Comments (0) It has been reported that a sharp increase in crime is the reason for the controversial discussions about possible security measures at Trinity College .
Statistics provided by the Hartford Police Department suggest a slight increase — rather than spike — in crime for the district this campus is in:
Tomorrow will be the last day that Vice Versa will be open in Hartford. Goods will be half-price on Tuesday.
Vice Versa, currently located at the corner of Capitol and Main, will be moving to 266 Park Road in West Hartford.
rendering courtesy of iQuilt
As barrels of trash heaved into the pond in Bushnell Park remain there for nearly a week and as the water feature in the playground nearby continues to be broken for years on end, residents and stakeholders were presented with the iQuilt’s dream plan of bring flowing water through the park.
Using identity strategy and enculturation to rally support, those leading this project dismissed skeptics as lacking vision. As much was said twice yesterday at a mini-presentation during a Rising Star Breakfast and in the evening before the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. The presentation included codewords, as several supporters described selves as “believers” and even went so far as to say that bring flowing water back into the park would be good for our “souls.”
The presentation included visual appeals to nostalgia and romance. The lovely, verdant design renderings seduced the participant into imagining a pristine urban paradise in which those seeking recreation can choose to wade across a 50-100 foot wide brook, meander through pop up studios and greenhouses, or linger on any of the nine bridges that would be added to Bushnell Park.
Urban design presentations, as a whole, dazzle those from whom they want support, but fail to provide real answers that concerned residents have about what is slated to happen in our backyards.
Prior to the presentation, Real Hartford readers submitted questions they had about this project, which are marked in bold and are direct quotes, unless noted otherwise.
Who is doing the planning?
The iQuilt, in the works for several years now, is described as a “culture based urban design plan for Downtown Hartford.”
The iQuilt is a private/public partnership which receives support from various institutions including the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, Bushnell Park Foundation, CIGNA, City of Hartford, State of Connecticut, MDC, Riverfront Recapture, Connecticut Light & Power, Northeast Utilities, Travelers, and United Illuminating. Suisman Urban Design has been leading the iQuilt design team. A 501(c)3 was formed recently. Continue reading 'iQuilt: Dotting i’s'»
There was a lot of buzz yesterday about the iQuilt project, which many had not heard of despite it being in existence since 2008.
One space this plan focuses on is Bushnell Park.
The photos below were taken on Tuesday, the same day as when Doug Suisman of Suisman Urban Design shared many ambitious ideas about how the iQuilt plan can impact the park. These photos are taken from the perspective of a pedestrian/cyclist commuter, though an effort was made to include some of the park’s attractions. These photographs show the range of conditions and maintenance in Bushnell Park as of January 2012.
Part of the East Coast Greenway runs between the Armory and the Legislative Office Building. This path continues over a highway on-ramp, along the railroad tracks and viaduct, and into Bushnell Park. Sand continuously covers part of this path because of poor maintenance. None of the neighboring entities (Bushnell Park, State of Connecticut, Amtrak, etc.) take consistent responsibility for dealing with the erosion issues.
There will be another iQuilt presentation and public input session on the evening of January 10th from 5-7 at the Hartford Public Library. The iQuilt project deals with improvements to Downtown.
Archived articles about iQuilt (starting with oldest)
The public finally receives confirmation of what we already knew: The Market at Hartford 21 is done.
Since September, the store’s doors have been locked from the outside, though passersby could still view cereal remaining inside of the bulk bins long after anyone could access it.
Though there has been demand for a grocery store in Downtown, this model seemed an odd fit from the start. The hours fluctuated during the summer, produce was often moldy or rotten, and the baristas were inconsistent. Additionally, some staple items were lacking and prices were designed for an elite clientele.
Hartford residents, in conversations during this last year, have most frequently expressed desire for either a Trader Joe’s or something similar to that: affordable with interesting and organic options.
photo courtesy of Wadsworth Atheneum
Baltimore-based actor Felicia Pearson — “Snoop” on The Wire — will be signing copies of her memoir Grace After Midnight at the Wadsworth Atheneum’s Art After Hours in January. The museum will be screening two episodes of the show at 8.
Art After Hours will also feature music by the Nat Reeves Quartet with vocalist Dana Lauren. There will be ice sculpting and fiery hula hoop dancing.
There are various admission prices for this event on January 5th, which begins at 5pm.
A few dozen people in a room with about fifty chairs offers a different vibe from the same number of people in, say, a cathedral designed to seat hundreds.
The (American Baptist) Riverfront Family Church began in 2009, gaining about 30 members (as of June 2011) and 300+ newsletter subscribers in the time since. What they lack in numbers, they make up for in devoted congregants. Whenever mentioning that this was going to be one of my Hartford Pew Review stops, those who had ever been there insisted that I go and that I would love it.
The new church meets inside 960 Main, the former G. Fox department store building. The architecture, though not particularly churchy, is an elegant backdrop. Currently, the building is decorated for Christmas. The chairs set out in the atrium are actually nice– not a metal folding chair in sight. Continue reading 'Hartford Pew Review: Riverfront Family Church'»
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