NEW HAVEN — It’s hard to forget about the stalemate between city and state officials over who will pay to demolish the New Haven Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum.
Memories are jogged with each trip down Route 34 and Interstate 95, past the big, shabby behemoth of a reminder.
But the stalemate is on the verge of breaking point, now that Gov.
John G. Rowland’s top budget aide came out and said the state never had any intention of paying to demolish the coliseum.
Marc S. Ryan said the state is only interested in helping to rebuild.
Mayor John DeStefano Jr. said the city doesn’t want to pay to demolish the coliseum either, but it will under two conditions: The state pay for Gateway Community College and Long Wharf Theater to move downtown.
"I’m flexible," DeStefano said. "I had suggested (the state) would fund Gateway and Long Wharf, and the city would pick up the coliseum.
Sure."
Exactly how the city would pay for the demolition under such an agreement is unclear.
City officials said they will try to be "creative" in footing the $6 million demolition bill. It could involve future tax revenue, or selling bonds, or a combination of sources.
But the deal hinges on the state picking up the tabs for Long Wharf and Gateway, city officials said Friday.
DeStefano said the state delegation will meet soon with Rowland’s aides to begin hammering out an agreement on funding the downtown projects.
The coliseum has been sitting vacant for almost two years while city officials fielded bid proposals for the demolition and waited for word when —and if — the state would fund the project.
Demolition bids came in lower than expected, at about $6 million, instead of the $10 million first projected.
Ryan recently told the New Haven Register that the state would be willing to help the city redevelop the coliseum site after demolition.
The state has not, however, committed to paying for the entire cost of the Gateway and Long Wharf relocation.
The state has approved paying $8.5 million for design work on a downtown Gateway campus, and the legislature has already authorized $61 million in state bond money for the project.
There is still about $69 million more needed to relocate the campus near the Chapel Square Mall.
DeStefano said that he spoke to Rowland directly on the day of the Church Street Bridge opening. "He said, ‘We may not want to pay for all of (the coliseum), would you pay for part?’" DeStefano said. "I said, ‘Yes, we would. We don’t want to, but if you want the city to pay for part of it, that will be fine.’ " "The fair thing to do is to resolve this," DeStefano said. "If they were prepared to make a commitment to the college or theater, those investments need to be made, and that’s fine."
As for the larger redevelopment plan for the coliseum site, DeStefano said city officials want a developer that will not require public subsidies. "The best kinds of deals you make are the kinds that don’t require subsidy, it’s because someone like an IKEA sees there’s value here."