The city of Hartford's agreements for a $350M project that includes a new minor-league ballpark "allow the city occasional free use of the stadium, stipulate that 'Hartford' be in the team's name and require that tickets be affordable to families," according to a front-page piece by Goode & Carlesso of the HARTFORD COURANT. Mayor Pedro Segarra yesterday said that the terms of the agreement with the Double-A Eastern League New Britain Rock Cats' ownership group, Connecticut Double Play LLC, include 30% revenue sharing for all non-baseball events at the ballpark, "a project labor agreement, a guarantee of a Double A minor league baseball team for the term of the lease and hiring preference for city residents and minority- and women-owned businesses for all direct and indirect contract work." The city's agreement with developer DoNo Hartford "calls for the creation of a 'mixed-use neighborhood' that will include a ballpark with seating for 6,000, a supermarket of up to 50,000 square feet, a brewery, new housing, retail and restaurants." The city "will have free tickets to and use of a 'city suite,'" and will "be given two 'city employee nights' annually with up to 250 tickets provided free of charge." The tickets "would be distributed to city employees, their families and guests." The city "will be entitled to free use of the public areas of the ballpark for a minimum of five city-sponsored events during baseball season and five additional events during the offseason." It also "will be required to put $250,000 into a capital reserve fund for repairs the first year and $150,000 annually after that." The city "will also be required to contribute $100,000 a year from annual fixed rent, revenue received on city-sponsored event nights or from naming rights." A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Feb. 17 (HARTFORD COURANT, 2/11).
