Centerplan, city of Hartford head back to court June 24 amid yearslong battle

A lawsuit against the original developer of Dunkin’ Donuts Park will go back before a trial judge later this month, following a decision by the Connecticut Supreme Court.

In the suit, filed by Centerplan Construction against the city of Hartford, the North Haven-based contractor accused the city of breaching its contract and sought more $90 million in damages. The city terminated Centerplan from the project in May 2016 amid contractual disputes and construction delays. 

The city’s performance bond insurer, Arch Insurance Co., hired a new contractor to complete the stadium, which opened in April 2017 as the home to Colorado Rockies’ minor league affiliate, the Yard Goats.

The city filed a counterclaim against Centerplan, blaming the contractor for alleged construction delays.

A jury found the plaintiffs responsible for cost overruns and delays, and ordered them to pay the city $335,000 in damages. Superior Court Judge Thomas Moukawsher ruled that the contract gave the plaintiffs “the power to direct the design” of the ballpark in addition to “the responsibility for the architect’s errors and omissions.” 

However, in a 5-0 decision last month, the Supreme Court overturned the decision, holding that the trial court’s ruling improperly took questions of fact from the jury’s consideration. The case has been remanded to Superior Court for a new trial.

The case will be heard in courtroom 409 at 95 Washington St. in Hartford, before Superior Court Judge Cesar A. Noble. A hearing is set for 10 a.m. June 24.

The court has asked the parties to file a joint case management report three business days before the conference. It should include a summary by the plaintiffs and defendants of no more than 100 words each, a jointly filed list of pending motions and a proposed scheduling order with deadlines.