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Postmaster: Please send address changes to: Hartford Business Journal P.O Box 330 Congers, NY 10920-9894 2 Hartford Business Journal | April 5, 2021 | HartfordBusiness.com H.B. Nitkin pitches retail, apts. in Glastonbury Main Street overhaul A prominent Greenwich-based developer that built Hartford's Front Street entertainment district and apartments is looking to invest east of the river in Glastonbury. H.B. Nitkin recently unveiled a plan to demolish, rebuild and reconfigure three adjacent retail properties on Main Street, resulting in approximately 29,000 square feet of new commercial space with a mix of 157 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments. The addresses of the three properties are 2283-2289, 2341-2355 and 2327-2333 Main St. The latter is an existing retail plaza and the largest of the three. H.B. Nitkin and its partners acquired the three properties over the past two years, spending approximately $4.6 million, according to property records. The redevelopment plan is still in its early stages and needs town approval. A project price tag wasn't available by press time. This is a rendering of the 157-unit apartment development planned in Glastonbury on Main Street. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED Travelers to extend title sponsorship of Travelers Championship through 2030 The Travelers Cos. is extending its title sponsorship of the Travelers Championship through 2030, CEO Alan Schnitzer announced. Appearing during a recent virtual press conference alongside Gov. Ned Lamont, sportscaster Chris Berman and various PGA officials, Schnitzer said the tournament has been instrumental in raising money for charity and generating economic activity in the state. Lamont praised Travelers for its renewed commitment to the tournament and said last year's Dustin Johnson, winner of the 2020 Travelers Championship title, will be back in 2021. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED Dandelion Energy has leased space at 460 Hayden Station Road in Windsor. PHOTO | COSTAR championship, staged amidst the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, played a critical role in the state's gradual reopening by giving residents and area golf fans "something to root for." Defending champion Dustin Johnson has committed to play in this year's tournament, as have Bryson DeChambeau and three-time winner Bubba Watson, among others. Lawmakers approve outdoor dining expansion Gov. Ned Lamont has signed into law legislation easing outdoor dining restrictions through at least the next year. The law, which was passed by the state House and Senate, continues protections for any outdoor dining activity previously authorized by executive order through March 31, 2022. It also establishes a system by which local zoning officials can permit or expand outdoor dining at restaurants in their jurisdiction. Scott Dolch, executive director of the Connecticut Restaurant Association, praised the move as a boon to the state's eateries, which have been navigating occupancy and social distancing requirements brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Gates-backed geothermal installer plants CT flag A New York geothermal home- heating installer backed by billionaires Bill Gates and Ray Dalio has opened an operations center in Windsor. Dandelion's new 21,000-square- foot lease at 460 Hayden Station Road represents its first brick-and- mortar presence in Connecticut and comes after the company, drawn by Connecticut geothermal incentives, began offering installations here last summer. Dandelion CEO Michael Sachse said the company has done "dozens" of installs so far in Fairfield County and now wants to expand its focus to Greater Hartford and other regions. "We feel like that's gone really well," Sachse said of the activity so far. "We wanted to set up shop in a place where we could serve more of the state." Bay State group opens German-themed eatery in West Hartford Center A Massachusetts company announced the opening of its second Connecticut restaurant — the German-themed Wurst Haus — in West Hartford Center. Springfield-based Bean Restaurant Group, operator of the Student Prince and other Western Massachusetts eateries, officially opened its second location of Wurst House March 31, at 37 LaSalle Road in West Hartford. Wurst Haus features Bavarian-style food and a wide selection of German beers. The concept was launched as a food hall in 2017 at The Big E. The first brick-and-mortar location debuted in Northampton, Mass., in 2020. Feds: CT 4Q economy up 7% Riding high on the fortunes of the financial and insurance industries, Connecticut's economy grew 7% in the fourth quarter of 2020 on a linked quarter basis, the fourth-biggest improvement of any state in the country. However, the coronavirus pandemic still had an overall negative impact on Connecticut and the national economies last year. For all of 2020, Connecticut's GDP, or the value of all goods and services produced in the state, shrank 4.1%, placing it in the middle of the pack when compared to other Northeast states such as New York (-5.9%), Massachusetts (-3.8%), and Rhode Island (-4.5%), according to U.S.