With most of the paperwork completed, construction of a new New Britain Rock Cats (Class AA; Eastern League) ballpark in downtown Hartford is poised to begin.
Last night saw the signing of several important documents between the city and a developer for the $350-million project. From the Hartford Business Journal:
Clearing the way for work to commence was Monday’s signing of some of the formal documents cementing ties between the City of Hartford and the Downtown North partnership for the $350 million-plus development of the ballpark, housing, retail and office space and parking, said Yves-Georges Joseph II, vice president of Centerplan Development of Middletown.
“We’re mobilizing equipment today,” Joseph said.
Construction trailers, excavators and heavy equipment are en route to the DoNo parcel at the corner of Main and Trumbull streets, just east of Main Street, where the 6,056-seat, $56 million ballpark will be erected, Joseph said. Forecasts for more snow in the region Thursday and again early next week will impact precisely when work will begin.
The proposal from developer DoNo Hartford LLC — a joint venture backed by Centerplan Development Co. and LeylandAlliance, designed by Pendulum Studios— calls for a mixed-use development with office, retail, parking, brewery and 9,000-capacity ballpark for the Rock Cats.
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