Ground was broken last week on the Hartford 21 mixed-use project in downtown Hartford, which is being developed by Northland Investment Corp. and will include residential, retail and office space. Northland Investment Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Lawrence R. Gottesdiener (left) and Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez were among those participating in the event.

Women’s clothing stores, a small grocery store and a wine shop may be some of the retailers to fill downtown Hartford’s new mixed-use development.

Construction crews broke ground last week on Newton, Mass.-based Northland Investment Corp.’s project, which has been dubbed Hartford 21. The company recently changed the name from Town Square.

The groundbreaking quells doubts that the project would happen and allows Northland to move forward on negotiations with retailers that have shown interest in occupying some of the project’s 53,000 square feet dedicated to shopping and dining, said Northland Senior Vice President Peter Standish.

“This is a monumental day for the city of Hartford and for Northland Investment Corp.,” said Northland Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Lawrence R. Gottesdeiner in a prepared statement. “Hartford 21 will replace the bunker-like Civic Center Mall and help transform Hartford into a daytime, nighttime, anytime destination.”

Growing Visibility

There had been questions about whether the project would really happen, Standish said, but the beginning of construction has put those doubts to rest.

“[Retailers] know this is a real project,” he said.

One retailer already has committed to the project, but Standish did not want to reveal the name until details are finalized. The space will be ready in about a year, he said. Negotiations with retailers had not been finalized before the groundbreaking because the opening was too far off for the retailers to plan, but Standish said he expects other retailers who have shown interest to commit to the project soon.

Northland executives hope to attract stores that will support the residential side of the project, Standish said. Dry cleaners and boutique shops are possible and the company has been in contact with a grocery store – smaller than industry giants such as Stop & Shop – that also will sell prepared food.

“We continue to have discussions with [the] grocery store,” Standish said.

Some of those services will be necessary to complement the 262 luxury apartments planned for the project’s 36-story residential tower. The new apartments will include one- and two-bedroom units.

Bringing market-rate apartments downtown has been one of the goals of those seeking to revitalize downtown Hartford. People living downtown will give the city more of a 24-hour feel and Northland wants its project to be in the middle of that process, Standish said. That desire was part of the impetus for changing the project’s name.

“We really were looking for a moniker that was more forward-looking [than Town Square],” noted Standish, who said the name refers to the 21st century.

The project is part of former Gov. John Rowland’s “Six Pillars of Progress” that are intended to revitalize downtown Hartford. Hartford 21 is taking the place of the city’s old Civic Center. In addition to the retail and residential components of the project, there will be 93,000 square feet of office space, 800 parking spaces and a 35,000-square-foot public space with a 50-foot-high atrium and entrance to the 16,600-seat Veterans Memorial Coliseum, according to documents from Northland Investments.

The project is intended to join with other downtown projects such as Adriaen’s Landing – a retail center on the waterfront – to bring more people to Hartford.

The groundbreaking of Hartford 21 also has been an important development to those who work downtown, Standish said. People in downtown Hartford have been waiting for the project for a long time, he said.

“To a large degree, to the day-to-day downtown dwellers … this is a much more visible project [now],” he said.

The construction – which is beginning with the demolition of the old Civic Center – began on schedule and has stayed that way, Standish said. There have been few changes to the plans in the last month.

“Everything’s been going great,” he said.

Also last week, Citizens Bank announced it will be the administrative agent and sole arranger in an $80 million loan package to Northland. Citizens will provide $20 million in financing, with Webster Bank, Union Labor Life Insurance Co., PNC Bank and Comerica Bank providing the balance.

“Citizens is committed to supporting business growth and community revitalization and we are pleased that our lead financing to Northland helps us to continue achieving these important goals in Massachusetts and Connecticut,” said Citizens Financial Group Vice Chairman Robert M. Mahoney in a prepared statement. “Northland continues to be a leader in the commercial real estate industry and we are proud to offer our financial support as it grows its business.”