Progress is being made on the construction of Dunkin’ Donuts Park, to the point where some officials believe that the facility will be ready for the Hartford Yard Goats ‘ (Class AA; Eastern League) home opener.
The Baltimore-based Whiting-Turner has been on the job since October, having been selected by Arch Insurance to finish construction on Dunkin’ Donuts Park. Officials from Arch and the architectural firm Cashin Spinelli Ferretti were present at a Hartford Stadium Authority meeting on Tuesday, and said that the ballpark should be ready by April 13, the Yard Goats’ scheduled home opener.
While the weather and other factors could always create a complication, Michael Spinelli of Cashin Spinelli Ferretti identified three particular tasks that, if completed on schedule, should ensure the ballpark’s opening. More from the Hartford Courant:
Spinelli told the authority that there are three “critical path” issues that need to be taken care of in order to make the April 13 home opener a reality.
The first is repairs to a stairwell at the corner of Pleasant and Main streets, which required added steel supports.
The second is completion of a pedestrian bridge in left field which is expected to be finished by the end of March.
The third is resurfacing the main concourse in areas that are not covered in order to eliminate slipping hazards when it gets wet. That is also expected to be completed in March, depending on the temperature.
According to Sean Fitzpatrick, executive director of the stadium authority and the city’s director of development services, the surface and the sealer were approved for use, but the current contractors determined that it was more slick than expected.
DoNo LLC and Centerplan Cos. were on the job until their contract for the ballpark’s development was terminated by the city in June. This came after two missed deadlines for substantial completion on Dunkin’ Donuts Park’s opening, which was to have taken place during the 2016 season.
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