Jump to content

Interesting find...

Luca Brasi

By Luca Brasi
in Greater Hartford

Recommended Posts

Luca Brasi Hamlet

Luca Brasi

Posted
Posted

I was in the Richardson Building today walking down the corridor past the Residence Inn all the way down to the right where the hair salons are and stumbled upon something very interesting. Someone had pulled a model of downtown out of storage from the 1980's and stuck it in the corner. It was the proposal for 1000 Main... one of the many skyscrapers that was never built. The model is about 4ft by 4ft and sits on a pedestal about waist high... very similar to the model you see at the visitor's center window on Pratt (except this one is covered in dust). Every building is white except for the model of 1000 Main which is extremely detailed and in color. It would have been a beautiful building that would have been built on the parking lot across Talcott from the G Fox Building. The funny thing is that Layfayette Plaza (I think thats what it was going to be called) is in the model as well... a collection of high rises along Trumbull on the north side of 84 where all the parking lots are now. This project obviously was never built either.

If anyone is around the Richardson, you should check it out before its gone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 21
  • Created
  • Last Reply
The Voice of Reason Town

The Voice of Reason

Posted
Posted
I was in the Richardson Building today walking down the corridor past the Residence Inn all the way down to the right where the hair salons are and stumbled upon something very interesting. Someone had pulled a model of downtown out of storage from the 1980's and stuck it in the corner. It was the proposal for 1000 Main... one of the many skyscrapers that was never built. The model is about 4ft by 4ft and sits on a pedestal about waist high... very similar to the model you see at the visitor's center window on Pratt (except this one is covered in dust). Every building is white except for the model of 1000 Main which is extremely detailed and in color. It would have been a beautiful building that would have been built on the parking lot across Talcott from the G Fox Building. The funny thing is that Layfayette Plaza (I think thats what it was going to be called) is in the model as well... a collection of high rises along Trumbull on the north side of 84 where all the parking lots are now. This project obviously was never built either.

If anyone is around the Richardson, you should check it out before its gone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 3 weeks later...
HartfordTycoon Town

HartfordTycoon

Posted
Posted

I'm not sure what that tower is, but I sure wish it got built. Hartford was planning on becoming quite the city in the 80's. It's still amazing to see. Just look at the density spanning I84! It's beautiful. That's the thing about Downtown Hartford though, it's still just a few projects away from being there. Hartford has been on the cusp for a very long time. I still hope that we can get that divide filled in, even if 84 remains where it is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
mikel Hamlet

mikel

Posted
Posted

Too bad Lewis Street wasn't saved. That street could have been the hallmark of Hartford's New England culture. Sadly the new parking garage just makes it look even worse.

I went by this model last week. Ironic how it shows the buildings Society for Savings/Bank of America/Robert A. Firger(it usually takes one massive ego at the top to do something so horrible) tore down on Asylum and Main, yet has the new never-buildings there too. Obviously shows the lack of realistic thinking by those egos of that era).

Also, the fact that so much dust covers this model is another poignant statement. This is a model of the thinking that practically killed this city. No good has come from any skyscaper in this city and never will.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
T52 Whistle-Stop

T52

Posted
Posted

I believe that building was proposed by Pan Pacific in the late 80s. The Architect was Russell Gibson Von Dohlen and we provided some budgets for the project. That was around the same timeframe as the proposed Cutter Building that never made it off of the drawing board

Link to comment
Share on other sites
T52 Whistle-Stop

T52

Posted
Posted
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html...75AC0A96F948260

looks like its a different project, or at least a different incarnation in a different location.

according to this link, Pan pacific was looking to build where the richardson building and sage allen are now..

YIKES

glad the preservationists won that one

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.