Four developers submitted development plans for a new downtown Hartford ballpark for the New Britain Rock Cats (Class AA; Eastern League), but city officials aren’t releasing any details yet.
Friday was the deadline for submitting development proposals, as Hartford officials attempt to put together a privately financed development after withdrawing a plan for public funding of a $60-million ballpark. With a key city official on vacation, the details on the four proposals are under wraps, but one — Curt Cameron — went public with his $10-$15 million plan for a brewery as part of the ballpark complex. From the Hartford Courant:
“Once we’ve determined that all the proposals meet the minimum criteria of the [request for proposals], we’ll release additional information on the respondents,” [director of development services Thomas] Deller said in a prepared statement Monday. “We’ll then conduct an analysis and work with the city council, with input from the community, to determine what is best for the city and Downtown North.”
Wayne Benjamin, the city’s director of economic development, also could not be reached for comment. An email reply said he would be out of the office until Aug. 11.
Curt Cameron, the owner of Bloomfield-based Hooker Brewing Co., said Monday that he submitted one of the proposals. Cameron said he intends to build a 50,000-square-foot brewery, restaurant and beer garden on North Main Street, across from the proposed stadium.
The city plans on reviewing the four proposals this week before conducting interviews with developers on Aug. 15-16. The goal is a 2016 ballpark opening.
RELATED STORIES: New Britain plays hardball with Rock Cats over unpaid property taxes; Hartford pulls public bonding for new Rock Cats ballpark; Backlash emerging against new Hartford ballpark; Hartford: New ballpark already attracting development; 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
—-
Share your news with the baseball community. Send it to us at editors@augustpublications.com.
Are you a subscriber to the weekly Ballpark Digest newsletter? You can sign up for a free subscription at the Newsletter Signup Page.
Join Ballpark Digest on Facebook and on Twitter!
Follow Ballpark Digest on Google + and add us to your circles!