XL Center renovation

[Deepster]

I love Hartford and the things being accomplished here. Some people will never know because they literally never go into any of the neighborhoods. And I love Connecticut...However, Connecticut residents (especially above 50 years old) are the most negative people and they really contribute to holding back progress because their constant whining and negativity.

When you say "the things being accomplished here", can you elaborate more on what you mean there?

 

[CTBasketball]

You, my friend, are a marketing genius:

View attachment 49229
Embrace the Suck!​

Come on down to the XL Center, we’ve got seats and that’s just about it.

 

[White Dwarf]

Fill the XL with dirt and host all events in cyberspace

 

[dennismenace]

With likely no bad intent, you omitted mention of Stamford. The City of Stamford had a manufacturing heritage that was similar to other CT cities. In 1949, it was consolidated with the larger Town of Stamford. Over such time, Stamford's population has grown through its inclusion of North Stamford, Shippan, Springdale, and Glenbrook. This has ensured a population that includes urban poverty AND vast wealth.

Stamford's population has grown from ~60,000 before consolidation to ~100,000 around the time of I-95 running through the city (1970) to current day ~125,000, which is greater today than Hartford which has in a similar time frame has gone from ~180,000 to ~160,000 to ~120,000.

The Hartford METRO population has grown while the city has been hemmed in. If Hartford were, say, Hartford, West Hartford, East Hartford, Windsor, Wethersfield, and Bloomfield, things would probably be different.

Possibly. But Stamford grew up as a refuge from NYC by Corporations which wanted the proximity to the City without all the costs and taxes. This was particularly true of Corporate Headquarters. Ct at the time offered a
more favorable tax arrangement for both Federal and State taxes and at the time (Pre Weicker) CT had no income tax for individuals. Of course our illustrious state is now seeing such Corporations as GE leave Stamford for the more attractive environment of tech center Ma. Where else but CT would a city (Hartford) get a 20 year legislated budgeted handout of $50 million per year for "education." Redistributing the wealth at the expense of cities who were expecting to recover excess taxes paid in. You can't make this stuff up. I doubt this has been done anywhere in US tax history.

 

[polycom]

Lol. I didn't read a post that gets it yet. What Hartford needs is rich young people to live and work in Hartford or none of the things people are asking for will happen. CT residents already love suburban living and that's fine. But when the Dunkin' doesn't open on Saturday you have a people problem. Spending money on the XL center makes no sense. Light that dump on fire and put it somewhere else.

 

[dennismenace]

It's not just XL Center. It's Hartford. it's Connecticut.

It's endless negativity and self-flagellation. I don't know what it is. Too many Catholics, maybe?

Some people view everything through the prism of Government Is Bad. And everything comes back to that.

UConn spending too much? Cut funding. Tuition raising? How could you cut funding?!

Some folks just want to bitch and moan. I don't know. I think everyone needs to chill out and go to therapy and relax a little. Yes, life is Hell, but what else you got going on. Try to enjoy yourself once in awhile.

Anyway. Hartford needs something. The idea that the middle of the state is just not going to have any venue whatsoever for 8-15K is insane.

Also the idea that Hartford is the only city with a terrible highway running through it is hilarious. Go to another city, really, almost anywhere.

You realize of course that the design (including exits every 1/5 mile at one point) was to reward the merchants
and landlords. Pork. Some were so dangerous that they never actually opened. Highways which went around cities (New Britain, Meriden, Waterbury) did not save those cities either.

 

[Towney007]

I enjoy Hartford quite a bit, guess i'm weird.

 

[bendm]

But the move away from county government,

this makes practicing land use law suicidal. 169 fiefdoms, plus all the little villages and boroughs, all with their own regulations. another reason why i moved.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Possibly. But Stamford grew up as a refuge from NYC by Corporations which wanted the proximity to the City without all the costs and taxes. This was particularly true of Corporate Headquarters. Ct at the time offered a
more favorable tax arrangement for both Federal and State taxes and at the time (Pre Weicker) CT had no income tax for individuals.

Yes, @superjohn and I made mention of this a bit further up the page.

You realize of course that the design (including exits every 1/5 mile at one point) was to reward the merchants
and landlords. Pork. Some were so dangerous that they never actually opened. Highways which went around cities (New Britain, Meriden, Waterbury) did not save those cities either.

An as yet unmentioned aspect of Hartford's Interstate Highway System history, was how I-291 was intended as a ring-type highway that would encircle the city and allow traffic to switch from I-91 to I-84, or even go along the same axis without going through downtown.

The strongest (most powerful) opposition came from those along the path of the Talcott Ridge portion through West Hartford/Avon/Farmington, where there were some of the most desirable homes in the metropolitan region. It was also Metropolitan District Commission property, which was the reservoir water supply, and a long-time beautiful/beloved outdoor recreation area. It was a likely coalition of wealthy/connected NIMBY-meets-environmentalists that defeated the project.

The odd, unused multi-level stack that still stands where New Britain, Farmington, and West Hartford coverage would have connected I-291 to Route 9 down to the prosperous CT shoreline towns. Years after I had left the Hartford area, small segments of this road were built, joining, for example, Manchester to Bloomfield. So many other US cities built such highways and spawned prosperous real estate development. Joel Garreau's "Edge City" was the classic book on this phenomenon.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

this makes practicing land use law suicidal. 169 fiefdoms, plus all the little villages and boroughs, all with their own regulations. another reason why i moved.

For a good time, check out Nassau County, on New York's Long Island: Unincorporated areas, School Districts, Taxing Districts, Villages, 3 very large & populous "Towns," and 2 small "Cities."

Cities, Towns & Villages | Nassau County, NY - Official Website

www.nassaucountyny.gov

 

[superjohn]

Lol. I didn't read a post that gets it yet. What Hartford needs is rich young people to live and work in Hartford or none of the things people are asking for will happen. CT residents already love suburban living and that's fine. But when the Dunkin' doesn't open on Saturday you have a people problem. Spending money on the XL center makes no sense. Light that dump on fire and put it somewhere else.

You don't seem to get it at all. People are giving reasons why rich young people don't want to live in Hartford. Choking your city off from it's best asset with an interstate running through it and having a city proper of 18 square miles has always killed the city. The state had the best economy in the 80's and young rich people still didn't want to live in Hartford. There is nothing exciting about living in a tiny footprint of a concrete office park surrounded by parking lots, with a highway running through it and a vacant waterfront.

 

[superjohn]

this makes practicing land use law suicidal. 169 fiefdoms, plus all the little villages and boroughs, all with their own regulations. another reason why i moved.

It's insane, it's the only place I've seen in the country where they still pretend it's the 1800's.

 

[superjohn]

I enjoy Hartford quite a bit, guess i'm weird.

Atheneum is a great museum, The Bushnell theater and the park are beautiful, ahe Hartford Stage is great but would you want to live there? Midsize cities are changing and becoming vibrant all over the place, I highly doubt that's happening with Hartford and it's not because CT. people have bad attitudes, it's because the gov't has failed the city for decades. Do they even have a grocery store?

 

[bendm]

Do they even have a grocery store?

nope. Market 21 closed in 2011 and still sits vacant on Asylum St. 2 blocks down there's a little bodega called greenway with a small selection of rotten produce, expired beverages, and stale everything else.

 

[Ha Who]

nope. Market 21 closed in 2011 and still sits vacant on Asylum St. 2 blocks down there's a little bodega called greenway with a small selection of rotten produce, expired beverages, and stale everything else.

A new super Bodega just opened at Pearl and Main. Still no supermarket. The residents are complaining about a proposed supermarket in Do No being too close to a high school. After all the kids might get a job after school

 

[Deepster]

Atheneum is a great museum, The Bushnell theater and the park are beautiful, ahe Hartford Stage is great but would you want to live there? Midsize cities are changing and becoming vibrant all over the place, I highly doubt that's happening with Hartford and it's not because CT. people have bad attitudes, it's because the gov't has failed the city for decades. Do they even have a grocery store?

You don’t think most every state capital has the equivalent (or better) version of the Bushnell and Hartford Stage?

 

[nadav]

I responded and live out of state.

Yeah, me 2. I think they should build a 1 billion dollar arena! Of course I’ll never have to pay a cent for it. But if it helps Uconn!

 

[nadav]

If there is an actual need, wouldn't the free market fill it? One possible argument is that it would but the decaying XL Center is taking up the need and thus preventing a private vendor from investing to fill it.

Privately owned arenas are awfully rare.

 

[CL82]

Yeah, me 2. I think they should build a 1 billion dollar arena in Storrs! Of course I’ll never have to pay a cent for it. But if it helps Uconn!

I mean if you really want to help UConn...

 

[nadav]

I mean if you really want to help UConn...

We both know that if it’s state bucks, they want something in Hartford. I’m one of the outlaws who prefers XL to Storrs though. Lots of amazing memories in both, but when XL is rocking.....

 

[CL82]

Privately owned arenas are awfully rare.

I think you'd have to make it condition of allowing a casino to get it done in Hartford.

 

[FatHank]

Yeah, me 2. I think they should build a 1 billion dollar arena! Of course I’ll never have to pay a cent for it. But if it helps Uconn!

Same here. I told 'em a replace was a better option in my feedback but a renovation would do. I've not been to that place in a country minute but, dang, my first time there was 35 years ago and if I recall the seat structure still remains very much the same and so much has changed arena-wise since then something must be done.

 

[Waquoit]

He also neglected to mention that the riots In the 60’s chased many North End residents out of the city.

Please.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

1960s 'model cities' program. big gov run amok. I suppose that the explosion in cars, planes, colour television, Apollo, and the like was partly responsible for many folks to support tearing the past down, and building more entrance ramps to the future, but it was a bad idea. to their credit, there were plenty who said 'don't do this.' the big dig, albeit corrupt, signaled the beginning to the end of the 'model cities' mistake. today, all of connecticut's cities are looking better than they have in a long, long time. housing and people, are, and will continue to be, finding their way back. Connecticut local train travel is mostly awesome, and it too, is finding its way back. there is a new land metric, along the lines of 'urban,' 'rural,' 'suburban,' 'exurban,' and such, that describes areas where, so to speak, a few minutes going one way puts you at saks fifth avenue, 5 guys, or acme corp, while a few minutes the other way puts you in touch with jaws, or bullwinkle, or silence. connecticut has the highest percent of any state with land so identified, a very good way to live. all that is needed is to rightsize the government/tax thing.

 

[Waquoit]

You don’t think most every state capital has the equivalent (or better) version of the Bushnell and Hartford Stage?

No, they don't. Hartford Stage and Theater Works kick ass. Hartford really rates in regional theater. And the Bushnell is better than the equivalent in Albany and Columbus, that's what I know first hand.