Dunkin' Donuts Park
 | |
| Location |
1214 Main Street Hartford, CT 06103 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°46′17″N 72°40′26″W / 41.77139°N 72.67389°WCoordinates: 41°46′17″N 72°40′26″W / 41.77139°N 72.67389°W |
| Owner | City of Hartford |
| Operator | Hartford Stadium Authority |
| Capacity | 6,056 |
| Surface | Grass[1] |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | February 17, 2015 |
| Opened | April 2017 (expected) |
| Construction cost | $56 million (approx.) |
| Architect |
Pendulum Studio The S/L/A/M Collaborative Newman Architects |
| Project manager | International Facilities Group, LLC[2] |
| Services engineer | BVH Integrated Services, PC[3] |
| General contractor | Centerplan Construction Company |
| Tenants | |
| Hartford Yard Goats (EL) (2017-future) | |
Dunkin' Donuts Park is an incomplete 6,000-seat baseball park in Hartford, Connecticut. It was planned to host the Hartford Yard Goats of the Eastern League when the 2016 season started on April 7, but numerous constructions delays have postponed this opening and forced the Yard Goats to play the entire season on the road.
Dunkin' Donuts purchased the naming rights for the stadium for an undisclosed amount. The ballpark is part of a larger $400-million redevelopment plan called Downtown North (DoNo).[4] DoNo will include a 50,000-square-foot (4,600 m2) supermarket, the relocated Thomas Hooker Brewing Company, housing, retail, and restaurants. In December 2015 it was also announced that the development would include the first Hard Rock Hotel in New England; plans call for a rooftop pool and lounge with views of the Hartford skyline. The hotel will include a Hard Rock Cafe, Body Rock workout facility, the Rock Spa and a Rock Shop with branded merchandise.
Construction delays
In December 2015, it was reported that the project was $10 million over budget, and the park might not be ready for opening day on April 7, 2016. In January 2016, it was confirmed that the Hartford Yard Goats would play their first month of the season on the road because the developers and the City of Hartford could not reach an agreement on how to solve the budget shortfall and finish construction on time.[5]
Due to numerous additional delays during the winter and spring of 2016, new target dates of May 17, and later May 31, were set as Opening Day for the Yard Goats at Dunkin' Donuts Park, but work again was not complete on the ballpark in time for the team to move in. Yard Goats home games between May 17 and June 5 were moved to Dodd Stadium in Norwich, Connecticut, a 45-minute drive southeast of Hartford. The Yard Goats returned to playing all games on the road in mid-June, when Dodd Stadium's primary tenant, the Connecticut Tigers of the New York-Penn League, began their season. Hartford's home series scheduled for June 14-16 was moved to the visiting team's ballpark in Reading, Pennsylvania, home of the Reading Fightin Phils. Later, it was announced the Yard Goats first game in the new park would be on June 21.[6]
On June 6, 2016, the city terminated its contract with developer Centerplan, after Centerplan estimated that it could be another 60 days before the ballpark is complete. With no developer or contractor, the club began the process of moving games to alternate locations for games in July and August; some games were scheduled to be played on the road, with others moved to neutral sites.[7]
In July, it was announced that the entire 2016 season will be on the road and that the owners might relocate the franchise if Hartford does not complete the stadium in time for 2017.[8]
References
- ↑ "Hartford Yard Goats to Play at Dunkin' Donuts Park in Hartford in 2016". Minor League Baseball. June 10, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- ↑ Goode, Steven (March 2, 2016). "Work On Yard Goats' Ballpark Continues Apace". Hartford Courant. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
- ↑ "Building an Urban, Fan-Friendly Ballpark". BVH Integrated Services, PC. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
- ↑ Spanos, Angelica (September 9, 2014). "Hartford Will Pay $3.7 Mil Per Year For Ballpark, If Approved". Fox CT. Retrieved June 15, 2015.
- ↑ Goode, Steven; Gosselin, Kenneth R. (January 5, 2016). "Yard Goats' Opening Day In Doubt With Hartford, Developer At Impasse". Hartford Courant. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
- ↑ Gosselin, Kenneth R.; Goode, Steven; Carlesso, Jenna (January 20, 2016). "Yard Goats Deal Would Have Stadium Ready June 21; Hartford, Team, Developer All Kick In Millions". Hartford Courant. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
- ↑ Spedden, Zach (June 6, 2016). "Hartford Stadium Authority Cancels Contract with Developer". Ballpark Digest. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
- ↑ Spedden, Zach (July 28, 2016). "Yard Goats Bring up Possibility of Leaving Hartford". Ballpark Digest. Retrieved July 29, 2016.