Buh-Bye Butt Ugly?
Yesterday, Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra announced the City’s intention to acquire and demolish the building on corner of Main and Trumbull. He noted that it is a “critically important project” and is “an economic development priority for a number of reasons.” David Panagore, Hartford COO and Director of Development Services, said that they expect to have a purchase agreement in place by Thursday and are prepared to begin eminent domain action if needed.
Exciting news, but we’ve heard this before. The Butt Ugly building is a landmark building in Hartford – it desperately needs to be taken down. Visible from the highway, the dilapidated structure says something about the capital city to everyone who drives by, and especially those never get off the highway.
We were surprised by the announcement and are hopeful that this time it will happen. Thanks for getting the ball rolling, Mayor Segarra!
That building is only one part of the equation though. There is so much ugly about that spot. There’s no plant life to speak of. There’s an enormous, disjointed intersection. It’s wicked unfriendly to pedestrians. I hope that the powers that be take into consideration the need for beautifying that intersection; otherwise, when the building comes down, it’s going to be another surface lot wasteland.
The Downtown North Redevelopment Plan for the city (dated fall 2008) notes the area around the Butt Ugly Building is slated to become “higher density residential.” The vision is to connect practically speaking with retail and amenities just to the south, a few blocks away, under I-84. The rest of the plan details a vision for a large area of the surroundings, and I imagine making the intersections better for pedestrians would be a part of it.
I believe that is actually the back of the building in the picture. The front of the building is not unattractive, it is just dilapidated. The lack of surrounding architectural context also detracts, but if you rehabbed this building, and built up abutting structures around it, you would be hard pressed to understand why it is considered the “butt ugly building.” As usual, the solution in Hartford is to knock it down. As has already been done to every single other building on that block. Which is why the whole area is so unappealing. I could go on, but I will stop there.
You’re right, Josh, that picture does show the back of the building. The front is in better condition, with the facade basically intact. However, it’s the back of the structure that everyone traveling East on I84 through Hartford sees.
Well, if indeed the announced demise of the Butt Ugly building is a tease, we can move forward with an idea that was suggested to EmGee and me while we were in Ireland: We go to Europe to see ruins. Why not Hartford? Let’s turn our blight into a feature!
Gah.
Would love to see some type of “destination-type” grocery store in this location. A Trader Joes or a Connecticut-based Stu Leonards would be a great assett to existing residential and an easy draw off the highway for area traffic. With pedestrian-friendly improvements part of re-development plans this could be an exciting and happening intersection that provides the link needed between downtown and north hartford.