Last year when the Downtown North Plan was in development, after viewing renderings of retail and housing, some of the public questioned who would suddenly be investing in a part of the city that had been allowed to fall into disrepair for decades. In the last week, those same questions have been asked as the City of Hartford was initially reluctant to release any information about the four proposals it received, three of which were said to meet the RFP criteria. CV Properties LLC — addresses in Southport, CT and Boston — proposed a stadium, garage, and municipal building. Leyland Alliance — addresses in Middletown, CT and Tuxedo Park, NY — proposed a stadium, municipal office space, residential units, retail including a grocery store, restaurants, and a brewery. Thomas Hooker Brewing Company of Bloomfield, CT proposed a new location for its brewery. It’s expected that a recommendation will be made to City Council in September.
But on Monday, there are three reports on Downtown North being given to City Council from its Planning and Economic Development Committee.
First is the proposal that the City of Hartford buy back 271 and 273 Windsor Street. The Planning and Economic Development Committee voted 2-1 on this, with Alex Aponte and Ken Kennedy in favor and Larry Deutsch opposed. The 271 and 273 Windsor Street acquisition has been stated as being directly connected to the potential minor league stadium and would cost the City $1.78M for 2.08 acres. The proposal from Mayor Segarra states: “The acquisition of the Rensselaer property will enable the City to develop the Ballpark at a prime location in Downtown North with easy access to both I-84 and I-91.”
The Planning and Economic Development Committee, all three of them, are recommending that the whole of City Council go ahead and approve the $2.5M purchase of 2.892 acres spread over fourteen properties from Covered Bridge Ventures, LLC in the northern area of Downtown on Ann Uccello, Chapel, and Main Streets.
The proposal to purchase those fourteen contiguous properties never mentions the words “ballpark” or “stadium,” but include some properties that would surround 1214 Main, the parcel designated for the stadium. These include 425 and 426 Ann Uccello Street, 44 Chapel Street, 1181-1183 Main, 1185-1187 Main, 1189-1195 Main, 1209 Main, 1213-1225 Main, 1229-1237 Main, 1243-1247 Main, 1261-1265 Main, 1267 Main, 1269-1275 Main, and 1269H Main. Those parcels are all surface lots, many of which are represented by the same photograph on the assessor’s website.
In a special meeting of the Planning and Economic Development Committee in late July, it was also voted 2-1 (Deutsch opposing) that the City purchase 360 Market Street from Multi-Care Surgery Center, Inc. for $340,000. This .484 acre property also includes a one-story building with over 5,000 square feet of space which Mayor Segarra has said is “consistent with the redevelopment goals envisioned for the area and would serve as the initial impetus for revitalizing the corridor.”
The public comment period begins in Council Chambers at 6pm on August 11, 2014. The meeting follows at 7pm. Council only meets once this month.
