Follow up: Quick facts about Dunkin' Donuts Park in Hartford

The city of Springfield has expressed the idea of a baseball stadium as part of their "Vision 2017" presentation in March 2015.  Meanwhile, twenty-five minutes down the road in Hartford, the city of Hartford has broken ground for a $56 million minor league baseball stadium as part of a $350 million mixed development plan.  The plan calls for retail, residential and commercial development along with the ballpark.  A bold plan, but an interesting one that could pay dividends for decades to come as an under-utilized area of Hartford could become a destination for tourists and residential space.

Quick facts about Dunkin' Donuts Park in Hartford:

• Broke ground in June 2015.

• The stadium is expected to open in April 2016.

• The ballpark is expected to bring more than 1,000 permanent jobs.  (University of Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis study)

• The stadium is expected to cost $56 million, and it will be paid out in increments of about $2.4 million per year for 26 years. 

• The Hartford Stadium Authority will borrow money upfront and then pay off the construction debt.

• The ballpark is part of a $350 million mixed-use development plan called Downtown North, including retail, residential and commercial development.

• The team name will be changed the the Hartford Yard Goats.

Source: FOXCT

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Will Hartford's baseball stadium be a model for Springfield?

By Zachary Baru

Going to the Comcast Theater in Hartford a few weeks ago was interesting.  No it wasn't the thousands of people for the concert or all of the tailgating that was happening in the area, it was the progress of a construction site not too far from the music venue.  The construction for Dunkin' Donuts Park is underway, along the fence of the site reads a banner displaying a completion date of 2016.  

It may just be a construction site for now, and the stadium may be far from completion, but one thing you cannot criticize Hartford for is progress.  They are getting things done, and doing so rather quickly.  It was just last year that the New Britain Rock Cats' move to Hartford was announced, and now a completion date of 2016 is set.  While many people may say "I'll believe it when I see it", just the construction alone in Hartford should be enough to make Pioneer Valley sports fans excited for some of the ideas that have been announced by the city of Springfield.  

We've heard all of the ideas and possibilities before.  A baseball stadium, an iMax theater, an aquarium, and so on.  What we have seen so far is a new Basketball Hall of Fame and surrounding mixed-use development, the renovation of a rail station that is finally getting the attention it deserves, and the planned $800 million resort casino that will bring economic benefits to downtown Springfield.  The time has never been better to push for a baseball stadium to complement this growth in Springfield.

As we watch Hartford do what it takes to strengthen their economy, what will Springfield do to help establish their own?  A new baseball stadium provides an excellent opportunity to attract tourism and and economic activity to an area that already will be rejuvenated by the opening of the Union Station Regional Intermodal Transportation Center in 2016.  A baseball stadium is an opportunity to parley this economic growth in the "New North" district with a destination for families from across the region.  Let's make that destination Springfield, and let's hope Hartford's plans become a model for similar economic development in Springfield.

Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.

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Minor league stadium key for economic growth in Springfield

By Zachary Baru

Springfield finds itself in a unique situation.  Within the next two years the city will see the development of an $800 million resort casino, Union Station will be renovated to become a regional transportation center, and a new factory to produce subway cars for Boston will be built by CNR Changchun Railway Vehicles.  This is a massive amount of economic activity within a relatively small radius, all happening within the next two years.  The timing for a minor league baseball stadium has never been better.

For Springfield to prosper, the city needs to be one where people can live, work and play.  Let's focus on the play part for now.  MGM Springfield's resort casino will bring an influx of regional visitors to the city who once may never have had a reason to come visit Springfield.  The more entertainment options the city can offer, the longer tourists will stay in Springfield, maximizing Springfield's economic potential.

The South End will be rejuvenated with MGM's plans for not only a resort casino, but outdoor options such as restaurants, shopping and entertainment, creating a true "inside-out" casino that can benefit the community.

Downtown will see more visitors that may be lead to attend events such as Falcons games and concerts at the MassMutual Center, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and other shows at Symphony Hall, and events at CityStage.

The North End will become an improved and important multi-modal transportation center, where visitors can access Amtrak, Peter Pan, Greyhound and the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority all in one place for the first time.  But what about that "play" aspect that is so important to a city's development?  Where does this fit into the picture in the North End?

In order for Springfield to see full economic development, the focus cannot be solely
on the South End and Downtown.  Which leads to why Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and Chief Development Officer Kevin Kennedy did such a great job with their presentation of "Springfield Vision 2017: The Right Direction" last Tuesday at CityStage.  Not only did their ideas of expanding development across the entire city show steps towards the right direction, but the idea of a new minor league baseball stadium showed forward-thinking and potential for the entire city.  While the idea is still a long-shot at the moment, a baseball team bringing thousands of fans into the city for 70 dates throughout the summer can represent yet another economic boost for a city that is exploding with economic potential.

Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.

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Despite recent sellout, Falcons' attendance still struggling

By Zachary Baru

The MassMutual Center may have been sold out last week when the Falcons lost to Providence, but attendance during the 2014-15 season is low, even for a small market such as Springfield.

Through 20 home games, the Falcons are averaging 3,068 fans per game, which ranks 29th of 30 franchises in the American Hockey League.  The Falcons' total attendance for the season is 61,351.

Other regional teams include Hartford, averaging 3,967 per game and Worcester with a home average of 3,539 fans per game.

The Falcons did enjoy a sellout crowd last week, when 6,784 fans braved a snow storm to see the Falcons take on the Providence Bruins.  The night included a pre-game ceremony honoring Springfield's 1975 Calder Cup championship team, as well as the U.S. and Canadian anthems sung by TD Garden legend Rene Rancourt.

Averaging 3,000 fans is not enough in today's AHL, as the league now includes more large markets and sees attendances that many nights exceed 10,000 fans.  Recent attendances from Hershey and Hartford were 10,243 and 10,789 consecutively.  Hershey also tops the league in attendance, averaging 9,461 fans per game.  Lake Erie, Chicago, Lehigh Valley and Providence make up the rest of the top 5 in league attendance, consecutively.

Although a market such as Providence tops Springfield in size, both share one important aspect of a healthy and successful hockey market - participation and passion.  Western Massachusetts has many youth, high school and college hockey programs, which is key for success in any market.  Couple that with the passion Western Mass. fans have had for professional hockey since 1926, and you get a great hockey market with a lot of potential.  Springfield has all of this, giving reason to believe that better days are ahead for this small, but special market.

Source: American Hockey League

Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.

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Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament: Day 2 crowd closes out another successful Tip-Off Tournament

By Zachary Baru

Day 2 of the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic featured four games broadcast on the ESPN family of networks and a great crowd to witness the final day of the weekend-long tournament.  The announced attendance came after the second game which saw Providence top Notre Dame 75-74 before 6,513 fans.

UMass and Florida State lead off the day with a noon start televised live on ESPNU.  As this game was immediately followed by Providence-Notre Dame, attendance was announced after the second game.  A crowd of 6,000-plus fills out the 9,323-seat Mohegan Sun Arena enough to create good atmosphere, making the second day of the tournament another off-the-court success.

The 9,323-seat Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut

Staging the tournament at Mohegan Sun is greatly beneficial for the Hall of Fame, as the resort casino makes for a weekend getaway for fans coming to attend the tournament.  In addition to basketball, having Mohegan Sun as a venue allows fans more opportunities than just gaming, but also to dine at plenty of great restaurants, visit the Shops at Mohegan Sun, or even stay overnight at the hotel and spa.  

The eight-team, two-day tournament was played as the Tip-Off Classic between 1979 and 2005 at the Springfield Civic Center/MassMutual Center.  Having the tournament at Mohegan Sun allows fans to come from all over the region and enjoy all that the resort casino has to offer, making the Tip-Off Tournament more enticing to fans visiting from areas throughout the Northeast.

Zach Baru can be followed @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.  He also blogs for Sports Business Boston.

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Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament: UMass and Tip-Off, the perfect match

By Zachary Baru

UNCASVILLE - For a typical early-season college basketball tournament, any noon start on  a Saturday might be a challenging time to get people in the gate, but at the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament, the party was just beginning.

As the University of Massachusetts faced Notre Dame to begin the weekend-long tournament, the Mohegan Sun arena was filled with alumni and fans for both teams, making for a great atmosphere in the 9,323-seat arena.  Although not sold out, much of the lower level was full for the late arriving Saturday afternoon crowd.  The balcony remained about half-full, creating an energetic crowd without the typical student sections seen on campus sites.

With the strong following of UMass fans in the region, and the abundance of Notre Dame fans across the nation, the tournament started off on the right foot.  UMass has played games in prior seasons at the Mohegan Sun Arena, and this game with its difficult starting time proved that UMass fans can and will make the trip to support their team.

Hopefully tomorrow's game with Florida State will attract a similar crowd, possibly giving reason for UMass to be included in this growing national tournament in future seasons.  Although this tournament  is held at the Mohegan Sun Arena, having a Western Massachusetts presence in the Hall of Fame's tournament is important, especially with the drawing power UMass can bring.

Although division I scheduling is no easy feat, and must be done long in advance, hopefully both UMass and the Hall of Fame can make an appearance happen again in the near future.  As both the Hall of Fame and UMass represent Western Mass., both would benefit from keeping UMass involved in a tournament that has such a rich tradition in the region.

Zach Baru can be followed @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.  He also blogs for Sports Business Boston.

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Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament: UMass and Notre Dame fans make trek to Mohegan

By Zachary Baru

UNCASVILLE - Day 1 of the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament began with alumni from the University of Massachusetts and Notre Dame scattered through the stands of the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Absent from the atmosphere of the arena was the typical student section, as alumni from both schools scattered the 9,323-seat venue.  Besides the decent showing of UMass fans making the trip down from Amherst, there were a fair showing of Notre Dame fans making their presence known each time the Fighting Irish scored a basket.

But make no mistake about it, as expected, this was by far a UMass crowd.  With Thanksgiving approaching, it was no surprise that many of the students did not make the drive to Uncasville.  At Day 1, it was the alumni that filled the void made up much of the crowd.

The game, like all games at the weekend-long tournament, received national media coverage, airing live on ESPN 3.  Seven of the tournament's eight games will be available live on ESPN 3, while tomorrow's UMass-Florida State game will be airing live on ESPNU at noon.

Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.  He also blogs for Sports Business Boston.

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