State Building Renovation Could Spark Development Near the Bushnell

There has been sustained discussions for about eight years regarding developing the neighborhood across the street from Connecticut's State Capitol.

Right there is The Bushnell, a major Hartford theater venue, Bushnell Park, and the State Office Building that is slated for a wide-scale renovation in 2017.

Supporters of development like the Capitol Region Development Authority and the iQuilt Plan, said they see a bright new future for the neighborhood.

"When you really look at this, we’re still just at the very early stages of just really a rebirth of downtown Hartford," said James Carter, who chairs the board of iQuilt, a group that has advocated for development in this area since 2008.

Now that a study will be funded in part by the CRDA to see what options are available on the site, Carter said the sky is the limit because of how accessible the city is.

"Everybody is looking for a lifestyle where they don’t have to get into their cars and I think as you see the housing that is getting promoted and the project that is out by the Bushnell you can see that everyone is interested in housing now because it is becoming such a walkable city."

Specifically, Carter mentioned how the Bushnell is within a short walking distance of the Wadsworth Atheneum, the future UConn Hartford Campus, the XL Center, and the eventually completed Dunkin Donuts Park.

"Doing something to improve the walkability, improves it for the whole community."

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