Greenwich, CT-based HB Nitkin Group--the developer--is in the first phase of building, which is planned to finish in the fall of 2009. The first phase will complete the 60,000 sf of retail space, which can be opened before the second phase--a reported 115-unit residential portion--is complete, according to GVA. There are no tenants yet, but according to GVA the facility can "accommodate someone as large as a 15,000-sf to 20,000-sf anchor."

The downtown Hartford area has had a dearth of retail space comparable to this project, so despite a rough economy, this property should attract more interest than a property developed in a more common retail corridor, GVA explains. "This is an exciting project for Hartford that further emphasizes development in the downtown area," says Cory Gubner, president and CEO of GVA Williams, in a statement. The project was put together as a complement to the Adriaen's Landing project which involved the Connecticut Convention Center, a Marriott hotel, and the Connecticut Center for Science and Exploration, but no retail or restaurant pieces.

The developer says in a press release that it choose GVA Williams because of their successful retail leasing track record in Connecticut and expert knowledge of the Hartford market. The team at GVA will be led by Stacy Libby and Nick Leibowitz, both VPs at GVA Williams.