Bristol on the rise

[MadVlad]

Bristol could potentially gain a skyline with a new plan for the old Bristol Center Mall site. I love the people that want to fight this, apparently they'd rather do nothing than try to actually make some headway with a site that currently does nothing for the city.

[The Voice of Reason]

I read the courant article that was apparently a reprint of the bristol paper.

there have been a few articles in the bristol paper. this seems like a 100% positive thing to me, but hey, I don't live there.

for me, the added bonus is that this guy and Bristol can argue against the new Britail busway in favor of the rail line and further the case for a larger transit project.

4-9 story buildings is not exactly a skyline, but it is right sized development for Bristols downtown.

Another awsome thought about this project is that it is progressing. this long Island developer believes in the opportunity and believes in a depressed town in a depressed econemy. Now, I am sure nothing will hapen here for another 2 years, but any progress in a recession is likely to be built during the good times.

I would love for bristols downtown to develop as a commuter rail connector is developed allowing for an active semi urban core in a satalite city to hartford. The fact that he is talking about putting 700 housing units here is great. imagine a few hundred millin in development happening because along a rail line. it would entice the state to invest further in mass transit and for the region to function more efficiently as a whole.

as of right now if you are a not entirely young professional, say 30, and married, and you are house shopping, the kinds of towns that you would live in are very limited right now.

West Hartford, Glastonbury, Wethersfield, and maybe Avon, or Farmington. Downtown hartford is also on that list but buyers tend to head to the West End of hartford or those other towns due to a lack of options.

If the areas satalite cities were on Mass transit, and had some life in their downtowns, it is very concievable that a few other places might make it on this list. New Britain and Bristol are easier to imagine, but Waterbury and Meriden cuold really see some changes if property integrated into the region. Downtown Springfield however might gain the biggest boost. downtown living in Springfield could easily become the biggest supprise with its current entry price and the added convenience of rail links to Hartford and Boston. I just might try and scrape together 100k (yeah some are that cheep it seems)and buy some huge ancient and pretty building walking distance to the train.

cheers!

I just bought a house in wetherfield. I wish it were on a rail line, but its such a short drive downtown I still feel like i am sticking to my urban ideals. sadly there is not much "walkability" in Wetherfield. and if you are wondering thats why i have not been posting so much

[MadVlad]

Don't forget Berlin and Newington.

And I agree, a 4 to 9 story building in downtown Bristol is exactly perfect for that city. I found it funny that when mentioning their current skyline, they totally forgot the biggest structure in the city (bay far): the Otis Elevator tower....

[The Voice of Reason]

I do not see either of those towns developing too, too much, and they are both pretty damn now density right now to be ok with high density TOD.

Newington especially. I mean its got no develoable land near by, and no density what so ever near the planned location of the station. Berlin, in Kensington has some potential, but it would require the town to make some conceptual changes to its kensington area.

[MadVlad]

I misunderstood your post about the towns, I hadn't realized you were referring to towns with walkable downtowns, though I have to admit I really don't see the difference between Avon and Berlin...

[The Voice of Reason]

I must not have been clear at all

its kind of two pronged in my mind.

right now, there are only a few "good towns" in greater hartford according to perception.

It is my thought that the addition of modern mass transit, and the accompanying TOD that should follow, other towns should be able to rise up and become legitimate options.

While Newington is not a bad town, it is not on the good town list either. it could easily make it on that list with a little TOD, but unfortunately the commuter rail line and the station go no where near the town center (which I think has great potential).

so the commuter line will likely not help newington at all, in my opinion anyways.

Berlin, is further from hartford, and therefore transit should be more popular. the station is in the middle of the Kensington district, so there is potential for increased density and actually turning Berlin into a "good town" Although, there as of right now is no TOD on the books.

I listed New Britain, and Bristol because the stations are ideally located, and there are urban, "semi walkable" centers currently in existance, and there are also large scale TOD plans for both cities. I think both of these towns could really become alternatives to the current "good towns"

sure, the school districts would need to improve quite a bit, but the increased density of the TOD should help the towns ability to support education and other budgetary demands.

So, yes, I was confusing, and I hope this clears it up some more.

of the current "good towns", only Hartford is on the commuter rail path, West Hartford, Glastonbury, Wethersfield, and maybe Avon, or Farmington, will remain autodependant.

This should make the other towns and cities I mentioned conciderably more attractive to the upwardly mobile.

Heck, Longmeadow mass, a Northern "good town" Is on the line... that town should do well

[The Voice of Reason]

http://www.courant.com/community/bristol/hc-bristol-renaissance-0517-20110516,0,3149073.story

plan is now public with images and stuff, there are 3d videos, etc.. they are looking to affect an area greater than the mall site alone with potentially 2000 additional housing units outside of the 1000 on mall site

http://www.rdatbristol.com/