Mayor Pedro Segarra and the city have spoken a lot about their plans to bring a minor league baseball stadium to Hartford. Hundreds of people gathered at the Hartford Public Library to discuss Segarra's plan.
What began last month as an effort to build a publicly-financed baseball stadium for no more than $60 million has grown into an ambitious project to develop not just a ballpark -- but an entire vacant stretch of the city north of I-84. The move takes into account the concerns of some on the city council that the initial project was too expensive to pay for entirely with taxpayer money.
Segarra has given developers a month to figure out how to build both a stadium, and a neighborhood.
We've heard a lot from Segarra, however. This night was about hearing from the residents, and at least one of them sang. "Take us out of the ballgame," sang resident Anne Goshdigian. "Let's get out of the park. Don't feed us peanuts and Cracker Jack -- not until Hartford is back in the black."
Goshdigian was one of many who spoke -- some in favor, some opposed. There is a lot of time left before this goes to a vote before the city council, and a lot of voices have yet to be heard.
"So let's give the boot to the Rock Cats," sang Goshdigian. "If they don't win it's a shame. For it's one, two, three strikes we're out of the old ball game!"
Watch CT-N's footage of the public meeting below:
