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Butt Ugly Building: Hartford's Redevelopment Agency OKs Purchase

Jenna Carlesso

July 09, 2010

The city took another step toward acquiring the infamous "Butt Ugly Building" on Main Street and knocking it down.

The board of the city's redevelopment agency voted Thursday to purchase the property from Edwards Development LLC and Chapel Equities LLC. The matter will now go before the city council, whose OK is needed before the project can move forward.

City leaders have said that once the acquisition is made, they plan to demolish the dilapidated building at 1161 Main St. Officials have said they hope to close on the property in August and begin demolition in early September.

The cost of the property is $625,000 and city bond money will be used to buy it, said David Panagore, the city's chief operating officer. He estimated that the demolition would cost between $300,000 and $500,000, which would also be paid for with bond money.

Mayor Pedro Segarra announced Wednesday that the project was a priority for him, saying the city needed to put more emphasis on economic development.

Redevelopment board Chairman Sean Arena said negotiations for the property began under then- Mayor Eddie A. Perez, and that the staff "worked very hard to get to this point."

"This has been an ongoing project — it's not something that just fell on the [mayor's] desk," he said Thursday. "This is something we've wanted to get rid of for a long, long time."

A series of resolutions on the issue is scheduled to be considered by the city council Monday.