John DeStefano, Jr.                  City Of New Haven

Mayor                                                                                                             PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE

-NEWS RELEASE-

Coliseum implosion details announced

New Haven releases safety perimeter, traffic & parking plans, and public viewing info

New Haven: With less than two weeks until the scheduled demolition of the New Haven Veterans’ Coliseum, the City of New Haven is releasing details concerning the planned safety perimeter, traffic & parking plans, and public viewing information. The implosion is schedule to take place on Saturday January 20^th at approximately 7:30 a.m

“The demolition of the Coliseum is part of an exciting new development plan for a key section of downtown New Haven,” said Mayor John DeStefano. “Eventually the site will be used to attract new jobs to the city, as well as bring Long Wharf Theatre downtown. But before that happens, we must ensure the Coliseum is imploded in a safe manner and that we continue to communicate effectively with residents and motorists who will be affected.”

Below is a summary of details on the upcoming implosion of the Coliseum:

Safety Perimeter Area             A Safety Perimeter Area will be established to ensure the safety of the public.  The Safety Perimeter extends from the edge of the Temple Street Garage to Union Avenue, which is east of the Knights of Columbus Museum, and from Crown Street to South Frontage Street.

Estimated Implosion Time      The implosion is scheduled to occur around 7:30am on Saturday, January 20, 2007.

Parking Lots                            All cars parked in the George Street Garage and the surface parking lots on George Street should be moved to a location outside of the area by 5:30pm on Friday, January 19, 2007.  Alternate parking locations will include the Temple Street Garage, the Crown Street Garage, the City of New Haven lot and the Shartenberg Site, which are both on the corner of State and Chapel Streets.

Traffic Closures                      Significant lane closures are expected in the Safety Perimeter starting at 5:00pm on Friday, January 19, 2007.  The roads within and leading to the Safety Perimeter will be closed to all traffic starting at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday January 20, 2007.  Portions of I-91, I-95, and Route 34 will be closed for several minutes using a moving road block just before and during the implosion on Saturday morning.

Pedestrian Traffic Closures     The Safety Perimeter area will be closed to all pedestrian foot-traffic starting at 6:30am on Saturday, January 20, 2007.

Viewing Locations                  The official viewing location will be on the top levels of the Temple Street Garage. 

Nearby Properties                   The contractors and the City are working with the nearby property owners, businesses, and residents to ensure that the specific needs of the nearby properties are addressed. It is estimated that residents in three buildings which face the Coliseum will need to be relocated for approximately three hours – from 6:30 – 9:30 a.m. The City of New Haven has contacted management and communicated with residents in the Trader’s Block Condos (20 units), Liberty Safe Haven Apartments (33 units), and a portion of the Residences at 9^th Square (60 units) to ensure they each understand the safety procedures. It is important to note that not all the residents living within the safety perimeter must relocate the morning of the 20^th. Only residents in the three buildings mentioned above are required to relocate and the City is establishing areas where the residents can congregate while they’re being displaced.