Charlie Dowd was a familiar face around Bridgeport for many years. As the first general manager of the Bridgeport Bluefish, the affable Dodd became the face of the team and became involved in numerous other Park City activities as well.
After leaving the Bluefish helm after several years, Dodd served a stint as GM of the Connecticut Defenders before holding the same role last year with the Newark Bears.
So as the hockey season wore down for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers there was Dowd, wearing a suit and tie and gabbing with an old reporter buddy.
“What the hell are you doing here?” the reporter said. The answer soon became evident.
At a recent press conference, it was announced that taking over everyday operations at the newly named Webster Bank Arena will be Harbor Yard Sports & Entertainment L.L.C. Centerplate, the company that formerly managed operations there, will continue to serve as the hospitality provider. Dowd will oversee operations for the newly formed company.
Since the Sound Tigers are the affiliate of the NHL”™s New York Islanders, the Islanders are now essentially overseeing the landmark Bridgeport facility.
Islanders owner Charles Wang was on hand for the occasion.
“Our main objective is to increase the number of events at the arena,” explained Wang, echoing a goal Dowd had earlier mentioned to the reporter. “Right now there are about 75 dates a year here and we”™d like to double that.”
The two main tenants at Webster Bank Arena are the Sound Tigers and the Fairfield University men”™s and women”™s basketball teams. Wang believes he can use his clout to bring acts playing at the Nassau County Coliseum, home of the Islanders, across Long Island Sound to Bridgeport.
“I think it would be easy for them,” said Wang. “Say they play two dates at the Coliseum, we would be able to convince them to play a third date here in Bridgeport.
The Park City”™s local hockey team is quite predictably thrilled with the new development.
“We are extremely excited to announce this agreement with Centerplate and the city of Bridgeport, and assume the management duties of Webster Bank Arena,” Sound Tigers President Howard Saffan said. “This sports complex is a jewel that we will showcase with not only exciting hockey games but also attracting first-class events year round.”
The partnership leverages the respective strengths of each company for the benefit of the arena and the Park City. According to Saffan, the Sound Tigers will immediately look to upgrade the entertainment content while Centerplate concentrates on its core competencies of food service and retail merchandise sales to reinforce the arena”™s position in the region.
“Today the Webster Bank Arena turns the page and begins a great new era,” said Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch. “I am thrilled to welcome Harbor Yard Sports and Entertainment as the new management team at the arena. This is an outstanding group and I know they will grow what is already an exciting sports venue at the arena into something very special. I look forward to working with them as they make our arena the number-one venue for overall family entertainment in all of southern Connecticut.”
Some time later, the reporter who first stumbled into Dowd at the hockey game bumped into the mayor walking out of an event at Housatonic Community College. Finch didn”™t waste any time.
“It”™s great isn”™t it,” said the mayor in a far less formal manner. “I mean it”™s a no-brainer. There are going to be so many awesome events there. I just can”™t wait.”
As he watched Bridgeport”™s mayor stride off into the distance, the reporter thought to himself, “You know, I just can”™t wait either.”
Rob Sullivan is the publisher and executive editor of the Bridgeport Banner daily website ”“ www.bridgeportbanner.typepad.com ”“ and monthly print edition. He is a special correspondent for the Fairfield County Business Journal covering news and issues in Bridgeport and surrounding communities on the Sound.
