Dunkin' Donuts Park

Dunkin' Donuts Park
Address 1214 Main Street
Location Hartford, Connecticut
Coordinates 41°46′17″N 72°40′26″W / 41.77139°N 72.67389°W / 41.77139; -72.67389Coordinates: 41°46′17″N 72°40′26″W / 41.77139°N 72.67389°W / 41.77139; -72.67389
Owner City of Hartford
Operator Hartford Stadium Authority
Capacity 6,121[1]
Record attendance 6,850 (April 13, 2017)[2]
Field size Left Field: 325 feet (99 m)
Left Center: 357 feet (109 m)
Center Field: 400 feet (120 m)
Right Center: 350 feet (110 m)
Right Field: 308 feet (94 m)[1]
Surface Grass[3]
Construction
Broke ground February 17, 2015
Opened April 11, 2017
Construction cost $56 million (approx.)
Architect Pendulum Studio
The S/L/A/M Collaborative
Newman Architects
Project manager International Facilities Group, LLC[4]
Services engineer BVH Integrated Services, PC[5]
General contractor Centerplan Construction Company
Whiting-Turner
Tenants
Hartford Yard Goats (EL) (2017–present)

Dunkin' Donuts Park is a 6,121-seat baseball park in Hartford, Connecticut. It is the home field of the Hartford Yard Goats of the Eastern League. The stadium has a total capacity of 6,850 people, including standing room, which was reached numerous times during its inaugural season of 2017. It was planned to open for the 2016 season on April 7, but numerous constructions delays postponed this opening and forced the Yard Goats to play the entire season on the road. The stadium opened in time for the team's 2017 home opener on April 13.[6]

Dunkin' Donuts purchased the naming rights for the stadium for an undisclosed amount. The ballpark is part of a larger $400-million redevelopment plan called Downtown North (DoNo).[7] DoNo will include a 50,000-square-foot (4,600 m2) supermarket, the relocated Thomas Hooker Brewing Company, housing, retail, and restaurants. In December 2015 it was also announced that the development would include the first Hard Rock Hotel in New England. These plans were eventually scrapped.[8] Dunkin’ Donuts Park was voted as Ballpark Digest’s best minor league ballpark among Double-A facilities in both 2017 and 2018.[9]

Construction delays

In December 2015, it was reported that the project was $10 million over budget, and the park might not be ready for opening day on April 7, 2016. In January 2016, it was confirmed that the Hartford Yard Goats would play their first month of the season on the road because the developers and the City of Hartford could not reach an agreement on how to solve the budget shortfall and finish construction on time.[10]

Due to numerous additional delays during the winter and spring of 2016, new target dates of May 17, and later May 31, were set as Opening Day for the Yard Goats at Dunkin' Donuts Park, but work again was not complete on the ballpark in time for the team to move in. Yard Goats home games between May 17 and June 5 were moved to Dodd Stadium in Norwich, Connecticut, a 45-minute drive southeast of Hartford. The Yard Goats returned to playing all games on the road in mid-June, when Dodd Stadium's primary tenant, the Connecticut Tigers of the New York-Penn League, began their season. Hartford's home series scheduled for June 14–16 was moved to the visiting team's ballpark in Reading, Pennsylvania, home of the Reading Fightin Phils. Later, it was announced the Yard Goats' first game in the new park would be on June 21.[11]

On June 6, 2016, the city terminated its contract with developer Centerplan, after Centerplan estimated that it could be another 60 days before the ballpark is complete. With no developer or contractor, the club began the process of moving games to alternate locations for games in July and August; some games were scheduled to be played on the road, with others moved to neutral sites.[12]

In July, it was announced that the entire 2016 season would be played on the road and that the owners might relocate the franchise if Hartford did not complete the stadium in time for 2017.[13] After the city called an insurance bond with Arch Insurance, the firm hired Whiting-Turner to complete construction. Work resumed in October 2016, and the new developer completed the ballpark to be ready for the team's 2017 home opener on April 13.[6]

Opening

Following the completion of the park, it was announced the Yard Goats' 2017 home opener on April 13 against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats would be the first game in the new stadium. Tickets for Opening Night sold out within 30 minutes of sales being open to the general public.[14] However, it was later announced that the stadium would have a "soft launch" on April 11 for a college baseball game between Quinnipiac and the University of Hartford Hawks.[15] Hartford defeated Quinnipiac 6-4 before a crowd of 2,910 fans.[16] Two days later, New Hampshire defeated the Yard Goats 7-2 to officially open the ballpark.[17]

College baseball

On May 18, 2017, UConn baseball played their first game at Dunkin’ Donuts Park, defeating East Carolina 6-0.[18][19] The Hartford Hawks and UConn Baseball used the venue for four home games each in 2018,[20][21] with UConn appearing five times (once as Hartford's guest).[21]

Date Away Score Home Attendance
April 11, 2017Quinnipiac4-6Hartford-
May 7, 2017Army2-6Hartford-
May 18, 2017East Carolina0-6UConn2,828
March 31, 2018CCSU1-2Hartford-
March 31, 2018UConn1-0Hartford2,182
April 27, 2018Tulane2-6UConn2,078
April 28, 2018Tulane7-1UConn2,543
May 1, 2018UMass11-4Hartford-
May 11, 2018Houston6-5UConn3,356
May 11, 2018Houston10-1UConn3,356
May 16, 2018CCSU0-3Hartford-

Other uses

In October 2017, Dunkin' Donuts Park hosted the first G.O.A.T. Brew Fest, an event which featured local Hartford area breweries and benefited the Yard Goats Foundation.[22] The Cape Cod Baseball League will play their first game in Connecticut when the Wareham Gatemen play against the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox on July 24, 2018 at the park.[23]

Cape Cod Baseball League
Date Away Score Home Attendance
July 24, 2018Wareham Gatemen0-5Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox-

References

  1. 1 2 Mock, Joe. "Dunkin' Donuts Park". BaseballParks.com. Grand Slam Enterprises, Inc. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  2. ↑ Spedden, Zach (April 17, 2017). "Dunkin' Donuts Park / Hartford Yard Goats". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Hartford Yard Goats to Play at Dunkin' Donuts Park in Hartford in 2016". Hartford Yard Goats. Minor League Baseball. June 10, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  4. ↑ Goode, Steven (March 2, 2016). "Work On Yard Goats' Ballpark Continues Apace". Hartford Courant. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Building an Urban, Fan-Friendly Ballpark". BVH Integrated Services, PC. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  6. 1 2 Spedden, Zach (December 21, 2016). "Dunkin' Donuts Park Aims for April 13 Debut". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  7. ↑ Spanos, Angelica (September 9, 2014). "Hartford Will Pay $3.7 Mil Per Year For Ballpark, If Approved". Fox CT. Retrieved June 15, 2015.
  8. ↑ Gosselin, Kenneth R.; Carlesso, Jenna; Goode, Steven (April 9, 2017). "Dunkin' Donuts Park May Be Ready, But Area Development Has Stalled". Hartford Courant. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
  9. ↑ Ballpark Digest editors. "Best of the Ballparks 2018, Double-A: Dunkin' Donuts Park". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  10. ↑ Goode, Steven; Gosselin, Kenneth R. (January 5, 2016). "Yard Goats' Opening Day In Doubt With Hartford, Developer At Impasse". Hartford Courant. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  11. ↑ Gosselin, Kenneth R.; Goode, Steven; Carlesso, Jenna (January 20, 2016). "Yard Goats Deal Would Have Stadium Ready June 21; Hartford, Team, Developer All Kick In Millions". Hartford Courant. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
  12. ↑ Spedden, Zach (June 6, 2016). "Hartford Stadium Authority Cancels Contract with Developer". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  13. ↑ Spedden, Zach (July 28, 2016). "Yard Goats Bring up Possibility of Leaving Hartford". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Yard Goats Sold Out for Home Opener at Dunkin' Donuts Park". NBC Connecticut. March 14, 2017. Retrieved June 27, 2018. all remaining seats for the highly-anticipated game sold out within 30 minutes.
  15. ↑ "Hartford, Quinnipiac Will Play At Dunkin' Donuts Park On April 11". Hartford Courant. April 4, 2017.
  16. ↑ "Hartford Defeats Quinnipiac In First Baseball Game At Dunkin' Donuts Park". Hartford Courant. April 11, 2017.
  17. ↑ Amore, Dom (April 13, 2017). "Yard Goats Lose Home Opener 7-2". Hartford Courant.
  18. ↑ Connolly, Daniel (May 19, 2017). "UConn Baseball's Trip to Dunkin' Donuts Park a Resounding Success". The UConn Blog (SB Nation). Vox Media. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  19. ↑ Amore, Dom (May 18, 2017). "UConn's Cate Shines In Bright Lights At Dunkin' Donuts Park". Hartford Courant. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  20. ↑ Amore, Dom (January 23, 2018). "UConn Baseball Coach Jim Penders Shares Another Big Moment With George Springer". Hartford Courant. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  21. 1 2 "Baseball Moves March 31 Doubleheader to Dunkin' Donuts Park". hartfordhawks.com. University of Hartford Athletics. March 16, 2018. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  22. ↑ "G.O.A.T. Brew Fest Set for Saturday, October 21st at Dunkin' Donuts Park". Hartford Yard Goats. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  23. ↑ "Cape Cod Baseball League Coming to Dunkin' Donuts Park in Hartford in July". NBC CT. WVIT. 15 May 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
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