[JayCT]

Originally Posted by HumpDay

Lets do the math. I like making observations.

Look at this article by the Hartford Courant
New Haven Coliseum Redevelopment To Get Critical State Funding - Hartford Courant

If you look at the rendering picture at the top (not sure if this is what it'll actually look like)
You'll notice that the main building is roughly 19-23 floors which is actually quite impressive in New Haven's standards. If you look closely, you'll notice the brownish building in the background (on the right) has roughly the same height and also has 21 floors. This building is called Tower One. Its main use is senior living i think, i cant remember. It was built back in the early 1970's and is roughly 260-280 ft. tall according to Emporis. That's 20 feet lower than 360 State Street which is the 3rd tallest building in the city. Connecticut Financial Center and the Knights of Columbus Tower being taller. If it's ends up being the 4th tallest building in the city, i can guarantee you it'll add to New Haven's skyline. New Haven's skyline isn't that bad at all. Its very similar to Providence's skyline IMO. Both have a good mix of old and new architecture. Colleges both play an important role in the cities economy and there tallest buildings are roughly the same height.

You may be right but that rendering is not of the actual buildings being planned. It is just a promotional rendering made by the developer to promote the project. He has yet to come forward with any real plans for the site. He was all over the city and state to fund the reconstruction of Route 34 to reconnect Orange Street in front of his site to South Orange Street to the south. That funding is what the article was announcing back in the fall. Now it is up to him to come forward with real plans.

The taller buildings on the site are an office building (the taller one) and a hotel (the one behind it). These are likely the two buildings that are most questionable whether they will actually get built. There is not a big market for new offices these days so getting funding for a tower of this size is questionable at best. The hotel has a better chance of being built since there is some demand for one in New Haven. Still until formal plans are submitted even this is questionable. The rest of the site is going to be housing and retail both of which there is a good market for in the city. Those buildings are much lower and will likely add little to the New Haven skyline. Again I am not saying it will not happen but until formal plans are presented, you cannot be sure. Jay

[HumpDay]

Originally Posted by JayCT

You may be right but that rendering is not of the actual buildings being planned. It is just a promotional rendering made by the developer to promote the project. He has yet to come forward with any real plans for the site. He was all over the city and state to fund the reconstruction of Route 34 to reconnect Orange Street in front of his site to South Orange Street to the south. That funding is what the article was announcing back in the fall. Now it is up to him to come forward with real plans.

The taller buildings on the site are an office building (the taller one) and a hotel (the one behind it). These are likely the two buildings that are most questionable whether they will actually get built. There is not a big market for new offices these days so getting funding for a tower of this size is questionable at best. The hotel has a better chance of being built since there is some demand for one in New Haven. Still until formal plans are submitted even this is questionable. The rest of the site is going to be housing and retail both of which there is a good market for in the city. Those buildings are much lower and will likely add little to the New Haven skyline. Again I am not saying it will not happen but until formal plans are presented, you cannot be sure. Jay

It will be a great investment for the developer who decides to built this project. New Haven has one of the lowest vacancy rates in the country. Office vacancy rates in New Haven is pretty low as well. I think its lower than Hartford but New Haven is probably the highest in demand in office and housing units in the state right now. Maybe Stamford in a close second. I could be wrong.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by HumpDay

It will be a great investment for the developer who decides to built this project. New Haven has one of the lowest vacancy rates in the country. Office vacancy rates in New Haven is pretty low as well. I think its lower than Hartford but New Haven is probably the highest in demand in office and housing units in the state right now. Maybe Stamford in a close second. I could be wrong.

There really is not much of a market for new office space anywhere in this country these days. The market was overbuilt in the 80's and 90's across the country so with the big work-from-home movement, smaller work areas and flexible work schedules, businesses do not need as much space as they did 20 years ago. This is true even in New Haven. Certainly though the potential for apartments in New Haven is strong. Jay

[HumpDay]

Originally Posted by JayCT

There really is not much of a market for new office space anywhere in this country these days. The market was overbuilt in the 80's and 90's across the country so with the big work-from-home movement, smaller work areas and flexible work schedules, businesses do not need as much space as they did 20 years ago. This is true even in New Haven. Certainly though the potential for apartments in New Haven is strong. Jay

Well in Hartford I think it was overbuilt. Imagine if those 700ft+ towers were built in Hartford. Most likely vacancy would be higher. Vacancy is at its lowest point in Hartford since the early 2000's. I think it's a little deceptive because 777 Main was an office tower until it was converted in apartments. The remaining offices went into CityPlace where it's 98% full. So obviously the vacancy rate will be lower. Hartford is improving but I think New Haven has a brighter future unless the people who run Hartford get the idea.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by HumpDay

Well in Hartford I think it was overbuilt. Imagine if those 700ft+ towers were built in Hartford. Most likely vacancy would be higher. Vacancy is at its lowest point in Hartford since the early 2000's. I think it's a little deceptive because 777 Main was an office tower until it was converted in apartments. The remaining offices went into CityPlace where it's 98% full. So obviously the vacancy rate will be lower. Hartford is improving but I think New Haven has a brighter future unless the people who run Hartford get the idea.

Hartford still remains the state's largest employment center by far. It has more than 112,000 people working there while New Haven has under 80,000.

I always wondered what would have happened if a couple of those massive towers were built in Hartford back in the 80's. Maybe some of the companies like The Hartford and ING (now Voya) would have moved downtown instead of building suburban buildings. We will never know. Jay

[HumpDay]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Hartford still remains the state's largest employment center by far. It has more than 112,000 people working there while New Haven has under 80,000.

I always wondered what would have happened if a couple of those massive towers were built in Hartford back in the 80's. Maybe some of the companies like The Hartford and ING (now Voya) would have moved downtown instead of building suburban buildings. We will never know. Jay

Obviosly Hartford is the state's largest employer because that's where many state government offices are. State capitals have that advantage towards other major cities within the state. If Aetna, The Hartford, Phoenix Mutual, and the Travelers weren't in Hartford then New Haven would most likely be the state's largest employer. Insurance is a key role in Hartford. About those towers. I like to think what would happen if those were built. I like to imagine what the impact would have been. Could you imagine how the skyline would have looked going east bound on Interstate 84. It would have been an awe. I mean it's still impressive as it is but we would have been just as good as Bostons. Maybe UTC would have stayed in Hartford or even Travelers HQ, who knows? I think there would have been many more international companies in Hartford if that 878 foot skyscraper was built. We were close to making that a reality. They were 2 months away from groundbreaking. I think I still have the newspaper from when they cancelled it. I can't remember.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by HumpDay

Obviosly Hartford is the state's largest employer because that's where many state government offices are. State capitals have that advantage towards other major cities within the state. If Aetna, The Hartford, Phoenix Mutual, and the Travelers weren't in Hartford then New Haven would most likely be the state's largest employer. Insurance is a key role in Hartford. About those towers. I like to think what would happen if those were built. I like to imagine what the impact would have been. Could you imagine how the skyline would have looked going east bound on Interstate 84. It would have been an awe. I mean it's still impressive as it is but we would have been just as good as Bostons. Maybe UTC would have stayed in Hartford or even Travelers HQ, who knows? I think there would have been many more international companies in Hartford if that 878 foot skyscraper was built. We were close to making that a reality. They were 2 months away from groundbreaking. I think I still have the newspaper from when they cancelled it. I can't remember.

I think it was because the financial market died and all development was stopped. Jay

[HumpDay]

Originally Posted by JayCT

I think it was because the financial market died and all development was stopped. Jay

Yup pretty much. There were roughly 5-6 tall skyscrapers proposed in the late 80's. The only one that was built was Goodwin Sqaure which is a great tower.