CANTLON: EXCLUSIVE!!! XL CENTER REMAINS A VIABLE BUILDING SAYS CRDA HEAD 

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – Coming back from a refreshing vacation on the Emerald Isle, CRDA Executive Director, Michael Freimuth, jumped right back into the problems here in Connecticut that he hopes his lucky shamrock will help him to overcome.

Meanwhile, while Freimuth was away, the circus surrounding the XL Center rolls on.

The departure of the XL Center’s GM, Chris Lawrence, which was exclusively reported by Cantlon’s Corner, came as a complete surprise.

“I had no idea it was coming. Chris informed me the week before I left, and it was a surprise. I had a lot of confidence in Chris, and he did a lot in his term here,” Freimuth said in an exclusive interview. “I understand family was a part of the reason for his move. I wish him the very best.

“I have a lot of confidence in Ben (new GM, Ben Weiss) too, and we’ll move forward working with him as a whole new season is about to start.”

Friemuth gave a surprising answer concerning Lawrence’s departure as a possible signal for a change in direction by Spectra as they head toward the end of their contract.

“To be honest, we have just started discussions in the last month on that matter with them. It’s very early. If you’re asking if there are exit clauses in the present deal, yes there are which is normal in a complex contract like this, but I don’t think any thresholds have been crossed at this point. This starts about an 18-24 month process where each side has questions and goals in mind.

“Inversely, we have triggers too such as, if we see three consecutive cycles of targets not met. I don’t think we have had that. We had a good NCAA tournament. We saw the best of the XL and the worst of the XL during the tournament. Spectra have made investments in the building, and there are some recapture clauses here if they exit early, but I don’t see any of that coming to play,” remarked Freimuth.

One summer casualty of the ongoing saga of Dillon Stadium, the home to the latest Connecticut minor pro sports team, the Hartford Athletic, and is only being reported here,  is that it forced the CRDA to push installing a new chiller system off until the summer of 2020, a year later than planned.

“Bob (Saint, the CRDA Construction Manager) has been on the go with Dillon and a lot more work had to be done sooner than expected, and we have a full plate of non-sports projects going on all over the place. We just had to put it off to next year. There are just so many hours in a day.”

Then there is the XL Center as a whole, which of course, with the story of the Governor’s private discussions with the casino tribal council about a grand bargain to place a casino and sports betting in the XL Center. Freimuth could be seen by some as throwing a wet blanket over the idea, but he took a more pragmatic approach given the long-standing complexity of the XL Center.

“We were aware of some discussions about sports gambling, but the casino idea at the XL, we had no idea about that,” Freimuth stated. “I’ve had some experience on this issue two years ago in talking to the Pequots and Mohegan. They came, reviewed the building, and said, ‘No, thanks.’ One of the two main issues was the significant infrastructures issues in the building and the lack of parking. The two casinos are used to loads of free parking spaces and Hartford parking is at a premium and those issues still remain today.

“We can easily accommodate a sports betting area in the building-setting. (We can) setup a small bar and tables and chairs in a nice corner spot, however, there are two critical issues with this. One is most sports betting is done online, on a phone, laptops, home computer, etc. Where does the money go? That leads to the second issue of the state seeking to capture the revenue generated by the activity. It’s not like the old days when you went to OTB and make a bet, get a drink and sit down. The whole mechanics have changed.”

Given the atrocious WIFI system currently in the building, it would be very problematic, to say the least, if bets weren’t recorded.

The buildings direction and future remain as nebulous as ever with a lot of hope, prayers and questions, and little answers or concrete action.

One thing Freimuth is certain of is that the building will not close.

“I confidently think I can say that option is off the table. Everyone up to the Governor’s office realizes how much damage that would cause, with all the work ongoing in the downtown core, and the future projects being planned, and in the pipeline. Though a final plan in place and funding acquired for it is still elusive.”

Freimuth has his share of frustration over the long and winding road he has taken on the XL Center reboot which is about to enter its seventh year and they’re no further along now than they were then.

‘Certainly, it’s a major problem. Look at the new buildings being built in the marketplace. Buildings 20-years-old like in Philadelphia getting hundreds of millions of dollars in the needed upgrades, and we still haven’t allocated the resources clearly necessary with a building this old. We’re still stuck on installing a new chiller system when there are so many other major mechanical issues that need to be addressed.

“That’s the reality we have here, and we’re running up against our upper limits here. We thought we could get ten more years out of the building, and obviously, that isn’t an optimal setup or was our desire, but that’s what’s happened.”

The negotiations with Northland Corporation over the atrium continue on, but in two-and-a-half years, they’ve produced no tangible agreement which is the linchpin to the upgrade getting done. They need the title to the atrium to make the XL Center whole as an entity for the rehab work.

“We have had some talks about a month ago before vacations. We submitted a new proposal. To date, we haven’t received a response. I’m hoping to hear back next month. Hope springs eternal,” Freimuth noted with a healthy dose of sarcasm.

Eminent domain is still a possibility on the table.

“We still have that as an option. We have the authority on this. We also have maintained communication with the governor’s office, and the legislature, on this matter. I think we’re getting closer to maybe a month or two where decisions will have to be made. More than that, I really don’t want to comment much further.”

Despite the grand amount of resources and legislative approval and authority, there are limits and the CRDA must obey those stop signs.

“There are certain matters we have no control of, and we’re stalled in this process. As I said, we looked at this as a ten-year project, and yes, sometimes, we feel like we’re the dog chasing its own tail at times. We are going to come to a critical point at some juncture. Whether that’s sooner or later I don’t know.”

Hopefully, the bagpipes will be playing at a party, not at a funeral.