Farmington Avenue Corridor - West End

[Woonsocketier]

Hartford Courant

Drivers may encounter some delays on Farmington Avenue in the coming weeks and months as the Metropolitan District replaces two Mark Twain-era water mains with a single pipe almost a half-mile long.

Installing the new water main is a $2.8 million project that will be completed in phases over the next year and a half, beginning near the Marshall Street intersection and extending west to Sherman Street, near Sisson Avenue, said Scott Jellison, MDC's chief operating officer. The Mark Twain House is along the stretch of road that will be affected.

Meanwhile, the city plans to solicit bids for the streetscaping soon, Burnham said. Improvements include decorative street lighting, new sidewalks with pavers, trees and better pedestrian crossings.

The city approved funding for the project about 10 years ago but various delays pushed it back, Burnham said. Similar streetscaping has been completed on Maple Avenue and in other Hartford neighborhoods.

Farmington Avenue through Asylum Hill and the West End is such an underutilized asset in this city. The West End (and increasingly Asylum Hill) is trendy, walkable, and convenient to both downtown and West Hartford Center. I have always felt that a little bit of investment from the city could make this area a gigantic value add to the city, and draw more young professionals into the area. Let's hope the investments such as the ones mentioned above continue in along this corridor.

[HartfordTycoon]

Hartford Courant

Farmington Avenue through Asylum Hill and the West End is such an underutilized asset in this city. The West End (and increasingly Asylum Hill) is trendy, walkable, and convenient to both downtown and West Hartford Center. I have always felt that a little bit of investment from the city could make this area a gigantic value add to the city, and draw more young professionals into the area. Let's hope the investments such as the ones mentioned above continue in along this corridor.

I agree with you 100%. Farmington Ave. has the potential to be a huge focal point for the entire region. It connects Downtown to West Hartford center for crying out loud! The Hartford side really needs to be improved to the standards that they have on the West Hartford side. I'd let the West Hartford folks do the whole street personally. I know the West Hartford public works dept. has been bidding for work in other towns lately, maybe they could get the contract. I know that may create some issues politically, but I don't care. I want things done right and it should match what has already been done. If they can ever get a trolly or some kind of light rail going in this corridor that would be the ultimate game changer.

[Bill Mocarsky]

There are some great residential neighborhoods, attractions, restaurants and institutions on or near the corridor. The problem is the continuity of these assets is broken up by some blighted areas. But these areas are not that extensive. It baffles me that one of the seediest areas is the few short blocks between two of Hartford's most known features, the huge Aetna campus and the Mark Twain House.    

As for downtown Hartford, I believe that one of its biggest problems is the awareness of being surrounded by undesirable areas. People do pick up on the feeling that no matter what direction you walk, you will make your way into one of those areas in a few blocks.

The Farmington Avenue corridor holds the potential of breaking through the periphery. I see it as a linear extention of both downtown Hartford and West Hartford Center. (think of a dog bone shape).

If this project is done the way I envision, I believe it would help downtown Hartford more than any single project constructed in downtown proper.

I was in Washington DC last week. I was thinking that Connecticut Avenue to DC is what Farmington Avenue should be to Hartford.