[JayCT]

For those who think that the XL Center is no longer needed, just look at the ticket sales for Cirque de Soleil going on right now. There was such a big demand that they added 1,500 more seats to the show. Jay

Cirque du Soleil proves huge draw for XL Center | HartfordBusiness.com

[SAE72]

Originally Posted by beerbeer

This is not as cut and dry as this makes it sounds. Things are rarely this simple.

For the Rent, most of the loss is depreciation. That is around two million a year. But that money was spent a long time ago. It is only a loss on sheet of paper. And even then a lot of the original 90 million was plowed back into the Connecticut economy in the form of labor and supplies paid to contractors, many of them local.

Here's the bet and it will take another ten years to find out if it worked. If UConn can get into a better conference like the ACC or B12, then they will receiver twenty million dollars a year from the conference. The stadium cost would be recouped in five years. That remains to be seen, but that is the bet.

BTW, take a look at the neighborhood around Washington DC's Verizon center before it was built and look at now. The building was not the sole driver but there is no question of its economic impact. When the building was in Landover, Maryland, it had almost no multiplier effect. It shows the difference between building in the suburbs and building downtown.

Even this analysis is an oversimplification. My point is that it is much more complex with many more variables than a simple number. As I said, my guess is the Dunkin Park stadium will be a big plus for the city and that's without factoring in the social and entertainment benefits.

You are correct, it is an oversimplification, and you leave many issues untouched.


Regardless of a loss being" on paper " and " most of the loss is depreciation " , the money has to come from somewhere. As long as an amount shows up in the State Budget , it is still important.


Your point regarding money being " plowed back into the CT economy" , the claim that Many of them were " local " would have to be substantiated with facts , so it is best left untouched. More speculation regarding the " bet" .


If you want to look closely at Washington DC's Verizon center neighborhood , no discussion should be entertained without the inclusion of crime statistics for that area. You might not want to be so quick to have the neighborhood around the new Baseball Park emulate it.

[beerbeer]

The crime stats around the Verizon Center are not high by any city standard. It is much safer now then when the building went up. I have been there many times and the neighborhood is much, much better than before. It is becoming even more upscale with the recently finished City Center DC just a block and a half away. Louis Vitton doesn't move into high crime neighborhoods.

At any rate, it will be interesting to see what happens to north downtown in the next decade after the park opens. It has been empty parking lots for about four decades so any development is a step in the right direction.

[BPt111]

Yard Goats expected to play ball in two weeks - WFSB 3 Connecticut

[beerbeer]

Hooker Brewing to open tasting room in Colt complex
(from the Courant)

After trying for a decade, the Thomas Hooker Brewing Co. will return to Hartford, the city where it was founded — this time with a beer tasting room in the shadow of the blue, onion-shaped Colt dome.

Hooker Brewing expects to open the tasting room in May on the ground floor of the South Armory at the former Colt firearms complex. Hooker will brew beers on site using a similar — but far smaller — system as Hooker operates at its main plant in Bloomfield.

"I call this dipping the toe back in Hartford," Curt Cameron, Hooker Brewing's owner, said. "Lest anybody think we are not serious about committing to the where the company was originally created. We are. It's just a matter to what extent we would come back."

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by beerbeer

Hooker Brewing to open tasting room in Colt complex
(from the Courant)

After trying for a decade, the Thomas Hooker Brewing Co. will return to Hartford, the city where it was founded — this time with a beer tasting room in the shadow of the blue, onion-shaped Colt dome.

Hooker Brewing expects to open the tasting room in May on the ground floor of the South Armory at the former Colt firearms complex. Hooker will brew beers on site using a similar — but far smaller — system as Hooker operates at its main plant in Bloomfield.

"I call this dipping the toe back in Hartford," Curt Cameron, Hooker Brewing's owner, said. "Lest anybody think we are not serious about committing to the where the company was originally created. We are. It's just a matter to what extent we would come back."

I saw this. I know they have been trying to build this somewhere in Hartford for years now but could never find the right place. They were supposed to be in a new building next to Dunkin Donuts Stadium but I guess that disappeared with the firing of Centerplan as the developer of the stadium. I just hope that they are not too far removed from the action by being out at the Colt complex. Will see. Jay

[JayCT]

And the drama continues. Centerplan is refusing to give the city access to the Dunkin Donuts Stadium furniture and equipment being stored in an adjacent building. The court has ordered the two parties to meet today and come up with a resolution or be in court tomorrow to explain why the city is being denied access. I am sure Centerplan is just trying to leverage the situation but really, it is time they stopped acting like jerks if they ever want to have some creditability in the future. JMHP, Jay

Ballpark dispute complicates opening | HartfordBusiness.com

[htfdcolt]

This does not sound good. $5.5M losses in the first 2 yrs?! How can that be...I assumed the team was at least breaking even in New Britain? And not to mention $11M over the original budget...

Dunkin' Donuts Park May Be Ready, But Area Development Has Stalled - Hartford Courant

[JayCT]

Interesting article on Hartford based insurer's recent commitment to assist the city in their straightening out their finances. Goes into the influence they had over the years including the so called "Bishops" who guided the city through many major developments including Constitution Plaza, Cityplace and the XL Center. Jay

Ghosts of Hartford's past power brokers hover over insurers' $50M pledge | HartfordBusiness.com

[beerbeer]

More apartment conversions. Two buildings. 103/05 Allyn Street and 109/121 Allyn Street. 70 new units are expected.

Paul Khakshouri, the owner of Homewood Suites on Asylum Street, has acquired the buildings at 103-105 and 109-121 Allyn St. with plans for rentals and street-level shops. The retail space is likely to include an espresso cafe and an ice cream shop. Khakshouri also is adamant on what won't be in the storefronts. "For sure, no bars," Khakshouri said.


Developer Plans 70 Apartments In Downtown Hartford - Hartford Courant