(WTIC-AM) -- Hartford has filed paperwork asking a judge to allow the city of move forward in conjunction with a new developer for the DoNo Hartford project on land surrounding Dunkin' Donuts Park.
Earlier this week, the city won a lawsuit against the old developer Centerplan.
Centerplan had blocked the DoNo work while its lawsuit was pending.
The city argues that because a jury found nothing wrong with its firing of Centerplan from the ballpark project, there was also nothing wrong with the city's decision to terminate Centerplan from the project to develop the surrounding land.
"On July 2, 2019, the jury returned a verdict in favor of Hartford, finding that DoNo and Centerplan had not been wrongfully terminated. Because Hartford’s termination was not wrongful, the subsequent termination of the Neighborhood Agreement also was not wrongful. As such, the termination of the Neighborhood Agreement and the ground leases was not wrongful, and any claim DoNo has with respect to an interest in the real property identified as the Parcels has been extinguished," the city wrote.
Hartford argues that a deal with a new developer is urgent, because taxing new buildings on the land is a key part of a plan by a state oversight board to stabilize Hartford's finances.
"The urgency of the deal with the new developer is compounded by the fact that growing Hartford’s Taxable Grand List is an integral component of the Five-Year Financial Sustainability Plan presented to and approved by the State of Connecticut’s Municipality Accountability Review Board (“MARB”), which plan was created to help manage Hartford’s current fiscal crisis. It is difficult to understate how crucial the ability of Hartford to increase its tax base is to its financial sustainability," the city wrote.
In the lawsuit it filed, Centerplan blamed the city for cost overruns and delays in Dunkin' Donuts Park, that forced the Yard Goats to play their entire first season on the road.
Centerplan has said it expects to appeal the ruling from earlier this week.