Joe Markley: No More Public Spending on XL Center

[TheDoggPound]

Guys the XL Center's retrofit and the future expansion of Rentschler Field do NOT need a public referendum. The only approval they need comes from the Bond Commission and they do as Malloy says.

 

[Pudge]

And the number of residents of the actual city of Hartford at that show will be close to zero.

Providence has two colleges in town and actual urban residential that isn't gang land (not that a lot of it isn't gang land). U Hartford is as far away from downtown Hartford as it can be, and Trinity is the same on the south side. Hartford needs destinations...that means a civic center type building near a convention center that is then surrounded by bars, restaurants, breweries and expensive urban residential. It needs gentrification. It has since I was a kid.

I lived in South Boston for a couple of years from 2001-2003. The waterfront was nothing but Harpoon Brewery, the Seaport Hotel, a small concert venue and the world trade center. The rest was empty lots and empty buildings. Now it is the hottest location in the city. KC has had a similar renaissance in the power and light district...which used to be the red light/adult bookstore and strip club zone. It can be done.

Let me expand on my thought then ...

The REASON that New Haven & Providence have a huge lead over all these other Northeastern urban settings is the Demand Drivers. Yale in New Haven which includes a Medical Complex which has grown from about 12th in the world to 5th largest; and Brown in Providence with hospitals and other institutions. These are far more impactful than Breweries or BaseballStadiums/SportsArena. Further, both Yale (much to the dismay of the New Haven population) has played a major role in real estate and development ... and that has wrongly been criticized; Brown as well. Hartford does not have a beneficent Big Endowment Institution driving it to be a better ecosystem. I do not think the DoNo goes in that direction either.

Institutions have jobs and workforce. If you build an amenitized ambience around these, then you have something.

 

[Kolumbo]

Plus both New Haven and Providence are on the shoreline. Hartford is at the intersection of 84 and 91 which is to be avoided at all costs.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Plus both New Haven and Providence are on the shoreline. Hartford is at the intersection of 84 and 91 which is to be avoided at all costs.

Yes. If 84 and 91 avoided Hartford or skirted the edges away from the riverfront in particular, Hartford could have developed more upscale urban residential. Hartford also has a challenge in that it is the smallest major city in America in land area.

@Pudge is correct on the impact of Yale and Brown...not that New Haven is a gem or anything. I tried to say that U Hart and Trinity do not provide that impact in Hartford. But many cities thrive without that, KC for one.

 

[Padutch5]

On a more contentious note, I didn't read the article but agree with the headline that Hartford should be done with the business of further public funding for stadium projects (at least for the next 10+ years). A shiny, new XL center is going to do very, very little to improve Hartford's economic climate. What do you guys think, that people are going to suddenly decide to eat dinner in Hartford and move the family there because there's a little more cushion on their a** while they watch a basketball game? If there really is such an incredible profit to be made from building a new Hartford stadium, then a private developer will jump at the chance to fund the stadium...that's how the market works.

The convention center was supposed to jumpstart downtown. Yes we have some new businesses in that area. But jumpstart--No. ESPN realized that and paid their way out of their commitment to build a bar there. We [yes, all of us and our children] paid $700 million plus for a busway to jumpstart downtown. In going to UCONN BB games, I've yet to count more than 5 people on any bus at rush hour. Good luck in getting a true financial picture of the busway finances.
In addition, our beloved state already ranked as the second worst state in terms of its finances , and facing a significant Billion dollar plus deficit in 2017, is in no position to incur more debt for a new downtown arena without a commitment of significant revenue from a new league for UCONN sports.

 

[Padutch5]

First, you create a giant rest home with amenities in Chaplin to lure all the obstruction artists out of Mansfield. Then you build extra lanes on the roads into Storrs. Then you build a new DOMED football stadium on campus that also houses a separate court and rink. You take the Rent and you land a Major League Soccer franchise.

In an ideal world yes. In the real world--not in your lifetime. Between financing issues of a state that is already really bankrupt and all of the environmental issues of building estra lanes through the countryside this isn't going to happen. '
Once ad for all, could we forget the pipe dream of a football stadium on campus.

 

[Padutch5]

When I used to have a longer commute I would put WTIC on to get the traffic updates in the afternoon. Markley was John Rowland's favorite guest, as I guess he was the only elected Republican in the state that would still talk to him in public. Hey Joe, guess whopushed for the whole Adrien's Landing/Front Street development? Your boy Rowland.

Yes, and do your remember which politician was the major supporter of a new stadium now called the Rent. It was the much maligned Rowland.

 

[BoatShow]

I'm going to win powerball and before you know it the XL center will be a start of the art 18k seat arena called BoatShow Has a Big Weiner Collesium.

 

[BlueDogs]

If they invested in a proper facility to begin with we wouldn't be in this mess. The last renovation was an abomination. Everything that is done in CT is half-ass and on the cheap, except when it comes to giving away the shop to public sector unions who suck the state dry. Then we get stupid 500 Million dollar busways which lose $10MM a year.

 

[TRest]

Yes, and do your remember which politician was the major supporter of a new stadium now called the Rent. It was the much maligned Rowland.

Blind pig and an acorn.

 

[zls44]

In going to UCONN BB games, I've yet to count more than 5 people on any bus at rush hour.

I've taken it to 10 events at the XL this year and the buses are getting more full each time.

 

[Padutch5]

I've taken it to 10 events at the XL this year and the buses are getting more full each time.

I guess this must have been a bad week. Maybe everyone is still on vacation. There was both a women's and a men's game. No more than 5 on any bus lined up on Pearl. By the way, what is the cost to everyone of the losses from the bus way?
Sorry guy, there is a reason Malloy is hiding the operating losses of this boondoggle.

 

[BlueDogs]

Could have bought a hell of facility for 1/6th the cost of the busway to nowhere. Had to be one of the worst investments ever made.

 

[zls44]

Look, I was one who wanted rail investment rather than the bus way, but a majority of it was federal funding. So if you're ticked off, imagine how upset some guy in Topeka is.

I think the actual CT per resident cost was around $40. In the long run, you'll live and the republic still stands.

 

[The Funster]

Look, I was one who wanted rail investment rather than the bus way, but a majority of it was federal funding. So if you're ticked off, imagine how upset some guy in Topeka is.

I think the actual CT per resident cost was around $40. In the long run, you'll live and the republic still stands.

No, Supreme Leader Snoke had the Republic blown to bits. Duh.

 

[ThetaZoo]

I guess this must have been a bad week. Maybe everyone is still on vacation. There was both a women's and a men's game. No more than 5 on any bus lined up on Pearl. By the way, what is the cost to everyone of the losses from the bus way?
Sorry guy, there is a reason Malloy is hiding the operating losses of this boondoggle.

I don't remember seeing mention of any financial feasibility study for the current system but if there was such a study the revenue projections probably supported most cost scenarios. They're now spending $500k on a feasibility study for expansion east of the river. I bet the revenue projections support this project too.

 

[WhiteDressWes]

Look, I was one who wanted rail investment rather than the bus way, but a majority of it was federal funding. So if you're ticked off, imagine how upset some guy in Topeka is.

I think the actual CT per resident cost was around $40. In the long run, you'll live and the republic still stands.

When they made the consumption of small amounts of beer grounds for a DUI/DWI, I got rid of my car. I now use the Busway for most of my shopping.

The Busway parking lots are usually full. To alleviate rush hour traffic, they need to be larger.

from http://www.connecticutmag.com/Connecticut-Magazine/September-2012/Doggling-the-Boon/:
[QUOAs for the New Britain-Hartford busway, four governors—Weicker, Rowland, Rell and Malloy—have to share in the credit for that. The idea first came to light in 1994, when Weicker was in office. It was subject to a major study in 1999 and received its first federal approval in 2000, both under Rowland’s watch. Final design approval came in 2006, when Rell was overseeing things. And now construction has begun under Malloy. Maybe they can all take the first bus ride together.

From https://www.cga.ct.gov/2012/rpt/2012-R-0367.htm:
When construction on the project began in 2012, construction costs were listed as $342.4 million. The total project cost at the time was estimated at $567 million, 80% of which is to be funded by the federal government. DOT estimates that it will initially cost about $10 million a year to operate the busway.