New XL Renovations

[uconnbill]

Tear it down and build a 12500 seat arena

 

[superjohn]

And you'll pay for it how?

Do you think this arena should be their home forever? They started building the Civic Center in 1971. The arena is over 50 years old. How many hundreds of millions should they dump into this decrepit grey block of a building?

 

[Fishy]

Where’s the expanded restrooms?
Nothing impacts the customers game day XL experience more than the halftime long lines that also logjam the concourse. The CRDA strikes out again for the fans but pads their own salaries for a few more useless years.

XL essentially exists for the CRDA’s benefit. Every decision hinges on what’s good for them.

 

[uconnric]

Do you think this arena should be their home forever? They started building the Civic Center in 1971. The arena is over 50 years old. How many hundreds of millions should they dump into this decrepit grey block of a building?

How do you pay for a new one?

 

[superjohn]

How do you pay for a new one?

With money, like they keep dumping into the existing building. Mostly public money.

Do you think the XL center should be their home forever? How many hundreds of millions should they dump into the decrepit building?

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Dinner? Salute, Max Downtown, Trumbull Kitchen, SunBerry, Black Eyed Sally’s, Feng Chophouse, Sorella.

Drinks? Urban Lodge, Russian Lady, The Horse, Vaughns, Brownstone, Pigs Eye, Bar Max.

Any update on Huskies Tavern opening?

Add Hartford Flavor Cocktail Parlour on Pratt Street for both dinner and drinks. Great stuff.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Unfortunately Fairfield County politicians blocked any chance of the Legislature approving funds for a new arena, or even an MSG-type of overhaul. So, incremental lower bowl improvements it is.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

The Civic Center is an outdated hockey arena for a team that left 30 some odd years ago. Its very existence is a continual reminder of rot, decay, and failure. I can't fathom why the entire state is beholden to the CRDA's wet dreams. Makes me embarrassed to be a resident of this state.

 

[6in25]

The Civic Center is an outdated hockey arena for a team that left 30 some odd years ago. Its very existence is a continual reminder of rot, decay, and failure. I can't fathom why the entire state is beholden to the CRDA's wet dreams. Makes me embarrassed to be a resident of this state.

There's still a hockey team that plays there - the Wolfpack play something like 36 regular season games at the XL. I'm assuming that comes into play to some extent. And, I hear dystopian - style arenas are all the rage lately. It's a new trend, we're just getting ahead of this thing! CRDA will take your apology now

 

[StllH8L8ner]

If we MUST play at XL, I’d rather spend the money on a fleet of buses to bring students to the games to take over for the wine and cheese (Sam Cassell Sr’s words) atmosphere that permeates through that arena at times. If you’re going to a college basketball game like you’re on ludes, give up your tix to someone who’ll scream their head off.

Tea leaf tip: Danny, AK, etc saying “we need everyone to get loud this weekend”, is the nice way of saying, “you’re sitting on your hands, the atmosphere sux and we need you to wake up”.

 

[John]

If we MUST play at XL, I’d rather spend the money on a fleet of buses to bring students to the games to take over for the wine and cheese (Sam Cassell Sr’s words) atmosphere that permeates through that arena at times. If you’re going to a college basketball game like you’re on ludes, give up your tix to someone who’ll scream their head off.

Tea leaf tip: Danny, AK, etc saying “we need everyone to get loud this weekend”, is the nice way of saying, “you’re sitting on your hands, the atmosphere sux and we need you to wake up”.

glad the wine and cheese crowd isn't at Gampel (eye roll)

 

[Deepster]

Dinner? Salute, Max Downtown, Trumbull Kitchen, SunBerry, Black Eyed Sally’s, Feng Chophouse, Sorella.

Drinks? Urban Lodge, Russian Lady, The Horse, Vaughns, Brownstone, Pigs Eye, Bar Max.

Any update on Huskies Tavern opening?

So, if I'm going to push? 90% of the places you've named have been open for 25+ years. I used my fake ID to get in the Russian Lady in 1987.

 

[superjohn]

So, if I'm going to push? 90% of the places you've named have been open for 25+ years. I used my fake ID to get in the Russian Lady in 1987.

Impressive for all them to stay open 25+ years. I don't know how anyone stays open in Hartford for 25+ years.

 

[Chief00]

XL essentially exists for the CRDA’s benefit. Every decision hinges on what’s good for them.

Agree 100%, and to maximum the customer’s experience that needs to change, but thus far no signs that it will.

The CRDA has no expertise of their own in managing a building - they hire management firms for various functions, hence increasing operating costs. They are a pass thru that siphons money out for themselves.

Having customers spending halftime in the men’s room line has the opportunity cost of missing out on concession revenue but more importantly doesn’t build a positive customer experience.

 

[Chief00]

If we MUST play at XL, I’d rather spend the money on a fleet of buses to bring students to the games to take over for the wine and cheese (Sam Cassell Sr’s words) atmosphere that permeates through that arena at times. If you’re going to a college basketball game like you’re on ludes, give up your tix to someone who’ll scream their head off.

Tea leaf tip: Danny, AK, etc saying “we need everyone to get loud this weekend”, is the nice way of saying, “you’re sitting on your hands, the atmosphere sux and we need you to wake up”.

XL has a longer winning streak than Gampel.

 

[Waquoit]

The Civic Center is an outdated hockey arena for a team that left 30 some odd years ago. Its very existence is a continual reminder of rot, decay, and failure. I can't fathom why the entire state is beholden to the CRDA's wet dreams. Makes me embarrassed to be a resident of this state.

The Wolf Pack gets good crowds and the games are fun. That's a problem how? Most of the cities teams in our cohort have a similar arena situation. But the XL makes you embarrassed to live here? Silly. We live in one of the best states in the country.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Agree 100%, and to maximum the customer’s experience that needs to change, but thus far no signs that it will.

The CRDA has no expertise of their own in managing a building - they hire management firms for various functions, hence increasing operating costs. They are a pass thru that siphons money out for themselves.

Having customers spending halftime in the men’s room line has the opportunity cost of missing out on concession revenue but more importantly doesn’t build a positive customer experience.

How does the CRDA siphon money out of the XL Center for themselves?

 

[How Sway?!]

Connecticut will just never be honest with itself about the civic center.

These effectively-municipally controlled venues do not make money and it’s hard to argue for investment when something a) does not make money and b) the investment does not translate into votes.

Worse, they’re afraid to cede control of it to anyone who might make a profit because it would make them look bad….so we get half-measures.

The answer for the civic center is to do what Baltimore did with CFG Bank. Let Oak View handle it from top to bottom. Get out of their way.

Get the losses off the books and enjoy the tax revenue.

Pretty sure that was the deal with Oak View in order to green light the renovations. Oak View manages the building, eats the losses but gets to keep the profits up to a certain point.

Seems to me like you are just complaining for complaining sakes

 

[Deepster]

We live in one of the best states in the country.

Huh? I'd love to hear the explanation behind this one...

Pros: Good public schools, 4 seasons (if winter's your thing), proximity to other (better) places.
Cons: Where do you start here? Taxes, taxes, taxes. Poor job market. Exorbitant housing costs. Horrible state to retire in. High crime rate.

 

[HuskyAlum012]

At this point I think the only hope for this building is that OVG can make enough money with the premium options they are adding for this renovation, and decide to take full control from CRDA, and pump more money into the building with further renovations. IMO, there is no reason they shouldnt be able to do more than 5 concerts per year here. I understand they have competition with Mohegan and the outdoor venues, but this place can fit so many more people then Mohegan.

 

[Chin Diesel]

At this point I think the only hope for this building is that OVG can make enough money with the premium options they are adding for this renovation, and decide to take full control from CRDA, and pump more money into the building with further renovations. IMO, there is no reason they shouldnt be able to do more than 5 concerts per year here. I understand they have competition with Mohegan and the outdoor venues, but this place can fit so many more people then Mohegan.

And the acts that are too big for Mohegan go to Boston or NYC metro areas.

 

[UConnSwag11]

With money, like they keep dumping into the existing building. Mostly public money.

Do you think the XL center should be their home forever? How many hundreds of millions should they dump into the decrepit building?

Kickbacks

 

[Palatine]

Dunkin Park was built in 2016.

How is the Hooker Brewery and Hard Rock Cafe next to the park coming along?

Different developer. The new guy is apartment focused. And it's coming along pretty well. By Connecticut standards, warp speed.

 

[UCann]

Huh? I'd love to hear the explanation behind this one...

Pros: Good public schools, 4 seasons (if winter's your thing), proximity to other (better) places.
Cons: Where do you start here? Taxes, taxes, taxes. Poor job market. Exorbitant housing costs. Horrible state to retire in. High crime rate.

High crime rate??? Are you kidding me? Why has the world moved away from facts? See the screen shot, all I had to do was google it.