Hartford Business Journal Special Editions

38 Hartford Business Journal • November 26, 2012 www.HartfordBusiness.com Celebrating 20 Years of Business News STORIES 20 Years of S ept. 5, 2000, was a memorable date in the history of Hartford's public educa- tion system, some of its most belea- guered neighborhoods, and a historic college that touches them both. That's when wide-eyed students between kindergarten and 12th grade entered the brand new classrooms housed within Hart- ford's Learning Corridor for the first time. Their attendance brought to fruition a dream which had been nurtured over several years by their families, neighbors, civic leaders, corporate and government supporters — and one very determined college president. Evan Dobelle, who led Trinity College from 1995 to 2001, had long envisioned a way in which his institution could embrace and incorporate— rather than shut out -- the struggling neighborhoods bordering its campus. Notorious for crime and blighted build- ings housing drug dealers and prostitutes, the Frog Hollow and Barry Square areas covered a 16-acre patch in which one in three resi- dents lived in poverty. One community leader at the time compared it to a bombed-out area of a war torn city. Amid that despair, however, Dobelle saw promise. "These people had been told for 30 or 40 years that things would get better; they no longer trusted those promises," he recalls. "When looking at the college and the neighborhood, I said why take the approach of putting up fences and adding security? That's simply the wrong approach. The key is, don't separate. Include." Combining the idea of neighborhood revitalization with educational opportunity, Dobelle presented his proposal for the Learn- ing Corridor in 1996 and received the full sup- port of Trinity's board of trustees. He then assembled a team of like-minded leaders, citizens, and neighborhood represen- tatives who believed in the project enough to see it through. The newly formed Southside Institutions Neighborhood Alliance (SINA) included Trinity, Hartford Hospital, Con- necticut Children's Medical Center, the Insti- tute of Living, and Connecticut Public Tele- vision and Radio. Support from the city and the state further bolstered the project, and in July 1997 -- just a year and a half after the idea took flight — construction began. "The entire project was a win-win-win," Dobelle says. "Trinity benefitted, as it was no longer defined by a declining neighborhood; the educational system benefitted because we created schools; and the residents benefit- ted from increased property values, and by gaining what they'd always wanted -- a safe neighborhood with good schools." The vibrant new campus featured the relocated Montessori Magnet School, the new Hartford Magnet Middle School, and a dual public high school which included the Greater Hartford Acad- emy of Math and Sci- ences, and the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, as well as an abundance of ath- letic and performance facilities. Today, the campus serves 2,200 Hartford pupils and dozens of its neighboring com- munities. New Corri- dor offerings include the recently introduced Hartford Magnet Trin- ity College Academy, which built upon the original middle school by creating a stronger col lege - pr epa r a t or y program. The Learning Corridor was quickly rec- ognized as a model to emulate. Then-Gov. John G. Rowland praising praised the col- laboration as one the most successful urban redevelopment projects in the state, and chal- lenged other major cities to see education as a catalyst for change. For Dobelle, the culmination of his efforts, and those of his team, is still a tremendous source of pride and inspiration. He left Trin- ity in 2001 to head the University of Hawaii and today is president of Westfield State Uni- versity in Massachusetts. "Too many redevelopment projects start with moving struggling people to another part of town; our method included and involved those people. It also brought them jobs; both those associated with building it and with running it," he said. "Trinity pre- sented a sustainable model of education and community service combined." g – Karen Sackowitz H artford's arts scene, long a robust part of the region's life, continues to thrive despite a rollercoaster ride over the past two decades. Money — or lack of it — was the central issue. The Wadsworth Atheneum's planned $80 million expansion, slated to begin in 2004, was delayed despite federal and state alloca- tions, plus some sizeable contributions from corporations, nonprofits and individuals. After backing away from two expansion proj- ects, the Atheneum has reallocated the $15 million originally approved toward renovat- ing and restoring the 166-year-old landmark building on Main Street. Though no expan- sion is planned, repurposing of existing space will allow better utilization of space for non-displayed art-storage and exhibition. Hartford Stage, the region's award-win- ning repertory theater, also went through a renovation of its Hartford site. Shows went on the road for a while but the troupe is back in its home at John W. Huntington Theatre. Hartford Stage thrived through a series of collaborations – with groups like the Artists Collective, the Greater Hartford Arts Council and the University of Hartford. Some groups took to the road in search of audiences. Hartford Symphony Orchestra -- founded in 1936 and now the second largest orchestra in New England – is in the 16th year of its summer series, The Talcott Mountain Music Festival in Simsbury. HSO performs more than 100 con- certs each year. In January, 2011, the baton was passed to Carolyn Kuan, who became HSO's 10th music director and both its first woman and youngest person to hold this title. Hartford Opera Theater Inc. offers "opera without the fuss." The group performs in vari- ous sites throughout the area performing tra- ditional and contemporary works. The Connecticut Ballet splits its season between Hartford and Stamford. But new venues captured the headlines. The Bushnell added two venues. In 2001, the 90,000 Belding Theater was opened with a café and private dining room. The Bushnell presents 350 events each year with an annual audience exceeding 300,000. The Pavilion in Bushnell Park, an $836,000, 3,200-square-foot building with a 2,000-square-foot outdoor performance stage, opened in October 1995. The Advo Summer Wind Performing Arts Center, an outdoor arena and entertainment venue in Windsor, was forced to close in 2004 after a storm damaged the tent. The hunt for funding found a benefactor in Windsor software firm SS&C. The renamed SS&C Summer Wind Performing Arts Cen- ter reopened with five-time Grammy-award winner Robert Cray in 2010. The theater seats 7,500 indoors and 22,500 outdoors. Rentschler Field in East Hartford, which seats 38,066 for football and 34,000 for con- certs, came on the scene in 2003. Bruce Springsteen performed the first concert, followed by The Rolling Stones, The Police, Eminem, and Taylor Swift. Jimmy Buffett changed his attitude and his latitude in the summer of 1995 as one of the first performers to appear in the new Connecticut Center for the Performing Arts in Simsbury. The $26 million performance center opened in July of 1996, with Michael Bolton, a Connecticut native, as the first per- former. Elton John, The Beach Boys and Van Halen have also appeared. The Mort & Irma Handel Performing Arts Center opened in September, 2008, on the campus of the University of Hartford. The 56,000-square-foot facility houses the Hartt School's dance and theatre divisions, the 300-seat Roberts Foundation Theater and the 100-seat McCray Theater. The Oakdale Theater in Wallingford underwent a makeover in 1996, emerging with 4,600 seats. SFX made headlines in 1997 when it paid $21 million for the 60-year lease to operate the Meadows Music Theater in Hartford. The amphitheater, which seats 7,500 indoors and another 22,500 on the lawn, is among the largest venues in the nation. Now renamed the Comcast Theater, it is operated by national booking giant Live Nation. Then there's Cirque Du Soleil, which came to Hartford with 2003's Dralion offer- ings under a tent. Its annual tent visit contin- ued through 2010. The XL Center became its home for 2011 and 2012. g – Lisa Hayner A view of The Learning Corridor from the glass connector joining the Commons Building and the Hartford Public Middle School. P H O T O / S T E V E L A S C H E V E R Learning Corridor offers hope Arts scene sees building boom The ADVO Summerwind Performing Arts Center in Windsor, is an outdoor arts and entertainment venue. This photo is of the July 4, 2002 celebration at which the Hartford Symphony Orchestra played. P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y L E O N A R D H E L L E R M A N

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