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www.HartfordBusiness.com November26,2012•Hartford Business Journal 45 Celebrating 20 Years of Business News STORIES 20 Years of By Brad Kane bkane@HartfordBusiness.com W hen then-Gov. John G. Rowland in February 1998 announced a planned $135 million terminal expansion at Bradley International Airport, he said the move would smooth the Windsor Locks' airports projected ascent from han- dling 5.42 million passengers in 1997 to 8.6 million by 2010. As it turned out, Bradley barely got off the runway, serving fewer passengers in 2010 than in 1997. Rowland's announcement in 1998 came as Bradley was on the upswing. Reconstruction of the two main runways had just finished and the facility had increased passenger counts 14 percent since 1992. ValuJet Airlines started serving Bradley in 1995. Low-cost rival Carni- val Air Lines followed suit later that year, call- ing Bradley the next main hub for the airline. The upswing continued through 2000 when Bradley hit a then-record passenger count of 7.34 million before a series of global events sent the airport on a bumpy ride. The terrorist attacks on Sept. 11 caused apprehension among passengers, while the airlines struggled with the financial impacts of that day. Passenger counts fell 15 percent through 2003. Just as Bradley's passenger traffic started making a comeback – hitting an all-time high of 7.38 million in 2005 -- another economic downturn hit. Corporate travel budgets were slashed as telecommuting technologies made doing business across the globe easier right from home. Passenger service out of Bradley bottomed out in 2009 at 5.33 million, the air- port's worst year since 1995. Bradley still struggles with fulfilling the ambitions of today's policymakers and the business community, which see the air- port as a major economic driver in central Connecticut. The planned 600,000-square-foot expan- sion — which ended up costing $235 million with the addition of new parking garage – did accomplish one of its goals: attracting low- cost airlines to Bradley. While ValuJet and Carnival have ceased operations, Southwest Airlines started ser- vice at Bradley in 1999 and continues today. Jet Blue Airways came to Bradley in 2010. Passenger counts have recovered slight- ly from the low point in 2009, rising to 5.38 million in 2010 and 5.61 million in 2011. Today, the airport is run by the Con- necticut Airport Authority, which took over control from the state Department of Trans- portation in 2011. As a quasi-public organiza- tion, the CAA hopes to be more nimble and market-responsive to drive growth at Brad- ley, said Kevin Dillon, who became the first executive director of the Connecticut Airport Authority in June. Dillon said his three immediate goals for Bradley are enhancing the route structure, particularly with international and long-haul domestic destinations; bettering the cus- tomer service options at the airport, such as frequent flier lounges; and improving the use of the development zone around Bradley for business. "We want to work with the local munici- palities to spur that economic development," Dillon said. Over the past 20 years, the development zone around Bradley has grown the area into a hotel and distribution hub, said Jim Burke, economic development director for Windsor and member of the Bradley Development League. Because of the airport, Windsor has added 800 hotel rooms, and Windsor Locks has added 1,000 rooms, Burke said. Compa- nies such as Honda, FedEx, UPS, and Wal- greens have set up distribution centers inside the Bradley Development Zone. "The key to economic development in the future will be using the development zone," Burke said. g F or more than 60 years, aviation was the focus of Rentschler Field in East Hart- ford. Its location — adjacent to Pratt & Whitney's plant — was a natural for testing engines. But Rentschler was much more. During World War II, B-50 and B-29 bombers were frequent visitors seeking repairs and modi- fications. Presidents and celebrities – from Charles Lindbergh to Bob Hope – walked its tarmac. A 747 came by for Pratt & Whitney's 50th anniversary celebration. In fact, the air- field was larger than Bradley until that air- port attracted international flights. But by 1979, United Technologies saw dwindling value and started working on rede- veloping the property. It was a long and wind- ing process that saw a wealth of ideas floated, from residential complex to office park to a retail center that would rival Buckland Hills Mall. One of the more creative ideas came from local restaurateur Thomas Altmann who saw the flat 600-acre expanse as a per- fect spot for a Formula 1 auto circuit. East Hartford officials also had concerns — seek- ing to ensure the land's use as an economic engine while avoiding any environmental or un-neighborly uses. The plans took a dramatic turn in 1999 as Hartford struggled with site issues for its pro- posed football stadium for the New England Patriots. Rentschler offered a lower cost alter- native but Gov. John Rowland was determined to do the deal in downtown Hartford. While that strategy didn't work, Rent- schler was on its way to becoming home to a football stadium as part of a larger plan that includes office and retail uses. UTC donated 75-acres to the state and stadium construction moved quickly. UConn started playing its football games there in 2003. The 40,000-capacity stadium also has been home to the short-lived Hartford Colonial of the professional United Football League, a winter hockey festival and interna- tional soccer matches. Musical acts includ- ing Bruce Springsteen and the Rolling Stones also have played the venue. The arrival of Cabela's, a national out- door equipment retailer, on a parcel adjacent to the stadium in 2007 signaled motion on the grander plan. Environmental concerns slowed the project for a while but federal approval for construction of a key roadway came in 2009. Developer Dan Matos is moving ahead on a $2 billion development proposal that calls for a mixed-use project with approximately 7.8 million square feet of new offices for tech- nology companies, hotels, retail, entertain- ment and housing. Frederick Brant Rentschler, the engineer and founder of Pratt & Whitney, would likely approve of the adaptive approach to maximiz- ing the utility of the site that bears his name. – Norm Bell Rentschler Field makes transition from airplanes to football, retail The University of Connecticut football stadium takes shape in East Hartford. Bradley's growth locked in a holding pattern Work on the Bradley International Airport terminal and concourse expansion first announced in 1998 was seen as a way to accommodate the growing number of passengers using the Windsor Locks facility. Since that time, the airport has seen passenger counts flux, and current is working to add more flights. P H O T O / N I C K L A C Y P H O T O C O u r T e s Y / C C e D A