Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JUNE 2, 2025 3 BIZ BRIE FS The Capitol Hotel, 440 Asylum St., Hartford. PHOTO | COSTAR DOL Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo said private sector employment reached a new all-time high of 1,483,600 in April. However, total employment remains below March 2008 levels due to a smaller federal, state and local government workforce Hearst reporters vote in favor of unionization Staff at the state's largest news- paper company, Hearst Connecticut Media Group, have voted to form a union, some nine months after starting an organizing drive. Leaders of the Connecticut News Guild say of 85 ballots counted, 80% voted in favor of unionization. The vote included reporters, photographers, editors and digital producers. Hearst has been growing rapidly in Connecticut, most recently acquiring the Waterbury Republican-American in February of this year. It also owns daily newspapers in Stamford, Norwalk, Greenwich, Danbury, Bridgeport, New Haven and Middletown, and recently acquired the Journal Inquirer of Manchester and Record Journal of Meriden. Union organizers say the growth and consolidation of the group has led to shifting job responsibilities for staff and requirements that they report to offices that are distant from the communities they cover. They also say that wages have not kept pace with inflation. Downtown Hartford hotel goes on the market, advertised for hotel use or conversion to multifamily A 96-room hotel in downtown Hart- ford is up for sale. New York-based Upland Property Advisors listed the Capitol Hotel, at 440 Asylum St. The 68,763-square- foot, 1961-vintage building sits on 0.71 acres, according to the listing brochure. Located just off Interstate 84, the nine-story, brick hotel is across the street from the northeastern tip of Bushnell Park, with a straight line- of-site to the State Capitol building. It is also steps away from Union Station, the city's passenger rail and bus terminal. The property is being marketed for its conversion potential into multi- family apartments, as well as its value as a hotel. The property is owned by Shanti CC Hartford LLC, whose principal is Michael S. Goldstein, of San Diego. The property also includes a 46-space indoor parking garage. New social-sports destination with pickleball, mini golf planned in Simsbury A company opening a social-sports concept in Boston and Philadelphia plans to build a similar entertainment and recre- ation destination in Simsbury, featuring outdoor pickleball and padel courts, along with a miniature golf course. The Philadelphia-based company, Ballers, is backed by a group of investors that includes tennis stars Andre Agassi, Kim Clijsters and Sloane Stephens. The group, which has raised more than $15 million in equity, is proposing to redevelop part of the former Tower Ridge Country Club on Nod Road. The project involves converting tennis courts on the property into 10 pickleball courts and building an 18-hole miniature golf course. The pickleball courts should be finished by the end of July, and the mini golf facility in early fall, the developers said. There will also be two or three courts for padel – a sport that combines tennis and squash, which is considered the fastest-growing racquet sport in the world. Tower Ridge Country Club, which closed in 2019, has already been partially redeveloped. Its tenants now include an ice cream shop, nonprofit organization, disc golf course and Talcott Mountain Collective, a tap house/beer garden and events venue that hosts live concerts. The country club's former clubhouse has been converted into a restaurant, The Collective Kitchen. "There should be a lot of synergies between all of these things," said Daniel Bassichis, the primary owner of Tower Ridge and a co-founder of Ballers. "After people play pickleball, they can go listen to live music and have beers. And people (who have been) sitting there for hours listening to music, they might want to come over and rent a court." At Trinity Health Of New England, we're committed to providing a personalized, informed patient experience centered around you. Whether you prefer an in-person visit or a virtual appointment, our expert primary care providers are ready to see you — and we'll get you in now. We'll partner with you to monitor your health, prevent illness, track symptoms, identify risk factors, and address any health concerns. You can count on our team to be with you every step of the way. Schedule your primary care appointment by calling us at 833-C-YOU-NOW (833-296-8669) or visiting TrinityHealthOfNE.org/Easy. Your Primary Care Physician Will See You Now

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