Hartford Business Journal

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 Peter Stanton | CEO, pstanton@nebusinessmedia.com Tom Curtin | President, ext. 124, tcurtin@hartfordbusiness.com Subscriptions Annual subscriptions are $132.00. To subscribe, visit HartfordBusiness.com, email circulation@ hartfordbusiness.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. 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 Hanna Snyder Gambini | Staff Writer hgambini@hartfordbusiness.com Beat: Economic Development 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 Stephanie R. Meagher | 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 Matthew Anzolletti | Senior Accounts Manager manzolletti@Hartfordbusiness.com C.203.886.8588 Tracy Rodwill | Human Resources Manager trodwill@nebusinessmedia.com Production Bartosz Zinowko | Production Director, ext. 147 bzinowko@hartfordbusiness.com HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | APRIL 17, 2023 3 Cigna's headquarters in Bloomfield. PHOTO | COSTAR Cigna CEO Cordani to employees: Time to return to office I s corporate America beginning to lose its patience with remote work? The answer at this point is unclear, but at least one major central Connecticut employer wants more people in the office. David Cordani, chairman and CEO of Bloomfield-based health insurer The Cigna Group, sent a companywide email last month outlining plans to require more employees to work in the office the majority of time, with flexibility to work remotely for the balance of their workweek. The change will begin in September and comes as 90% of Cigna's employees currently work remotely full time, or nearly full time, according to Cordani. "We believe we need to bring that percentage lower because a thriving office environment needs more of our co-workers working together in our sites, similar to what we experience in other parts of our lives," Cordani wrote in the email. " Ultimately, our goal is a workforce model where those working in a site are generally more in line with pre-pandemic levels." Cigna's headquarters is at 900 Cottage Grove Road in Bloomfield. The company employs several thousand workers in the state. Bronin to Hartford employers: Get workers back to the office Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin recently issued a call to action for local employers to get more of their workers back to the office regularly, as soon as possible. The vibrancy of the city depends on it, he said. "I know this is easier said than done, but we need you to try to have as many people in the office as possible, as many days as possible," Bronin said during a March 30 MetroHartford Alli- ance event held at Dunkin' Park. "Because one of the biggest threats we face — and it's not unique to Hartford, but it is important in Hartford — one of the biggest threats we face is that there are thousands, and sometimes tens of thousands of people who would normally be in downtown … who are working from home." He continued: "I understand that the world of work has shifted, and in some ways it may have shifted for the long term, maybe for the good, but I also think that anything you do at the margins makes a difference. … If you are helping to get your teams back in three days a week instead of two days a week, that makes a difference. If you're holding a happy hour for your team on a Thursday evening, that helps keep people in Hartford after- wards a little longer, that makes a difference." Bond Commission approves $1.43B in funds, including $8.5M for mixed-use development in Parkville The state Bond Commission this month approved $1.43 billion in funding for projects and other investments. Among them is an ambitious mixed-use development in the Parkville section of Hartford proposed by prominent developer Carlos Mouta. The state will provide an $8.5 million loan to help finance the plan to convert the vacant Whitney Manu- facturing site at 235-237 Hamilton St., into 235 apartments and 45,000 square feet of commercial space. The Capital Region Development Authority's housing and neighbor- hood development committee unan- imously endorsed the $8.5 million loan in March. Mouta said the state support is "huge" and he expects the final piece of funding, a Webster Bank loan, to be finalized within the next 30 days. He hopes to begin construction within 60 to 90 days. Stone Academy taps law firm headed by former AG Jepsen A former chief deputy attorney general is representing Stone Academy in an ongoing investigation into the for-profit nursing school's abrupt closure, which is being conducted by Attorney General William Tong. Perry Rowthorn, a partner with Jepsen Rowthorn, is countering Tong's claim that the school has not cooperated with the investigation. Tong earlier this month sought a court order to force the owners of Stone Academy to comply with his demands for information concerning potential violations of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act. Rowthorn previously worked for former Attorney General George Jepsen, who is now his partner in private practice. Stone Academy has also retained prominent Hartford law firm Cowdery, Murphy, Dannehy & Healy as co-counsel. Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin. Carlos Mouta sits in an apartment he created as part of the renovation of 1477 Park St. HBJ PHOTO | STEVE LASCHEVER Perry Rowthorn David Cordani

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