Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com January19,2015•Hartford Business Journal 3 The Grand 'made sense' to its first tenant By Gregory Seay gseay@HartfordBusiness.com N ewly-retired Vermont state trooper Michael Macarilla was about to start a new job at Travelers Cos. in Hartford just as 2014 was edging to a close, and needed a place to live. An Internet search of the Hartford region's urban and suburban inventory of rental-hous- ing led him to The Grand at 201 Ann Uccello, directly behind the XL Center. The Grand's 26 units are the first conversion of aging office space into affordable and market-rate apart- ments in downtown Hartford. With just under 800 square feet and a $1,500 monthly rent, Macarilla says his fourth-floor apartment overlooking adjacent Allyn Street was just what he needed for the time being. Macarilla moved in two days after Christmas, and shares the same floor with a young couple who moved into the century-old former Masonic lodge days after him. "It just made more sense to come here,'' said Macarilla, 47, who works in security for Travelers Cos. "It was new. It's clean. The rent seemed right. Close to work. I've never lived in a city. It's kind of neat to walk home.'' With high ceilings and a pair of oversized windows in the living room and bedroom, the apartment looks spacious. "It's small but it's all I need,'' Macarilla said. Brooklyn, N.Y., landlord-developer Yis- roel Rabinowitz, who leveraged a loan from the Capital Region Development Authority to retrofit the upper five floors of 201 Ann Uccel- lo, said The Grand's early lease-up is running to plan. The Grand is one of several apart- ment conversions that will collectively add 800 living units downtown over the next few years as Hartford tries to lure more people to live in the center city. "Young people, working downtown, but who want to be in the … downtown vibe,'' Rabinowitz said via email. "This has been the overall type of people who have been inquir- ing. We hope now with holidays and New Year's behind us, that we will fill the building in a very short time frame.'' Four units are filled, with three more to be occupied by month's end, Rabinowitz said. Macarilla says it takes him about seven to eight minutes to cover the five or so blocks from The Grand to his office in Travelers Tower on Main Street. As part of his rent, Macarilla and other Grand tenants get to park in a surface lot adja- cent to the row of buildings that also house The Continued Michael Macarilla says his first foray into urban living has been enjoyable in his first few weeks of the experience. Now, if he can only find a place to park his Harley-Davidson motorbike. P H O T O | S T e v e L a S c H e v e r PWorld-Class Music Every Week! P4-Star Bistro PSpecial Event Mecca! PCorporate Ticket Program! Tickets at: www.InfinityHall.com H Toll Free: 1-866-666-6306 860.560.7757 H 32 Front St., Hartford, CT UpComIng SHowS Many more at InfinityHall.com H Comedy Night with Dan Naturman, Shaun Eli, and Katherine Williams H The Subdudes H Voyage – The #1 "Journey" tribute band in the world H Bela Fleck with The Knights H Riders on the Storm H Ladysmith Black Mambazo H XG Extreme Guitar Tour feat. Uli Roth and Vinnie Moore with Black Knights Rising and Old James H Robert Randolph and The Family Band H Maceo Parker H Bob Marley Birthday Bash feat. Anita Antoinette (from The Voice), Jesse Royal, I Anbassa and Knight Blade Hosted by Nikki Z from Hot 93.7 H Leon Russell H Robert Earl Keen now opEn! ank You For Your Patronage!

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