Last week the Courant reported that the Hartford Safety Complex building on High Street in Downtown Hartford was approaching completion. The project has been been in the news over the years for the wrong reasons, the most noteworthy being that the main facade had to be taken down rather than preserved. Now that the project is basically done, how did the City and their team do putting it all back together? Does the Public Safety
Last night CREC presented their proposal to the public at the West End Civic Association general meeting. The event was standing room only, with well over 50 residents in attendance, and it was a lively affair. Among the attendees were the Mayor, three City Council members, and the Superintendent of Hartford Public Schools. After some initial West End announcements, CREC gave their presentation covering the school, the site, and reasons why they felt it was
I learned something interesting today during a home inspection, so I thought I would pass it along. Take a look at the photo below. Is this house solely brick exterior construction or is it brick and stud construction (essentially the brick is only a veneer)? How can you tell? This home, built in 1884 according to town records, is solely brick exterior construction. That means there are several layers of brick which make up the
Checking out the inside of many different houses is a great perk of being a real estate agent. I’m not at all curious about the homeowners’ stuff, or how they live, rather I love to look at the design and architecture of different homes. Looking at the outside is nice, but the interiors can be even more interesting. I see a lot of structures from the 1890s through the present day. The housing stock in
The West End of Hartford contains multiple Historic Districts, which include just about all the properties in the neighborhood. In addition to recognizing the architectural importance of the collection of homes, and helping protect the properties from inappropriate modifications, the Historic District designation also creates opportunities for owners. One interesting incentive is the Historic Homes Rehabilitation Tax Credit. This past month I had an opportunity to sit down with Lucas Karmazinas, an independent consultant in