TRUST: XL CENTER MESS CONTINUES 

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT –  Over the last eight years, the process of modernizing the 48-year-old XL Center has been a focal point of endless peaks and valleys. However, the process still sits in neutral with no real forward motion to push the building over the finish line, not that CRDA hasn’t tried.

“We’re still in a holding pattern,” stated the CRDA’s point person, Executive Director Mike Freimuth, who has been up and down the hill of this project every step of the way. “I have no idea even when the next bond agenda meeting will be.”

While the bonding of $64 million was approved by the legislature last March, the question is, has there been any movement to fulfill it?

“Depends on who you talk to? At this point, I really can’t get a feel or grasp on things, but I know there is an awful lot of work that has to be done.

WORK STIFLED

“One casualty in the process since January is the planned lower bowl/Level 61 work. It remains on hold until a decision is made and the RFP for a CM (Construction Manager) has now expired and will have to be done again in the near future, sooner rather than later would be my preference.”

Time, energy and money wasted.

“I’m very disappointed. We had a number of quality applicants, but We were not going to select somebody, pay them to do the work with no idea if we’ll have that money in place to begin the large necessary steps to re-boot the XL.

“I hope when we re-issue the RFP they will all submit their bids again. My preference is sooner rather than later.”

NEW AVENUES FOR FUNDING

A new avenue is under discussion to jumpstart the process of trying to marry outside funding, which has gone nowhere. This time the state is seeking to use proposed sports betting revenue as a way to limit public exposure in bonding the full freight of $64 million.  As the legislative session enters the final month, nothing definitive on sports betting or the funding mechanism for the XL Center re-boot have been finalized.

“This is all critical to the future of the XL. Right now, there is a lot of re-write going on in the legislature, but we’re nearing the end of the session. I’m confident something will get done; what that will be, I really don’t have an answer right now. We’re monitoring things right now. So much of it is out of our control.

“Any deal has to be approved by the casinos and the General Assembly.

“I’ve said it before, the longer this goes on, the harder the stresses will be on the overall systems of the building as time goes by.”

Amidst the stalled bonding issue, there is some hopeful news on the XL. There is a re-opening of the building to the general public planned for August.

BUILDING REOPENING PLANS

“We have dates on hold right now; no signed contracts yet, but discussions have been ongoing with a number of operators. In the fall, we plan to have hockey with the Wolf Pack and UCONN, and we’re meeting with UCONN basketball next week regarding hold dates.

“The concert business, an important part of the XL’s economic formula, might actually get a net positive because of the pandemic.

“We again have some interest, and we have put holds on dates, but there is a tricky formula to starting the concert business again. There’s a chance we may see more concerts than usual, potentially six-to-eight.

“The concert managers need dates. In some cases, what are still some of the restrictions that will be in place in venues? How many people will be permitted?

“They can’t make money if acts can’t go out, or the limitations make it too restrictive to make money. The agents, who don’t make money if acts aren’t out, then the performers, they need available venues because they make money on their shows more than record or CD sales right now, so there is the one hand helping the other here.”

TRUNCATED AHL SCHEDULE HELPED

The recently completed truncated 24th AHL season for the Hartford Wolf Pack was also a solid news piece.

‘We broke even. The deal was MSG would pay the expenses, and the bill will be on or around $300K with the new chiller and sub-floor all seemed to work well. I’m glad we got those major components in and those projects are behind us.”

The silver anniversary season for the Wolf Pack, a 36-game schedule, is being worked upon. A 12-15 game UCONN hockey schedule is being looked into as well.

ATRIUM MADNESS CONTINUES

The atrium situation remains status quo for now.

“We have had several e-mail exchanges back-and-forth, and I can’t say much about the detail except the conversations have remained cordial. We’re talking.

“There is still a significant difference in the amount between us (the Trumbull Block). Other than that, we have agreed to not discuss the matter in the public arena,” Freimuth said as he maintained his more-or-less silence on the seeming intractable issue that has dogged the CRDA for nearly three years.

OTHER FACILITIES AND ATTENDANCE

“The CT venues indoor-and-outdoor, as we start to re-emerge and open spots as of May 19, still has a different set of operational matrixes to tackle. Up-and-down the hill every step of the way.

“The percentage of attendees outside is going to be different than inside. I think it will be around 50% to start and then gradually increase.

“I expect Dillion (Stadium, the home of the USL FC Hartford Athletic) and Rentschler (upcoming NCAA lacrosse championships) will likely be at 100%, but there has to be some social distancing involved.  How much? I’m not sure.

“They’re going to be a test case of what we can do, how we can do it, and the ultimate test is how many fans will show up?

“I think the demand is there, but how far is the general public going to go? That we will find out in the next month or so.”

MAKING MEETINGS HAPPEN

The legislature is still operating remotely, and the CDA has held its monthly meetings online and has its meetings amongst the board via Zoom. It’s been a mixed blessing for Freimuth.

“I’m of two minds on this. There is the space-and-time component with remote and Zoom; you don’t have to travel, just sit down and click on a link on your computer, so there is the ease of it.

“Then, on the other side, you do miss the proverbial water-cooler talk that you get in-person. Like at the legislature, you learn about people, pick up tips and leads, and I think opening up like buildings it will take some time to see where we go.”

AGREEMENTS

Lastly, the future agreements remain just that for MSG, UCONN and the building manager, Spectra.

“The UCONN talks with Stafford Sports continue. There’s nothing new. MSG is in the middle of the deal, and we extended it because of the pandemic, and the Spectra deal was also extended, but no new substantive lease deal is in the offing.”

The plate for the CRDA remains full with more still to come, and the clock continues to keep ticking.

HARTFORD WOLF PACK

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