Private developer preferred for East Hartford sports facility

Joseph Villanova

EAST HARTFORD — The Town Council and town administration differ on whether a proposed youth sports facility should be town-owned or privately developed.

Back in May, Mayor Mike Walsh and MV Properties Principal Vincent DiCarlo pitched the project to the Town Council as a $10 million sports complex at McAuliffe Park on Remington Street. The proposal is a result of a non-binding public-private partnership with MV Properties, selected earlier this year through a town bidding process.

Under the initial proposal, the town would use $3 million of the $4 million in "impact funds" paid by the developer of warehouses at Rentschler Field allocated specifically for a sports facility, with the remaining $7 million to be approved by voters at a referendum.

The May presentation outlined a 60,000-square-foot field house with multi-purpose courts, artificial turf, and other athletic facilities open daily throughout the entire year. Walsh has said the construction timeline could stretch into 2025.

The project originally included an inflatable "sports bubble," which is being used at MV Properties' 95,000-square-foot Day Hill Dome under construction in Windsor.

A June memo from Connor Martin, Walsh's chief of staff, states that the "bubble" proved difficult to be bank financed and commercially insured, and plans have gravitated toward a more rigid structure.

Walsh said his philosophy is that the facility should be funded and owned by the town but developed with the help of a third party and operated under a long-term lease.

Council Chairman Richard Kehoe said the group of elected officials doesn't envision the project as a town government function.

"The town has neither the expertise of running such a facility, nor should the taxpayers be on the hook for operation of such a facility, which would be in competition with privately owned facilities in other towns," Kehoe said.

Walsh has said that the facility would pay for the $7 million in bonds through rental fees, and that the cost to the average household would be $25 per year over the course of 20 years in the event that the facility made no revenue.

Town Council members have discussed a strong desire to make a youth sports facility accessible to residents, motivated by a lack of facilities in the area.

Kehoe said he would be interested in providing some financial incentives for a private developer to construct a sports facility, particularly in exchange for preferential treatment for residents.

"It's one of those situations that, without financial incentives, would a privately run facility want to give those preferences?" Kehoe said.

Kehoe said Town Council members also had concerns about McAuliffe Park as a site for the facility, considering its distance from the highway and the fact that the only way to it is through a residential street.

"We think there's a fair amount of alternatives that would be acceptable to the town's residents and much more attractive for someone to run a facility," Kehoe said.

Kehoe said a number of sites in the Silver Lane corridor could be explored, including vacant space across from the hotel reconstruction project on Roberts Street, another empty spot near the Hillside Street apartments, and the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Club, where the town had previously sought to develop the facility.

Silver Lane Plaza is also expected to hit the market after the town demolishes the three retail buildings located on the site, which could wrap up by the end of the year.

Last week, Town Council members unanimously approved to allocate $150,000 of the impact funds for studies on the financial feasibility of a youth sports facility in East Hartford and on the town and school board's programs for sports and physical activities.

Walsh said the town provides dozens of programs, but the study could identify demands that aren't being met.

"We're looking at all of our offerings to make sure they match what the community is interested in," Walsh said.

Walsh said the town will issue requests for proposals for both the studies, which he expects would be completed in three to four months.

Connecticut Children's to add new parking garage, skybridge despite criticism

Liese Klein

Hartford’s planning commission on Tuesday approved a new garage with an elevated walkway to span Washington Street as part of expansion plans for Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.

LAZ Parking partner Larry Stubbs applied for zoning changes and special permits for the building of the new garage, to be leased fully to the children’s hospital. 

The planned eight-story parking structure is key to Connecticut Children’s ongoing expansion, which includes a $326 million clinical tower now under construction. Engineers Fuss & O'Neill have designed an elevated walkway or skywalk would to connect the new tower with the garage’s second floor. 

The larger facility is expected to eventually create hundreds of jobs and is part of an ambitious growth strategy across Connecticut. The new facility in Hartford will feature a fetal care center and a unit for bone marrow transplants.

“Parking that is both close and provides a protective passageway for our patients and their families is a must have for this tower project,” Karri May, senior director of facilities at Connecticut Children's, told the commission. The hospital currently leases parking at multiple lots in the area that require shuttle service, and also shares a cramped and often-full garage on Zweiback Street with Hartford Hospital. 

The new garage, to be built at a site at 289 Washington now occupied by a surface parking lot and restaurant patio, is designed to house 920 parking spaces, along with both ground-floor and second-floor retail space. Materials for the new construction were chosen to give the garage a modern, airy look and blend in with the hospital's planned clinical tower, according to project documents. 

Four buildings adjacent to the site will be relocated to make way for construction, and three other structures at 285 and 289 Washington and 5 Lincoln streets are set to be demolished. 

May said that Connecticut Children’s had already been approached by two prospective tenants for the retail spaces in the garage, with planners hoping for uses connected to the hospital. 

Although the hospital had mustered support for its plans from  a range of Frog Hollow neighborhood groups and community leaders, the garage and skywalk drew some criticism for the project's size and scope.

“My main reason for opposing the project is it’s too tall,” said Planning & Zoning Commissioner David McKinley, citing zoning regulations that limit the height of most structures. He also cited earlier projects in the Frog Hollow area that replaced historic apartment buildings with garages he called “eyesores.”

Garages aren’t covered by height limits under zoning rules except in downtown sections of Hartford, city staff said. 

McKinley also said he objected to the skywalk: “The hospital can’t claim to want to partner with the neighborhood but then say they need a skywalk so that their employees and visitors don't have to step foot in the neighborhood.”

The planning commission approved measures related to the garage and skywalk proposal by a 3-1 vote. 

Carey Shea, co-chair of the Frog Hollow Neighborhood Revitalization Zone, said the hospital had worked with the nearby residents to ensure that concerns about the scope and impact of the project were addressed. 

“I think they made an effort to try and really hear what the community wanted,” Shea said “I have to say as far as working with a big institution in CCMC, I felt they really put in time and effort with the community to come up with something.”

CT officials cut deal for XL Center renovations that includes private funding

Jonah Dylan

HARTFORD — The XL Center could get $20 million in private funding to put toward a renovation that would cost more than $100 million, according to the state budget passed by the Senate and the House before the end of the legislative session.

The budget would allow for Oak View Group — the contractor that runs day-to-day operations in the arena — to invest $20 million toward the renovations. The state could invest up to $80 million, according to the budget document, for the much-needed repairs to the arena that hosts a variety of events in downtown Hartford.

According to the budget agreement, OVG would be responsible for any monetary losses but would earn any profit up to $4 million. OVG and the Capital Regional Development Authority, which operates the arena, would split any money over $4 million.

Officials are also hoping to move forward with a retail sports betting venue at the XL Center that could open this fall.

The arena hosts the Hartford Wolf Pack, an AHL hockey team, as well as UConn men's and women's basketball. It was previously the home to the Hartford Whalers before they left for North Carolina in 1997, and officials have been pushing for a major renovation for decades.

The push to get funding for the renovations comes as Hartford officials and Gov. Ned Lamont have been courting the Arizona Coyotes, the NHL hockey team that has struggled to find a permanent home in Arizona. Lamont has said he's spoken with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman about relocating the team to Hartford and also said he has an ownership team in place that would be interested in buying the team and moving it to Hartford.

But that's led to questions about the XL Center's ability to host an NHL team. Lamont said Monday that it would probably take "quintuple" the $100 million already planned to get the XL Center ready for an NHL team, even as lawmakers have struggled for years to get the $100 million or so needed for immediate renovations for the arena's current tenants.

Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said Monday that he hoped the renovations could happen soon.

"Regardless of what happens with this effort to secure an NHL team, it's important that the XL Center is an arena that is modern, competitive, worthy of the national champion Huskies who play there and able to attract entertainment acts of all kinds," he said. "We are focused on continuing to work in partnership with the Capital Region Development Authority and with the state of Connecticut to get those improvements underway."

Expanded senior center project on its way to Old Lyme voters

Elizabeth Regan

Old Lyme ― Voters will be asked to approve the $5.3 million renovation of the Lymes’ Senior Center in a paper ballot vote next week.

The senior center, built in 1996 with no major renovations since, is shared by Old Lyme and Lyme. Under terms established back then, Old Lyme is responsible for 75% of project costs and Lyme the remainder.

Old Lyme residents, as well as those who own more than $1,000 in taxable property in town, will be asked to authorize officials to spend up to $3.9 million on the renovation.

About two dozen people turned out Monday at the Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School auditorium for Old Lyme’s special town meeting on whether or not to fund the project. They voted to send the question to a paper ballot vote June 20 at the Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School gymnasium from noon to 8 p.m.

Democratic Registrar of Voters Jen Datum on Tuesday said unlike a machine referendum, where ballots go through the tabulator to be counted, the ballots will be tallied by local election officials at the end of the eight-hour vote.

Datum said voters would be asked to mark either the “yes” or “no” line underneath a ballot question asking whether the town should authorize a $5.3 million appropriation “and the acceptance of grants and taking of loans” for the planning, design and construction of an expanded joint Old Lyme/Lyme Senior Center.”

Lymes’ Senior Center Building Committee Chairwoman Jeri Baker at the town meeting said she is hopeful the project will receive enough federal and state grants to cover roughly three-fourths of the total cost.

The towns in their current budgets spent a combined total of $281,000 to start the project.

She said she hopes the project can go to bid this summer so construction can begin in September. The center will be closed while the renovations take place and plans are being developed to offer senior services during this time.

She estimated the project would be complete by Oct. 1, 2024, if all goes according to plan.

First Selectman Tim Griswold on Tuesday said absentee ballots will be available at the Old Lyme Town Clerk’s office through Friday. Town attorney Michael Carey clarified later that the absentee ballots may be used despite statements to the contrary from officials at the town meeting.

Griswold, Datum, Baker and Town Clerk Vicki Urbowicz said they did not know why Carey advised them to send the question to a paper ballot vote instead of a machine referendum. They referred questions to Carey.

Carey could not be reached for comment by press time.

Project funding

Griswold at the town meeting said Old Lyme will handle the financial aspects of the project. Lyme is responsible for reimbursing the town for its share of the project. That’s why the ballot question includes the total project amount instead of just Old Lyme’s portion.

“Inasmuch as the town is operating the checkbook, we have to have the full authorization to write the checks for that amount,” he said.

Lyme voters approved the smaller town’s $1.3 million share of the project last month. The money will come from the 2023-24 capital budget which was approved at the Lyme Annual Budget Meeting.

Baker said the building committee has applied for a $2.8 million federal grant that is currently awaiting congressional approval. There are plans to apply for up to $1 million in state grants through the Small Town Economic Assistance Program.

The formal resolution for the vote specifies there will be no debt issued as a result of the project. Instead, Griswold said the town might choose to use the town’s undesignated fund balance ― otherwise known as the Rainy Day Fund ― or a bank loan to pay for whatever isn’t covered by grants or private fundraising.

The Old Lyme 2023-24 budget approved last month will put the undesignated fund balance at about 25% of the town’s total operating budget. The industry standard for a healthy undesignated fund balance is around 15% of the total operating budget.

Board of Finance Chairman David Kelsey and Griswold have said the town requires more of a cushion because the area is vulnerable to storms and flooding that could potentially wipe out valuable sources of tax revenue.

But after Monday’s town meeting, Griswold said he believes residents would have an appetite for using some of the savings toward the senior center expansion. He said securing a bank loan for the remainder, which would come with fewer fees and a shorter repayment period than a municipal bond, is also an option.

Designs for the renovated senior center produced by Old Lyme-based Point One Architects show a 9,600-square-foot layout ― an increase from 5,400 square feet ― that will build westward toward the High Hopes Therapeutic Riding facility. It includes the reconfiguration of the entire inner space plus added space and movable partitions so multiple programs can happen at the same time. It includes an expanded, 814-square-foot kitchen.

The building serves as the home base for the town nurse and the local Veterans of Foreign Wars chapter.