Housing
Retail / Entertainment
Office
Other
The list of bidders is pretty impressive. Do you think the final bids will have mostly housing, retail, office or a mix? Anyone want to take bets? I think updates will be posted here soon as well.
http://www.designnewhaven.com/2008/0...or-former.html
It's interesting because the collective will was to demolish the city's only major arena for the prospect of more downtown revitalization. It's the opposite approach to the usual one of doing anything in your power for a sports stadium, etc. Frankly, it's pretty cool for a city known for bad urban renewal projects.
A Major Arena isn't needed in New Haven anyway, within less than an hours transport (rail or car) you have Hartford, Bridgeport, and Mohegan Sun, each with their own arenas and/or stadiums. The area is right near a transit hub and right near by I-91 and I-95 so it hopefully will take that into consideration and create a mixed use residential/commercial area, but as with all things logic may not prevail and something like a traditional mall may just be the winner. It will be interesting to see what happens.
I think the city has become very sensitive to the types of uses that will thrive in this part of town. I'm sure that no matter the mix of residential, office, or commercial use, there will be a heavy ground floor retail presence. (Though the Long Wharf Theater has requested to occupy the corners of George and Orange which is the best corner for retail use. Perhaps the lobby of the theater can have the corner, but the theater proper with it's blank walls remain behind active street-level zones (retail, info kiosk)).
I think there is sufficient need for a real grocery in this area (obviously not a Super Stop & Shop- rather an urban grocer). I walk near this site every day between home and work and I'm really excited to see the next phase of the competition.
http://www.designnewhaven.com/2008/0...e-details.html
Bob Stern has some particularly nice ones.
How does your zoning code handle multiple uses on a parcel?
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