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Hartford, Team May Finish New Yard Goats Ballpark

Hartford Yard GoatsThe city of Hartford and the Hartford Yard Goats (Class AA; Eastern League) are reportedly looking at finishing Dunkin’ Donuts Park on their own, without the participation of the developers working on the project to date.

Developers Centerplan Cos. and DoNo Hartford LLC were contracted to finish the ballpark on April 9, but as that date slipped first into May and then into June following  reports of cost overruns, the city basically fired the developers and sought alternatives. The city has already filed the paperwork to initiate insurance coverage for the remainder of the project. While the developers say they can finish the project — with an additional $4.3 million in city funding, of course — the city and the team are seeking alternatives. From the Hartford Courant:

The letter, from Corporation Counsel Howard Rifkin to Joel Beach, assistant vice president of Arch Insurance, discussed the possibility that the city could stand in as developer and finish the project itself and then bill Arch for the costs.

Rifkin also told Beach that the Hartford Yard Goats, the future tenant at the 6,000-seat minor league ballpark, have “engaged Moriarty Construction to review the project in its totality including remaining design issues caused by as-built conditions, workmanship issues, cost to finish and the potential time frame to do so.”…

The developers dispute the city’s claim that they breached their contract by missing the deadline for substantial completion and are claiming the delays and new round of cost overruns were caused by the city’s requiring more than 100 change orders in April and May.

There is little doubt that this saga will end up resolved in a courtroom. There is still uncertainty about how the Yard Goats will end the season: the ballpark may be 95 or 97 percent completed (the actual account varies), but with less than two months remaining in the 2016 Eastern League season, decisions about the team’s schedule will need to be made soon.

RELATED STORIES: Hartford Rejects Settlement Offer; Hartford Developer Pitches Ballpark Completion PlanFire Watch Unfolding at Dunkin’ Donuts ParkYard Goats Lay Off Four in Wake of Ballpark BreakdownNew Hartford Ballpark Now Insured; Hartford Ballpark Uninsurable After Developer Booted; Centerplan CEO: City Recklessly Terminated Contract; Yard Goats to Play Two Home Series in Binghamton; Tensions, Schedule Changes in Hartford; Hartford Stadium Authority Cancels Contract with Developer; When Will Hartford Ballpark Be Done? No One is Saying; Legal Issues Could Prevent Hartford Ballpark Opening This Season; New Deadline Targeted for Dunkin’ Donuts Park; Officials: New Hartford Ballpark Could Open Next Month;Hartford: We Doubt New Ballpark Will Open on Time; Dunkin’ Donuts Park Facing Potential Delay; New Hartford ballpark set for May 31 opening; Yard Goats to begin 2016 season on the road; Solomon: “Awful, depressing, disconcerting” ballpark situation; New Hartford ballpark opening delayed at least a month; New Hartford ballpark cost estimate: $10.3 million over budget; City: New Hartford ballpark may open late; Value engineering underway in Hartford;

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