Civic Center Mall

Civic Center Mall was a three-level enclosed shopping mall and office complex in downtown Hartford, Connecticut. It opened in 1975 as the commercial component of the larger Hartford Civic Center, a multi-block urban redevelopment project that also included a multipurpose coliseum, an exhibition and trade-show facility, structured parking, and a hotel. The mall was developed and operated by Hartford-based insurance company Aetna, which used the project as part of a broader effort to reinforce downtown Hartford's commercial and civic role. The mall's design reflected the architectural tendencies of early-1970s megastructure projects. Its L-shaped exterior used prefabricated concrete panels and large concrete planter beds. The inward-facing architecture limited direct visual and pedestrian connections with surrounding streets, leading critics to refer to the complex as “the bunker.” Internally, however, the development provided a controlled, climate-enclosed retail environment connected to the civic center's entertainment and event facilities. The mall initially contained approximately fifty small shops and restaurants, together with about 65,000 square feet of office space on its upper level. That office area overlooked the mall interior and nearby streets. The original principal retail anchor was Luettgen's Ltd., a specialty department store created and operated by William Luettgen, a former president of Hartford department-store chain G. Fox & Co. After Luettgen's ceased to serve as a single anchor, its space was divided. Other tenants included both national specialty retailers and local or regional businesses, such as B. Dalton Bookseller, Ann Taylor, Koenig Art Emporium, Al Franklin's Musical World, and a Hartford Whalers team store. The mall also benefited from its relationship with the adjacent coliseum, which hosted sports, concerts, exhibitions, and other events. During its early years, Civic Center Mall achieved moderate success and was credited with helping stabilize Hartford's declining downtown retail district for a time. Its construction was also associated with the office-building expansion that began in Hartford in the late 1970s. Over the following decade, nearly five million square feet of new office space was added in the surrounding area, although the mall was only one factor in that broader development. The mall's competitive position weakened from the late 1980s into the early 1990s. It faced competition from suburban shopping centers, including Westfarms and The Shoppes at Buckland Hills, while downtown retail activity continued to decline. The mall's limited size, the regional recession, tenant departures, and the loss of the Hartford Whalers after the team relocated to North Carolina in 1997 all contributed to deterioration. By 1998, the project's viability was in doubt, and Aetna reported that it had lost more than $56 million on the project since its opening. Beginning in 2004, Northland Investment Corporation, the State of Connecticut, the City of Hartford, and Aetna pursued a redevelopment of the former mall and the surrounding civic-center property. The resulting Hartford 21 project replaced much of the aging enclosed retail and office complex with a contemporary residential, retail, office, and entertainment development. The section at Trumbull and Asylum Streets that had contained the original anchor stores and food court was demolished, with redevelopment reaching substantial completion in summer 2006. Hartford 21 introduced a 36-story residential tower with 262 luxury apartments, approximately 45,000 square feet of sidewalk-oriented retail, and about 90,000 square feet of office space. Portions along Asylum Street were converted to street-level retail and parking, while the below-grade garage remained available for public and coliseum-event parking. The former mall therefore ceased to exist as an independent enclosed shopping destination, although parts of its structure and site were incorporated into the replacement development.

Civic Center Mall was created within Hartford's large-scale Hartford Civic Center redevelopment. The civic-center project occupied several city blocks and combined a sports and entertainment coliseum, exhibition and trade-show facilities, structured parking, a hotel, retail, and offices. The mall represented the commercial component of this integrated urban complex and opened in 1975. Aetna, a Hartford-based insurance company, built and operated the mall. The project was intended to reinforce downtown Hartford at a time when traditional central-city retail was under pressure from suburban expansion. Its architecture was characteristic of early-1970s brutalist megastructures: an L-shaped form clad in prefabricated concrete panels, with large concrete landscape elements and limited storefront engagement with surrounding sidewalks. Because the exterior was perceived as closed and bunker-like, critics nicknamed it “the bunker.” The interior provided three levels of enclosed retail, restaurants, and office space. Approximately fifty stores and restaurants operated in the complex. Luettgen's Ltd. served as the initial specialty-department-store anchor. The store was established and operated by William Luettgen, who had previously led G. Fox & Co., a local Hartford department-store chain. After the Luettgen's operation no longer occupied the anchor space as a unified store, the area was divided. The tenant mix combined local businesses and national specialty chains, including a Hartford Whalers team store, Al Franklin's Musical World, B. Dalton Bookseller, Ann Taylor, and Koenig Art Emporium. A roughly 65,000-square-foot third level supplied office space overlooking the mall and adjacent streets. Civic Center Mall was moderately successful in its early period. It provided retail activity close to the coliseum and other civic-center uses and helped support downtown foot traffic. Its development was also associated with Hartford's late-1970s office-building boom. The mall did not single-handedly create that expansion, but it formed part of the redevelopment environment that preceded the addition of nearly five million square feet of office space in the area over the next decade. The commercial model became less sustainable from the late 1980s onward. Westfarms, which opened in the same general period, and the later Shoppes at Buckland Hills offered larger suburban shopping environments and drew customers away from central Hartford. At the same time, the city's downtown retail district continued to weaken and a severe regional recession affected consumer spending and business occupancy. Civic Center Mall's relatively small scale left it vulnerable to these pressures. Many tenants departed or stopped operating, and the complex entered a severe decline. The Hartford Whalers' 1997 move to North Carolina further reduced one source of sports-related identity and event traffic. By 1998, Aetna questioned the project's viability and said it had lost more than $56 million since the mall opened. The property was subsequently considered for a major transformation rather than a straightforward revival of the enclosed mall format. In 2004, Northland Investment Corporation worked with Aetna, the State of Connecticut, and the City of Hartford on the Hartford 21 redevelopment. The project replaced the aging mall's principal retail and office section with a mixed-use complex centered on a 36-story residential tower. The new development provided 262 luxury apartments, about 45,000 square feet of sidewalk-oriented retail space, and approximately 90,000 square feet of offices. The portion at Trumbull and Asylum Streets containing the original anchor stores and food court was demolished. Work reached substantial completion in summer 2006. Other parts of the former mall were adapted rather than entirely removed. The section along Asylum Street was converted to ground-floor retail, while upper levels became parking for the residential tower. The below-grade garage continued to serve public users and visitors attending events at the coliseum. The Trumbull Street portion, including the coliseum atrium, remained largely intact but received a modernized exterior and street-access treatment. Civic Center Mall consequently ended as a distinct enclosed shopping mall, while portions of its site and structure continued within Hartford 21 and the broader civic-center complex.

• 2006

  Hartford 21 reaches substantial completion

  [1]Civic Center Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The principal anchor-store and food-court portion has been demolished and replaced with new residential, retail, office, parking, and entertainment facilities.

• 2004

  Hartford 21 redevelopment begins

  [1]Civic Center Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Northland Investment Corporation, Aetna, the State of Connecticut, and the City of Hartford begin work to replace the aging mall section with a mixed-use development.

• 1998

  Project viability comes into question

  [1]Civic Center Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Aetna states that it has lost more than $56 million on the project since its opening as the mall experiences serious decline.

• 1997

  Hartford Whalers relocate

  [1]Civic Center Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The Hartford Whalers move to North Carolina and become the Carolina Hurricanes, removing a prominent sports-related tenant and local identity associated with the complex.

• 1975

  Civic Center Mall opens

  [1]Civic Center Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The three-level enclosed mall and office complex opens as the commercial portion of Hartford's Civic Center redevelopment.

A downtown enclosed shopping and office complex integrated into Hartford's larger civic, sports, exhibition, parking, and hotel redevelopment. It was positioned as an urban retail catalyst rather than a large suburban regional mall.

• Shopping mall · 1975

  Enclosed specialty retail mall

  The mall's main offering was an enclosed downtown shopping environment with approximately fifty small shops and restaurants. Its tenant mix included apparel, books, music, art, gifts, sports merchandise, and food-service businesses. The mall was integrated with the Hartford Civic Center, allowing retail activity to benefit from nearby sports, entertainment, exhibition, and trade-show events.

• Specialty department store · 1975

  Luettgen's Ltd.

  Luettgen's Ltd. was the original principal retail anchor. It was created and operated by William Luettgen, a former president of Hartford department-store chain G. Fox & Co. The anchor space was later divided after the original store no longer operated as a unified tenant.

• Commercial office · 1975

  Office space

  A third level of the complex contained approximately 65,000 square feet of office space. The offices overlooked the mall interior and surrounding streets, making the property a hybrid retail and workplace development rather than a purely commercial shopping center.

• 2004

  Redevelop the enclosed mall as Hartford 21Strategy

  Background

  The mall had suffered from suburban competition, downtown retail decline, tenant departures, and regional economic weakness. By the late 1990s, Aetna questioned the project's viability and reported substantial cumulative losses.

  Action taken

  Northland Investment Corporation, Aetna, the State of Connecticut, and the City of Hartford pursued a mixed-use redevelopment that replaced much of the original mall with residential, retail, office, parking, and entertainment uses.

  Aftermath

  The Hartford 21 project reached substantial completion in 2006. The original mall ceased to operate as an independent enclosed shopping destination, while portions of its structure and below-grade parking continued in adapted or related uses.

  Source

1. 1Civic Center Mallen.wikipedia.org