CANTLON: XL CENTER REMAINS QUIET FOR NOW 

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – Like so many businesses and citizens in Connecticut, the XL Center remains in purgatory and when the gates will be re-opened is anybody’s guess. Meanwhile, the losses are mounting daily.

“It’s very hard at this point to even guess when will be open,” remarked CRDA Executive Director, Mike Freimuth, from his office in Hartford where he spends half of his time with the other in his home office. “Right now we are in seven-digit losses at this point.”

When events are booked and a Wolf Pack 2020-21 schedule is set, including UConn’s Hockey East plus men’s and women’s Big East basketball schedules, it will be a very different feel at first. That much is guaranteed.

“Let’s put it this way, the next year or two there is gonna be a lot of pain. It’s not just about opening the building. It’s getting the general public comfortable again to go into a building and a larger public venue. The capacity is more than likely going to be lower than we have had in the past. Possibly, until a vaccine is developed and that is more than likely a year away from now. Until there is a vaccine and way to deal with the virus. I think the public will have, at first, great resistance, and no doubt in my mind, capacity is gonna be down and attendance will be down. Certain events might not get picked up or happen because of the parameters they’ll have to operate in. How this will impact sports here and nationally, your guess is as good as mine right now.”

The operation of the XL Center is going to change in a very substantial way when the doors are finally opened.

“We don’t have a hard and fast number for (capacity) of the building right now. Everything is in flux, and that’s not cliché. It’s a fact. Every day is different and possible scenarios change daily. Likely there could be some (temperature) screening, less handling of food, more waitress servicing in bringing concessions to reduce the chance for crowding and lack of social distancing. More doors will be open for entrances and exits than there is today. We might make the concourse one way and probably have a change in seating, maybe leave a seat or two in between people to enforce that. Increased cleaning and hygienics in the restrooms, hallways, concession areas, and common areas. There are a lot of elements to this. That is a lot of operational costs while revenues are (going to be) down. Just another economic hit that we just didn’t need. It’s gonna be increased costs without question.”

Actual bodies in the building are going to be an important element in how all this will be implemented.

“It’s gonna be a lot of trial and error as we try to figure all this out when we re-open. There are an awful lot of moving pieces here, and they are different at Rentschler Field than at the XL Center and at the Convention Center. That and how the public reacts will be the big determining factor here, which right now is a big unknown. Procedures at all spots are gonna be modified. We’re gonna have to figure it out because its gonna be based on the type of event your having and capacity. At the Convention Center, for an event for 250 people, you had booked for a room of 250 you put in a room for 500 or a 1,000. We can spread people out and meet our (social distance) requirements.”

The Convention Center will have a different dynamic than other venues that can handle larger considered space for the same general capacity.

“It’s not as efficient, but let’s say for a hockey game at the XL Center, for a crowd of 2,500 in a building that holds 15,000, we can spread you out nicely. You can still sell the fan experience, even though its gonna be different.”

The current working model for the AHL 2020-21 season is a possible post-Thanksgiving start to the season.

“Our best crowds are post-holiday anyhow. Because to be honest, those early-season games, since we start in October, outside of opening night, they’re not very good. I don’t see that timeline difficult to make it work. In fact, maybe its a plus for us, and that may reduce the number of games. I don’t know I’m thinking out loud here.”

Just a week before the COVID-19 struck the state had finally budgeted, via bonding, $65 million toward the reboot of the arena, giving the CRDA more than half of the dollars needed for the lower bowl strategy.

It still needs to be formally allocated by the State Bond Commission. Last month’s bond meeting was all COVID related. When they meet for the next meeting, the XL Center bonding will be taken up.

“It’s (the money) been authorized, but it’s yet to be allocated. Here is the interesting question. There is a case that can be made to expedite this with the building at a lower profile status now. Maybe expedite the construction is being discussed as well right now.”

The question is though, could another bond meeting be scheduled soon and with the legislature adjourned in early April, is a special session planned?

“Right now, everything is upended right now,” Freimuth said. “As of today, there will be a special session to deal with budget reconciliation in June. Officially, the session ends May 3rd, but there are many matters to be cleared up and handled.”

There had been a bill, HB 5080, introduced by State Representative, Doug Dubitsky (R-47th District Canterbury, Chaplin, Franklin, Hampton, Lebanon, Lisbon, Norwich, Scotland, and Sprague) to, as stated, “that the general statutes be amended to eliminate the use of any state funds for the XL Center in the city of Hartford.”

Freimuth was very clear about HB 5080 as being a factor in the potential special session or the next legislative session.

“5080 is D-E-A-D. The legislative session has ended and bills that are not acted upon expire when the session is ended.”

The situation with the buildings management company, Spectra, can’t be in great state like every other company in the country?

“They furloughed a lot of people. They’re down to a skeletal staff and it’s the same for their national guys as well (Atairos LP runs the business side of all Spectra building they managed). They are trying to figure what events are going to be available, arena capacity size, and are all being discussed on a national plane. Obviously, that is part of the day-to-day operational discussions with respect to budgets market by market. We’re gonna have to put together a new budget (new fiscal year starts in July). Their contract has a couple of years left in it. We have had preliminary discussions about extensions (prior to COVID).”

A good piece of news, the brand new chiller system has begun by Consigli of Hartford.

“Everything is underway and we expected a fall completion of the project. The existing chiller system will remain until the new system successfully comes online,” said Freimuth.

The status of negotiations for the critical atrium portion of the XL Center with Northland Corporation remains as they have for two-and-a-half years, at a standstill with no progress to report.

The college sports scene, as with the pro circuits, are taking their cues from public health officials. Hockey and basketball are likely to start in December or January, because a first semester, with no on-campus presence nationally, is floating in the wind.

“Our most immediate concern is football (at Rentschler). If there is no on-campus student life, that makes the Rentschler issue front and center. I think it’s possible that basketball and hockey might come along in the second semester. We had conversations with Dean (UConn AD, David Benedict) and it all goes back to the earlier question, who the hell knows? Everything is changing day-to-day. This is a wild card city at the moment. We try to forecast things and then another issue pops up.”

The XL Center will be part of the brave new world when public facilities begin to re-open over the next two months, but its future is as nebulous as much as the rest of modern life these days.