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Bring Back The Whale!!!

GHartford

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MadVlad Town

MadVlad

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Well, here's how the visit to St. Paul Minnesota went. Both sound optimistic, both know the hurdles ahead, but I see confidence. Gottesdienersaid it has to be Connecticut's team, does that mean it'll the the Connecticut Whatevers? I hope not....

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drc72 Burg

drc72

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Well, here's how the visit to St. Paul Minnesota went. Both sound optimistic, both know the hurdles ahead, but I see confidence. Gottesdienersaid it has to be Connecticut's team, does that mean it'll the the Connecticut Whatevers? I hope not....

READ

I would think they would use The Hartford Whaler's name again, possibly the Connecticut Whaler's, I would prefer Hartford though.

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MadVlad Town

MadVlad

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Well, it looks like KC has a big edge on us, which it does. Anschutz is HEAVILY connected, being the owner of the Kings and all, but I don't see anywhere that they actually have a solid owner lined up, just Howard Baldwin, who's playing both sides of the coin saying he wants a team here too, so who knows....

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HartfordTycoon Town

HartfordTycoon

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Well, it looks like KC has a big edge on us, which it does. Anschutz is HEAVILY connected, being the owner of the Kings and all, but I don't see anywhere that they actually have a solid owner lined up, just Howard Baldwin, who's playing both sides of the coin saying he wants a team here too, so who knows....

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Yeah really, who knows. I think we have a good enough shot. KC does have an excellent shot though, but our market is similar in size without including the rest of CT and W. Mass. KC also already have the Chiefs and Royals, so my question is can that market really really support 3 pro teams, while they wonder if we can support only 1?

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MadVlad Town

MadVlad

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Well, we had ranked 3rd in that Bizjournal list of available markets, while KC was ranked in the top 10 of overextended markets. But Bizjournal is just a paper, they aren't the ones making the decisions, so again, I guess we'll find out...

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HartfordTycoon Town

HartfordTycoon

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After living just outside of Hartford all my life, and now unfortunately being stuck living in Springfield, I can tell you that this city has a major inferiority complex with CT and more specifically Hartford.

Springfield really has absolutely nothing going for it, except for the Hall of Fame and is basically bankrupt. If a cheapshot article makes them feel better, then so be it.

I'm sure they will feel even more inferior once our Downtown revitalization really takes hold and we get a real upscale urban neighborhood right here in Hartford. I'm sure we will start sucking residents away as well if our success proved to be sustainable. On the bright side for Springfield, I'm sure that they will greatly improve once being close to Hartford is considered to be a marketing advantage.

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drc72 Burg

drc72

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New England Whalers has a nice ring.And the Whalers did have fans from Maine to Connecticut.

But if a team does come here it wlll be in 2009 or 2010.

Yeah I agree. It's at least gonna take a couple of years to get a team back in here. LOL! Who would of ever guesed 7 years ago that we would be looking to get back into professional sports. Most thought that was a dead issue at the time. These are gonna be some exciting years ahead for Hartford. The hunt for the NHL begins. :)

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HartfordTycoon Town

HartfordTycoon

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New England Whalers has a nice ring.And the Whalers did have fans from Maine to Connecticut.

But if a team does come here it wlll be in 2009 or 2010.

Sound about right, so if everything falls into place from 2008 to 2010 will be huge years in CT with Utopia, the return of the NHL, the completion of Front Street and the Science Center, the New Travelers Tournament taking hold with quaility players (I say Travelers because rumor has it St. Paul is history). Sounds like a CT I wouldn't mind staying in.

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jcrc Hamlet

jcrc

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Few questions on the financing side. Northland will invest 25M and is requesting CT to come up with 225M. My first question is who will own the arena? If Northland is going to own it, will they pay back the 225M with interest. If CT is going to own it, is Northland paying rent high enough to cover the 225M bond offering? If not then why would people in Stamford and or Danbury support such state subsidy? Also is Northland committed to buy and re-do Civic Center to a mini Rockefeller Center using its own money IF it gets the arena? If so how much for the Civic Center is Northland going to pay?

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HartfordTycoon Town

HartfordTycoon

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Those are good questions. I know I read a few days ago that Larry knows the $25M isn't going to cut it. Not sure how much more that means is on the table. More than likely the state will own the arena. Why did those people in Stamford or Danbury support Adrieans Landing? The really didn't, but there was enough support outside of Hartford to get it done. I think the same would be true of bringing a team here.

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sp1dey Unincorporated Area

sp1dey

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The $25 Mil was just a number Larry lobbed out there. Likely, more money from him, plus rent from the team as well as other creative solutions such as bonding and/or ticket tax would enter into the equation. As for the Stamford/Danbury part of the question, that's something every citizen will have to ask for themselves. I for the life of me, cannot figure out how such a small state geographically can be so splintered at times. Bottom line, Hartford is the economic and social engine for our state. Hartford succeeds, CT as a whole succeeds regardless of what county you may call home.

Regarding the mini Rockefeller center, also just an idea lobbed out there. Personally, I'd prefer and likely expect a sister tower to Hartford 21.

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SOCOM Hamlet

SOCOM

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Regarding the mini Rockefeller center, also just an idea lobbed out there. Personally, I'd prefer and likely expect a sister tower to Hartford 21.

I believe his mini Roc plan included one, if not two or three more residential towers in the area. He said something like a Rockefeller Center skating rink/hangout along with residential towers on the corners.

I can't decide which prospect I'm more excited about - the tearing down of the old civic center and replacing it with a "town square" with residential towers is just as exciting as landing a new major league sports team IMO.

Interesting note: Remember the original name for Hartford 21? "Town Square". :)

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HartfordTycoon Town

HartfordTycoon

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Oh I have no doubt there is a model of Hartford 21 in the architects office labeled, phase 1. With a HCCless model nearby. Perhaps calling for another large tower right next to it. Maybe a mini Roc between the two? That would be sooooo sweet.

I thought this is what the plan was. I hope so. This would be great for the city.

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drc72 Burg

drc72

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I believe his mini Roc plan included one, if not two or three more residential towers in the area. He said something like a Rockefeller Center skating rink/hangout along with residential towers on the corners.

I can't decide which prospect I'm more excited about - the tearing down of the old civic center and replacing it with a "town square" with residential towers is just as exciting as landing a new major league sports team IMO.

Interesting note: Remember the original name for Hartford 21? "Town Square". :)

Hopefully we can get a new arena soon, so that way we can get rid of the civic center to make way for new the developments being proposed in that area.

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drc72 Burg

drc72

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Since I am stuck here in Arizona I was unable to make it to the FANniversary tonight at the Civic Center. I was wondering if anyone attended to see how things went and possibly share some pictures.

I found out to late about it.

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Theophrastus Bombastus Hamlet

Theophrastus Bombastus

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I went and it was pretty good - those HAVE to be the most committed fans in the NHL, considering the team they were cheering for hasn't existed for 9 years! The main buzz was the absence of Howard Baldwin, and how he and Gottesdiner (?) should band together for the team. Interesting but unworkable - Baldwin wants to start with an AHL team in the old HCC, while Larry wants to build a new arena and get an NHL team quickly.

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drc72 Burg

drc72

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I went and it was pretty good - those HAVE to be the most committed fans in the NHL, considering the team they were cheering for hasn't existed for 9 years! The main buzz was the absence of Howard Baldwin, and how he and Gottesdiner (?) should band together for the team. Interesting but unworkable - Baldwin wants to start with an AHL team in the old HCC, while Larry wants to build a new arena and get an NHL team quickly.

I don't get it. We already have an ahl team here. What is Baldwin talking about?

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Theophrastus Bombastus Hamlet

Theophrastus Bombastus

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I don't get it. We already have an ahl team here. What is Baldwin talking about?

Gottesdiener and Baldwin have met, but they disagreed on how to pursue a franchise. Baldwin has offered to run an AHL franchise in the city, proving the market can support hockey before pursuing an NHL team for a renovated Civic Center. Gottesdiener has proposed buying a franchise, then building a facility.

Madison Square Garden can opt out of the HCC lease, in which case they can take away the Wolf Pack.

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