The quasi-public overseer of the XL Center in downtown Hartford is close to signing a construction management contract that would lead in the coming year to long-sought upgrades to the aging arena.
The Capital Region Development Authority this month received renderings from SCI Architects depicting what some of the key elements of the interior renovations — which will focus on premium offerings in or around the XL Center’s lower bowl — could look like.
They include images of a new club area, bunker suites and concession areas.
The renderings of the fan-facing amenities are only preliminary designs, and there’s no guarantee they will become a reality, as much hinges on the state Bond Commission releasing approximately $60 million previously authorized by state lawmakers for the $100 million project. CRDA has about $23 million remaining of a previously issued $40 million, according to Executive Director Michael Freimuth.
The agency has scheduled a hearing for early January to lay out its vision of the work ahead and to receive public input.
CRDA is in the final stages of selecting a construction management firm to oversee the work. A contract is expected next month.
Freimuth said Tuesday that upgrades to the building’s mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems are expected to begin in early 2021. Exactly how much of the lower-bowl fan amenities can be completed without the remaining $60 million in bond funds is uncertain, but it’s essential to complete the back-end systems work first, Freimuth said.
”It does no good to put all the fun stuff in and have the building not work,” he said.
The XL Center is closed right now due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which makes it easier to do renovations, since contractors won’t have to plan around events.
Recent federal approval of a COVID-19 vaccine has the concert and sports industry eyeing a return to more normal attendance levels in the latter half of 2021, Freimuth said, though there are no guarantees.
“Whether it’s that sudden I don’t know, but we see the world kind of reawakening, if you will, in the fall of next year,” he said.
It would likely take 12 to 18 months to complete the full scope of work at the XL, assuming it receives funding, but Freimuth said CRDA would schedule the phases of work to allow for revenue-producing events to return to the venue.
“It’s going to be an evolving thing,” he said.
