Yours truly, Colt, 2007, oil on canvas, 12x12 inches, private collectionThe fact is, the artists' community that previously occupied the Colt factory were a group of people who loved living there. This alone is a rare condition hard to find in any other Hartford neighborhood. The rent was cheap, the space was gritty but it was plentiful, and they could do whatever they wanted to make their art. Everybody knew each other and they partied a lot. These people were forced out in a strategy to create upscale converted lofts in hopes of attracting "young professionals." As we have all been informed, young professionals are just dying to move to Hartford. To make room for them and their hypothetical larger spending power, an entire building full of actual young professionals (artists) were forced to leave. GREAT IDEA. Five years later all we have is another empty factory and less art. Meanwhile, we also have several other high-priced condominium complexes downtown and now in Parkville, all of which are struggling to find tenants willing to lease the expensive properties.
I mean, can you imagine partying on the lookout platform beneath that great blue dome? It used to happen. Robert A. MacFarlane, the brains behind this development project, should be tarred, feathered, and run out of town. Welcome to Hartford, a city never short on bad ideas or empty luxury condos.
