New Britain Rock Cats (Class AA; Eastern League) owner Josh Solomon says the groundbreaking on a new Hartford ballpark is set for late February.
With city approvals and financing in place, Solomon says that work on the new ballpark, set for a 2016 opening, can begin this winter, with final plans still to be determined. From the Hartford Courant:
“We’ll be breaking ground in the later part of February,” Solomon said before the Rock Cats’ annual Hot Stove Luncheon at the Gershon Fox Ballroom. “We’re just thrilled to be getting started with construction.”…
The Rock Cats will move to the stadium after the 2015 season and play there in 2016. The Colorado Rockies signed a two-year player development contract with the Rock Cats in September.
“I think what [the public] can expect is just a state-of-the-art ball park open for the 2016 season,” Solomon said.
The ballpark is part of a $350-million downtown north redevelopment project. The proposal from developer DoNo Hartford LLC — a joint venture backed by Centerplan Development Co. and LeylandAlliance — calls for a mixed-use development with office, retail, parking, brewery and 9,000-capacity ballpark for the Rock Cats.
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