Archive for the 'Development' Category
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!
487 Main Street, Hartford – Downtown Residential
Last evening Westside Property Management hosted a party to showcase their four new residential units at 487 Main Street in Downtown Hartford. The open house benefited the Hartford Preservation Alliance, was catered by Emily’s Catering Group, and featured staging by the interior designers of Chapter I.
487 Main is a mixed use building on the corner of Elm Street, across the street from the Downtown Branch of the Hartford Public Library. At street level, it has big-name retail tenants in Dunkin’ Donuts, Subway, and Main Street Seafood and Lounge. The upper level had been office space before the conversion to residential.
Access to the three units on the second floor is via the lobby and stairs on Main Street. Many original features have been preserved, including marble wainscoting, an intricate floor tile pattern, and oversized doors.
Each of the ranch-style units feature 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, and a den. The large windows and wide doors between the main living areas make the space feel large and open. And at over 1,600 sqft each, the units are larger than most of the current Downtown options.
The fourth unit is a 2,000 sqft townhouse with a private entrance on Elm Street. The main level has a large open living and dining room at the front, with the kitchen, a full bath, and a large utility room in the back. Upstairs are two very large bedrooms and another full bath.
Kitchens and baths are all brand new, with stone counters, though the appliances had not yet been installed. All of the units have laundry hookups, reasonable closet space, and air conditioning. There is no parking with the building, but there is underutilized on-street parking on Elm Street and parking lots nearby.
These apartments are larger than most everything else that is available in Downtown Hartford. They are bright, cheerful spaces, and well located. Rent for the four units range between $1,650 and $2,000 based on the size and layout. At those prices they are also a terrific value considering that the other large options rent for considerably more.
For more information about 487 Main Street, call Valerie Zullo, the property manager, at 860-522-8000. And just for fun, tell her you learned about the building on the Greater Hartford Real Estate Blog – thanks!
Downtown Sights and Sites
There is a lot going on in Downtown Hartford these days. Here are just a few of the activities and projects currently scheduled and underway.
The PGA Tour comes to Greater Hartford in a couple weeks for the Travelers Championship. One fantastic way to get involved is to check out the Tee It Up for Charity event on Thursday the 24th. It’s basically a big party with live music, a silent auction, and a mini-tournament on the practice facility. All money raised goes to The First Tee Connecticut.
Abul Islam and AI Engineers is building a green office building at the site of the former Broadcast House on Constitution Plaza, to be called the AI Tech Center. At this point the old building has come down, and they are reported to be looking for tenants in order to secure construction financing. Interested in meeting and talking with Mr. Islam? Sign up for the HYPE Entrepreneur Success Stories event on June 22nd in which he is the featured guest.
Front Street continues to plug along, though leasing is lagging construction. They have the exteriors of the buildings in good shape and the sidewalks down. Who will sign up to be the first tenants?
Finally, the Wadsworth Atheneum is undergoing some renovations, which includes some work on the roof.
Growing Fish
Here’s an interesting article about a company in Milwaukee that has set up an indoor farm to grow fish and vegetables organically and sustainably. Sweet Water Organics has put together an aquaculture system that recirculates water between the fish and veggies, with each providing nutrients for the others. They are currently raising perch, tilapia, lettuce, basil, watercress, tomatoes, peppers, chard, and spinach. The system has been built in a formerly vacant factory.
We’d love to get one of these in some of our vacant factory space … another business leasing space, more jobs, and fresh food. The building in the picture isn’t ready for prime time, but there are large spaces in Hartford that are much further along in the rehab process that would make excellent locations. Surely there is some space in the Colt complex that could be adapted quickly and easily.
Hartford Preservation Alliance Awards Event
The Hartford Preservation Alliance will be holding their annual Awards Event on Thursday, May 13th, at 5:30, at the Design Center in Parkville (1429 Park St, Hartford). There are 12 Awardees this year, including a number of projects that loyal readers will recognize. The event is open to all, and tickets are $25 – hope to see you there!
In addition to their annual Awards Event, the Hartford Preservation Alliance works throughout the year as an advocate for Hartford’s historic architecture and buildings. They also take on an education mission, organizing various events in the different neighborhoods. For example, tomorrow morning (May 8, 2010) at 10:00 AM they will be leading a walking tour through the Ann Street Historic District in Downtown Hartford. For a complete list of upcoming activities, visit the 2010 Calendar.
2010 Awardees
Common Ground
410 Asylum Street
“The Capitol Building”
Jan & David Klein
Kate & Christian Winkley
79 Girard Avenue
Northside Institutions Neighborhood Alliance (NINA)
291-293 Sargeant Street
Archdiocese of Hartford
809 Asylum Avenue
“St. Joseph Cathedral School”
Hartford School Building Commission
1304 Main Street
“Barnard Brown School”
James K. Grant, P.E.
Lifetime Achievement
Connecticut Preservation Action
Preservation Advocacy
Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism
“Being Modern in Hartford”
Molly Knorr & Mark Drusedum
1144 Prospect Avenue
PMC Property Group
210 Farmington Avenue
“The Ambassador”
Ross Zachs & Mike Miller
76 North Beacon Street
Antonella Bona
139 Fern Street
Congratulations to all the awardees – and thank you for going out of your way to preserve Hartford’s historic buildings.