XL center renovations considered as part of sports betting deal | Page 2 | The Boneyard

XL center renovations considered as part of sports betting deal

Kolumbo said:
I was curious about the new Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, site of the AAC tournament.
Basketball: 13,550
Cost: $540 million
Opened: November 2019
Opening Show: 21 Pilots
Tenants: Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, Panther City Lacrosse Club
"Dickies Arena has the second-largest, continuous 360-degree screen in North America. The scoreboard is so large, it extends past the width of the basketball court."

View attachment 65433
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What a huge waste of money. $500M for THAT?
 
Outside view of Dickie's

1615159108720.png
 
As a non-resident and non-taxpayer, I'd vote for a complete redo. You can only put so much lipstick on the pig. Ideally you'd work a land swap for one of the parking lots near XL and The Dunk and build the new arena while XL gets used for its last year or two. Once the new arena is up and running destroy the XL and give it to whomever you took the property from to build the new arena.

It's going to cost money and it's probably going to require using eminent domain. And a public project which will be used by the public in Hartford and throughout the state is a proper use of eminent domain.

This really isn't different than any mechanical thing that wears down over time. If you are on top of your finances you plan the depreciation and plan ahead for the replacement. We talk about it in all the "I'm looking for a new car" threads where we all know it's always less expensive to do a repair on a car that's paid off than it is to buy a new or newer car. But eventually you need to replace an arena. 45 years from the XL is plenty long enough.
 
LoyalFanCT said:
One of the ways Louisville convinced the ACC to let them in over UConn in the prior round of realignment was to brag about how much they were spending on facilities.
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Louisville was invited because of their football team. They had been regularly ranked over the previous decade. UConn was as good a fit in basketball, and a better fit academically. Clemson, Miami, and Florida State threatened to leave if they didn't get Louisville, and the football money won.
 
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Magruber said:
I kind of agree with CL82.
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Kind of? Way to halfway make a statement. You think we should be trying to get into the ACC or the Big 10?
 
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As a visitor I always thought the XL was a good venue. I don’t by into the throw away society to replace with something shiny and new. It’s great for viewing basketball.

The issue with focusing on renovating the XL is that it is just such a small issue compared to CT as a state and Hartford as a city going in the wrong direction. CT is way over taxed and business has left and residential neighborhoods in Hartford have declined.

Casinos are a desperation move. Attracting a pro sports franchise is unrealistic with the condition of Hartford. None of us would realistically pick Hartford.

Creating a low tax economic zone in Hartford just gives Hartford a competitive advantage over other areas in the state. It doesn’t really help the state. CT needs to reform as a state. Voters need to create radical reform.
 
Zissou said:
As a visitor I always thought the XL was a good venue. I don’t by into the throw away society to replace with something shiny and new. It’s great for viewing basketball.

The issue with focusing on renovating the XL is that it is just such a small issue compared to CT as a state and Hartford as a city going in the wrong direction. CT is way over taxed and business has left and residential neighborhoods in Hartford have declined.

Casinos are a desperation move. Attracting a pro sports franchise is unrealistic with the condition of Hartford. None of us would realistically pick Hartford.

Creating a low tax economic zone in Hartford just gives Hartford a competitive advantage over other areas in the state. It doesn’t really help the state. CT needs to reform as a state. Voters need to create radical reform.
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After any game at XL you can stumble across the street to the alley next to the Russian Lady, usually you’ll find needles and various nips. Sometimes if you’re lucky you’ll find a 750 of Smirnoff. We call those keepers.
 
CTBasketball said:
Sometimes if you’re lucky you’ll find a 750 of Smirnoff. We call those keepers.
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Y'know that's probably some person's stash. Don't you have your own money?
 
CTBasketball said:
I gave some guy my last $50 to valet my car outside of XL on Asylum and he never brought my car or my money back.
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So you are getting even in your mind?
 
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Hartford lost its chance when they put I-91 along the river. It also should have annexed W Hartford, Bloomfield and Wethersfield at a minimum.

I assume they can't build a new arena where the old Colt Armory is, right? Building it on the current site isn't the right answer in my view. There just aren't enough people in downtown. If you are investing that money you need to use it to drive more residential. Build it at Colt and you've got Colt Park, you create foot bridges tunnels to Charter Oak Landing, you've got Dillon, you add condos and Apartments along with retail, bars, restaurants.
 
I haven't spent any time in Hartford for over a decade. Pushing 2. I'm definitely a CT outsider these days. My perception of CT, Hartford and much of the Northeast is it's a barren husk of what it was. Attempts to "revitalize" a city seemed flawed if the tax base is leaving.

I have no problem with gambling, but bringing sports betting seems like a bad sign. I suppose it's better than nothing, but it feels similar to having a payday advance business or a pawn shop in your neighborhood. It's a sign that you live in a lousy neighborhood. Probably best to move.
 
NDakotaHusky said:
I haven't spent any time in Hartford for over a decade. Pushing 2. I'm definitely a CT outsider these days. My perception of CT, Hartford and much of the Northeast is it's a barren husk of what it was. Attempts to "revitalize" a city seemed flawed if the tax base is leaving.

I have no problem with gambling, but bringing sports betting seems like a bad sign. I suppose it's better than nothing, but it feels similar to having a payday advance business or a pawn shop in your neighborhood. It's a sign that you live in a lousy neighborhood. Probably best to move.
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Lol.
NJ Sports Betting Tops $4.5 Billion In 2019 Handle, Mobile Hits New High
www.legalsportsreport.com

NJ Sports Betting Tops $4.5 Billion In 2019 Handle, Mobile Hits New High

Any sliver of doubt about whether mobile NJ sports betting is the future faded emphatically in December 2019. New Jersey topped $4.5 billion in handle.
www.legalsportsreport.com www.legalsportsreport.com
 
superjohn said:
Lol.
NJ Sports Betting Tops $4.5 Billion In 2019 Handle, Mobile Hits New High
www.legalsportsreport.com

NJ Sports Betting Tops $4.5 Billion In 2019 Handle, Mobile Hits New High

Any sliver of doubt about whether mobile NJ sports betting is the future faded emphatically in December 2019. New Jersey topped $4.5 billion in handle.
www.legalsportsreport.com www.legalsportsreport.com
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Thats Fair. I think I still would prefer if Pratt & Whitney doubled their orders. Hired a bunch of people in East Hartford. The Hartford Insurance brought all it's oversees jobs back to Connecticut. Hell, i wish the Whalers came back. obviously that's all a bit fantasy. I'm living in the past.
 
Not sure what you think is going to happen to the surrounding suburbs of Hartford becomes the desolate wasteland half of you imagine it is, but... it ain't gonna help your property values, I promise you that.

Young people like to live in urban environments. If they could bury the highway and revitalize Hartford, that would be great. All of you all talking a lot of smack about a city that nobody wants to visit probably said the same thing about the Yard Goats which pre-pandemic were a HUGE success and draw in a very bad neighborhood.

All things are possible. Doesn't make them easy. But incessant negativity is also not particularly helpful.

The "oh me oh my people do drugs in the city" is especially comical, given the prevalence of addiction and drug use across this entire nation. Don't kid yourselves. People abuse drugs in every town now. Maybe they just do fancy drugs like cocaine in your neighborhood or drink expensive bourbon so that makes it okay.

One of the bigger issues I see is that West Hartford has cannibalized a lot of the night life in Hartford. It's the "cool" area now, along with the West End of Hartford. How we can connect all those things I don't know.

But people who are like "oh I saw a needle in Hartford" are not contributing to the conversation. Surprised you can even type so well with your white gloves on.
 
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HuskyHawk said:
Hartford lost its chance when they put I-91 along the river. It also should have annexed W Hartford, Bloomfield and Wethersfield at a minimum.

I assume they can't build a new arena where the old Colt Armory is, right? Building it on the current site isn't the right answer in my view. There just aren't enough people in downtown. If you are investing that money you need to use it to drive more residential. Build it at Colt and you've got Colt Park, you create foot bridges tunnels to Charter Oak Landing, you've got Dillon, you add condos and Apartments along with retail, bars, restaurants.
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I think Colt Armory has been renovated.

They could build it south along the river where Brainard Aiport is. There is also plenty of land between Dunkin Donuts Park and the Meadows/XFinity Theater. That would still be somewhat close to downtown but not in downtown. Start from scratch and do it right. They can build it smaller, basketball only, and just implode the current monstrosity. Plenty of room for a nice facility with restaurants and retail. But including hockey would obviously be more expensive.
 
NDakotaHusky said:
I haven't spent any time in Hartford for over a decade. Pushing 2. I'm definitely a CT outsider these days.
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Yet that doesn't stop you from spouting ignorance about the area. Props, you be you.
 
I am a huge proponent of Connecticut’s cities but we are at the point that decades of bad policy has severely hindered any chance at revitalization. Cities in our state desperately need private investment and there is none and I believe it’s primarily due to bad policy.

I, like many of you, have so many visions for places like Hartford. The political will and state finances will only get you so far. The private sector is required. I feel they’d be at the table with solutions if they thought it was best for the bottom line. Sadly, it doesn’t appear that way.
 
Waquoit said:
You know that Pratt doesn't make engines in East Hartford and haven't for decades don't you? No, of course you don't you've been gone that long.
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Yeah, I didn't know.
 
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Waquoit said:
You know that Pratt doesn't make engines in East Hartford and haven't for decades don't you? No, of course you don't you've been gone that long.
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They should triple their orders then
 
NDakotaHusky said:
Thats Fair. I think I still would prefer if Pratt & Whitney doubled their orders. Hired a bunch of people in East Hartford. The Hartford Insurance brought all it's oversees jobs back to Connecticut. Hell, i wish the Whalers came back. obviously that's all a bit fantasy. I'm living in the past.
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as i understand it, u live in flickertail land.
'I'm living in the past.'
no. actually, ur living in tomorrow land. 7.5 billion folks and all that. head down to south texas now, and meet some.
and, with all this talk aboot winging around 100s of million dollars, to be borrowed, whelp, the 10 year has already doubled in just the past 4 months, copper and lumber have soared in price (2x4x8 now often $8! at non-homedepot places), and all recent predictive models for our 'actual movement patterns' are toast. 2019 thinking is soooo over, and ain't coming back. hanging around the homestead in ur underwear, working and consuming thru the jumbotron, have become the permanent future for many people. turrible, yet still very real.
how are those brilliant ridership/revenue predictions for the busway working out?
how are those brilliant predictions for highway traffic and potential revenue, working out for the toll/gas tax issues?
what happened to the frontons/dog track/otb, Bridgeport casino, and etc?
 
ClifSpliffy said:
as i understand it, u live in flickertail land.
'I'm living in the past.'
no. actually, ur living in tomorrow land. 7.5 billion folks and all that. head down to south texas now, and meet some.
and, with all this talk aboot winging around 100s of million dollars, to be borrowed, whelp, the 10 year has already doubled in just the past 4 months, copper and lumber have soared in price (2x4x8 now often $8! at non-homedepot places), and all recent predictive models for our 'actual movement patterns' are toast. 2019 thinking is soooo over, and ain't coming back. hanging around the homestead in ur underwear, working and consuming thru the jumbotron, have become the permanent future for many people. turrible, yet still very real.
how are those brilliant ridership/revenue predictions for the busway working out?
how are those brilliant predictions for highway traffic and potential revenue, working out for the toll/gas tax issues?
what happened to the frontons/dog track/otb, Bridgeport casino, and etc?
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Well.... I still go into the office most days. I almost had to actually travel for work 2 weeks ago. Had a problem we were struggling to solve remotely. That said, you certainly could be right.
 
ClifSpliffy said:
as i understand it, u live in flickertail land.
'I'm living in the past.'
no. actually, ur living in tomorrow land. 7.5 billion folks and all that. head down to south texas now, and meet some.
and, with all this talk aboot winging around 100s of million dollars, to be borrowed, whelp, the 10 year has already doubled in just the past 4 months, copper and lumber have soared in price (2x4x8 now often $8! at non-homedepot places), and all recent predictive models for our 'actual movement patterns' are toast. 2019 thinking is soooo over, and ain't coming back. hanging around the homestead in ur underwear, working and consuming thru the jumbotron, have become the permanent future for many people. turrible, yet still very real.
how are those brilliant ridership/revenue predictions for the busway working out?
how are those brilliant predictions for highway traffic and potential revenue, working out for the toll/gas tax issues?
what happened to the frontons/dog track/otb, Bridgeport casino, and etc?
Expand ...

The MBTA in metro Boston has seen ridership decline 85% as I understand it. It was struggling already, requiring heavy state subsidies to operate. Now it's in really rough shape. Commuter rail hit harder than the subway and buses.

Metro areas are going to have some tough choices. Do they keep investing in that model, or do they shift resources?
 
The best economic solution for the state is for UConn to be a hub for STEM research with commercial applications tied into a wave of cutting-edge technology start-ups in Northeastern CT. UConn has the talent in this field and a great tech leader in the new president.

Until UConn gets into the ACC or another P5 I would not touch the current sports complex. It's not clear what is needed a remodel, a new complex in Hartford, a new complex outside of Hartford, an on-campus multi-sports center.
 
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