Developer Missed Construction Deadline on Dunkin' Donuts Park

The developer building Dunkin' Donuts Park in Hartford has missed the deadline for the stadium to be "substantially complete," according to the mayor’s office, and team officials said they will not be playing at the Hartford ballpark on May 31 as they hoped.

The owner of the Yard Goats, Josh Solomon, told NBC Connecticut on Tuesday night that he is "extremely disappointed" the deadline was missed again.

"We're upset for the fans, we're upset for our sponsors and we just look forward to bringing the best of minor league baseball to the folks in the city of Hartford," Solomon said.

“It seems pretty clear that they’re not going to meet the grace period that they had which was until the 24th," Mayor Luke Bronin said on Tuesday about the developer, Centerplan. 

Earlier this month, the stadium authority raised concerns about the stadium being completed by today, like developers had promised.

Because of construction delays, contingency plans were put in place and the Hartford Yard Goats are playing their home games at Dodd Stadium in Norwich, home to the Connecticut Tigers.

That schedule is set through May 24, but it's not yet clear what happens after that since the team said they will not be able to play in Hartford on May 31.

As work nears completion some issues have arisen that have required changes to our construction schedule," Jason Rudnick, the manager of DoNo Hartford LLC, a company developed by Centerplan, said. 

"We are in active discussions with the city regarding the same and continue to work with all parties involved, including the design team and city Inspectors, to ensure the venue is ready for everyone to enjoy."

Bronin said he will meeting with the developer and the team's coach to discuss "options". On Tuesday, he said he does not want to make any assumptions about the future. 

The stadium authority and former Mayor Pedro Segarra chose the developer, Centerplan, in a no-bid contract.

According to the agreement reached on Jan. 19, Centerplan owes the city $50,000 for the first late day and $15,000 for each day thereafter.

Had Centerplan met today's deadline, Yard Goats owner Josh Solomon planned to pay $2 million for stadium completion.

When asked about the $2 million, Solomon said he "will honor the commitments" that have been made but did not elaborate. 

The mayor has not ruled out replacing Centerplan and said he would be looking to recoup funds needed to finish the stadium.

“I was never a supporter of this project," Bronin said. "I never believed that we should have made this investment as a city but I said all along that we have to play the hand that we’re dealt."

Contact Us