At the end of the year it is customary for analysts, politicians and reporters to make economic forecasts for the year to come.   25 years ago this week, one of the most thorough and dogged journalists to ever work at Channel 3 did just that.    Our business reporter Jim Vicevich took a pulse of the economy, and told our viewers what to expect when the new year of 1988 was rung in.

In this Sunday’s Face the State Flashback,  you’ll see Jim reporting on a bright future for the state and Metro Hartford.  The economy was booming, in fact G. Fox was enjoying its best holiday season in years and shoppers were streaming in and out of Sage Allen.

Developers gushed to Jim over their plans to build skyscrapers in 1988.    One of them would have been the tallest building in New England.  There were no fewer than eight skyscrapers proposed for downtown Hartford.   For more on what the city would have looked like, read this : http://dennishouse.wordpress.com/2012/01/24/what-hartford-might-have-bee/

Where are those future landmarks now?    And no one has shopped at a G.Fox or Sage Allen for many years.

As part of our flashback, we are also joined by author and historian Wilson Faude, who explains what happened after Jim filed that report.   He also talks about his new book, “The Hidden History of Connecticut,”  and shares his thoughts on the state’s new tourism campaign and what more could be done.

Tune in this Sunday at 11 AM for Face the State, only on Channel 3.

UPDATE:  Watch the segment right here: http://www.wfsb.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=8018159