Public invited to
watch Coliseum take final bow
The
NEW HAVEN — The public can
watch next week’s explosive demise of the New Haven Veterans
Memorial Coliseum from atop the
Private
parties are also expected to mark the destruction of the three-decade old
structure Jan. 20, at 7:30 a.m.
But
if you lack one of those invitations, you can park for free at the 1,200-space
garage from 5 to 9 a.m., listen to The Cobalt Rhythm Kings band and pick up
some free coffee or hot chocolate as you watch 6,000 tons of steel come
crashing down.
For those who feel the need to spend a longer time reminiscing about the
Coliseum, a visit to Artspace might satisfy you.
The gallery is one of two official places where tenants living in apartments
close to the Coliseum have been offered a place to sleep or just hang out
before the massive structure on
Artspace, which is located on the corner of Crown and
Orange streets, will be open starting at 8 p.m. Jan. 19 through 8 p.m. Jan. 20
and has extended an invitation to the general public to celebrate the closing
of its show, "Don’t Know Much About History," while it will also
bring people together overnight to reflect on events at the Coliseum.
The city will set up a safety perimeter close to the Coliseum, starting at 5
p.m. Jan. 19. By 6 a.m. Jan. 20, the roads within and leading to the perimeter
will be closed to all traffic, with foot traffic cut off by 6:30 a.m.
The perimeter extends from the edge of the Temple Street Garage to
Derek Slap, spokesman for Mayor John DeStefano Jr.,
said portions of Interstate 91, Interstate 95 and Route 34 will be closed for
several minutes, using a moving road block, just before and during the
implosion.
The city is also asking that all cars parked in the George Street Garage and
the surface parking lots on
Helen Kauder, director of Artspace,
said tenants from the Residences at
Those residents must be out of their apartments for three hours Saturday
morning.
How much sleep they will get is debatable, since movies with a historic theme
will be shown continuously as part of the exhibit and as entertainment for the
public. They will include: "Smoke Signals," "Monty Python and
the Holy Grail," "Dr. Strangelove," "The Last Metro,"
"Apocalypse Now," and "History of the World Part I."
Kauder said there will be an open mike at Artspace to encourage people to tell their favorite stories
about the Coliseum. She said they are reaching out to people who worked there
or who came to hockey games or concerts.
"We are going to reach out to different people ... but we are also looking
for people to come forward," Kauder said.
It’s not intended as a gripe session about what could have been, she said.
"It’s oral history. We want to capture moments when the building went up
and while the building was active."
The residents who will need to be relocated, from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. Jan. 20,
may also hang out at the carriage house at the Residences at
Slap said, with the exception of the three named apartment buildings, other
residents within the perimeter can remain in their homes during the implosion.
He also reminded residents that the