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Butt Ugly Still Standing

By Jeffrey B. Cohen

March 19, 2009

Wasn't it supposed to be gone by now?

Last fall, the Florida-based developer who owns what may be the city's most recognizable eyesore - the Butt Ugly Building at 1161 Main St. -- filed paperwork with the city letting it know of his intent to demolish it.

The application for an actual demolition permit could have come in by October.

But it never did.

In January, a spokeswoman for Robert Danial and his company, Edwards Development, said in an e-mail that the permitting "is being worked on."

"At the same time, we are actively considering constructive uses for the property that would benefit downtown Hartford," the e-mail reads. It continues: "We've brought new life and economic viability to many Hartford properties which others had left to languish, and we did it without any government assistance."

The boarded-up tan box long ago earned its unflattering nickname, which has made its way into the city's vocabulary. The building has also been dragged into allegations of political corruption at city hall - a plan to sell it, demolish it and build condos in its place included a $100,000 fee allegedly to be paid to an ally of Mayor Eddie A. Perez. The building never sold, the fee was never paid and Perez denied any involvement.

Last year, city officials in the Department of Development Services said that the building's crumbling facade was unsafe and in need of repair. City inspectors put the building's owner on notice. But the building itself was structurally safe, the city said. The back-and-forth has since continued.

In the short term, the city wants to make sure the building is safe and secure and in compliance with city codes. Long-term, the city wants it gone and has redevelopment plans in motion to help it along.

In the meantime, the building stands.