COMPLETED: Main and Temple Development (Sage-Allen Project)

[GregV]

I agree, the design is great, and bringing people to the area of downtown will be a first in a long, long time. Anyone who's been looking for the highway late at night, passing UCONN Business School heading towards the convention center, knows that there is not a soul around at night.

[MadVlad]

I just drove by tonight, the framing is up for the north and south sides, looks awesome. I got excited just by the framing, I hope the end result is just as good....

[beerbeer]

I'm in town this week end. I am planning to take the digital with me and have blocked out a little time. So I could have something to post by next Monday.

[Luca Brasi]

This project is progressing at a painfully slow pace. They started construction on Sage Allen before Hartford 21 ever broke ground. University of Hartford was hoping this project would have been completed by the end of last summer in time for the fall semester. But at this rate, I don't think they will be done for next fall either.

[beerbeer]

Latest photo from the begining of December.

[MadVlad]

I wonder why the right side protrudes further on the bottom...

[SOCOM]

^I was wondering the same thing, but if you look at the rendering closely you can see that the bottom 4 floors do ineed stick out on the south side.

btw, thanks for the update beer. I see what Luca was talking about now - this project is moving at a snail's pace. The progress doesn't look all that different from a couple months ago.

[MadVlad]

Yep, you're right, it does. I'm still excited though, this is simply an amazing building, I really look forward to it being finished...

[MadVlad]

Ok, just drove by again today. The brick pillars from the old skeleton look horrible. Not sure if they are corroded from the past, but I'm surprised it's still standing if they are weight-supporting...

[beerbeer]

The parking garage should open in July. The apartments in September and the UHA student housing will open next January. The site is apparently very small and it has made construction more difficult than anticipated.

http://www.courant.com/news/education/hc-h...lines-education

[Captain59]

I'm looking at it as I type this, and it is a pretty small site. Just yesterday I saw some problems in the streets trying to get materials situated. But the underground parking garage is coming along nicely. It's about two levels away from the street, I would guess. Watching that construction has been pretty interesting.

[drc72]

^I was wondering the same thing, but if you look at the rendering closely you can see that the bottom 4 floors do ineed stick out on the south side.

btw, thanks for the update beer. I see what Luca was talking about now - this project is moving at a snail's pace. The progress doesn't look all that different from a couple months ago.

WOW! That is building is gonna look nice downtown.

[Captain59]

I'm really impressed how Hartford is trying to grasp its past and taking the time to build around the old Sage-Allen tower rather than tear it down, which I assume would be easier. They did the same kind of thing over at State House Square. That's very good to see.

[SOCOM]

I'm really impressed how Hartford is trying to grasp its past and taking the time to build around the old Sage-Allen tower rather than tear it down, which I assume would be easier. They did the same kind of thing over at State House Square. That's very good to see.

It's about time the city started to actually save historic buildings. Sage Allen and State House Square are great examples, but unfortunately we've lost dozens of incredible buildings in the past 50 years, starting in the 1950's with the mass building of highways all over the country. We've finally stopped the bleeding, I just hope some of the scars aren't too deep to recover from.

[redbaron]

The view down Pratt Street with the redone Sage Allen Building should be wonderful It will look like a 1940's street especially with the historic street lamps.

Once when I brought an out of town friend to Pratt Street he said "This looks like a movie set." With the new Sage Allen building at one end, the illusion will be even bettter

I am in total agreement, Pratt Street is an absolutley beautiful street with so much potential. With Stackpole Moore and Tyron on one end, The new Sage Allen on the other, it will totally evolve. It needs more boutique or high-end retail chain stores to complete it. There is a new restaurant opened up (Sweet Janes) and with another Irish restaurant/pub opening up soon it is going to draw throngs of people to the area. It should be closed to traffic during the summer with street vendors and outdoor seating. Kinda like church street in Burlington.

[ctman987]

It's about time the city started to actually save historic buildings. Sage Allen and State House Square are great examples, but unfortunately we've lost dozens of incredible buildings in the past 50 years, starting in the 1950's with the mass building of highways all over the country. We've finally stopped the bleeding, I just hope some of the scars aren't too deep to recover from.

I was never able to grasp the amount of how many buildings Hartford has lost until I visited Providence and saw neighborhoods such as College Hill that is home to Brown and RISD which almost combine the look of Beacon Hill and Nantucket/Marthas Vinyard. At least were starting to reuse old buildings now

There is a new restaurant opened up (Sweet Janes) and with another Irish restaurant/pub opening up soon it is going to draw throngs of people to the area. It should be closed to traffic during the summer with street vendors and outdoor seating. Kinda like church street in Burlington.

Sweet Janes was packed during the first night Bill Joel was in town (im sure it was packed during 2nd concert but I wasnt in city then) and they were packed after the Saint Patricks Day parade when Pratt St was closed off for a block party that was hosted by Vaughns which brought hundreds of people to Pratt St

[Luca Brasi]

I've been saying for years that Pratt St. in the summer should be modeled after Lincoln Rd. in Miami.. a pedestrian street with no vehicular traffic. Then, The Russell, Sweet Jane's, Cugino's, the Thai Restaurant, Jojo's coffee, Vaughn's and the new Irish Pub can put tables out in the middle of the street. It will give retailers a shot in the arm and add so much to downtown.

[LItoCT]

Don't they close it in the summer? I remember walking along it once and it was closed to cars.

[beerbeer]

Lincoln Mall is five times as wide and runs for ten blocks. It would be tough to duplicate in such a small space as Pratt Street.

I would love to see Pratt Street covered and protected from rain and snow. Not enclosed, still open at the ends. But wiith a translucent shield above the street.

[Luca Brasi]

^ I didn't mean size-wise, but more of the same style pedestrian-sidewalk-cafe thoroughfare.

Has anyone been by this project lately? It looks nothing like the rendering:

It looks like the white limestone looking stone in the rendering on the first floor facade has been replaced in reality by square red brick. Actually, it looks like the red brick runs up the entire face of the building. A lot of detail that makes the rendering look so good has been lost.

Also, the Temple Street side of the building has VERY few windows. Nothing at all like the rendering.

[MadVlad]

I just drove by it today, I noticed the red brick too, they could possibly face the bottom with other material, but the bricj stands out. It does show brick in the pic though, just not at ground level (I specifically noticed it on the right hand side of the buidling).

[SOCOM]

It looks like the white limestone looking stone in the rendering on the first floor facade has been replaced in reality by square red brick. Actually, it looks like the red brick runs up the entire face of the building. A lot of detail that makes the rendering look so good has been lost.

Also, the Temple Street side of the building has VERY few windows. Nothing at all like the rendering.

I came across this rather unfortunate rendering today that seems to be the "real deal." The rendering we are all so accustomed to is the original from back in 2003. My guess is that the costs were too high for the more detailed rendering. However, this rendering does still show lots of windows on the Temple Street side of the building - hopefully they don't eliminate them. I can't imagine the developer erecting a blank wall on a street that is intended to carry alot of pedestrian activity.

[Richhamleigh, DC]

I came across this rather unfortunate rendering today that seems to be the "real deal." The rendering we are all so accustomed to is the original from back in 2003. My guess is that the costs were too high for the more detailed rendering. However, this rendering does still show lots of windows on the Temple Street side of the building - hopefully they don't eliminate them. I can't imagine the developer erecting a blank wall on a street that is intended to carry alot of pedestrian activity.

It's not THAT bad! Hartford's doing great...don't let a few modifications get you down!!!!

[SOCOM]

It's not THAT bad! Hartford's doing great...don't let a few modifications get you down!!!!

Oh I know, I didn't mean to sound so pessimistic. But you have to admit there is a big difference between the orginal rendering and what seems to be the final rendering.

I just hate it when great opportunities are wasted.

[Luca Brasi]

Well, I kind of figured something like this would happen. This project is so far behind schedule, it must be way over budget. Gone is the white ornate stone from the first two floors, the balconies are gone (what a shame) and so are all the cornices. And the windows are much smaller. These buildings are pretty unremarkable. Better than nothing I guess. The depressing thing is how much this project is subsidized with public money. Because of that, it should look a lot better than it does in the new rendering.