HARTFORD--Another blow to the city of Hartford in the long saga related to the delayed baseball stadium.
On Monday, it was discovered that if the Yard Goats do not get to play a single inning of baseball at Dunkin' Donuts Park this season, the city could lose more than $1 million that would have been brought in by ticket sales, parking, naming rights and taxes on ticket sales.
The park was set to open April 7, but was continuously delayed due to construction set-backs and a long-running dispute with the developer. The city fired DoNo Hartford and Centerplan Construction due to their failure to complete the ballpark on time.
Mayor Luke Bronin said the extra money would have been helpful to the city, which has been dealing with a budget deficit and major cuts, but the lost revenue was never included in the budget so it won't make a further dent.
"Back in January, as soon as we came in and it was clear the developer was months behind schedule, we were not going to get all the revenue in. It was clear from the start," Bronin explained.
The developer is being forced to pay $15,000 per day until the stadium is completed, helping to offset the lost revenue. That fee started accruing on May 17.
