HARTFORD, Conn. – The Hartford Sports Group announced on Saturday it had submitted a proposal to the Capital Region Development Authority for the redevelopment of Dillon Stadium, in the Coltsville section of Hartford, which would become the home venue for a new USL club potentially for the 2019 season.

Led by local businessmen Bruce Mandell, Joseph A. Calafiore and Scott Schooley, HSG has been in discussions with the USL on bringing professional soccer to Connecticut’s capital for more than two years. During these discussions, the group conducted a survey of the region as to potential locations for a permanent home for the club. That survey concluded Dillon Stadium would be the best potential location for a Hartford franchise, should the renovation of the historic venue be approved.

“For HSG this project is about much more than soccer,” said Mandell, who serves as the President of Hartford Sports Group. “We see this as a chance to bring one of Hartford’s most historic venues back to life, help complete the turnaround of the Coltsville section of the city, bring our community together through the world’s game, and deliver a soccer experience that has quickly become among the most popular events for the young, urban populations Hartford is trying to attract and retain.”

The addition of Hartford to the USL would add to a strong contingent of teams in the Northeast of the United States, joining the likes of the Rochester Rhinos, Harrisburg City Islanders, Bethlehem Steel FC, Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Ottawa Fury FC and Toronto FC. With a metropolitan population of more than one million, the city is currently the home of the AHL’s Hartford Wolfpack and MiLB’s Hartford Yard Goats.