Plaza Mayor No More
Another grand pie-in-the-sky development plan bites the dust. Cityline reports that the Hartford Redevelopment Authority voted unanimously to kill the project by rescinding its initial agreement making Plaza Mayor LLC the tentative redeveloper for the intersection of Park and Main. The resolution rescinding the agreement cited Plaza Mayor LLC's "significant challenges in obtaining the necessary financing for the project." No financing = no final agreement between the Authority and the developer = the intersection remains empty lots filled with trash and surrounded by chain link fences.
I can't say I'm sorry that the plan as proposed isn't going forward. I never liked the idea of high-rise buildings at that intersection. Just doesn't seem to fit the feel of the area at all. Cityline has a drawing of the proposed "gateway" to Park Street here. To me, those high-rises looked like they would just swallow up the space and block Park Street off from Main Street instead serving as a gateway welcoming people onto Park Street.
I did, however, like the part of the plan that called for a "main square" surrounded by retail. Perhaps in today's economy the retail part is a tougher sell, but why can't the city still pull something together at this site, something that would be a draw to Park Street and an attractive entrance to what has become a very attractive street thanks to the city's taxpayer-funded streetscaping efforts? Why not build a main square anyway? Maybe pare down the whole columns and arches look, but put in a nice gathering place for people, with an attractive, accessible bus stop. Add in some benches and tiered seating areas so concerts can be held there during the summer and vendors can able to sell their wares during the week. That intersection could be a perfect place for another farmer's market in the summer, or for public art installations. Keep one wall as a designated graffiti artist wall that's re-painted every month. Give graffiti artists a sanctioned place to show off their talents.
Barnard Park, just across the street, is always filled with people hanging out waiting for a bus or just chatting and smoking cigarettes. While some people probably call that "loitering" and are uncomfortable with the idea of encouraging people to hang out, I'm reminded of something Will K. Wilkins of RAW said at the live broadcast of Where We Live two days ago. He said something like: "Hartford's problem isn't that there's nothing to do, it's that there's nowhere to do nothing." In other words, there's nowhere for people to just hang out and connect with each other.
I'm not sure I entirely agree with that statement because to me, the parks across the city fill that role pretty well, but his commment certainly resonated with listeners. Wilkins was quoted on Twitter several times just moments after he made that observation and those tweets were re-tweeted by others who weren't even listening to the broadcast.
The people who hang out in Barnaby Park have found somewhere to do nothing. Why not build on that idea and put in a square designed for nothing more than doing nothing? At the very least, a main square would certainly be an improvement over the way it looks now.
I can't say I'm sorry that the plan as proposed isn't going forward. I never liked the idea of high-rise buildings at that intersection. Just doesn't seem to fit the feel of the area at all. Cityline has a drawing of the proposed "gateway" to Park Street here. To me, those high-rises looked like they would just swallow up the space and block Park Street off from Main Street instead serving as a gateway welcoming people onto Park Street.
I did, however, like the part of the plan that called for a "main square" surrounded by retail. Perhaps in today's economy the retail part is a tougher sell, but why can't the city still pull something together at this site, something that would be a draw to Park Street and an attractive entrance to what has become a very attractive street thanks to the city's taxpayer-funded streetscaping efforts? Why not build a main square anyway? Maybe pare down the whole columns and arches look, but put in a nice gathering place for people, with an attractive, accessible bus stop. Add in some benches and tiered seating areas so concerts can be held there during the summer and vendors can able to sell their wares during the week. That intersection could be a perfect place for another farmer's market in the summer, or for public art installations. Keep one wall as a designated graffiti artist wall that's re-painted every month. Give graffiti artists a sanctioned place to show off their talents.
Barnard Park, just across the street, is always filled with people hanging out waiting for a bus or just chatting and smoking cigarettes. While some people probably call that "loitering" and are uncomfortable with the idea of encouraging people to hang out, I'm reminded of something Will K. Wilkins of RAW said at the live broadcast of Where We Live two days ago. He said something like: "Hartford's problem isn't that there's nothing to do, it's that there's nowhere to do nothing." In other words, there's nowhere for people to just hang out and connect with each other.
I'm not sure I entirely agree with that statement because to me, the parks across the city fill that role pretty well, but his commment certainly resonated with listeners. Wilkins was quoted on Twitter several times just moments after he made that observation and those tweets were re-tweeted by others who weren't even listening to the broadcast.
The people who hang out in Barnaby Park have found somewhere to do nothing. Why not build on that idea and put in a square designed for nothing more than doing nothing? At the very least, a main square would certainly be an improvement over the way it looks now.
My apartment is a space for hanging out and doing nothing. Okay, so it's not exactly social, but it fills the purpose.
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Great ideas EmGee - the park across from Plaza Nomora is known as "South Green" or "Barnard" but I like Barnaby! I do believe it was once a grazing area for ruminant residents. It was fixed up some a few years ago but I think the money ran out to finish the job. For me the part near Plaza Nomora does indeed have the vagrancy vibe.
What makes a public space inviting to most everyone instead of off-putting? These are some of my requirements: decent maintenance of its amenities and cleanliness; visibility/no feeling of isolation; good asthetics including plantings . . .
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