Marfuggi told me this as we walked by the Connecticut River recently. Our two hour conversation provided the basis for this three-part series on the future of the Connecticut River.

Last week, the 40-Year Plan covered the park's infrastructure, its future plans, and its restrictions. Next week, I will discuss the annual flood. This week, I will talk about the park and its money.

Currently, Riverfront Recapture operates with a $1.9 million annual operating budget. Most of that comes from donations between $25 and $250,000 or more. Most of the money comes from private foundations and companies, although taxpayer-funded entities are four of Riverfront Recapture's top eight donors.

Oddly, the Department of Environmental Protection is not one of those entities.

Marfuggi's eyes lit up when I suggested that the state should include the Riverfront as a line item in the DEP budget. After all, Riverfront Recapture straddles a line between developing the waterfront and preserving the river's delicate ecological balance.

In reality, the biggest financial growth possibilities for Riverfront Recapture lay in earned income, Marfuggi said. The management contract between Riverfront Recapture and East Hartford and Hartford allows Riverfront to enter into contracts with outside vendors.

The past few years have seen revenues from such contracts jump to 17 percent of Riverfront's annual budget. Activities like the ropes course, that innocuous enough structure sitting at the foot of the pedestrian bridge, and the restaurant at the boat house, generate income.

Since Marfuggi hopes to see that cash flow grow, he said he encourages entrepreneurs to imagine for-profit businesses that could operate in the parks. It seems a symbiotic situation, although I fear the over-commercialization of such a public gem.

In the next five years, though, Marfuggi offered confidence that major developments would add enough annual visitors to the park to make more businesses feasible.

The new outdoor retail megastore at Rentschler Field could draw enough people to fund tourist attractions like the amphibious Duck Boat (40 Year Plan, May 2005).

The Connecticut Convention Center and its accompanying hotel may provide enough passers-by to finance a bicycle and kayak rental business.

"We're looking for an entrepreneur who will rent canoes and kayaks and rowboats," Marfuggi said. Without problems, "We can put inexperienced people on the river," he said.

The fact that Riverfront can host events like the classical guitar concert, the Fourth of July fireworks or a rare outdoor Pilobolus dance performance and not pay police overtime makes it attractive for other ideas.

Riverfront's management contract means it avoids the usurious police overtime costs that doomed outdoor events like the Hartford Parks Bike Tour and the popular summertime Monday Night Jazz series.

Instead of playing the Bushnell Park ampitheatre this summer, Monday Night Jazz was relegated to an indoor venue at Trinity College. While Trinity deserves credit for providing low-cost space, picnic blankets and lawn chairs spread out across a cold linoleum floor didn't cut it for me.

Marfuggi seemed enthralled by the suggestion of talking to Paul Brown, the organizer of the Monday Night Jazz series and bringing it to the Riverfront. The idea of outdoor movies by the Riverfront sounded plausible, too.

Riverfront has one more asset that make such ideas attractive: a liquor permit.

When Marfuggi asked me what it might take to bring the 21-35 demographic to the riverfront, I said "Booze and bands." Alcohol and music. I love the concept of a bar like Harbor Park in Middletown or a discoteque like those lining the Guadalquivir in Seville, Spain.

Bringing the Wadsworth to the table, and maybe doing an outdoor Collage event or two in the summer would introduce a vibrant element to the riverside. If Marfuggi had the budget, he could hire a brilliant promoter like Dan McKinley, currently of the Wadsworth, formerly of Real Art Ways, to bring people to the riverfront.

Marfuggi smiled while we imagined a party like Providence's successful Waterfire or a variation of that which launches 10,000 candles at the train bridge and heads south.

"Everybody is so busy raising money for their own organizations, it can be hard to get people to think of other things they can do," Marfuggi said.

9/19/05

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"Anything is possible if the money is there," said Joe Marfuggi

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"Anything is possible if the money is there," said Joe Marfuggi