Governor Malloy Won't Push For Costly XL Center Upgrades

[FrostyNuggets]

Bertolini wants to leave CT.

 

[Waquoit]

Bertolini wants to leave CT.

At the WBB parade yesterday, Aetna had two people holding an Aetna banner and no people at all marching behind it.

 

[UCFBfan]

Between this thread and the one on the new tower at the health center, when did this board turn in to the Cesspool?? Neither thread were started with that intention in mind and were started with CR in mind.

Look, if I want to read about the grim reality of the state I live in I'll go to the Cesspool. However, I like to live in my dream world that everything is fine and envision a world with UConn in a better conference. I turn to sports to escape the grim reality of real life. Please keep this crap off these threads that were intended to be for CR related matter.

 

[willie99]

why would Malloy spend money on something actually used?

He thinks people want to ride buses from New Britain to Hartford and go to miner league baseball in Hartford's north-end

brilliant he ain't, unless you think buying certain demographics outweighs creating jobs and keeping GE's

 

[mavblues]

why would Malloy spend money on something actually used?

He thinks people want to ride buses from New Britain to Hartford and go to miner league baseball in Hartford's north-end

brilliant he ain't, unless you think buying certain demographics outweighs creating jobs and keeping GE's

Miner league baseball? You mean like this?

 

[ct06111]

CRDA meeting minutes - Jan
http://www.crdact.net/data/Unsorted/1-14-2016-ApprovedBoardMinutes-73404-1.pdf

CRDA meeting minutes - Feb
http://www.crdact.net/data/Unsorted/2-18-2016-ApprovedBoardMinutes-73476-1.pdf

 

[Dooley]

CRDA meeting minutes - Jan
http://www.crdact.net/data/Unsorted/1-14-2016-ApprovedBoardMinutes-73404-1.pdf

CRDA meeting minutes - Feb
http://www.crdact.net/data/Unsorted/2-18-2016-ApprovedBoardMinutes-73476-1.pdf

Thanks for posting! Feb minutes state that $7M has been approved for a new road into the stadium AND $1M approved for construction of a new parking lot over 10 acres to accommodate 1,000 extra cars...will be complete before the start of the 2016 football season.

Looks like UConn is getting all of our ducks in a row in anticipation of a stadium expansion in the near future.

 

[ct06111]

^^^ def some good stuff in the minutes. I also like that Malloy isn't completely against the XL renovations and put some already allocated bond $ to fix/replace the ice making machine

 

[ct06111]

CRDA director Mike Freimuth also had a 1st ever meet and greet with Benedict.
In terms of parking....
It might be Even Steven in terms of the amount of spaces currently
Current overflow lots given to rent from UTC are where the proposed outlet development is going. The new road will go to both rent and development.
So the new 1000 spaces are replacing the current overflow lots that will now be some potentially crappy outlet stores. (Hopefully it's more bars/restaurants UConn place type deal-o

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Feb minutes state that $7M has been approved for a new road into the stadium AND $1M approved for construction of a new parking lot over 10 acres to accommodate 1,000 extra cars...will be complete before the start of the 2016 football season. Looks like UConn is getting all of our ducks in a row in anticipation of a stadium expansion in the near future.

How's this "new road into the stadium" different from original plans for what was initially called a flyway from I-84 to the Rent? Or, is it one and the same just delayed and now with possible muni bond financing? Either way, who cares if in any remote way it helps rescue our Huskies from the current island and onward and upward to a better conference?

 

[whaler11]

How's this "new road into the stadium" different from original plans for what was initially called a flyway from I-84 to the Rent? Or, is it one and the same just delayed and now with possible muni bond financing? Either way, who cares if in any remote way it helps rescue our Huskies from the current island and onward and upward to a better conference?

For all the reasons UConn has been screwed in CR - access to the stadium would be a strange one. If they are building out roads it's to help outlet traffic.

It would be 363 days a year against 6.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

For all the reasons UConn has been screwed in CR - access to the stadium would be a strange one. If they are building out roads it's to help outlet traffic.

The sound of facetiously suggesting a purported "new road" has any CR-relationship flying past at warp speed ... whoosh! Back to the actual question for anyone with direct insight; same or different road from the original "flyway" proposed for the Rent?

 

[mavblues]

For all the reasons UConn has been screwed in CR - access to the stadium would be a strange one. If they are building out roads it's to help outlet traffic.

It would be 363 days a year against 6.

So 369 days a year?

 

[TheDoggPound]

^^^ def some good stuff in the minutes. I also like that Malloy isn't completely against the XL renovations and put some already allocated bond $ to fix/replace the ice making machine

This XL Center transformation was Gov. Malloy's idea.. Obviously he's not against it.

 

[whaler11]

So 369 days a year?

Well the 6 overlap so no.

 

[ct06111]

This XL Center transformation was Gov. Malloy's idea.. Obviously he's not against it.

I hear ya. Even with the on-going budget issues, it reaffirms his commitment and because I saw this:

Governor Malloy conveyed that he can’t imagine Hartford without an XL Center, or an equivalent thereof. He expressed that CRDA has done the early work of competitive data regarding either a rebuilt or a brand new center. If the architects and consultants can accomplish what they are saying for the amount that they are estimating and agreements with parties involved can be reached, then it would make sense to move forward.

Plus this:
In light of the current state budget situation, the Governor is deferring the decision to put new funds into the capital budget for the XL or its long term transformation at this time. He has, however, given CRDA the discretion to use bond funds previously authorized for the agency for (1) land acquisition, (2) design work and (3) capital improvements that would serve the current building as well as be retained in any future improved building (e.g., ice repair).

Yes we're broke, but it's bonded and doesn't have to go through legislature. Some say its already fully bonded with interest rates WAY lower than they were when they 1st built the HCC. Next year they will actually allocate the bonds to the XL over 2-3 years so it's not a huge drag on budget.

Also check this out: (Take it for what its worth, but they are connected with CRDA)

Listen 15-21 minutes in. New ice making machine and 2 new zambonis by summer 2017

 

[FartMan69]

I hear ya. Even with the on-going budget issues, it reaffirms his commitment and because I saw this:

Governor Malloy conveyed that he can’t imagine Hartford without an XL Center, or an equivalent thereof. He expressed that CRDA has done the early work of competitive data regarding either a rebuilt or a brand new center. If the architects and consultants can accomplish what they are saying for the amount that they are estimating and agreements with parties involved can be reached, then it would make sense to move forward.

Plus this:
In light of the current state budget situation, the Governor is deferring the decision to put new funds into the capital budget for the XL or its long term transformation at this time. He has, however, given CRDA the discretion to use bond funds previously authorized for the agency for (1) land acquisition, (2) design work and (3) capital improvements that would serve the current building as well as be retained in any future improved building (e.g., ice repair).

Yes we're broke, but it's bonded and doesn't have to go through legislature. Some say its already fully bonded with interest rates WAY lower than they were when they 1st built the HCC. Next year they will actually allocate the bonds to the XL over 2-3 years so it's not a huge drag on budget.

Also check this out: (Take it for what its worth, but they are connected with CRDA)

Listen 15-21 minutes in. New ice making machine and 2 new zambonis by summer 2017

Those guys have been spewing rumors for years and nothing has ever been close to being true.

 

[minidarren]

You underestimate how many traffic jams there are on the Pike/95/93

As a new resident of semi-Metro Atlanta it takes me 90 minutes to travel 25 miles on an excellent commute home. I'm not sure there is a situation in Connecticut that compares to 5 lanes of bumper to bumper traffic crawling along.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

As a new resident of semi-Metro Atlanta it takes me 90 minutes to travel 25 miles on an excellent commute home. I'm not sure there is a situation in Connecticut that compares to 5 lanes of bumper to bumper traffic crawling along.

Metro NYC has the Cross Bronx and Van Wyck, which are bumper-to-bumper 24/7/365 while CT does have that 10 mile stretch of I-84 through Waterbury that is 2, then 3, then 4, then 2, then 4 lanes of traffic, also usually stopped dead.

 

[minidarren]

Metro NYC has the Cross Bronx and Van Wyck, which are bumper-to-bumper 24/7/365 while CT does have that 10 mile stretch of I-84 through Waterbury that is 2, then 3, then 4, then 2, then 4 lanes of traffic, also usually stopped dead.

Are people still stranded there from 1999? It's clearly not stopped dead.

 

[mavblues]

Are people still stranded there from 1999? It's clearly not stopped dead.

 

[FDNY99]

As a new resident of semi-Metro Atlanta it takes me 90 minutes to travel 25 miles on an excellent commute home. I'm not sure there is a situation in Connecticut that compares to 5 lanes of bumper to bumper traffic crawling along.

My wife used to live in Norwalk (near fire HQ and the on ramp to 95) and commuted to Darien. 7 mile ride avg was 45 min and that was good time.

 

[Padutch5]

As a new resident of semi-Metro Atlanta it takes me 90 minutes to travel 25 miles on an excellent commute home. I'm not sure there is a situation in Connecticut that compares to 5 lanes of bumper to bumper traffic crawling along.

Whoa there! Farmington to Hartford is like that most mornings despite all the traffic the busway was supposed to take off the highway. No its not five lanes but it should be. Add to that the crawl up the Farmngton hill which I've never seen in Atlanta.

 

[minidarren]

Whoa there! Farmington to Hartford is like that most mornings despite all the traffic the busway was supposed to take off the highway. No its not five lanes but it should be. Add to that the crawl up the Farmngton hill which I've never seen in Atlanta.

I've yet to see Farmington hill in Atlanta too.

 

[Drew]

Just so everyone knows what we're dealing with in terms of infrastructure overhauls here:

XL Center infrastructure is like a working time capsule

"There is a long access tunnel under the arena that runs north to south and cuts the floor at the halfway point. It was almost filled with ground water when the CRDA took over. The water was removed and then asbestos from the confined space. With a new system that archaic way of working the ice sheet will be gone, and the tunnel will be filled with concrete.

The electrical is still an issue sometimes one circuit will blow and there are no replacement parts. The company that made them went out of business in 91'. That means replacing the entire breaker and it turns a $500.00 job into a $10,000-$15,000 dollar one.

I don't want to turn this into a CRDA "honey do" list but if anyone thinks the 250 million dollar plan to renovate the XL Center is to give it cosmetic bells and whistles you are sorely mistaken. No one should be that passenger on the Titanic who complained about the food after the ship hit the iceberg."