A state jury has ruled in favor of the city of Hartford and against a developer in the controversial case of the bungled construction of the city's recently-built minor league baseball park.
In a decision announced Tuesday, the jury found against developer Centerplan in a suit brought after the city fired the developer from the job.
Centerplan and its company DoNo Hartford, LLC will now have to pay the city $335,000 in costs, after the conclusion of a four-week trial. Centerplan had sought $90 million in damages, alleging the city had acted unreasonably in terminating its contract.
Centerplan was removed from the project in 2016, after cost overruns, missed deadlines and what the city said was shoddy construction. The delays to the project meant that the minor league Hartford Yard Goats had to play their entire inaugural season on the road.
Centerplan argued in court that the delays had stemmed from unreasonable demands made by the city, but the jury agreed with Hartford's attorneys who said the developer was the one who altered plans after the original agreement.
"We did what we felt was right to protect the people of Hartford and to protect the city of Hartford," said Mayor Luke Bronin in a press conference following the court decision. "We have always been eager to get to move forward and try to deliver on the promises that the prior administration made to the people of Hartford, which is that the parcels around the ballpark would be developed."
The city now says it hopes the conclusion of the lawsuit will allow it to go ahead with developments planned for the neighborhood around the ballpark north of downtown. Centerplan had placed liens on those properties pending a judgment.
