OT: 4-6 week delay for Yard Goats Stadium

[gampelcrazies]

Should have used the money and invest in a new arena

 

[huskypantz]

No bashing pantz but like your avatar you must think like an infant. Anyone with a clue, TV, local news, radio of any form knew this thing would have more strings attached. Stand by for the next release of an accident waiting to happen. As the home team plays far, far away, Home Team Train Wreck Waiting To Happen...

I don't live in CT so have not really kept up aside from the occasional post. @Palatine 's post explained the reason cost increases and those are Hartford's fault. The article mentioned revisions but didn't specify at what phase for the project.

 

[Danzz]

Will they start the season in New Britain?

If I were New Britain I'd tell them to go pound sand. Possibly Muzzy or Palmer would be my guess.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Help me out here - why is anything about this Hartford's fault? The project management company bid on the stadium. Hartford set deliverables, timeframe and specs in the RFP. A bid of $56 million was agreed upon, but now the project requires an extra $10 million to meet what Hartford outlined in the RFP? I must be missing something.

The city has reneged on the original deal across the board. The dev company was supposed to be doing the design, and the city designer basically ran off and did whatever he wanted. Then when the developer said they would need more money to match the new specs, the city threw a hissy fit. If they had just done what they said they were going to do, this would have been fine.

 

[Stainmaster]

If they're really scrambling and NB decides not to do them any favors, Dodd Stadium should be free through mid to late June (NYP season doesn't begin until then). Obviously Dodd isn't an AA-caliber facility anymore, but I can't think of a better choice.

 

[Danzz]

Confirmed. 4-6 weeks late and approximately 10m over budget (already). Way to go, Hartford.[/QUOTE]
It isn't the city it is Landino's company. They underbid the project to get the job. It will be longer than 4-6 weeks to complete the stadium.

 

[huskymedic]

Rooting For A Save In Yard Goats Ballpark Mess
http://www.courant.com/opinion/editorials/hc-ed-yard-goats-mess-20160106-story.html

 

[Edward Sargent]

http://www.courant.com/community/ha...-showdown-developers-0106-20160105-story.html

Confirmed. 4-6 weeks late and approximately 10m over budget (already). Way to go, Hartford.

WTF is a Yard Goat? Does it differ from a House Goat?

 

[8893]

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Should have used the money and invest in a new arena

Or, a new or renovated Hartford soccer stadium.

 

[CallMeBruce]

It isn't the city it is Landino's company. They underbid the project to get the job. It will be longer than 4-6 weeks to complete the stadium.

I feel like it's been said elsewhere, but no, that's not what happened. The bid on the project as it was originally planned, and then the city designer made several costly changes and the city has refused to acknowledge that this leads to price increases and delays. Hartford is lucky he does so much business with the city, because otherwise he'd probably sue them.

 

[Palatine]

Someone suggested that they use Dodd Stadium in Norwich until the Hartford Stadium is ready. That probably makes too much sense to actually happen. Dodd is vacant until June. Seats 6,000. It' a 40/50 minutes from the Hartford park.

In the meantime, the city or state doesn't have to bail out the park. The city could loan the money. Put a surcharge on tickets. Nothing outrageous, say 75 cents, and it could be paid back over the years. Over a 25 year life span, you get back seven and half million bucks. There are probably other ways to do it. Besides, you should never trust my math. Over time this will not look like a very big deal.

But the Courant wants to sell papers and haters want to hate, so expect much crying and hair pulling. And like Rentschler Field, after a few years it will just be part of the landscape. We'll forget it took ten years, had numerous locations, that there were fights in the legislature, politicians opposing it and it cost too much. Then we'll just watch the games and we'll be better off for it.

 

[Waquoit]

I don't understand the glee folks are taking over this. Downtown baseball will be great. Getting this stadium built makes Hartford the envy of Richmond...and Providence.

 

[8893]

 

[upstater]

Buffalo has a beautiful downtown stadium over looking the harbor, and it has been there for years. But there is so little interest in minor league baseball, they only get a few thousand fans per game. It never contributed anything really to life downtown, though now all around it there are lots of restaurants and bars. But those popped up in the last 3 years for reasons quite other than baseball. Baseball has very little to do with it and other than the pretty venue, I can think of very little that's to be gained from this. I catch a few Pawtucket games a year.

This is the rare game with packed stands. I think they get about 500k fans for 80 games.

 

[Excalibur]

I feel like it's been said elsewhere, but no, that's not what happened. The bid on the project as it was originally planned, and then the city designer made several costly changes and the city has refused to acknowledge that this leads to price increases and delays. Hartford is lucky he does so much business with the city, because otherwise he'd probably sue them.

He likely will sue them when it's all said and done, particularly because the city will look to defend itself by disparaging him, Jason Rudnick and Centerplan. However, he certainly has been around the game long enough to know that you that as a developer you never really work with the government, you work for them.

 

[CallMeBruce]

I don't understand the glee folks are taking over this.

Haters gonna hate.

 

[Palatine]

Buffalo averaged 8,228 a game last year. But they are triple A and have a larger park than proposed for Hartford.

The Rockcats averaged 4,051 a game in New Britain which was a little less than the average Eastern League attendance of around 4,500 a game. It's not unreasonable to assume the Yard Goats would draw 5,000 a game. Two Eastern League teams drew 6,000. BTW, Eastern League teams play about 65-70 home games a year.

 

[upstater]

Buffalo averaged 8,228 a game last year. But they are triple A and have a larger park than proposed for Hartford.

The Rockcats averaged 4,051 a game in New Britain which was a little less than the average Eastern League attendance of around 4,500 a game. It's not unreasonable to assume the Yard Goats would draw 5,000 a game. Two Eastern League teams drew 6,000. BTW, Eastern League teams play about 65-70 home games a year.

Must be season ticket holders, because being in that park, there is no way there are 8,000 people there on average for a game.

 

[Deepster]

I don't understand the glee folks are taking over this. Downtown baseball will be great. Getting this stadium built makes Hartford the envy of Richmond...and Providence.

I don't know that it's glee as much as it's an eyeroll that Hartford is undoubtedly going to find a way to screw up.....again. To paraphrase a former co-worker, "Hartford could f--- up a bean sandwich."

 

[Palatine]

Must be season ticket holders, because being in that park, there is no way there are 8,000 people there on average for a game.

These are the International League attendance stats, http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=l_att&lid=117&sid=l117

Could be like the Temple attendance stats, beef up by a few good series. Also, their seating capacity is 18,000+. So 8,000 is less than a half full stadium

 

[upstater]

These are the International League attendance stats, http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=l_att&lid=117&sid=l117

Could be like the Temple attendance stats, beef up by a few good series. Also, their seating capacity is 18,000+. So 8,000 is less than a half full stadium

I've been to games with several hundred fans on clear weather 82 degree days in mid summer. I would not doubt that they have a sizable season ticket base. Because there are always discounted tickets around, and they are pretty cheap.

The ballpark is only otherwise used for a festivals a year, like the Wing Festival.

 

[APA]

I don't understand the glee folks are taking over this. Downtown baseball will be great. Getting this stadium built makes Hartford the envy of Richmond...and Providence.

I doubt that either Richmond or Providence would ever envy Hartford at all. You're looking at 2 good cities and one crappy one, even with this stadium. Hartford's just circlin' the drain.

 

[8893]

I don't know that it's glee as much as it's an eyeroll that Hartford is undoubtedly going to find a way to screw up.....again. To paraphrase a former co-worker, "Hartford could f--- up a bean sandwich."

Bean sandwich?!? WTF. Who couldn't f--- that up? Just the thought of it is screwed up.

 

[8893]

I doubt that either Richmond or Providence would ever envy Hartford at all. You're looking at 2 good cities and one crappy one, even with this stadium. Hartford's just circlin' the drain.

Yes, but look what it did for Bridgeport.