Park Square West Gets Slapped on the Ass
The Stamford Advocate is reporting the Urban Redevelopment Commission is setting a deadline for developer Corcoran Jennison to move forward with future phases of Park Square West downtown.
Park Square West was one of the first large scale modern infill projects for Downtown. If your lost - we're talking about the The SBC/ formally Kinkos building.
The Urban Redevelopment Commission works like this. (Someone feel free to correct if I'm off base here) They purchase key plots of land and sell to developers if the propose a plan the city likes.
Now that we are all sitting at the big kids table lets look at the pictures from Newman Architects.
Phase II - in the parking lot next to the majestic. Before anyone looses it on that - there is a brand new parking garage right next door. 16 stories of luxury apartments (hold it together Streets!) and a row of ground retail.
Phase III & IV will bookend Curley's looking out over Columbus Park. 
15 comments :
looks amazing. great location
I love the cardboard models. It's unfortunate that they have to leave an ugly gap for the world's worst diner. It would be hilarious if they bought the air rights above Curley's and boxed them in on four sides.
P.S.: When did the city start imposing deadlines on construction? That didn't happen with City Place or the Ritz-Carlton. I think it's a good idea (along with some type of insurance policy) so we don't end up with even more horrible holes in the ground.
The new phases (at least from the plans that were proposed a couple years ago) would all tie into the Summer St. garage - thus explaining the convoluted facade that faces the current Park Sq West building.
And I'm sure on the existing timeline, Corcoran is hoping that Curley's diner will somehow wash into the Mill River before Phase 3 breaks ground, and they can consolidate 3 and 4 into one building.
They can lay a timeline down on that spot because they own the land – not the developer. I believe for developer owned land though the city extends plan approval on a set time to break ground on the proposed plan. I think it’s usually generous and can be extended if they come back before the board.
(1) Wish they could put some similar deadline on the Hole.
(2) So where in the model is its ass?
JR is making the case for the opening between Phase 3 & 4…
Malloy mentioned something about the hole at the Placemaking dinner. I wasn't sure if he was being serious though.
Curleys would be smart and sell, the land will be worthless surrounded on all three sides! Like all crabby old people, they think the customers will pour in from the building. Who wants to eat in a dirty old diner?
Curleys: you have only a few months before it is too late to sell. Take the money and run!
Curley's - the cities very own forever eye sore. Curley's was offered a LOT of money and an apartment for their space. The basically refused by saying they would not settle for anything less than something on the order of $ 2.5 million and 10 new apartments.
why couldn't they threaten the hole in the ground owner?
I don't mind what they do as long as they keep Curley's.
Here's the difference with the Hole. The City owns the Park Square plot. The developer has proposed the future Park Square phases but is not set to build it yet. The city will sell the plot to the developer when they are ready to build. The deadline I assume means they will move to request other proposals for the spot if the developer doesn't move on it.
The city doesn't own the Hole and nothing is proposed to be built there so there is nothing to set a deadline on. The owner doesn't want to build or sell. The way property taxing is set up (buildings vs. land) the owner doesn't pay that much since nothing is there, so there is no incentive to do much with the land if they don't want to.
HAHA Curly's has to stay??? the name of that place describes what you will most likely find in your food. it is gross and dilapidated, surrounded by garbage with no effort made to keep up the property. i am surprised it passes health inspections because by the way it looks on the outside most are scared to eat there.
Curley's won an eminent domain fight against the city (and by extension Corcoran) and there is personal animosity where I don't think they will ever sell out unless the developer changes. I found a mini-documentary about the story on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59o4bJgK9UQ
was there any update on this?
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