Hartford officials say the sale of building sitting vacant for the last six years can be attributed to a new ballpark opening downtown for the New Britain Rock Cats (Class AA; Eastern League).
The former bank-processing building, built in 1971 and used last by Bank of America, sits on an entire block near where the ballpark has been proposed in the Downtown North area. The ballpark has been pushed by city officials as a tool to encourage development in the area. From the Hartford Courant:
“It’s a building that’s been sitting empty, no one knows what to do with it, but someone, as a result of the ballpark announcement, believes this is the time to take a risk on it,” Hartford’s director of development Thomas E. Deller said.
Jay Morris, the broker with O,R&L Commercial who has the listing, declined to identify the buyer or the purchase price. But Morris said the purchase should close by the end of the year.
Morris said he did not know the buyer’s specific plans for the four-story building, constructed in 1971 for a long line of bank data processing operations.
The 10,000-capacity, $60-million ballpark will be built at 1214 Main Street and financed via city-issued bonds. We’re currently looking at a 2016 opening, as the team’s lease at New Britain Stadium ends at the end of 2015.
RELATED STORIES: Why are Rock Cats moving to Hartford? Follow the money; Hartford ballpark plan: 10,000 capacity, $60M price tag; Rock Cats negotiating move to Hartford: report
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