The Next Thing to Look For...

[Hoophound]

Because you want public transport, you need utilities, local services, etc. It needs to be in Hartford for maximum access.

Putting it downtown is the single best thing that the state can do for Hartford. It is a great way to make a realistic push at revitalization. There are other ways to make the area surrounding the Rent better.

 

[whaler11]

Oh, they've built out enough water, gas, etc. for a school?

In Hartford, you can walk... use buses. How does one get to the Rent? Drive? Already that's a problem for students.

Buddy I know you don't live here... But walk from where? Buses - nobody takes buses.

There are enough utilities for Pratt and Whitney but not college classrooms? Um ok.

 

[CTMike]

Of course I can see the value in having UConn downtown - certainly not going to call anyone crazy who feels that way. I just feel that it would be better to develop a proper campus around Rentschler, with mixed retail a la Storrs Village. I think it would be a great college vibe.

 

[AJC88]

Buddy I know you don't live here... But walk from where? Buses - nobody takes buses.

There are enough utilities for Pratt and Whitney but not college classrooms? Um ok.

I spend part of my lunch hour standing outside my office building on Main Street laughing at people running after buses. I can assure you that A LOT of people ride buses in Hartford.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Buddy I know you don't live here... But walk from where? Buses - nobody takes buses.

There are enough utilities for Pratt and Whitney but not college classrooms? Um ok.

Just wait until the state of the art New Britain to Hartford busway is complete! Then every business professional in Hartford County will be taking mass transit!

 

[upstater]

Buddy I know you don't live here... But walk from where? Buses - nobody takes buses.

There are enough utilities for Pratt and Whitney but not college classrooms? Um ok.

This is the sort of coackamamie thinking that has screwed this country badly over the years.

 

[upstater]

Even New Haven had the sense to stick a community college inside the old Malley's building, and that's not even a residential college.

 

[whaler11]

This is the sort of coackamamie thinking that has screwed this country badly over the years.

If you actually were in Hartford I'd listen to you opine about local public transportation. If you took a night class in downtown Hartford I imagine you'd take the ghost bus after? I imagine they are ghosts because they are invisible.

Your utility argument may be your stupidest yet. There are enough utilities for Pratt, Cabelas and to run a 40k capacity stadium, but not enough for college classrooms?

Please answer the question about who could walk to a campus in downtown Hartford. Where exactly would those people live?

 

[whaler11]

I spend part of my lunch hour standing outside my office building on Main Street laughing at people running after buses. I can assure you that A LOT of people ride buses in Hartford.

Oh we laugh at the people riding the bus as well. As we interview people we try and pull out of the candidates if they plan on riding the bus: if they do we know we don't want them.

 

[upstater]

If you actually were in Hartford I'd listen to you opine about local public transportation. If you took a night class in downtown Hartford I imagine you'd take the ghost bus after? I imagine they are ghosts because they are invisible.

Your utility argument may be your stupidest yet. There are enough utilities for Pratt, Cabelas and to run a 40k capacity stadium, but not enough for college classrooms?

Please answer the question about who could walk to a campus in downtown Hartford. Where exactly would those people live?

Put it near Trinity, how the heck should I know? Build the dorms, businesses will come in. Build it downtown near the civic center. Don't make the 20th century mistake of building something somewhere where only cars have access to it. It's myopic. The waste of building outside the city center and the problems of urban abandonment end up costing taxpayers in the end, the inefficiency of it all. People like Ed Glaeser who is an economist with a focus on urban planning have been over this quite often. The concentration of higher education, worker training, and businesses in the urban core brings services, entertainment and more workers into the area. It's not a magic bullet but at least it doesn't create the same old problems again. The key is the ability to get around, where transport is quickest and easiest.

 

[whaler11]

Put it near Trinity, how the heck should I know? Build the dorms, businesses will come in. Build it downtown near the civic center. Don't make the 20th century mistake of building something somewhere where only cars have access to it. It's myopic. The waste of building outside the city center and the problems of urban abandonment end up costing taxpayers in the end, the inefficiency of it all. People like Ed Glaeser who is an economist with a focus on urban planning have been over this quite often. The concentration of higher education, worker training, and businesses in the urban core brings services, entertainment and more workers into the area. It's not a magic bullet but at least it doesn't create the same old problems again. The key is the ability to get around, where transport is quickest and easiest.

Dorms? Near Trinity? The only public
transportation that exists is buses. You can schedule buses wherever the hell you want them to go. There is no more inherent public transportation downtown or to the South End than there is to Rentschler.

Almost no one who would go to a UConn branch would ride a bus anyway.

The ship has sailed on people going to Hartford. They go to Glastonbury or West Hartford Center or the malls. People go to Hartford because they have to and then they do everything in their power to get out immediately. The city can't even support a frigging AHL team.

 

[Fishy]

Why do we want to put the branch next to the Rent again?

Granted, putting a community college next to a football stadium worked for Louisville, but it doesn't seem to make a great deal of sense to a state determined to help Hartford.

 

[whaler11]

Why do we want to put the branch next to the Rent again?

Granted, putting a community college next to a football stadium worked for Louisville, but it doesn't seem to make a great deal of sense to a state determined to help Hartford.

They probably shouldn't. But public transportation and a lack of utilities certainly aren't reasons not to.

 

[Pudge]

Whaler ... you are incredibly "myopic" ... to use upstater's phrase and really a curmodgeon.

Look ... in a short span ... both Providence and now New Haven have really climbed up from a virtual ghost town to something vibrant. There is no denying that. I have friends who have been instrumental in both Providence and New Haven ... that are now working on a project in Hartford for 100s of acres. Maybe Albany or Worcester are next; there's hope for all these urban centers. BTW ... in some REAL University cities where University Students per Capita are high, kids use the Bus. Why? Because the Municipal Authority makes it free for them. The Bus gets used extensively. So ... your attitude about ignoring people who take the Bus to your crummy interview will miss many many qualified candidates> Where are these cities? They are 3-5 hours from where you sit today.

Utilities? I'm not willing, even though I have a background in development financing, to make any guesses as to the Rentschler site has any infrastructure applicable to what is being discussed. That would take a few weeks.

 

[whaler11]

Whaler ... you are incredibly "myopic" ... to use upstater's phrase and really a curmodgeon.

Look ... in a short span ... both Providence and now New Haven have really climbed up from a virtual ghost town to something vibrant. There is no denying that. I have friends who have been instrumental in both Providence and New Haven ... that are now working on a project in Hartford for 100s of acres. Maybe Albany or Worcester are next; there's hope for all these urban centers. BTW ... in some REAL University cities where University Students per Capita are high, kids use the Bus. Why? Because the Municipal Authority makes it free for them. The Bus gets used extensively. So ... your attitude about ignoring people who take the Bus to your crummy interview will miss many many qualified candidates> Where are these cities? They are 3-5 hours from where you sit today.

Utilities? I'm not willing, even though I have a background in development financing, to make any guesses as to the Rentschler site has any infrastructure applicable to what is being discussed. That would take a few weeks.

Listen any time you want to come spend a few years doing what I do and compare the overall quality of the work being done by the people who ride the bus versus the people who don't then you can lecture me about buses and the people who ride them.

The best thing about the boneyard is the constant pontificating about what happens in Connecticut by people who aren't here.

How could Hartford ever be a 'real University city'. How could a high percentage of the population be students?

All I ever asked from Upstater was a reason why the Rentschler site was a disaster. He's got utilities and public transportation. Well you can route as many buses to East Hartford as you like and the utilities exist for Pratt, Cabelas and 40k stadium so....

 

[UCFBfan]

How about this Whaler. Why would putting the UConn campus downtown be a bad thing? They already have some student housing on Temple St that I believe is for UHart so I'm not sure how hard it would be to build more in one of the many vacant buildings in Hartford. I never understand the logic of people who constantly want to bash Hartford and anything that city may try to do to revitalize itself. If the university wanted to move to Rentschler the costs would be highet (I'm guessing here) than fixing up the current WH branch.

There's a larger goal here for the state and UConn in moving the campus. They're looking at New Haven and seeing the value of having college students in a city and how it can revitalize a city. Yes, the branch campus is not Yale nor does it have on campus living but do you truly believe that can't change if the campus is downtown? Moving it to East Hartford solves absolutely nothing and requires the building of an entire campus. Plus no one would live there. Moving to Hartford requires renovating a preexisting structure and possibly revitalizing a once great city.

I lived in Hartford for three years and WH for 4 before meeting my wife and moving into her place in Southington so you can call me a valid observer...

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Pudge]

Pop Quiz for Mr. Know-it-all:

What is the name & location of a $200m/1million SF Masterplan development that will soon have a Development Agreement & developed in New Haven? This summers priority for the outgoing mayor.

Follow-up

Where is there an intense competition by like groups in Hartford?

As for the busing nostrum: I teach lots of Accounting & Finance students. They had to have a 3.25 to get in my class. Many are Metro NY or Foreign ... And they take the Bus everyday.

 

[whaler11]

How about this Whaler. Why would putting the UConn campus downtown be a bad thing? They already have some student housing on Temple St that I believe is for UHart so I'm not sure how hard it would be to build more in one of the many vacant buildings in Hartford. I never understand the logic of people who constantly want to bash Hartford and anything that city may try to do to revitalize itself. If the university wanted to move to Rentschler the costs would be highet (I'm guessing here) than fixing up the current WH branch.

There's a larger goal here for the state and UConn in moving the campus. They're looking at New Haven and seeing the value of having college students in a city and how it can revitalize a city. Yes, the branch campus is not Yale nor does it have on campus living but do you truly believe that can't change if the campus is downtown? Moving it to East Hartford solves absolutely nothing and requires the building of an entire campus. Plus no one would live there. Moving to Hartford requires renovating a preexisting structure and possibly revitalizing a once great city.

I lived in Hartford for three years and WH for 4 before meeting my wife and moving into her place in Southington so you can call me a valid observer...

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

I've never said Hartford was a bad place for it. Upstater said East Hartford would be a disaster and I asked why. Buses seem to be his answer. Well, Goodwin College's campus is exploding - so I guess maybe buses aren't the actual driving force to something being successful.

 

[whaler11]

Pop Quiz for Mr. Know-it-all:

What is the name & location of a $200m/1million SF Masterplan development that will soon have a Development Agreement & developed in New Haven? This summers priority for the outgoing mayor.

Follow-up

Where is there an intense competition by like groups in Hartford?

As for the busing nostrum: I teach lots of Accounting & Finance students. They had to have a 3.25 to get in my class. Many are Metro NY or Foreign ... And they take the Bus everyday.

Quick response for Mr. No Reading Comprehension:

I have never said whatever is built shouldn't be downtown. I merely have asked Upstater why East Hartford would be a disaster. There is already something similar that has been wildly successful right near Rentschler. I guess we ignore that evidence when declaring it would be a disaster.

Public transportation has little bearing on the success of something in greater Hartford. That other cities have more successful public transportation systems has no bearing on here.

My experience with the quality of employee who takes the bus is obviously based solely on the dynamics here and I would not extrapolate those experiences to anywhere else. So you can save your defense of your students - I'm not talking about them.

 

[UCFBfan]

I've never said Hartford was a bad place for it. Upstater said East Hartford would be a disaster and I asked why. Buses seem to be his answer. Well, Goodwin College's campus is exploding - so I guess maybe buses aren't the actual driving force to something being successful.

Just out of curiosity, where would you put it and why? I understand you're just proving upstater's argument to be faulty but I'm curious. Also, I'd say Goodwin college is bursting due to it's nursing program and the perceived belief that that field is going to blow up with jobs moreso than anything ekse but I see your point.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Hoophound]

How about this Whaler. Why would putting the UConn campus downtown be a bad thing? They already have some student housing on Temple St that I believe is for UHart so I'm not sure how hard it would be to build more in one of the many vacant buildings in Hartford. I never understand the logic of people who constantly want to bash Hartford and anything that city may try to do to revitalize itself. If the university wanted to move to Rentschler the costs would be highet (I'm guessing here) than fixing up the current WH branch.

There's a larger goal here for the state and UConn in moving the campus. They're looking at New Haven and seeing the value of having college students in a city and how it can revitalize a city. Yes, the branch campus is not Yale nor does it have on campus living but do you truly believe that can't change if the campus is downtown? Moving it to East Hartford solves absolutely nothing and requires the building of an entire campus. Plus no one would live there. Moving to Hartford requires renovating a preexisting structure and possibly revitalizing a once great city.

I lived in Hartford for three years and WH for 4 before meeting my wife and moving into her place in Southington so you can call me a valid observer...

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

Something some people don't even realize---Hartford was a great city. It was one of the very best cities in the country. There was no better place to be. Restoring it is a priority IMO and putting people back in the city is the best way to do it. Hartford defines Central and North Central CT. A thriving and hip Hartford would put CT back on the map. Building stuff and then hoping people show up is putting the cart before the horse. Frankly, I'd see if UCONN could make the Hartford branch a 7 day per week operation just to keep people downtown. Once people notice life when they go downtown, they'll start coming back.

 

[specialisthusky]

I was thinking last night that the old Goodwin Hotel might be a nice option/possibility for UConn Downtown. I know little about project management, so I wonder if converting the hotel rooms to class rooms would be too large of a project. I'd imagine that would be less expensive than a complete rebuild of the old Times building. I think ultimately UConn will end up on Main St though, which there is nothing wrong with.

As for East Hartford being a disaster...It would only be a disaster in the sense the State and City miss out on a great oppurtunity to increase foot traffic and residency in Hartford. It sure would not hurt to inject some youth into downtown.

 

[upstater]

They probably shouldn't. But public transportation and a lack of utilities certainly aren't reasons not to.

That's the MAJOR reason why you don't do it.

Quick centralized travel (public transport, bikes, by foot) and the huge cost of maintaining spread out infrastructure (highways, utilities, etc.) are killers. You want density, centralization. A hollowed out core means high taxes for everyone.

 

[whaler11]

That's the MAJOR reason why you don't do it.

Quick centralized travel (public transport, bikes, by foot) and the huge cost of maintaining spread out infrastructure (highways, utilities, etc.) are killers. You want density, centralization. A hollowed out core means high taxes for everyone.

Are you sure you've been to Hartford? Bikes? Walking?

Where could someone live that would make biking to downtown Hartford for school viable?

Hartford can't plow the roads when it snows for cars - but people are going to bike to a downtown campus. Four days after a storm my car got stuck in a snowbank - that was in the middle of Wethersfield Ave.

 

[The Funster]

Are you sure you've been to Hartford? Bikes? Walking?

Where could someone live that would make biking to downtown Hartford for school viable?

Hartford can't plow the roads when it snows for cars - but people are going to bike to a downtown campus. Four days after a storm my car got stuck in a snowbank - that was in the middle of Wethersfield Ave.

I think you are missing his point completely.

 

[whaler11]

I think you are missing his point completely.

I'm not missing his point at all. He's talking about a fantasy theoretical world. I'm talking about the actual reality that makes things like riding a bike to downtown Hartford unrealistic for more than a tiny fraction of the population.

What percentage of the population of the people that would attend the school would live within walking distance. 1%?

Build it in Hartford if it's good for the city but please - the little public transportation we have can be easily rerouted to East Hartford and don't pretend people are going to be riding bikes.

 

[Hoophound]

I'm not missing his point at all. He's talking about a fantasy theoretical world. I'm talking about the actual reality that makes things like riding a bike to downtown Hartford unrealistic for more than a tiny fraction of the population.

What percentage of the population of the people that would attend the school would live within walking distance. 1%?

Build it in Hartford if it's good for the city but please - the little public transportation we have can be easily rerouted to East Hartford and don't pretend people are going to be riding bikes.

His point isn't that people will bike to Hartford from Avon or Enfield. People will bike or walk from their apartment to class or a coffee house, like in most cities. People that live downtown now walk places. There just isn't enough people living there yet.

 

[Husky25]

Wasn't one the reasons of moving UConn-Hartford to get it out of the 'Burbs? Why move the campus from one to the other? Once that question is answered, the Rentschler Field proposal (which doesn't exist at the CRDA level) is rendered moot. Secondly, supporting an AHL teams runs deeper than just putting a minor league franchise in a civic arena. Spend an hour on the Courant's Whalers' board and you'll figure out what I mean... If Global Spectrum does it right and they can lower ticket and concession prices, the AHL, and UConn basketball and Hockey will all thrive.

Apparently, the Bank of America building is being repurposed into studio apts. There are other office buildings with 33% or more vacancy (the aforementioned BoA building is 100% vacant) that can potentially also be repurposed. Get a grocery store chain within walking distance of the intersection of Pearl and Trumbull and we'll be on our way to revitalizing Hartford.

FYI busses are used out of necessity, If students use the bus system on the Storrs campus (and they do), they will certainly use buses in the city. No question in my mind.

 

[Pudge]

Quick response for Mr. No Reading Comprehension:

I have never said whatever is built shouldn't be downtown. I merely have asked Upstater why East Hartford would be a disaster. There is already something similar that has been wildly successful right near Rentschler. I guess we ignore that evidence when declaring it would be a disaster.

Public transportation has little bearing on the success of something in greater Hartford. That other cities have more successful public transportation systems has no bearing on here.

My experience with the quality of employee who takes the bus is obviously based solely on the dynamics here and I would not extrapolate those experiences to anywhere else. So you can save your defense of your students - I'm not talking about them.

I don't agree with upstater on East Hartford. That Big open field with just the Stadium is calling for some answer.

I was answering narrowly. The people who put together the concept for Storrs Center is soon to break ground in New Haven ... and they have a sizable prospective project in Hartford. Educational facilites and Medical ... in case you haven't noticed ... are core anchors for a lot of what works in these cities. (Providence and New Haven as examples). There are huge possibilities at Rentschler. (but that's not the target site) This becomes a little Disney-esque. I see Public Transportation as crucial ... yeah I am a greenie. But, you derive the highest Sales/Rent per Square feet mostly because you create exciting retail and mixed use. Walkable cities. Cars are the last thing I want to plan for; necessary evil.

 

[Waquoit]

Listen any time you want to come spend a few years doing what I do and compare the overall quality of the work being done by the people who ride the bus versus the people who don't then you can lecture me about buses and the people who ride them.

.

First you say poor people shouldn't have sex, than this? Wow.