Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/477238
50 Hartford Business Journal•November26,2012 www.HartfordBusiness.com Celebrating 20 Years of Business News "Hartford — New England's Rising Star" is the new logo and tag line created to rebrand the city. 2002 Giant glass walls and elevators, bright lights and hi-tech gadgetry are just some of the hallmarks of the spacious new Morgan Street garage. The $26 million facil- ity has 10 lanes of entrances and exits to reach 2,990 spaces on eight levels. Britain's Prince Andrew presides at the grand opening of Marcus Co.'s new manufacturing plant in Middletown. Marc C. Schroeder started the company in 1992 as the sole U.S. dis- tributor for Liquid Plastics LTD. Now the firm is the sole U.S. manufacturer for the British company. The next big thing for rowing and events — The Greater Hart- ford Jaycees Com- munity Boathouse — opens its doors. Fire damages the historic Capewell Manufacturing Co. building's upper floors and roof, with water damage to lower floors. Buckland Hills Mall undergoes a makeover and expan- sion which includes a new 25,000-square- foot Barnes & Noble Bookstore, a Star- bucks café, and a restaurant. Business leaders in Hartford hail the adoption of char- ter reform. They approve of the con- cept that the buck will stop on just one desk when charter reform takes effect in January 2004. Rocky Hill discounter Ames had a rollercoaster ride that included two trips to bankruptcy court before closing in 2002. At its height, it operated about 700 stores. Three banks and The Hartford invest $40 million in a 22-story, 409-room luxury hotel, with four restaurants and bars, indoor pool, day spa, and 13,500 square feet of meeting and ballroom space — The Hartford Marriott Downtown. 2003 The State Employ- ees Bargaining Agent Coalition files a class- action suit naming Gov. John Rowland and his budget chief Marc Ryan for violat- ing the union's first amendment rights and for coercion. Union members claim they were singled out for layoffs because they did not accept Rowland's request for concessions. Travelers Property Casualty, spun-off from parent company Citigroup a year earlier, adopts the ellipse to replace the umbrella as its logo. State lawmakers pass a one-time 20 percent surcharge on corporate income tax for fiscal 2003. • Bradley's $200 million terminal opens as air travel plummets. Despite bad timing, all 12 new gates are used. Cigna, a fixture in Greater Hartford since 1865 and in Bloomfield for the past 46 years, embarks on a massive makeover of its 665- acre Bloomfield campus. Hartford Hospital signs on as the first ten- ant for Blue Back Square, West Hartford Cen- ter's $150 million project. The new Connecticut Bank & Trust Co's initial sale of stock reaps $18.5 million in 76 days; 1,850,000 shares at $10 to 500 new stock- holders; 86 percent from Connecticut; all without the assistance of a brokerage house or other out- side finance expertise. 21st Century UConn, the university's $1.3 billion plan to upgrade and expand facilities, is unveiled. Busted! Hundreds of Hartford companies face tax penalties as the city combs its com- mercial personal property files dating back three years. Many businesses are embarrassed at being publicly identified for having filed incorrect tax returns. While restaura- teurs are behind the ban on smoking, bar owners say the state should butt out. The new law takes effect on Oct. 1. • State House Square built, in 1987, is sold for $66 mil- lion by Aetna to State House Financial Associates LLC, an affili- ate of Harbor Group International. The two 14-story towers will be getting a $3 million facelift over the next 12 to 18 months. Fleet merges with Bank of America in a $43 billion stock-for-stock transaction. B of A becomes the nation's second largest bank. In Connecticut, 175 branches will drop their Fleet name and adopt the red white blue B of A colors. Barely a year after completing its spin-off from Citigroup, Travelers Prop- erty Casualty Corp. is changing again and being acquired by The St. Paul Companies Inc. in a tax-free stock-for-stock deal. The two companies will combine to form the second-largest commercial insurer, the St. Paul Travelers. Business activities will be managed out of Hartford, but the corpora- tion will call Minnesota home. 2004 TIMELINE The Past 20 Years 2001 2002 2003 Adams & Ahern Sign Solutions in Hartford unveils the new Greater Hartford Jaycees Community Boathouse sign. Capital unrest The bargaining agent for state workers sues then- Gov. John Rowland and others, claiming retaliation for their unwillingness to accept concession. View of the State Capitol from inside the Legislative Office Building next door. State House Square, which recently was sold to Harbor Group International for $66 million, will benefit from a $3 million facelift in the next 12 to 18 months. Gov. John Rowland Marc Ryan, budget chief General Growth Properties, owner of the Shoppes at Buckland Hills in Manchester, paints a bleak finan- cial picture due to its $4 billion debt burden. Last puff Carmen Anthony Vacalebre, owner of four Carmen Anthony restaurants in Connecticut, is hosting "Last Hurrah" cigar dinners before the restaurant smoking ban goes into effect Oct. 1, 2003.