Picture of the Day.....3.31.09

American flag display in Bushnell Park, August 2008
Photo credit: Michael Zaleski for the Hartford BID

Annual Meeting of the Property Owners Set for May 4th

The Annual Meeting of the Property Owners of the Hartford Business Improvement District has been scheduled for Monday, May 4, 2009 at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will be held at City Arts on Pearl, 233 Pearl Street, Hartford.

The meeting provides taxable property owners in the District with an opportunity to review the proposed 2009/2010 HBID budget and comment on the organization’s activities and priorities. There will be a short presentation by the Board and ample opportunity for comments and questions.

A cocktail reception with light hors d'oeuvres will follow the formal business meeting. Formal invitations to property owners with the proposed budget will be sent in mid-April.

Picture of the Day.....3.30.09

Old State House and State House Square
Photo credit: Amy Lord for the Hartford BID

100 Pearl Street Conference Center Now Available for Rental

Looking for a place to hold your next large meeting or company retreat?

100 Pearl Street recently announced that their conference center is now available for rental. Described in a promotional brochure as "bright and modern," the conference center is centrally located in the core of Downtown Hartford. The conference center features a large meeting room (1,000+ sq. ft.), a small breakout room (200 sq. ft.) and many other amenities. The center offers secure, underground parking, complimentary concierge service and event planning assistance.

The Hartford BID Board of Commissioners has been fortunate to hold several of its monthly Board meetings in the well-appointed conference center in the past.

For more information or to book the conference center, contact Elizabeth Marsh of the The Silverman Group at 860-293-3374.

Taken today, the new sign for DD's Gyros which
will open soon on Temple Street.
Photo credit: Michael Zaleski for the Hartford BID

BID Welcomes Visitors to Big East Tournament

Earlier this month, Downtown Hartford played host to the 2009 Big East Women's Basketball Championship. A small committee, led by the Greater Hartford Convention and Visitors Bureau and the XL Center, worked hard to welcome fans from all 16 Big East teams to Hartford. Attendance was up for the event by more than 10%.

The Hartford BID participated as a member of the committee and, among other responsibilities, staffed the information tent all five days of the tournament. Our Security Ambassadors fielded questions, offered restaurant recommendations and provided Downtown information to more than 1,550 visitors throughout the run of the tournament.

Picture of the Day.....3.26.09

CityPlace II, CityPlace I and Hartford 21
Photo credit: Amy Lord for the Hartford BID

City Capital Improvement Plan Released

Mayor Eddie Perez released his ten-year Capital Improvement Plan on Tuesday. A special meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission will take place tonight at 5:00 p.m. in the Plaza Level Conference Room at 260 Constitution Plaza to consider the plan. The following are some of the projects that fall within the boundaries or directly adjacent to the Hartford BID:

Projects to be funded with City funds
Project Name, Proposed $
Asylum/Farmington/Broad Intersection, $6,000,000 *
Downtown North/West Redevelopment site acquisition, $7,500,000

Projects proposed to be funded with Stimulus Monies
Project, Proposed $
Public Safety Complex, TBD
Downtown North/West Redevelopment site acquisition, $7,500,000
Flood Control, $3,120,000
Citywide traffic signalization, $5,000,000 *
Asylum/Farmington/Broad Intersection improvements, $3,500.000 *
Main Street streetscape, $7,000,000 *

* Hartford 2010 recommended projects

The two most critical infrastructure projects proposed include the reworking of the Farmington/Asylum/Broad Street intersection and the Main Street streetscape project which would extend from I-84 to South Green.

Picture of the Day.....3.25.09

Taken today, the Phoenix building flanked by the Connecticut
Science Center and the Hartford Marriott Downtown

Photo credit: Michael Zaleski for the Hartford BID

Asylum Street Streetscape Project to Begin

If you have been wondering what all of the spray paint on Asylum Street is for, you'll be interested to learn that the City of Hartford announced today in a press release that the Asylum Street Streetscape Project will commence next week. The text of the release is below and the full release is here:

City of Hartford, Department of Public Works For Release: March 25, 2009 Contact: Keith Rapoza (860) 757-9984 Notice of Streetscape Construction Asylum Street from Main Street to Trumbull Street ---Media and Community Advisory--- The City of Hartford is pleased to announce that Laydon Industries, LLC. will begin construction of the Asylum Street Streetscape project on March 30, 2009 with an anticipated completion date of late November 2009. Construction activities will be limited to the block of Asylum Street between Main Street and Trumbull Street. Local traffic will be maintained during the majority of the project but certain circumstances will require a full road closure. Through traffic is encouraged to seek alternate routes for the duration of the project.

The project will slighty widen the street allowing for two full lanes of traffic plus a parking lane and include certain traffic calming elements. The project includes new sidewalks, street lights and litter receptacles and continues the Main Street brick design down Asylum Street. Sidewalk work will start on the northern side of the street first.

Large Delegation from Beantown Visits Downtown Hartford

Last month, the Hartford BID played host to a large delegation from the city of Boston who came to Downtown Hartford to look at the city’s largest business improvement district. More than 15 property owners, developers and staffers from the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) and Downtown Crossing Partnership spent the morning in Downtown Hartford.

The group from Boston was led by BRA Director John Palmieri. Palmieri commented, “We had an exceptionally productive morning with the Hartford team, and were particularly impressed by the BID's commitment to the "clean and safe" requirements of the District. The streets were immaculate and the team of Ambassadors looked sharp. [The Ambassadors] were obviously well trained and committed to the mission. The Hartford model is one that we will learn from as we work with property owners in the Downtown Crossing neighborhood to advance the BID program in Boston.

From the BID’s perspective, it was truly our pleasure to host the delegation from Boston and show off what we have accomplished here in Hartford. When we were developing the Hartford BID in 2006 we made similar treks to other cities to view their best practices.

Picture of the Day

Window washers clean the windows of One Constitution Plaza
Photo credit: Jordan Polon for the Hartford BID

I-84 Viaduct / Hub of Hartford Information Available on CRCOG Website

Interested in learning more about the Hartford I-84 Viaduct project? The Capitol Region Council of Governments has posted information about the viaduct project on their website. http://www.crcog.org/viaduct.html. For almost two years now, a small group of residents, community members, business people and civic stakeholders have been working on a committee called the Hub of Hartford. The Hub of Hartford committee has convinced State DOT to study a number of options for the viaduct beyond simply replacing the existing structure. A consultant has been selected and a study of options is about to get underway. While you are on CRCOG's web site, sign up for the mailing list to get updates on the project.

UnitedHealth Group Commits to Staying in Downtown Hartford

Great news today as Governor Jodi Rell and executives from UnitedHealth Group announced the company's plans to stay in Downtown Hartford and move their offices to CityPlace 1 on Asylum Street. The move, scheduled for 2010, keeps the company and 2,000 jobs in downtown. Read more at www.hartfordbusiness.com/news8343.html.