Hartford Business Journal

2 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | May 9, 2022 Biz Briefs Aquiline Drones adding chartered flight services out of Brainard Airport Barry Alexander (right) is the CEO of Aquiline Drones. HBJ FILE PHOTO Aquiline Drones, the Hartford- based maker of unmanned commercial aerial vehicles, is diversifying into the airlines business. The company said it was awarded an air carrier certificate in September by the Federal Aviation Administration and has formed a new division — AD Airlines — that is launching a private chartered flight service starting in June. The company will be adding all-inclusive flights from Brainard Airport in Hartford to Block Island, Long Island, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Island. In collaboration with My Vineyard Concierge, an events and vacation planning company on Martha's Vineyard, the company is already booking getaways for private, full- day golf, fishing, beach and sailing experiences at the destinations. The all-inclusive packages start at $5,999 and will come with the pick-up and drop-off from airports, shuttle service, the excursion activity, and a dinner before a flight back to Hartford. Aquiline Drones Founder and CEO Barry Alexander spent 25 years as an airline pilot. Massachusetts lender plans new South Windsor banking center PeoplesBank President and CEO Tom Senecal. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED PeoplesBank, the Massachusetts- based mutual savings institution that first established a Connecticut presence in 2018 with its purchase of The First National Bank of Suffield, has announced plans to establish a new branch in South Windsor. The bank, with $3.6 billion in assets, said it will build a 2,000-square-foot banking center at 50 Cedar Avenue. The branch is expected to be the anchor for other adjacent development, which may include a restaurant, coffee and retail shops, and a medical office building, the bank said. Last year PeoplesBank debuted a new branch in the posh West Hartford Center. It also recently renovated its Suffield Bank Center. Once the South Windsor location opens, PeoplesBank will have five branches in Connecticut. CT Children's Medical Center eyes $10M, 12-bed medical/ psychiatric unit expansion A signature carrot chair at Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford. YEHYUN KIM | CTMIRROR.ORG Faced with higher patient demand for mental health services, an issue exacerbated by the pandemic, Connecticut Children's Medical Center (CCMC) has plans to build a new 12-bed inpatient medical/ psychiatric unit at its main campus in Hartford, at 282 Washington St. CCMC has filed a certificate of need (CON) with the Department of Public Health and Office of Health Strategy, which must approve the project, outlining plans to spend $9.7 million to develop the 12-bed unit, which it hopes to open by October 2023. The unit would serve pediatric patients between the ages of 5 and 17 with psychiatric and other health needs. The facility would also be used for complex psychiatric therapies for individuals and groups. CCMC currently has 187 beds, but it said the state and country have "witnessed significant increases in pediatric mental health cases that drain the overall capacity and quality of care provided by healthcare institutions." Harvard Pilgrim exiting CT's commercial health insurance market Harvard Pilgrim Health Care — the Massachusetts-based health insurer that entered Connecticut about a decade ago, hoping to win market share by touting its not-for- profit model — is exiting the state's commercial insurance market. In a recent email sent to insurance brokers and other stakeholders, Harvard Pilgrim said its parent company, Point32Health "has made the difficult decision to withdraw" the company's fully-insured commercial products, including small group plans, from Connecticut as of Jan. 1, 2023. Approximately 12,000 members will be affected by the move, the company said. "This decision was not taken lightly and comes after a detailed, multi- year analysis of the employer-based commercial market in Connecticut," the company said in an emailed statement to HBJ. Editorial Greg Bordonaro | Editor, ext. 139 gbordonaro@hartfordbusiness.com Drew Larson | Web Editor, ext. 121 alarson@hartfordbusiness.com Michael Puffer | Staff Writer, ext. 145 mpuffer@hartfordbusiness.com Beats: Real Estate, Economic Development, Banking & Finance Robert Storace | Staff Writer, ext. 127 rstorace@hartfordbusiness.com Beats: Health Care, Higher Education, Arts & Culture Skyler Frazer | Staff Writer, ext. 145 sfrazer@hartfordbusiness.com Beats: Manufacturing, Cannabis, Technology, Transportation Tim Doyle | Lead Researcher Heide Martin | Research Assistant Steve Laschever | Photographer Business Tom Curtin | Publisher, ext. 124, tcurtin@hartfordbusiness.com David Hartley | Senior Accounts Manager, ext. 130, dhartley@HartfordBusiness.com Daniel Schilke | Senior Accounts Manager, ext. 135, dschilke@HartfordBusiness.com Emily Paskind | Senior Accounts Manager, ext. 133, epaskind@hartfordbusiness.com Valerie Clark | Director of Audience Development, ext. 332 vclark@nebusinessmedia.com Jill Coran | Human Resources Manager jcoran@nebusinessmedia.com Megan Mason | Events Manager, mmason@hartfordbusiness.com Production Bartosz Zinowko | Production Director, ext. 147 bzinowko@hartfordbusiness.com Peter Stanton | CEO, pstanton@nebusinessmedia.com Tom Curtin | President, ext. 124, tcurtin@hartfordbusiness.com Mary Rogers | COO/CFO, mrogers@nebusinessmedia.com Subscriptions Annual subscriptions are $110.00. To subscribe, visit HartfordBusiness.com, email hartfordbusiness@cambey- west.com, or call (845) 267-3008. Advertising For advertising information, please call (860) 236-9998. Please address all correspondence to: Hartford Business Journal, 100 Allyn Street, Suite 3, Hartford, CT 06103 Stay Connected For breaking and daily Greater Hartford business news go to: www.HartfordBusiness.com HBJ on Twitter: @HartfordBiz HBJ on Facebook: www.facebook.com/HartfordBiz HBJ on Linkedln:www.linkedin.com/company/the-Hart- ford-Business-Journal Daily e-newsletters: HBJ Today, CT Morning Blend: www.hartfordbusiness.com/enewsletters Hartford Business Journal (ISSN 1083-5245) is published bi-weekly, 27x per year — including two special issues in November and December — by New England Business Media, LLC, 100 Allyn Street, Suite 3, Hartford, CT 06103. Periodicals postage paid at Hartford, CT and at additional entry points. Tel: (860) 236-9998 | Fax: (860) 570-2493 Copyright 2020. All rights reserved. Postmaster: Please send address changes to: Hartford Business Journal P.O Box 330 Congers, NY 10920-9894 Northland-owned downtown Hartford office building listed for sale A historic downtown Hartford office building owned by Northland Investment Corp. — once the center city's most prominent landlord — has been listed for sale. The 24,000-square-foot Crosthwaite Building at 100 Allyn St., was listed for sale without an asking price, according to marketing materials sent via email to brokers. The four-story brick and beam office building dates to 1911 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The mixed-use office property is currently 85% leased, according to marketing materials, with tenants that include Consigli Construction, Shepley Bulfinch, and Mexican restaurant Agave Grill. The Hartford Business Journal is also a tenant in the building. Northland bought the property in 1998 for $850,000, property records show. The Crosthwaite Building at 100 Allyn St. in downtown Hartford. PHOTO | COSTAR

• Cover