Freimuth said he expects to release bids for the planned renovations to the downtown Hartford arena this summer, with returns expected in time to determine in “late fall” if costs fall in line with the projected $107.2 million budget. The OVG agreement is a plan to grant Los Angeles-based entertainment company Oak View Group a long-term management agreement in return for a hefty upfront contribution for renovations. Freimuth declined this week to say how much OVG is anticipated to contribute. OVG has managed the XL on behalf of the CRDA since late 2021, when it acquired a venue management and hospitality company Spectra, which was contracted to manage the XL center. The Bond Commission last week released $7 million for repairs and upgrades at XL. Freimuth said a portion of this money will pay for designs and to prepare bid documents for release this summer.
https://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/fate-of-planned-1072m-xl-center-upgrade-could-be-determined-this-fall