Hartford Business Journal

14 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | MARCH 4, 2024 new attraction for business," said Hartford Economic Development Director Patrick Pentalow. "I think it's a huge win for Hartford, and I think it's a win for UConn as well." The XL Center will host a new food innovation center headed by UConn's Department of Agricul- ture. The center is meant to help Connecticut farmers produce in-de- mand crops, increasing the value of the state's agricultural sector. The center will also pair UConn faculty with industry to conduct research and joint projects. The psychology clinic will provide low-cost therapy services to the public and hands-on experience for students. The Institute for Sports Medicine inside the XL Center will bring together researchers, physi- cians, clinicians and physical ther- apists from the UConn Department of Kinesiology in Storrs and UConn Health to provide instruction and services, said Pamir Alpay, UConn's Hartford Economic Development Director Patrick Pentalow outside City Hall. HBJ PHOTO | MICHAEL PUFFER Privately developed college dorm in downtown Waterbury pays off; UConn's Avery Point campus leadership shows interest By Michael Puffer mpuffer@hartfordbusiness.com U Conn officials aren't just considering student housing in Hartford — new residen- tial space could also be added near the school's Avery Point campus in Groton. Early talks have occurred between the university and Joseph Gramando, managing partner of Green Hub Development, a firm that brought college dormitory housing to UConn's Waterbury campus in 2017. In Waterbury, Green Hub spent about $7 million to buy and renovate the top two floors of a three-story, mixed-use office building, at 20 East Main St., located almost across from the downtown UConn regional campus. The effort transformed the long-vacant, 68,388-square-foot "Brown Building" into dormitory suites for 90 students. The city of Waterbury provided zoning relief and a tax abatement to aid the project. Unlike Waterbury, however, Avery Point's seaside campus in Groton doesn't have nearby large empty buildings ripe for housing conver- sions, Gramando noted. The area also lacks apartments in general. Avery Point enrolled 531 students this fall, 464 of whom are undergraduates. Gramando said his idea is to build student housing on space granted through a long-term land lease. He stressed talks are in the early stages, and far from an actionable proposal. 'Real college experience' Gramando said he modeled his rehab of the Brown Building in Waterbury to match UConn's vision of dorm life. Green Hub provides resident advisors on each floor and a building manager. The building is open to any higher-education student, but draws mainly from the nearby UConn campus. Today, the building houses 70 UConn students and 20 pupils from Post University, which is also located in Waterbury. Gramando said the dorm is a powerful draw for students seeking convenience and a residential college experience. There are study hall rooms for collaboration, and the building hosts events like holiday and Super Bowl parties, movie nights and cultural potluck dinners. The property also has a security guard, hallway cameras and elec- tronic locks, Gramando said. "What we built was a real college experience for these students, and parents like it," Gramando said. Gramando said the dorm has been a good investment, and Green Hub has retired all the project debt. Green Hub in Waterbury is also currently rehabbing a roughly 130-year-old, 39,537-square-foot office building near the UConn campus for university programs and classes. The roughly $15 million rehab of the prominent, six-story Odd Fellows building, at 36 N. Main St., launched in September and is expected to wrap up by the summer of 2025. Gramando said he expects the expansion will eventually result in demand for more student housing. vice president for research, inno- vation and entrepreneurship. "This will be a very central loca- tion where we can do clinical work, where we can do research work," Alpay said. Alpay said the university hopes the new clinical opportunities will help spur future enrollment growth. The Hartford campus began the 2023 fall semester with 1,473 undergraduate students. D'Alleva said the upcoming Hart- ford expansion also complements the university's recently adopted 10-year strategic master plan, which calls for UCONN'S TENTATIVE XL CENTER LEASE TERMS Space: 51,077 square feet Term: Five years, with two, five-year renewal options Cost: $970,470 for first year, with 2.5% annual increases through year five, plus a pro rata share of any increases in common area operating costs. Of note: $5 million in state bond funding will be used to cover relocation, tenant fit-out and approximately three years of lease costs. The university will pay entirely for years four and five. Landlord: Northland Source: UConn Board of Trustees "seven world-class campuses and one flagship university." The campuses include Storrs; the regionals in Hartford, Waterbury, Stamford and Avery Point in Groton; along with the UConn Health facility in Farmington and UConn's law school in Hartford. "The idea is that we want to build each of our campuses and take advantage of opportunities that each of our locations represent," D'Alleva said. "Of course, Hartford is our capital and a major business city in the nation, and so we want to build our presence in Hartford." Joseph Gramando is the managing partner of Green Hub Development, which developed student housing in Waterbury. HBJ PHOTOS | MICHAEL PUFFER UConn senior Leslie Akuffo, 21, lives at a privatley run college dorm in downtown Waterbury.

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