A high-profile lineup of witnesses, including Mayor Luke Bronin, are set to testify for the defense in a hearing next month regarding the ongoing legal battle between a developer and the city, among other parties, over the right to develop the North Crossing properties in Hartford.
The dispute revolves around whether the developer initially selected for, and later terminated from, an effort to build Dunkin’ Park stadium, can continue to develop several surrounding parcels owned by the city.
The city filed a list of witnesses it intends to call during an evidentiary hearing scheduled for Sept. 11 to 15 in Hartford Superior Court. The hearing is regarding the city’s motion to discharge, which claims the plaintiffs did not properly serve refiled litigation following a decision by the state Supreme Court last year.
The plaintiffs, Middletown-based Centerplan and an affiliated LLC, claim they have a right to continue developing North Crossing based on a 2015 agreement with the city.
The city terminated Centerplan, blaming it for delays and deficiencies with the stadium’s construction. It worked with Centerplan’s insurer to complete the stadium in 2017, and picked Stamford-based RMS Cos. to build a 270-unit apartment development on a neighboring property. Those apartments, known as The Pennant, opened last year.
Bronin will testify about the city’s decision to fire Centerplan, and the RFP process that was used to select RMS, according to a court filing.
Randy Salvatore, CEO of RMS Cos., is among the other witnesses on the city’s roster. He will testify about RMS’ response to the RFP, and negotiation and execution of the new development agreement, along with financing for the construction of the deal.
Other witnesses for the city are Town and City Clerk Noel F. McGregor, Deputy Town and City Clerk Eric Lusa, Director of Finance Leigh Ann Ralls and Michael Freimuth, executive director of the Capital Regional Development Authority.
Others include officials from New York City-based Capital Project Management Inc.; James Pieper, president of Pieper Sports Facility Consulting LLC in Kansas, and Roderick Bouchard, associate principal and project manager with the Glastonbury-based architecture firm SLAM Collaborative.
All witnesses have been, or will be, deposed before the hearing. The city may call some or all of the witnesses named, according to the filing, signed by four attorneys from Carlton Fields.
Also, the city may call other witnesses to respond to plaintiffs’ evidence.
The city submitted the witness list to the court Tuesday in response to the plaintiffs’ request for disclosure.