How UConn really feels about the XL Center

[CallMeBruce]

My wife and I took my son to the circus last month on Mothers' Day and Hartford was a ghost town. How do they fix it? 1) Attractions. Yes the baseball park is only meant for the minor leagues, but it is a start. 2) Middle income housing. 777 Main (the BOA tower) is a good start in this area and there are a couple of other outdated office buildings that are being converted to apartments as well. These apartments are best filled by recent college graduates who work or will work downtown. That is exactly who the Supers should be targeting. 3) There also need a full service supermarket in the downtown area (1st floor of 777 Main would be helpful). Not necessarily a Costco or Super Stop & Shop, but a run of the mill Stop & Shop, Shop Rite, or IGA would do.

This is one of those unsolvable issues right now. At the moment, downtown isn't really a livable area, since there's not grocery store. But no grocery store is going to want to pay that kind of rent when you don't have the consumer base to make it profitable.

 

[Husky25]

This is one of those unsolvable issues right now. At the moment, downtown isn't really a livable area, since there's not grocery store. But no grocery store is going to want to pay that kind of rent when you don't have the consumer base to make it profitable.

777 Main is being converted into studio, 1 +2 bedroom apartments as we type. It's been vacant for years.

This is not exactly an, if you build it they will come situation. In a perfect world, residence and sustenance built coincidentally and organically. However, in terms of Hartford, one side has to take the plunge and take it on the chin for a period of time.

If the baseball park is a part of a grander vision, I really wish they would let the population in on the rest.

 

[CallMeBruce]

777 Main is being converted into studio, 1 +2 bedroom apartments as we type. It's been vacant for years.

This is not exactly an, if you build it they will come situation. In a perfect world, residence and sustenance built coincidentally and organically. However, in terms of Hartford, one side has to take the plunge and take it on the chin for a period of time.

In other words, it's not going to happen any time soon.

 

[Husky25]

In other words, it's not going to happen any time soon.

Not without City (or State) intervention, I'm afraid. It certainly has a better shot the faster the BoA building gets filled with residents.

 

[Waquoit]

At the moment, downtown isn't really a livable area, since there's not grocery store. But no grocery store is going to want to pay that kind of rent when you don't have the consumer base to make it profitable.

That's not a big deal for downtown when you think about. Pretty much everyone has to drive to a grocery store.

 

[intlzncster]

I'm out of state too, but I hate watching good money thrown after bad. I really don't like the idea putting any more money into the XL Center. The renovations cant cover the antiquated and poorly functioning design, which was barely acceptable in the '70s (Kling Stubbins also designed The Vet, and I don't think designs any stadiums any more), so I think it'd be trying to slap lipstick on a pig. A new indoor arena in Hartford is needed, hopefully designed by Populous or HKS or somebody else good. With any luck, it can be designed for a 50yr time horizon, with 20,000 seats, deliverable for under $400mm, to host NBA D, arena Football, indoor Lax, minor or NHL hockey and UCONN. As for how I like it now, it pretty much sucks. I've been to maybe 20 different indoor arenas around the country and the XL is near or at the bottom in terms of physical structure, atmosphere, and even proximity to other attractions. Even on TV, Id rather the game be somewhere else. Just my opinion.

I'm in complete agreement with you there. I only said renovations, because there's no way in hell CT taxpayers are coughing up $400mil for new digs.

 

[Husky25]

That's not a big deal for downtown when you think about. Pretty much everyone has to drive to a grocery store.

Should that be the case in what is supposed to be an urban environment? I don't think so.

 

[UconnU]

Having a premiere college basketball destination where the majority of the student body shows up like rupp or cameron or the pitt would be of greater value to the program than the accessibility of xl. Its all politics. The businesses in dt hartford the majority of whom are struggling want those games in hartford.

 

[BearJWS]

Let's just build a dome over Rentschler & call it a day! FBall & BBall all in one. If you build it, they will come!
(It's a joke - so the usual attackers relax)

 

[elduderino]

Let's just build a dome over Rentschler & call it a day! FBall & BBall all in one. If you build it, they will come!
(It's a joke - so the usual attackers relax)

Kinda wish you hadn't noted it was a joke. Exploding heads can be funny.

 

[Drew]

http://www.theday.com/article/20140609/SPORT01/306099950

I spoke to some folks in the UConn athletic department the other day to see if they were as touchy about this as I am. What I discovered was worse: ambivalence.

"Honestly," one veteran of the department said, "if the XL Center disappeared tomorrow and we had to play all our games on campus, everyone here would celebrate."

So I asked the person why, exactly, UConn plays in a building nobody likes.

"Intense political pressure," the person said, alluding to UConn's importance to keeping downtown businesses afloat.​

from a current student: THANK GOD

 

[asuwish]

http://www.theday.com/article/20140609/SPORT01/306099950

I spoke to some folks in the UConn athletic department the other day to see if they were as touchy about this as I am. What I discovered was worse: ambivalence.

"Honestly," one veteran of the department said, "if the XL Center disappeared tomorrow and we had to play all our games on campus, everyone here would celebrate."

So I asked the person why, exactly, UConn plays in a building nobody likes.

"Intense political pressure," the person said, alluding to UConn's importance to keeping downtown businesses afloat.​

It's a building nobody at Uconn likes because going to Hartford means packing everything and everyone up and busing it to the game. To the staff at Uconn going to Hartford is much more time and work. Gample is on campus and everything is there. They play in the state capital because Uconn is still out of the way for most of the fan base, and it is actually a small arena. The XL center allows for way more fans to attend games. Hartford is easier for family's, and alumni get to be wined and dined in Hartford in a way they can't at Uconn. Gample doesn't even have luxury boxes. Some recruits may pay attention to attendance figures, and with 7000 extra fans that can fit in Hartford Uconn ranks higher because of it. When the ball goes up the court is pretty much the same (who really cares or should care about how pretty the back hallway is. How loud and how many fans see a game is far more important. I know not as many students get to go to Hartford as they do Gample, and that sucks, but Uconn is a state school that desires to cultivate a fan base stretching from one end of CT to the other as it should!

 

[David 76]

Let's face it, I love Storrs, but it's really hard to get there from Madison. Hartford is easier to get to, but the XL really needs improvements

I live in Madison too and its hard getting to Storrs. Hartford defiantly needs to get a new arena

Live in Guilford but worked for the Town of Madison 31 years

 

[Cheddie]

I thought it was the New Haven Coliseum that they were looking to protect. At the time, Hartford was still a pretty successful venue but the Coliseum was struggling.

Tom Ritter was instrumental in both UConn 2000 and capping Gampel. UConn was drawing 150K to Hartford per season then - that would have been a loss to any arena.

 

[bmayuc]

Hartford is a classic modern corporate city. It lacks the city-center population that often drives business/development or the colleges that do the same(see: boston). Classic problem of a city that was designed poorly with little/no foresight on building a population amongst the monster corporate buildings. Now, as a state we are in the unenviable position of propping it up with events/teams that are expensive and marginally helpful.

Hartford should invest in moderate-income modern apartments(for the young employees of the corporate destinations) and small biz(tech) to try and get the 20-30 crowd to live in the city. that will create more of a base.

OR, they could spend 60 million on a duck*ng baseball team. dumb.

 

[Deepster]

Hartford is easier for family's, and alumni get to be wined and dined in Hartford in a way they can't at Uconn. Gample doesn't even have luxury boxes.

Yeah. Wined and dined in Hartford. A ton of people are closing business deals at dinner and a Tuesday night UConn/Quinnipiac game.

And when was the last time you were in a Civic Center "luxury" box? My former employer had access to luxury box tickets and we couldn't scare up enough people to half fill it most games. They're not that nice inside and the food/beverages choices are embarrassingly bad in options/taste yet ridiculously expensive.

 

[amory]

Yeah. Wined and dined in Hartford. A ton of people are closing business deals at dinner and a Tuesday night UConn/Quinnipiac game.

And when was the last time you were in a Civic Center "luxury" box? My former employer had access to luxury box tickets and we couldn't scare up enough people to half fill it most games. They're not that nice inside and the food/beverages choices are embarrassingly bad in options/taste yet ridiculously expensive.

That describes pretty much every "luxury box" at sporting events.

I sat in the Bank of America skybox at Fenway Park and even there the food was basically the same as what's available at the vendors, just in fancy catering trays. Never really understood why companies use them to wow clients, seats that are close to the court/field are way more impressive IMO.

 

[8893]

That describes pretty much every "luxury box" at sporting events.

I sat in the Bank of America skybox at Fenway Park and even there the food was basically the same as what's available at the vendors, just in fancy catering trays. Never really understood why companies use them to wow clients, seats that are close to the court/field are way more impressive IMO.

The boxes in the XL are embarrassingly bad as compared with others I've experienced. The ones I've been to most are in MSG. Both before and after renovations the ones at MSG were/are light years better than the ones at the Civic Center in all respects.

 

[Uconn77Duke74]

XL serves alcohol.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Should that be the case in what is supposed to be an urban environment? I don't think so.

I've never lived in Hartford, but in Boston, I can walk about 8 minutes to Stop & Shop.

 

[intlzncster]

Hartford should invest in moderate-income modern apartments(for the young employees of the corporate destinations) and small biz(tech) to try and get the 20-30 crowd to live in the city. that will create more of a base.

Tax subsidies for tech startups is the way to go. CT lawmakers are too stupid to make this happen though.

Hartford could easily become a small tech center. It doesn't take an enormous layout by the state or the taxpayers either.

 

[Husky25]

I've never lived in Hartford, but in Boston, I can walk about 8 minutes to Stop & Shop.

That's my point. You aren't driving out to Brighton. The closest market to downtown is across the Founders Bridge in East Hartford or on the Wethersfield line. For the 285 apartments going into the old BoA Building, I find that unacceptable.

 

[intlzncster]

The boxes in the XL are embarrassingly bad as compared with others I've experienced. The ones I've been to most are in MSG. Both before and after renovations the ones at MSG were/are light years better than the ones at the Civic Center in all respects.

We ride in different crowds.

 

[gampelcrazies]

XL serves alcohol.

To be honest I think that they should not serve alcohol at the games.

 

[Husky25]

I'd rather sit in row VV than in a luxury box at the civic center and I'm pretty sure l'm not alone.

The boxes in the XL are embarrassingly bad as compared with others I've experienced. The ones I've been to most are in MSG. Both before and after renovations the ones at MSG were/are light years better than the ones at the Civic Center in all respects.