Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | OCTOBER 5, 2026 3 Tom and Lelaneia Dubay, founders of Hartford Flavor Co., opened their Cocktail Parlour at 54 Pratt St. in July 2024. HBJ File Photo A rendering of Martin Family Hall, the planned home of the University of New Haven's Pompea College of Business in West Haven. New Haven's Union Station to get $24.8M renovation The state plans to spend $24.8 million renovating New Haven's Union Station, adding a bar and café in the main atrium, a mezzanine lounge and new retail space. The project includes $9.1 million in exterior repairs already underway and $15.7 million in interior work. Officials are seeking businesses interested in operating food and retail spaces, with a formal request for proposals expected in February 2027. Interior renovations are scheduled to finish in phases through 2028. Garage repairs are expected to wrap up in 2029. Hartford Flavor closes Pratt Street cocktail parlour, seeks new operator Hartford Flavor Co. has closed its downtown Hartford cocktail parlour and is seeking a new operator for the Pratt Street space. The parlour at 54 Pratt St. closed Sept. 13, affecting 25 employees. The company said inconsistent foot traffic, rising costs and staff turnover made the restaurant difficult to sustain. It is open to selling the parlour's brand and concept or transferring the lease. Hartford Flavor's distillery at 30 Arbor St., where it makes Wild Moon liqueurs and organic vodkas, remains open. lenge gift that depends on matching donations. Ion Bank gets state approval for Boston-area merger Naugatuck-based Ion Bank has received Connecticut regulatory approval to merge with The Cooperative Bank, a four-branch lender in the Boston area. The deal is targeted to close in October. The merger would give Ion its first branches in Massachusetts, following its expansion into New Jersey in 2025. The Cooperative Bank would operate as an Ion division. When the deal was announced in June, the banks said their combined assets would total about $3.3 billion. Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis Director Fred Carstensen, argues that the state should focus on applying AI in industries where it already has expertise, rather than developing large AI models. Carstensen proposes using Connecticut Innovations and other existing programs to invest public money alongside at least twice as much private funding. The report also recommends giving startups controlled access to industry data, connecting them with potential customers and offering businesses vouchers for AI pilot projects. Univ. of New Haven breaks ground on $45M business school The University of New Haven has broken ground on a new $45 million, four-story home for its Pompea College of Business on its West Haven campus. The 50,000-square-foot Martin Family Hall is expected to open in July 2028. The business college moved from the university's Orange campus to West Haven in fall 2025. Its new building will include space for artificial intelligence and business analytics instruction, a financial trading room and a classroom for business pitches. Alumni and their families have pledged more than $25 million toward the project, including a $5 million chal- BIZ BRIE FS Fred Carstensen For every emergency you face, we're here. At Saint Francis Hospital, our Emergency Department is backed by the expertise, technology and specialized care of a Level I Trauma Center, providing the highest level of care available. Treatment of serious injuries or illness, as well as non-life-threatening emergencies, is provided by our highly trained teams, who are ready 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Our experienced emergency physicians, trauma surgeons, nurses and specialists work together to deliver rapid assessment, advanced treatment and seamless coordination of care when every moment matters. Saint Francis combines leading-edge medicine with the compassionate care our community has trusted for generations. Learn more at TrinityHealthOfNE.org/Emergency VERIFIED LEVEL 1 TRAUMA CENTER

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