The “Port Eastside” development partnership acquired a 5.7-acre parking lot at 321 Pitkin St. this week. “We have just cleared the most significant milestone in this project’s early lifespan to date,” said Bruce Simons, principal of Simons Real Estate Group in West Hartford. “Port Eastside” will blend 1,000 housing units — mostly apartments and a “small number” of condos — with a transportation center, 6.1-acre greenway and 400,000 square feet of entertainment, restaurant and retail space, according to a statement released by Port Eastside LLC. The partners are still working with the town of East Hartford to close and incorporate a stretch of East River Drive into the development. This will allow direct access to the riverfront near Great River Park. Harris Simons, who is also a principal at Simons Real Estate Group, said the group is in “very early stages” of a development that seeks to complement cultural, entertainment, recreational and retail offerings that can be found on the edge of downtown Hartford, just across the river.
https://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/last-key-properties-acquired-for-ambitious-1000-unit-mixed-use-redevelopment-of-east