"It would do everyone a service just to release it."
Larry Deutsch
The discussion over whether to build a minor league baseball stadium in downtown Hartford is about to heat up again. Friday is the deadline for developers to submit their proposals for a stadium and other surrounding buildings. The city is trying to figure out what, if anything, to release to the public.
State law is clear. Responses like this are exempt from disclosure until negotiations are complete, or a contract is signed, which means the city doesn't have to release any of the information submitted by developers -- but it can.
City Development Director Thomas Deller said he expects to release some information on Monday. He's not sure how much, though.
Council Minority Leader Larry Deutsch wants Deller to let the public see everything. Anything short of that, Deutsch said, and he won't support whatever development plan moves forward.
"It would do everyone a service just to release it," Deutsch said. "Let them debate it, argue it in public, analyze it to their own satisfaction, and then we can all decide, as a city and a council, which one we feel is best."
Deutsch said transparency is a good idea, especially since the stadium was a project that was negotiated in private for more than a year and a half.
