IN-PROGRESS: Windsor Worldwide Studios

[HartfordTycoon]

This is great news that I had no idea was even happening. Another feather in Greater Hartford's cap.

WINDSOR -- Athletes from all over the world are descending on a brand new Connecticut attraction that is opening its doors today. Mototown USA is the world's largest indoor motocross facility.

The huge building in Windsor has a big brick facade and an enormous indoor dirt motorcycle track.

The public will get a first look inside on Friday and the hope is that this will make Windsor one of the premiere stops for motocross pros worldwide.

Tommy DeFranzo was only just getting into motocross racing years ago when he realized that training inside wasn't available. He began working on a facility and is now ready to unveil the world's largest indoor motocross facility.

WFSB Story

Mototown USA Website, Extremely Cool!!!

[drc72]

Nice! Sounds like a fun place to be at.

[HartfordTycoon]

This is big. Let's look at the big picture, we are going to land competitions with this place. That means visitors and tourist dollars! Imagine the potential with ESPN and now a world class venue for motocross. This is going to be great!

[TaylorG4444]

wouldn't be surprised if we saw some ESPN events there

[robm324]

Maybe X Games Connecticut? Fun to think about but pretty unlikely. They have been in areas like Philly and LA. Maybe if we got that brand new 19,000 seat Arena....but now this is becoming a post for another thread.....

[Cotuit]

Maybe X Games Connecticut? Fun to think about but pretty unlikely. They have been in areas like Philly and LA. Maybe if we got that brand new 19,000 seat Arena....but now this is becoming a post for another thread...

The first XGames were in Providence and no arena at all was needed.

[robm324]

The first XGames were in Providence and no arena at all was needed.

True but that was a decade ago and the games have grown in a MAJOR way since then. Now some of the motocross events are being played in front of packed houses at the Staples Center in LA. This area could support it, with a mondern arena.

[mod134]

While I have never visited this facility, it seems like a great addition to the area. I read on their site today that they are adding a 1/4 mile oval dirt track . This is certainly an impressive undertaking by those involved.

The newest work in progress is an oval track for: Flat track bikes; four cylinder street stock cars; 600,750, and 1200cc mini-sprint cars; and modified light cars!! Here are the rules for the 4-cylinder cars.

I hope that this welcome addition comes to fruition; I'll be making the trip from Providence to Windsor as often as I can to watch them race.

[beerbeer]

This facility has BEEN OPEN for a while, the Grand Opening was last June.

Both Rentschler Field and The Hartford Civic Center would be needed to host the X-Games. But this is a natural.

Of course, it probably never occurred to anyone in Hartford to host the X-Games. I have often wondered, given our proximity to ESPN why we never bid for these games. The answer is probably that Perez hasn't figured out how to use the X-Games to shovel money into the pockets of his friends. If he knew how, we would have the X-Games in a heartbeat.

[MadVlad]

All events would have had to have occurred on Abe Giles run land.

[HartfordTycoon]

This is encouraging news coming out of the former Mototown USA complex. A movie studio in Greater Hartford could be even better for us than Mototown ever could have been. Hartford would be a great city to shoot movies in. Having a studio close by could really get the ball rolling on that.

Hartford Courant

Courant.com

Windsor

Film Studio Complex Proposed For Windsor Motocross Site

By STEVEN GOODE

The Hartford Courant

January 14, 2009

WINDSOR

Tommy DeFranzo realized a dream in 2006 when he opened Mototown USA, a 200,000-square-foot indoor motocross facility on Day Hill Road.

Now the local developer wants to further someone else's dream.

DeFranzo is seeking town approval to change the site into a million-square-foot movie studio, complete with a half-dozen sound stages, a commissary, living quarters for actors, film editing rooms, mills and a paint shop.

On Tuesday he got a step closer as the town's planning and zoning commission, following a public hearing, approved several amendments to its regulations that allow the proposal to move forward.

"I have a partner in London who's been trying to develop a studio in the states and Connecticut was his goal," DeFranzo said, referring to British film producer Paul Taliaferro II.

The project, which if approved would be built over about 18 months beginning in April, would employ 300 people full time and 100 more part time. That number would swell by hundreds if not thousands more with extras during peak filming periods.

[The Voice of Reason]

interesting.

It would be great to have a film studio in Hartford to help bring the film crews up here and away from Greenwich. This could be a big deal for local caterers.

I suppose this could also raise the level of local theaters and theater schools.

but Its a shame mototown has not been a clear success.

I hope this is simply a situation where an opportunity came up that could not be ignored, and mototown will re open maybe a little south of Hartford, closer to more people and this time succeed.

can we get the best of both worlds this time?

[HartfordTycoon]

interesting.

It would be great to have a film studio in Hartford to help bring the film crews up here and away from Greenwich. This could be a big deal for local caterers.

I suppose this could also raise the level of local theaters and theater schools.

but Its a shame mototown has not been a clear success.

I hope this is simply a situation where an opportunity came up that could not be ignored, and mototown will re open maybe a little south of Hartford, closer to more people and this time succeed.

can we get the best of both worlds this time?

[drc72]

This would be a great boom to the area...... I'm betting the movie industry tax credit was one of his deciding factors, for potentially opening a studio in Greater Hartford.

[HartfordTycoon]

Looks like this is moving forward and there are some concrete plans to start shooting a few movies in the pipeline as well. This is great for Windsor. Hopefully it'll all really come together.

Hartford Courant

WINDSOR — —

The director of the 1988 film "Bull Durham" said Friday that he wants to shoot a boxing film in Connecticut using a former indoor motorbike racing venue on Day Hill Road as the primary sound stage.

Ron Shelton, who directed Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon in "Bull Durham," said he hopes to begin shooting "Pound for Pound," a film set in Detroit, by the fall.

"I can find Detroit in Hartford, I can find Detroit in Bridgeport," Shelton said in an interview at 1001 Day Hill Road, the shopping plaza where Mototown USA operated.