Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/813885
www.HartfordBusiness.com April 24, 2017 • Hartford Business Journal 5 REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK Hartford BID faces city funding cut A decade-old influential group of Hart- ford businesses and property owners that funds cleaning and security services down- town could see its longtime city funding axed in the upcoming fiscal year. Mayor Luke Bronin's fiscal 2018 budget proposal, unveiled last week, would eliminate $100,000 in funding for the Hartford Business Improvement District (HBID), a special tax- ing district and nonprofit created in 2007. HBID's main source of funding — which is not at risk — is a tax surcharge on the 208 properties within the district, which gener- ated $976,000 last fiscal year, according to HBID's latest annual report. It's unclear what impact the proposed city cut could have on the services provided by HBID's contracted "ambassadors," who last year removed 70 tons of litter, cleaned up nearly 1,900 graffiti tags and conducted more than 7,000 security patrols, among other tasks, the report said. Asked last week about the proposed cut, HBID Executive Director Jordan Polon said she was unable to comment. HBID has bundled tens of thousands of dollars in donations to help pay for several UConn basketball championship parades. It also organizes the annual Hooker Day Parade and oversees the "Hartford Has It" marketing and banner campaign. The city has provided funding to HBID since its creation. That earmark was $200,000 since at least 2010 (the oldest bud- get available on the city's website) — rep- resenting approximately 15 percent of the nonprofit's annual revenue. Bronin's proposed budget last year zeroed out the $200,000, but city councilors restored half of the money in the final bud- get. His new budget proposal would cut the remaining $100,000. In a press conference last week, Bronin said the city's challenging financial situation forced him to propose cuts to a number of community entities, from the Greater Hartford Arts Council to the Bushnell Park Carousel. "This is a bare-bones budget that allows the city to deliver essential services to our residents, but not much more," Bronin said. "This budget goes beyond the limit of the cuts that I think should be made if the resources were there." The cuts follow funding reductions last year to various parades and cultural events. Bronin's budget maintains funding for homeless shelters, food pantries, and the Hartford Public Library. – Matt Pilon Quiznos' exit fuels 100 Trumbull's retail reset The abrupt closing in late March of the only Quiznos Sub Sandwich shop in down- town Hartford, and one of the few remaining in Connecticut, has prompted its former land- lord to revisit his retail-leasing ambitions. Developer Martin J. Kenny, owner of the eponymous 100 Trumbull St. apartments, said Quiznos shut March 31, vacating its approximately 1,500-square-foot storefront after a decade in that location. 100 Trum- bull opened in 2006. With Quiznos' storefront, and another empty retail suite next door, Kenny has about 4,000 square feet of available retail space. Salute restaurant and a hair salon are his remaining tenants. To help fill both, Kenny has hired retail- leasing specialists Charter Realty of Westport, the same firm developer HB Nitkin Group used to recruit retail tenants to its Front Street development on Columbus Boulevard, across from the Connecticut Convention Center, and next door to UConn's new downtown campus building on Prospect Street. "We think they did a great job down there on Front Street,'' Kenny said of Char- ter. "I like the way they work it. They work it like they own it. We'll take a fresh look at the space and the rents because retail downtown is tough, no doubt about it.'' Kenny had previously retained CBRE-New England to market 100 Trumbull's retail space. – Gregory Seay PDS has been meeting the needs of the construction industry since 1965. Our dedicated team of design and construction professionals welcomes the challenge of serving its past and future customers on their most demanding projects. US Cosmetics | Danielson, CT PDS Engineering & Construction served as General Contractor for an addition to the existing US Cosmetics facility in northeastern Connecticut. Particular attention was given to ensuring that the floor system was constructed to be completely level in order to balance all the material and products being stored on the racks. This project was completed on time and within budget. Project Features: - 50' storage racks throughout the entire addition Total Project Size: 18,000 SF 107 Old Windsor Road, Bloomfield, CT 06002 (860) 242-8586 | Fax (860) 242-8587 www.pdsec.com DESIGN BUILDERS • GENERAL CONTRACTORS • CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS SPOTLIGHT ON: Manufacturing PDS ENGINEERING & CONSTRUCTION, INC. THINK • PLAN • BUILD From Central Connecticut's trusted business news source. It's the up-to-date information you need to do better business! and HBJToday Get local breaking business news daily! HBJToday and CT Morning Blend are FREE and you may unsubscribe at any time. Sign up today at HartfordBusiness.com: Click on the 'SUBSCRIBE' button Landlord Martin Kenny owns Hartford's 100 Trumbull St. The "Hartford Has It" campaign is among HBID's vari- ous contributions to downtown. P H O T O | C O N T R I B U T E D P H O T O | H B J F I L E