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Peter Stanton | CEO, pstanton@nebusinessmedia.com Tom Curtin | President, ext. 124, tcurtin@hartfordbusiness.com Mary Rogers | COO/CFO, mrogers@nebusinessmedia.com HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | September 26, 2022 3 T he nearly 20-year-old Pratt & Whitney Stadium in East Hartford needs $63.3 million in upgrades and repairs, according to a consultant hired to assess the facility's condition. "… As the stadium approaches its third decade of operation, its ability to deliver a positive guest experience is crucial for it to remain relevant both locally and nationally," reads a portion of the report delivered by stadium design expert Populous. The Capital Region Develop- ment Authority – which manages the 38,000-seat stadium for the state – hired Populous last fall to perform a comprehensive review of the stadium's needs over the coming 20 years, with a particular focus on the next five years. "You could spend a lot more, you could spend a lot less, but that's what we think we need," CRDA Executive Director Michael Freimuth recently told members of his venue committee. Freimuth said the state has put $8 million into repairs and upgrades during the life of the stadium. "We have been fortunate," Freimuth said. "It's worn well, but it's time. It's time to take on things like roofs, mechanical systems, technology." Pratt & Whitney Stadium is home to the UConn Huskies football team, but has also hosted soccer, rugby and lacrosse events, weddings and concerts for major performers including The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and The Police. The venue has seen more than 1 million visitors at "nearly 200 major events and hundreds of smaller-scale" events since opening in 2003, according to a CRDA summary. The stadium was built on a 75-acre property donated by United Technologies in a $92 million state-funded project that began in November 2000 and wrapped up in August 2003. Rentschler Field in East Hartford. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED Consultant: Pratt & Whitney Stadium needs $63.3M in repairs and upgrades St. Francis Hospital parent, Trinity Health of New England, names new CEO Trinity Health of New England – which operates St. Francis Hospital in Hartford and several other hospitals and practice groups in Connecticut and Massachusetts – has named a new CEO. Effective Oct. 3, current CEO Reginald Eadie will depart the Connecticut market to take a physician enterprise development role with parent company, Trinity Health, in Michigan. He will be replaced by Montez Carter, who will take the title of president and CEO of Trinity Health of New England. Carter – who began his career as a pharmacist – most recently served as president and CEO of St. Mary's Health Care System, based in Athens, Georgia. Carter was named Trinity's presi- dent and CEO following a nationwide search and was the unanimous vote of the board of trustee's selection committee, Trinity Health said. Carter earned his doctoral degree in pharmacy from the University of Mississippi and an MBA from the University of Alabama. CT to receive $52.2M in federal funding for electric vehicle chargers Connecticut has received approval for its plan submitted to the U.S. Department of Transportation seeking $52.5 million over five years to build electric vehicle chargers across the state. The state will receive $7.7 million in fiscal year 2022 and additional funding in 2023 under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program, Gov. Ned Lamont announced. Phase one of Connecticut's plan focuses on building up to 10 locations consisting of at least four individual fast chargers along state highways. As of this July, there were more than 25,000 electric vehicles registered in Connecticut. BLS: CT employers have 113,000 job openings Connecticut employers reported more job openings in the month of July than they did a year ago, according to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Connecticut employers reported 113,000 job openings at the end of July, the same number as June 2022, but above last July's 108,000 job openings, indicating that the labor crunch isn't easing, BLS data shows. Nationally, there were 11.2 million jobs open in the United States at the end of July. The state Department of Labor also recently released data showing Connecticut added 2,900 jobs in August. However, the unemployment rate rose from 3.7% to 4.1% because more people entered the labor force in search of work. Despite the growth, Connecticut still has only recovered 87.9% of the 289,400 jobs lost during March and April 2020, when the pandemic temporarily shut down significant parts of the state's economy. CT Paid Leave Authority approves nearly 34,000 claims during first eight months The state's paid medical and family leave program has issued $157 million in benefits and received 63,405 claims from Jan. 1 through Sept. 2, the Connecticut Paid Leave Authority announced. The new program, funded through a 0.5% payroll deduction, began accepting applications on Dec. 1, 2021. Of the claims received, 50% were for a person's own serious health condition, 15% for pregnancy, 41% for bonding, 11% for caring for a family member and 3% for other reasons, including family violence and military service. As of Sept. 2, the authority made 54,048 decisions, including 33,989 approvals and 20,059 denials. Montez Carter