Downtown Hartford development.

[Deepster]

Despite Early Interest, Only One Developer Steps Forward To Build In Hartford's Downtown North Neighborhood

Only one company answered the bid to develop the area around the Yard Goats Park.

I am gonna say this. I actually found myself looking forward to a couple games this year. With the attendance and buzz, how did no other companies not throw their hat in the ring?

 

[LIUCHusky]

Despite Early Interest, Only One Developer Steps Forward To Build In Hartford's Downtown North Neighborhood

Only one company answered the bid to develop the area around the Yard Goats Park.

I am gonna say this. I actually found myself looking forward to a couple games this year. With the attendance and buzz, how did no other companies not throw their hat in the ring?

I think you single handedly squashed it with your posts about murders in Hartford. (l0l).

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

They need to something on the riverfront. People love getting drunk by water.

 

[uconnbill]

Not a great area but maybe this will spear growth and help with crime in the area.

 

[DSquiz]

The article answers the question of why more formal bids were not placed. 12 companies were interested but the legal trouble with the previous developer, who still technically has control of the land, scared most off. The one bid they did get is from a very successful developer out of Stamford. If the courts can take care of the lawsuits quickly everyone is going to make a lot of money and the area is going to explode.

 

[Deepster]

Keep in mind, Hartford is now entering the third season on that park with absolutely nothing around it. How many years before you have anything more than parking lots?

 

[8893]

If the courts can take care of the lawsuits quickly

Good one!

 

[BlueMAB]

Keep in mind, Hartford is now entering the third season on that park with absolutely nothing around it. How many years before you have anything more than parking lots?

Wrong.

It has been open less than a year. It opened in April of 2017. It is entering it's 2nd year, and you know as well as anyone else that until the lawsuit is settled, most developers aren't going to be excited about the chance to bid on the projects there.

Hartford, and Connecticut, are terribly run. But the park is built. How many years before you stop complaining about it?

 

[The Don]

Keep in mind, Hartford is now entering the third season on that park with absolutely nothing around it. How many years before you have anything more than parking lots?

Oh Great One Deepster, please do tell us which city or town you live in so we can all move to join you. It must be the most wonderful place on earth to live!!!

 

[Deepster]

Wrong.

It has been open less than a year. It opened in April of 2017. It is entering it's 2nd year, and you know as well as anyone else that until the lawsuit is settled, most developers aren't going to be excited about the chance to bid on the projects there.

Hartford, and Connecticut, are terribly run. But the park is built. How many years before you stop complaining about it?

Well, no. It was supposed to open 2 years ago and sat 80-90% finished and empty for an entire season. At that time, the talks of a Hooker brewery and Hard Rock were buzzing about.

And I don't think I've complained about it, I went twice last year and started the post saying I was looking forward to going this year.

 

[Deepster]

Oh Great One Deepster, please do tell us which city or town you live in so we can all move to join you. It must be the most wonderful place on earth to live!!!

It's top 10 in the state on most of these silly lists or polls. I have no complaints. Not sure you could afford it though.

 

[Kenny11]

Development in downtown Hartford is very active. Those parking lots will be turned into something valuable and then people will still complain and say they can’t find a place to park anymore. Typical snobby Connecticut negativity.

 

[freescooter]

I’m involved in a small development project in Hartford right now and I have to say there is a fair amount going on. There are a number of good restaurants and some other good stuff. There absolutely are problems but the biggest one is that Hartford is so small. Anyplace else in the country West Hartford Wethersfield Windsor Bloomfield would all be neighborhoods not separate towns. The other problem is related in that Hartford sees itself as a big Wethersfield not a big city. Interesting phenomenon in that Atamford and New Haven don’t have the same world view at least not as much. And in many states larger cities have certain authorities that apply only to them. Not the case in Connecticut. Basically the same rules apply to Hartford and Essex.

 

[BlueMAB]

Keep in mind, Hartford is now entering the third season on that park with absolutely nothing around it. How many years before you have anything more than parking lots?

Well, no. It was supposed to open 2 years ago and sat 80-90% finished and empty for an entire season. At that time, the talks of a Hooker brewery and Hard Rock were buzzing about.

And I don't think I've complained about it, I went twice last year and started the post saying I was looking forward to going this year.

Are you incapable of being honest about what happened with the stadium?

1) It's not entering its 3rd season, it's entering it's 2nd season.
2) Hooker COULDN'T develop anything because the developer was fired.
3) The lawsuit over that termination is still pending, so any development down there literally CAN'T take place without significant risks.

Hartford screwed this up with their no-bid contract the first time around. There's no denying that. But the way you pretend as if nothing will ever be built there since it hasn't happened yet; when you should AND DO know that nothing can be built there until the lawsuit is settled (without significant risk) is tiresome and pathetic.

 

[Ha Who]

I’m involved in a small development project in Hartford right now and I have to say there is a fair amount going on. There are a number of good restaurants and some other good stuff. There absolutely are problems but the biggest one is that Hartford is so small. Anyplace else in the country West Hartford Wethersfield Windsor Bloomfield would all be neighborhoods not separate towns. The other problem is related in that Hartford sees itself as a big Wethersfield not a big city. Interesting phenomenon in that Atamford and New Haven don’t have the same world view at least not as much. And in many states larger cities have certain authorities that apply only to them. Not the case in Connecticut. Basically the same rules apply to Hartford and Essex.

The problem I see in the development is it is spread too far. From Front street to the Dunk. The apartments should be concentrated. I would not feel safe leaving the old Sonesta apartments at night. I park by the dunk for hoops games, so I’m not one of the negative nanny’s afraid of being shot two blocks from the XL. 777 Main is isolated. Would you walk from 21 to front at night. Everything is walkable, just too many pockets of desolate areas

 

[Deepster]

Are you incapable of being honest about what happened with the stadium?

1) It's not entering its 3rd season, it's entering it's 2nd season.
2) Hooker COULDN'T develop anything because the developer was fired.
3) The lawsuit over that termination is still pending, so any development down there literally CAN'T take place without significant risks.

Hartford screwed this up with their no-bid contract the first time around. There's no denying that. But the way you pretend as if nothing will ever be built there since it hasn't happened yet; when you should AND DO know that nothing can be built there until the lawsuit is settled (without significant risk) is tiresome and pathetic.

Fact. The stadium is entering it's 3rd season. If I bought a car in January 2016 but left it in the garage with no tires on it for a year, then put tires on it and drove it January 2017, the car is still a year old.

The area "should be" into it's 3rd year of development around the park and yet, there's still nothing for whatever reason you want to slap on it.

 

[Palatine]

This is the portfolio page of RMS. They built the UConn residence hall in Stamford and their work leans heavily toward mid-rise apartments and town houses.

Portfolio | RMS Companies | Hotels | Apartment Rentals | Homes For Sale

 

[freescooter]

Deepster, you might not know this but development, especially that type, is an incredibly complex undertaking. Even your local 5 lot subdivision or a suburban strip mall can take a couple of years from concept to opening. Acquiring rights to the property, putting together a team of architects engineers lawyers financial advisors, then testing, preparing plans lining up financing, getting multiple permits, zone changes maybe, that can take over a year andbyou haven’t moved a single shovel of dirt.

 

[Ha Who]

Deepster, you might not know this but development, especially that type, is an incredibly complex undertaking. Even your local 5 lot subdivision or a suburban strip mall can take a couple of years from concept to opening. Acquiring rights to the property, putting together a team of architects engineers lawyers financial advisors, then testing, preparing plans lining up financing, getting multiple permits, zone changes maybe, that can take over a year andbyou haven’t moved a single shovel of dirt.

I agree with you but Hartford has a history of not finishing projects. Constitution Plaza was originally supposed to have housing and a connection to Main Street shops. Only the Plaza and a hotel were completed.

https://www.manchestercc.edu/wp-content/uploads/about/pdf/08-01-12-hartfords-constitution-p.pdf

 

[CL82]

I think you single handedly squashed it with your posts about murders in Hartford. (l0l).

 

[Dove]

Are you incapable of being honest about what happened with the stadium?

1) It's not entering its 3rd season, it's entering it's 2nd season.
2) Hooker COULDN'T develop anything because the developer was fired.
3) The lawsuit over that termination is still pending, so any development down there literally CAN'T take place without significant risks.

Hartford screwed this up with their no-bid contract the first time around. There's no denying that. But the way you pretend as if nothing will ever be built there since it hasn't happened yet; when you should AND DO know that nothing can be built there until the lawsuit is settled (without significant risk) is tiresome and pathetic.

Wing...technically it is entering season 3. Hartford whiffed by Opening Day of the debut season. Last season then this upcoming season.

 

[Deepster]

Deepster, you might not know this but development, especially that type, is an incredibly complex undertaking. Even your local 5 lot subdivision or a suburban strip mall can take a couple of years from concept to opening. Acquiring rights to the property, putting together a team of architects engineers lawyers financial advisors, then testing, preparing plans lining up financing, getting multiple permits, zone changes maybe, that can take over a year andbyou haven’t moved a single shovel of dirt.

Yeah. It's complex. When did they break ground? Mid-2015? How many years do you need?

 

[Edward Sargent]

They need to something on the riverfront. People love getting drunk by water.

Even Newark has upgraded its waterfront to the point where people are now coming into town for evening activities. Twenty years ago there was no reason to go to Newark at night (unless you were my wife going to law school).

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Deepster, you might not know this but development, especially that type, is an incredibly complex undertaking. Even your local 5 lot subdivision or a suburban strip mall can take a couple of years from concept to opening. Acquiring rights to the property, putting together a team of architects engineers lawyers financial advisors, then testing, preparing plans lining up financing, getting multiple permits, zone changes maybe, that can take over a year andbyou haven’t moved a single shovel of dirt.

Take a look at the RMS timeline in New Haven for sizeable project in HillSouth

 

[BlueMAB]

Fact. The stadium is entering it's 3rd season. If I bought a car in January 2016 but left it in the garage with no tires on it for a year, then put tires on it and drove it January 2017, the car is still a year old.

The area "should be" into it's 3rd year of development around the park and yet, there's still nothing for whatever reason you want to slap on it.

"Should be" but isn't. For reasons. Not excuses. There are differences. And your analogy is wrong. A better analogy would be a manufacturer building 90% of a car, putting it into a dealers showroom, and then complaining about the fact that the dealer hasn't sold it after a year.

Wing...technically it is entering season 3. Hartford whiffed by Opening Day of the debut season. Last season then this upcoming season.

No, never mind, you guys are right, when you're a developer, and you find out that nobody will be using the stadium for a year, you definitely want to get shovels in the ground. It's definitely a valid argument to complain about the lack of development around a stadium that wasn't used for the first year, while the surrounding land remains under question due to a still-pending lawsuit. Title doesn't impact land development at all.

The stadium is entering its second season of use. Which is what drives development. An average of 6,000+ fans go to games. Once the lawsuit is settled, and ownership of the land is settled, and 12-24 months later there isn't anything being built, then you have a valid complaint. Until then, it's a ridiculous criticism, because once the developer was fired, the completion delayed, and the development rights delayed, it was virtually impossible for any development to take place.