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12 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | October 24, 2022 RENDERINGS | CONTRIBUTED has been pushed back to the spring due to supply chain issues. The XL Center currently runs at a roughly $2 million annual deficit, requiring a taxpayer subsidy for operations. Boosters say that cost is more than made up for by sales taxes paid by event attendees. House Speaker Matt Ritter (D-Hartford) said the venue packs restaurants and hotels during sporting events and performances. With 21% of the city's labor force now working remotely, that's a draw Hartford cannot afford to lose, he said. Ritter said he agrees a public-pri- vate partnership is the best route to a grander renovation that will keep the arena operational and relevant for the long term. He sees it as a neces- sary element in the revitalization of Hartford, a broader effort that has, over the past decade, included the addition of thousands of market-rate apartments downtown. "There are some people who say knock it down," Ritter said of the XL Center. "That's just the Connecticut mentality I think we have to get over: 'Oh we are just Connecticut and who cares.' If you had asked people 15 years ago if we could build over 2,000 units (of downtown housing) and they would be 85% to 90% occu- pied, the naysayers would have said that's absurd." Matt Ritter (Top) A rendering showing a sports betting lounge now under construction. (Bottom) A rendering showing how portions of the XL Center could look under a $100 million renovation plan. Building Ideas That Work... Building Ideas That Work... Contact us at 860.482.7613 or visit us at BorghesiBuilding.com 2155 East Main Street Torrington, Connecticut 06790 © 2011 BlueScope Buildings North America, Inc. All rights reserved. Butler Manufacturing ™ is a division of BlueScope Buildings North America, Inc. Borghesi Building & Engineering Co., Inc. will guide you in defining your project goals, help analyze your prospective property and provide a realistic budget. For more than 80 years, Borghesi Building & Engineering Co., Inc. has provided quality and reliability with design and energy efficient construction. With an attractive design, it presents to your customers a comfortable relaxing environment to help promote sales. You will appreciate the quality your facility presents.