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www.HartfordBusiness.com June 12, 2017 • Hartford Business Journal 3 Retail stirs anew in downtown's western edge By Gregory Seay gseay@HartfordBusiness.com T he revival of the Goodwin Square office- hotel complex on downtown Hartford's western edge has reawakened not only interest from office and retail tenants but stirred anew fresh hopes for the quadrant. "We are absolutely like the 'in' building,'' said Westport landlord Brian Kohn, who with his brother in 2016 acquired the 30-story, 330,000-square-foot Goodwin Square sky- scraper and companion hotel at 225 Asylum St. "People who are looking downtown, are looking at our building.'' The Kohns sold off the Goodwin Hotel, since renovated and reopened with new ownership and two bar-restaurants, to focus solely on restoring the office tower's atrium and other common areas, and tenant spaces. They also made a priority filling the building's streetfront office and retail vacancies. United Bank announced plans to later this year relocate its corporate headquarters and about 200 staffers to several upper floors of Goodwin Square. United also chose a long- vacant corner of the nearby CityPlace II office tower — formerly occupied by McDonald's — to house its first downtown Hartford branch. Soon, a shop vending fresh-made pasta and sauce will join the Juiced Up Juice Bar and the Bin 228 bar/restaurant among Good- win's retail occupants, Kohn said. More recently, the Harlan Brasserie and the Har- lan Side Bar debuted in the hotel's streetfront space, on the east side of Goodwin Square. In all, five food vendors will occupy a build- ing that until 18 months ago only had one. Goodwin Square's renaissance is part of a broader rejuvenation of the block-long Asylum Street stretch linking Trumbull and Ann Uccello streets, in which landlords and tenants are investing in new and refurbished spaces, mostly retail and dining options for downtown employers and their workers. Downtown landlords and merchants wel- come the improvements. "For us, it's been such a darkened cor- ner for such a long time,'' said Jennifer Cas- sidy, merchant coordinator for Business For Downtown Hartford, primarily made up of small, independent shopowners. "It's very exciting to see the lights on.'' Some tenants, however, caution that the area still lacks a critical mass of foot traffic, an issue that has plagued downtown Hart- ford retail for decades. Vacancies remain. Area landlords and tenants also say the city and/or state should do more to promote that section of downtown. Tenant recruitment Jordan Polon, executive director of the Hart- ford Business Improvement District (BID), a nonprofit city promoter, said the Asylum Street block is an important connector to downtown. Among other amenities in proximity: ample parking, Union Station and cultural- entertainment attractions like the Bushnell Park and theater, TheaterWorks, The Wad- sworth Atheneum, XL Center, even the city's new minor-league ballpark. And there are efforts to attract more retail tenants. On June 14, Business For Downtown Hart- ford, teaming with the city, BID and Metro- Hartford Alliance, will host a "Ground For Hartford Event" for businesses considering opening downtown. The event will showcase available downtown streetfront rental retail properties in a quadrant from Union Place east to Main Street, and from Church Street south to Asylum Street. It serves, Cassidy said, to unite tenant pros- pects with landlords, commercial brokers, bankers and city/state officials who will help companies scout center-city retail vacancies. The event begins at 3 p.m. at 64 Pratt St. "It will be like a commercial real estate open house,'' said Jodi Morneault, who with husband Ron, owns Morneault's Stackpole Moore Tryon men's/women's clothiers on Trumbull Street. The Morneaults, too, are landlords, own- ers of 257 Asylum St. that houses Sarah's Coffee House on the ground floor. Upstairs, 36 apartments comprise Maison Morneault; nearly all are full, she said. Jodi Morneault says the state-sponsored Continued DESIGN/BUILD SOLUTIONS…ONE SOURCE The company that builds and installs the critical systems in virtually every type of facility is the same company you can rely on to maintain them. For over 50 years, our clients have trusted us to manage projects from concept to completion. We are experts in: Design/Build Pre-Construction Services LEED Capabilities 860.871.1111 Toll Free: 800.741.6367 nemsi.com License #'s: E1-104939 • S1-302974 • P1-203519 • F1-10498 • SM1-192 • MC-1134 MECHANICAL • ELECTRICAL • PLUMBING • SHEET METAL • BUILDING AUTOMATION • FACILITIES SERVICES Hartford clothiers/Asylum Street landlords Ron and Jodi Morneault, with Sarah's owner Uyen Mai. Spiritus Wines owner Gary Dunn is an early Hartford 21 tenant. P H O T O S | S T E V E L A S C H E V E R