Revitalizing Constitution Plaza can bring downtown Hartford together
Matt Fleury
Now pending auction, the 1960s-era Constitution Plaza in
downtown Hartford is at once a subject of concern and a source of possibility.
There’s a way to replace the risk of failing real estate with new uses that
unlock the potential of surrounding assets and move Hartford forward.
The Connecticut Science Center, Connecticut Convention Center and the riverfront parks
attract more than 1 million people each year, while an equal number attend
games and events at the renovated PeoplesBank Arena and Dunkin’ Park to our
west.
Yet, too few of these visitors find their way across
downtown from one destination to the other, leaving our best assets isolated
and downtown less competitive as a place to enjoy, convene, learn, work and
live.
This is a moment to think big. Constitution Plaza, where
Connecticut residents once gathered for holiday festivals, has handsome
buildings and plaza spaces that can be revitalized to complement their newer
surroundings rather than compromise them.
Repurposed for hotel rooms, one tower would help the
Convention Center compete for multiday conferences and the significant economic
benefits they bring, capitalizing on the recent expansion of Bradley International Airport. Apartments, in high demand
downtown, could occupy other buildings within the complex.
Perhaps this is the time to build on the longstanding UConn School of Business campus at Constitution Plaza with an
expansion and a stronger plaza-level presence. CT State Community College
students might benefit from updated classrooms around the tailor-made academic
quad at the north end of the plaza, with its original clock tower.
These educational institutions would accelerate Hartford’s
progress as a college town and form the northern anchor of a connected learning
campus stretching south to UConn Hartford at Front Street, recently enhanced by
the addition of Carbone’s restaurant.
Amplified and co-located in this way, higher education is
more than a placemaking strategy. It is a steppingstone to careers with
surrounding employers, fueled by existing feeders such as the Science Center,
Covenant Prep School and, soon, Junior Achievement’s JA BizTown and the
recently announced Hartford Innovation Center for applied artificial
intelligence at State House Square.
Imagine this ecosystem at the center of our Capital City.
To be sure, rehabilitating Constitution Plaza will require
significant capital, likely from both private investors and government sources.
Programs are in place to subsidize apartment conversions, rehabilitate vacant
commercial buildings and invest in innovation districts and urban placemaking
initiatives.
Academic facilities receive ongoing investment, which can be
strategically targeted to support a coherent plan to revitalize promising
spaces in meaningful places, creating a mutually reinforcing community. The
proposed uses could also generate the revenue needed to attract private
investment.
Much of Hartford’s existing corporate base and many cultural
anchors surround this troubled real estate, along with the riverfront park
system and planned housing development across the Founders Bridge in East
Hartford.
To revitalize Constitution Plaza is to protect and enhance
these valued neighbors, including some of our finest corporate employers and
public venues. It will also connect an enviable but disconnected array of
assets so they can complement one another and put downtown Hartford on a
promising path built on learning, careers and experiences for visitors and
residents.
Fairfield approves nearly $12 million for adaptive center, 2 new turf fields
FAIRFIELD — Members of the Representative Town Meeting
approved millions of dollars for several projects this week, including for an
adaptive recreation center and Miracle Field for children with disabilities, as
well as new artificial turf fields at two Fairfield high schools.
Construction of an adaptive recreation center for people of
all abilities, as well as a Miracle Field specifically designed for children
with disabilities were approved by a voice vote at a cost of about $6.3
million.
Both the recreation center and Miracle Field are planned for
224 Colony St., on a 5.05-acre property formerly known as the Pilot House.
Miracle
Fields are designed to be completely flat to make balls bounce more evenly,
as well as being accessible to athletes in wheelchairs and with visual
impairments.
“As a parent with children with special needs, these kinds
of things are incredibly important,” Representative Chris Carroll, D-8, said.
However, Carroll and other RTM members raised concerns about
the lack of information regarding how much taxpayers will be on the hook to
operate the recreation center and Miracle Field long-term, including the cost
to pay staff.
While both projects are “an exceptional opportunity for this
town,” Carroll called it “irresponsible” to not have future costs detailed.
“This should not be the way we do business,” he said, but
still voted in favor of the allocation.
Representative Eric Treschuk, D-9, echoed Carroll’s
comments, but added the projects would be an “outstanding addition to the
town.”
Representative Dru Georgiadis, D-9, said the funding
will provide Fairfield with “a one-of-a-kind facility” that can be turned into
“a real gem.”
Children and others with disabilities often don’t have as
many opportunities to socialize or participate in sports and other recreation,
Representative Sharon Pistilli, D-5, said.
“It’s really one of the most important ways we can be
investing our funds as a town,” she said.
Along with recreation and socialization, the recreation
center will also provide an opportunity for job training, as well as potential
revenue if officials choose to rent out the gym there, First Selectperson
Christine Vitale said.
RTM members also approved about $2.9 million for a new turf
field at Ludlowe High School, and $2.675 million for a new turf field at Warde
High School.
Representative Peter Ratzki, D-10, raised concerns about the
material used in artificial turf, arguing it could result in harmful health
impacts to athletes on the fields.
“I can’t in good conscience vote for this,” he said, but
added he probably would have supported the fields if he were the deciding vote.
Some members questioned whether the town should invest in
grass fields instead.
Angelus Papageorge, executive director of the operations for
the school system, said designs would have to be created to ensure proper
drainage, adding grass would also limit sports activity because it takes them
longer to recover from heavy rains.
Representative Michelle McCabe, D-4, said the RTM can
request a study to examine what a comprehensive shift from turf to grass would
entail, but she voted for the artificial turf in the absence of that study.
I-95 lane closures in Connecticut pushed back again. Here’s the new date
The start date for a project to clean drainage systems on
bridges along Interstate
95 has been pushed back for a second time.
The Connecticut
Department of Transportation had initially
announced that the cleaning along the highway from New Haven to Greenwich would begin
Oct. 26. The start date was then
moved to Nov. 1, and DOT also announced that the work would take place in
phases, with the first phase including a section of I-95 from New Haven to Milford.
Now, the start of the first phase has been postponed to Nov.
8 “due to contractor availability,” according to a revised
DOT notice. An agency spokesperson said the contractor is wrapping up
another project.
DOT’s latest notice says Mohawk Northeast Inc. will perform
the work. Previously, it said Latec LLC was the contractor.