Hearing on $100M XL Center renovation pushed back
Northland Investment asks for briefing
HARTFORD — A hearing intended to outline a $100 million makeover of downtown Hartford’s aging XL Center has been pushed back, after the owner of the atrium and storefront space outside the arena asked for a meeting with the Capital Region Development Authority, which is overseeing the project.
The atrium and storefront space are seen as critical to expanding the existing concourse, adding more concessions and restrooms, plus providing more space for security screening, access for the disabled and, potentially, COVID screening.
Newton, Mass.-based Northland Investment Corp., the atrium’s owner, and CRDA have been negotiating for a potential sale of the space, but the two sides remain at odds. In 2018, CRDA threatened to commence an eminent domainaction but backedoff.
“We were contacted by Northland,” Michael W. Freimuth, CRDA’s executive director said. “They would like to sit down and discuss the plan. They wanted to understand what was going on.”
The virtual hearing had been scheduled for Tuesday, but will now be rescheduled for later this month or early in February. The hearing was intended to outline the $100 million state-taxpayer funded plan, which has been downsized from the $250 million proposed a few years ago.
Northland could not immediately be reached for comment.
The biggest difference between the two plans is the elimination of a second concourse that would have an upper half of the arena, providing a large chunk of the cost savings.
In the $100 million plan, the overall strategy also has shifted to focusing on the lower half of the arena. The renovation will include industry standards restrooms, concessions, premium seating and other systems for the average 12,000 seats that events typically draw rather than the arena’s full 16,000-seat capacity.
The premium seating includes bunker suites at center court, a club with seating for 100 or more — both on floor level close to the action. More loge seating would be added elsewhere in the arena.
State officials hope the renovation will increase revenue with morepremium seating and amenities; push the venue to make a profit, which it traditionally has not done; and reduce expenses, eliminating costly repairs
to outdated equipment for which parts are difficult to find.
CRDA is pushing ahead with the renovations now because the pandemic has closed theaters and sports venues. Construction could
at least get started without having to work around events. Some initial demolition where bunker suites are planned has already gotten underway.
More premium seating in the lower half of the arena
with its own food, drink and restrooms will take pressure off the often congested concourse. However, integral to the plan will be acquiring and expanding into the surrounding atrium, part of the so-called “Trumbull Block,” now owned by Northland.
The block is part of the Hartford 21 apartment tower and complex developed and completed by Northland in 2006.
Freimuth said CRDA believes the atrium, off Trumbull Street, is the only space for expansion because the arena has a garage on one side and roads on two other sides.
But just last month, Northland chairman and chief executive Larry Gottesdiener said he does not believe a substantial investment in the aging arena is a “wise use of public dollars” and that a “shortterm renovation program” can be accomplished without the purchase of the atrium.
“We stand ready to work with the authority, the city and the state for the betterment of the facility and the city of Hartford,” Gottesdiener said in a statement. “However, we believe the necessary first step is a robust public discussion about the future of the XL and what kind of development is appropriate for the heart of the city.”
The last major renovation was in 2014 at a state taxpayer-funded cost of $35 million and intended to keep the arena going until its longerterm future could be determined. Three years later, the state legislature and bond commission backed another $40 million to make repairs, buy the Trumbull Block, and seek outside investors to essentially take over the arena, an effort that drew little interest.
Of the $40 million, $22 million remains after repairs to the venue, plus the funds to buy the atrium. In the last legislative session, another $65 million was approved for the $100 million plan, but the bond commission has yet to release that funding.