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Hartford Sports Group Bullish on Dillon Stadium

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 11/29/17, 3:19PM EST

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Leaders believe deal to bring USL to Hartford would continue city’s resurgence


Graphic courtesy Hartford Sports Group

HARTFORD, Conn. – With a recommendation expected this week by the Capital Region Development Authority on the future of Dillon Stadium, the Harford Sports Group’s Bruce Mandell reiterated his belief that the opportunity for Hartford to bring the USL to the historic venue for the 2019 season would provide a major boost for not only the venue, but the surrounding area.

“No single project would do more to further the transformation of Coltsville than the rejuvenation of Dillon Stadium, a stadium that has a special place in Hartford’s history,” said Mandell. “We have proposed a partnership with the City of Hartford and the CRDA that will bring back to life an under-utilized city asset that is presently unsafe and decaying.”

Dillon Stadium has played host over the years to everything from the annual Thanksgiving high school football game, professional soccer matches (including a famous visit from Giorgio Chinaglia), and concerts from the likes of the Rolling Stones, Beach Boys and the Grateful Dead. Mandell and colleagues made their presentation to the CRDA at the beginning of the month which would see HSG enter a private-public partnership that would bring millions of dollars of investment to bring the venue back online and support efforts in the surrounding area, adding to a city that has seen growth through strong local economic investment in recent years.

“Hartford Sports Group consists of a group of local Hartford area businesspeople who are bullish on Hartford and want to be part of its success,” said Mandell. “We believe the city and the CRDA are smart to target Dillon Stadium as a project of opportunity. This is a chance to build on Hartford’s current economic progress. Let’s keep the momentum going.”


Graphic courtesy Hartford Sports Group

Hartford is currently the fourth-largest market in the United States without a professional soccer club, despite the region having long been established as a regular venue for both U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Team contests. With the USL’s progression into new, vibrant markets, the introduction of Hartford would add to the league’s regional structure, and create another major community asset for the city.

“Over the last year a series of development projects in Hartford has demonstrated our city’s commitment to economic growth,” said Mandell. “A visit to Hartford shows formerly vacant buildings being filled with apartments and businesses, new downtown college campuses, a beautiful new ballpark ranked among the best in the country, and impressive transportation plans to link the region. We think a USL franchise at a renovated Dillon Stadium is the perfect opportunity to keep building towards the future.”

USL representatives were also on hand for the presentation in early November to offer their backing for the HSG proposal, which would add another strong local ownership group to the league’s large footprint in the northeast.

“We want to be in the USL and the USL wants to be in Hartford,” said Mandell. “Cities like Cincinnati, Louisville, and Sacramento have seen teams inject energy into their economic, cultural, and social experience, and we hope to have the opportunity to do the same.”

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