[ConnecticutSir]

Originally Posted by MikefromCT

I took the Springfield-New Haven train from Windsor to NH on Saturday, and I was amazed at how many empty lots there are in the corridor west of the train tracks and north of downtown. All of that land is just sitting there, empty and unused. And all I could think was, what a tremendous opportunity to clean up that land and put it to use. I realize everyone will be stonewalling me in response, saying it's never going to happen or the environmental costs are too much, etc. It doesn't matter. If people wanted to do something productive with that space, they could. Hopefully, at some point in the near future, they will.

That's exactly how I feel. It seems like a snowball effect. While Hartford has made respectable strides in the last few years, if some people with the means would build some meaningful developments on these vacant lots, that would make Hartford more attractive and likely encourage others to build there. But very few people with the means are coming forward. Still, I think the ball is rolling in the right general direction in Hartford for the first time in a long time.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by MikefromCT

Parkville isn't bad, but IMO Sunset Park is a safer neighborhood. As someone who's been to that neighborhood, Sunset Park feels safer and more diverse. Maybe that's where Parkville will be a few years from now, though.



When I first read about this last week, I was under the impression that the entire hotel was proposed to be converted to apartments. My issue with that is, that would mean one less hotel in the city once this pandemic eventually ends. There will be a demand for hospitality again, and if there's a shortage of this in the city, that means people will go elsewhere, which means less revenue for the city. There may be a need for housing, but there's also a need for commercial properties so they can pay some of the property taxes instead of the residents. A partial conversion makes more sense, IMO.

I took the Springfield-New Haven train from Windsor to NH on Saturday, and I was amazed at how many empty lots there are in the corridor west of the train tracks and north of downtown. All of that land is just sitting there, empty and unused. And all I could think was, what a tremendous opportunity to clean up that land and put it to use. I realize everyone will be stonewalling me in response, saying it's never going to happen or the environmental costs are too much, etc. It doesn't matter. If people wanted to do something productive with that space, they could. Hopefully, at some point in the near future, they will.

Sunset Park was not always safe. It’s gentrified over the years. Parkville is just starting that though it’s been generally safe for years now. We’ve eaten out there for years now.

I too am concerned about the Hilton. It’s one of Hartford’s premier hotels. I suppose converting only half of it to apartments is better than converting the whole building or it sitting empty but still. The Capitol Regional Development Authority, the quasi-state agency which assists developers in the greater Hartford, is also concerned. Less hotel rooms could mean less business at the Connecticut Convention Center which it operates. That’s not good.

I’m not sure what open land you are talking about north of downtown. To the west of the tracks is a lot of industrial buildings and some homes. At the northern end of the city, the tracks parallel Main Street and the tracks are behind businesses along it. There’s open land north of I-84 but it is park land. East of the tracks is the North Meadows Industrial area. There are some open lots there but not vast expanses. I don’t think those front the tracks though. Jay

[MikefromCT]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Sunset Park was not always safe. It’s gentrified over the years. Parkville is just starting that though it’s been generally safe for years now. We’ve eaten out there for years now.

Oh, I know. The Gowanus Expressway (nee Parkway) damaged that area bigtime in the 1940s and it's only seen turnaround in recent decades. Still, it seemed safer to me, and cleaner. There's some good points of interest in Parkville, such as the marketplace and Hog River Brewing. Hopefully they can keep that momentum going and spread it to side streets off of Park, as that's key.

Originally Posted by JayCT

I’m not sure what open land you are talking about north of downtown. To the west of the tracks is a lot of industrial buildings and some homes. At the northern end of the city, the tracks parallel Main Street and the tracks are behind businesses along it. There’s open land north of I-84 but it is park land. East of the tracks is the North Meadows Industrial area. There are some open lots there but not vast expanses. I don’t think those front the tracks though. Jay

If you ever get the chance to take the Hartford Line into New Haven from Windsor (which is inexpensive and super convenient, by the way), you will see what I mean. Immediately west of the train tracks, before Windsor Street or Main Street, there are hollowed out storefronts and tenements, empty parking lots and brownfields. This is a long, narrow North-South strip before you get to Hartford's Union Station. Might be tempting to look at this and write it off simply as urban blight (which it currently is), but if put to appropriate use, it would be prime real estate (which I hope it becomes).

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by JayCT

I too am concerned about the Hilton. It’s one of Hartford’s premier hotels. I suppose converting only half of it to apartments is better than converting the whole building or it sitting empty but still. The Capitol Regional Development Authority, the quasi-state agency which assists developers in the greater Hartford, is also concerned. Less hotel rooms could mean less business at the Connecticut Convention Center which it operates. That’s not good.

3-3.5 star hotels are in dire shape, post covid, so even if they wished to convert all, I'd be "all in".

Business travel will never be back to 2019 pre covid levels, and that is scary, as business pays list, while casual travelers often do priceline deals, so business being a smaller piece of the pie = lower average room rates than if they were as they were in 2019. Lower average rates mean it takes a higher occupancy rate to break even. (I say that despite being guilty of loving PL deals.)

No hotel owner did much to drive them away. It's just business realized so much T & E can get cut via internet meetings as much as possible.

It is shielded as S(mith) T(ravel) R(esearch) -their old name, measures % of available hotel rooms occupied, and since that quantity shrank greatly 2019-now, that tends to hide the problem that the quantity of available rooms is down by an alarming amount overall. In NYC, the drop-in available rooms, last time I read a column on it, was over 35k/night. I am curious what the Ct drop-in hotel rooms existing 2021 vs 2019 is. I know the headcount is down double digits even now in hospitality.

[ConnecticutSir]

I have a question. Did there used to be a building on the site of the graffiti/skate park called "Heaven?" Was there something there previously? I know it probably keeps a lot of the cities youth out of trouble, but man I think it's quite an eyesore. I wish they'd get rid of it and extend the DoNo development to that location too. Maybe build a new graffiti/skate park in a more suitable location.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by ConnecticutSir

I have a question. Did there used to be a building on the site of the graffiti/skate park called "Heaven?" Was there something there previously? I know it probably keeps a lot of the cities youth out of trouble, but man I think it's quite an eyesore. I wish they'd get rid of it and extend the DoNo development to that location too. Maybe build a new graffiti/skate park in a more suitable location.

That park is built on a platform spanning over I-84. There hasn’t been anything built there since well before I-84 was built. I believe that the platform was designed to accommodate a future building. Who knows if that will ever happen. Jay

[ConnecticutSir]

Here's a map with all the current developments going on in Hartford.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/vi...894999999&z=13

[ConnecticutSir]

This is great news!

Trinity College seeks to partner in development of Hartford’s Parkville innovation district

Article: https://www.courant.com/business/hc-...g0SsXKqW2S2xXA

[ConnecticutSir]

New request for XL Center renovation, including sports betting

Source: https://crdact.net/rfps/?fbclid=IwAR...iq06CtotxbUrHw

[ConnecticutSir]