A series of entries designed to capture the ongoing adventures of NINA! See how we came to be where we are today, and follow along as we enter the new century of social media!
Page: 49
The new staircase at 54 Huntington, looking fabulous!
Progress at 54 Huntington: an exterior shot showing the beginnings of the front porch; a look into the kitchen; a look up the staircase (not for the fainthearted!); the front bedroom, with light fixtures ready to be installed; the rear bedroom; and the third floor bonus space.
Work underway on 207 Garden:
New subfloor in the 207 commercial space
Peeks at the second and third floors
The new hallway from the apartments to the elevator shaping up
The new entrance and lobby to the apartments and offices
And, of course, a look up the elevator shaft!
We're getting ready to restore the staircases at 207 Garden Street, so we headed over today to capture the original staircases for posterity and for the contractor who will do the restoration work on the stairs. A lot of the treads and risers will have to be replaced, but we will be meticulous in our effort to ensure it will retain the same look and feel as the original.
While we were there, we strolled through the gutted second and third floors and snapped a couple of photos there, too. The big hole in the floor in two of the pictures is going to be new access to the basement in the 207 commercial unit.
Also, we included two extreme close-ups of the curved risers on one of the staircases from behind. These shots give a rare glimpse into carpentry from almost 100 years ago.
It is with great sadness that we note the passing of Liam McGee, who had been CEO of The Hartford from October 1, 2009 through July 1, 2014. Mr. McGee arrived at The Hartford during a transitional period in that company's history, but as he worked to transform the company he continued -- and deepened -- The Hartford's commitment to Asylum Hill. On November 16, 2010, just over a year after he took over at The Hartford, he pledged $7 million to the neighborhood, including funding to acquire and demolish the Capitol West Building on Myrtle Street.
It's a sad day today at NINA, as we had to say good-bye to the gingerbread version of 1 Imlay Street. We knew this day would come, but we were compelled to reach it today because of signs of deterioration in the confectionary as well as signs of curious mice having visited overnight.
It departs via NINA's current project, 54 Huntington Street. We'll miss it, but it will live on forever in bloggy digital heaven!
Thanks to Ray Marcotte at The Hartford, we were afforded an opportunity to take some photos of 207 Garden Street from a unique vantage point: the top of The Hartford's Fraser Place parking garage. It's also a view that won't exist much longer, as The Hartford is right now completing environmental remediation on the structure as a prelude to demolishing it.
The most unique house in Asylum Hill is now the latest owner-occupied home in Asylum Hill! A family of 5 will start moving in now, and we are thrilled to welcome them to the neighborhood.
Work on the new elevator at 207 Garden Street progresses steadily. This represents a substantial addition to the buildilng, not just by making it much more accessible to future occupants but also in terms of sheer volume. The blue tarp seen in these pictures hides the former "gangway" access to the fire escape, while the clear plastic protects the new elevator shaft. The cinder block addition is the future new entrance to the apartments on the first and second floor and the offices on the third -- eventually, we will cover the cinder blocks in yellow brick to match the building's facade on Garden Street.
This is an enormous undertaking! It is also one we couldn't have taken without funding from the State of Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development and the support of Representative Matt Ritter.
