global Gourmet went out of business and the open type market they used to have on Thursdays is long gone for a lack of customers. I think you realistically have to look at the demographic of the typical community college student and realize they are not going to contribute much in terms of spending downtown. They are in and out - many have jobs and families to tend to and not much disposable income.

The owners of 960 Main St have had a tough time recruiting tenants and filling their space.

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There was a piece that detailed the financial headache he was causing for the college in the Courant a while back. I'll see if I can dig it up. I think you are underestimating the money that the students spend downtown, especially in the immediate G. Fox area.

I'm inclined to believe that this is exactly what the real issue is. The students and collge employees are the only patrons any of those businesses can count on to come in at all.

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Where did you work?

I am actually very close with the people who ran Global Gourmet and 960 Main. They received no student support whatsoever except for a soda here and a coffee there. The people who ate there were from the state offices upstairs, college professors and AT&T. But college students? No.... and they counted on that in a big way. I think they closed within a year. The new Indian Restaurant was banking heavily on getting students taking classes at night for dinner because they are situated right at the student entrance of the building. Its not happening and they are struggling.

Room 960 used to put out a free buffet and do half price drinks with a DJ for happy hour to try and draw from the college and businesses upstairs. They used to put sandwich boards in front of the 960 Main entrance and the college. I don't think one college student ever came in. What started happening was sketchy people would start to come in for the free buffet without buying a drink. They gave up after a couple yeras and now only open at night.

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I am not sure Global Gourmet's pricing make sense for students at Capital. Global's prices were higher to food places in New Haven catering to Yale kids who are much more affluent. The Indian restaurant is not going to get much student business for the same reason. The food is quite good, but not many students at Capital can afford to eat there. We did not bank on the students but we did figure we will average 10 - 20 students per day. I think the real number is less than 5. However, we do get a decent number of people from the old G Fox building.

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I am not negating the importance of having the community college downtown - it definitely puts feet on the street and brings life to an area of Hartford that needed it.

I think once the American Airlines Building starts leasing and the Stilts Building continues to fill, you'll have more of a different blend of people in that area.

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I am not negating the importance of having the community college downtown - it definitely puts feet on the street and brings life to an area of Hartford that needed it.

I think once the American Airlines Building starts leasing and the Stilts Building continues to fill, you'll have more of a different blend of people in that area.

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Where did you work?

I am actually very close with the people who ran Global Gourmet and 960 Main. They received no student support whatsoever except for a soda here and a coffee there. The people who ate there were from the state offices upstairs, college professors and AT&T. But college students? No.... and they counted on that in a big way. I think they closed within a year. The new Indian Restaurant was banking heavily on getting students taking classes at night for dinner because they are situated right at the student entrance of the building. Its not happening and they are struggling.

Room 960 used to put out a free buffet and do half price drinks with a DJ for happy hour to try and draw from the college and businesses upstairs. They used to put sandwich boards in front of the 960 Main entrance and the college. I don't think one college student ever came in. What started happening was sketchy people would start to come in for the free buffet without buying a drink. They gave up after a couple yeras and now only open at night.

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I worked for CCC and ate at GG frequently especially on the days they had Mongolian BBQ, which I think was a Friday. It always had a lot of students eating and working there; I was around when they were recruiting. I do not imagine an outsider could tell a student from a non student due to cross section of people who go to community colleges.

I never venture into 960 myself, not my cup of tea and never seen a student there, to be honest.

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I wasn't basing my opinion on my own observations, but on what the owners and manager of Global Gourmet had told me. They were the same owners/operators of Mezzanine which also went out of business after about a year. The owners of 960 Main tried recruiting a sit down restaurant for the space fronting Main St for years, but couldnt get anyone. They finally opened a banquet hall which uses the GG kitchen now to serve customers.

Regardless of who was patronizing them, unfortunately it wasn't enough. And there are no new plans for the GG space.

Maybe they need more of a food court type setup with three or so different fast food restaurants/sandwich shops serving more moderately priced meals. There are certainly enough office workers upstairs to support it.

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Community College Gets Green Light For Expansion

By ARIELLE LEVIN BECKER {sodEmoji.{sodEmoji.|}} Courant Staff Writer January 26, 2008

http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-capit...0,1462582.story

Good stuff. the article mentions that they are up to 7000 students. this is good stuff. I hope thes school continues to grow and help educate the young people of Hartford.

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