Hartford Business Journal

14 Hartford Business Journal • July 27, 2015 www.HartfordBusiness.com W. Hfd. plans transit-oriented development on New Park Ave. T he West Hartford Housing Authority (WHHA), fresh off the debut of its newest mixed-market rate housing development in town, is readying its next building project. The housing authority, through its nonprofit development arm Trout Brook Realty Advisors, is preparing to trans- form the vacant, former Pontiac Center site at 616 New Park Ave. into a $19 mil- lion, four-story building with ground-floor retail and community space and 54 living units on its three upper floors. As previously reported, the WHHA in late 2014 acquired the approximately two- acre dealership site that sits next door to the newly opened New Park/New Britain Avenue stop for the CTfastrak busway. Such transit-oriented development is an intended offshoot of the busway's develop- ment, according to state and local transpor- tation and economic development officials. Locating housing close to transit stops and transportation corridors enables a diverse range of households to reside in wealthier communities like West Hartford, they say. Housing authority Executive Director George Howell said the pricetag for the devel- opment — known internally for now as "6-1- 6'' — will be financed through a combination of low-income housing tax credits, state housing grants and a conventional mortgage. Around 15 units would be earmarked for working residents with qualifying incomes, with their rents tied to the town's median household income; the other 49 would be leased at market rates, Howell said. According to Howell, a one-bedroom unit for a qualified "workforce'' resident at 6-1-6 would run $964 a month vs. $1,300 a month for a market-rate tenant. A two-bedroom "workforce'' unit would lease for $1,201 a month vs. $1,500 a month for the same unit leased to market occupants, he said. Beneath, on the ground floor, 6-1-6 will have about 3,000 square feet of commer- cial retail space on the building's south end, facing the busway station, Howell said. It will also house a small gym/fitness center, community conference room and extra storage space for residents. Hartford's Amenta Emma Architects is 6-1-6's designer. The authority will search for a building contractor within 30 to 60 days, beginning with a request for qualifi- cations, Howell said. If all holds, construction would begin sometime next summer, with occupancy set for late 2017 at the earliest, he said. In June, the WHHA unveiled The Good- win, a 47-unit mixed-rate residential building at 189 Newington Road whose living units bear the same "working'' and "market-rate'' pricing as proposed for 6-1-6, Howell said. The Bridge, Avon Nonprofit counseling center The Bridge has leased 2,040 square feet, or half the office space at 45 West Main St. in Avon. Founded in 1969, The Bridge now has several locations statewide, offering family resource centers, youth and family services and residential care to the community. Sentry Commercial represented The Bridge. CB Richard Ellis-New England repre- sented landlord Avon Allies LLC in the lease. Rankin's Cheshire space Illinois commercial heating/cooling/ven- tilation services vendor The Rankin Group Inc. has leased 12,760 square feet of indus- trial/flex space at 150 Sandbank Road in Cheshire for its new regional service depot. From that location, Rankin will provide its temporary heating/cooling/dehumidifying equipment and services to industrial-com- mercial customers in New England and the New York/Mid-Atlantic region, brokers say. O,R&L Commercial LLC represented landlord Marshall Enterprises. Cushman & Wakefield in Hartford represented The Rankin Group, of Lombard, Ill. With the Rankin lease, the 30,630-square- foot building is fully leased, brokers say. Cronin's renewal Glastonbury marketing communica- tions firm Cronin & Co. has renewed its 23,795-square-foot lease at 50 Nye Road. Sentry Commercial represented Cronin. CBRE-New England represented landlord Nye Road Partners LLC in the lease. n Deal Watch wants to hear from you. E-mail it, along with contact informa- tion to: gseay@HartfordBusiness.com. Gregory Seay is the Hartford Business Journal News Editor. Gregory Seay Quality Construction + Butler Manufacturing = Repeat Customers www.borghesibuilding.com © 2011 BlueScope Buildings North America, Inc. All rights reserved. Butler Manufacturing™ is a division of BlueScope Buildings North America, Inc. 2155 East Main Street • Torrington, Connecticut 06790 317–321 Federal Road, Brookfield, CT | 2005 | 31,000 sq ft 270–290 Federal Road, Brookfield, CT 2002 | 33,000 sq ft 227-235 Federal Road, Brookfield, CT 2014 | 25,000 sq ft Contact us at 1-855-BUILD-86 or visit us on the web. 150 Sandbank Road, Cheshire. Officially Produced by: Now available are official PDF REPRINTS of your Article for your MARKETING usage All copyright fees included Share the excitement of being published! 20 Hartford Business Journal • March 23, 2015 www.HartfordBusiness.com Best Places To Work In CT 2015 By Kathryn M. Roy Special to the Hartford Business Journal H ard work is rewarded at law firm Hinckley Allen. And for its 60 Hartford- based employees, the firm's focus on professional development provides a boost not only to staff, but clients as well. "We put a lot of time and effort into the development and training of our people," said Thomas S. Marrion, a partner at the law firm. "Within the last few years, we hired a director of professional development who was a partner at another law firm in Boston. He is devoted entire- ly to the professional development of our people here. It was a major commitment on our part to hire a full-time person in a firm of our size." Marrion said the role reflects the firm's dedication to having all staff properly trained so they can do the best work for their clients. The Hartford office, which has been open since 2008, is also known for its positive, team-based culture. "Everyone in every position at the firm is part of a team that is devoted to providing the best possible service to our clients," Marrion said. Rewarding good work is a priority at Hinckley Allen, which operates six offices and employs more than 300 people compa- nywide. The firm looks for opportunities for people to take on greater responsibilities, and they get greater rewards, Marrion said. "We always try to promote from within," Marrion said. "It doesn't matter what your job is here; if you work hard and work well with others and you're productive, you will be rec- ognized for that and you will succeed here." Megan McCormack, director of human resources, said being recognized as a good place to work helps lift office morale. "It helps support the goals that we have in human resources to create a good culture and good environment for people to work in," McCormack said. "It really is about creating a positive culture and one where people are sup- ported. They're rewarded for hard and qual- ity work. They support each other, they have respect for each other and they feel valued." As part of relationship development and team building, the firm organizes monthly wind downs or employee lunches, where staff can enjoy lunch and socialize with each other. The company hosts holiday parties and regular outside-of-work recreational outings. "People continue to develop strong personal relationships," McCormack said. "People are really proud of what they can accomplish. They prefer to work in teams; they're stronger collectively. It's just enjoy- able to work with people that you genuinely like and respect." A formal committee of staff members orga- nizes community service projects. Employees volunteer at a local soup kitchen, at Camp Courant to benefit underprivileged children, and at Connecticut Public Television. "No question, it makes my job easier because all of those positive feelings people have about their work is just an extension of what we try to do," McCormack said. "There are not nearly as many negative issues that you have to deal with." Legal secretary Jean McCarthy, who serves on the committee charged with orga- nizing outside community service events, said the events help with bonding. "It makes it like it's not just a workplace – you're more invested," McCarthy said. The firm also supports a work-life balance. "They're pretty family-oriented, and I think that's kind of different from other large firms," McCarthy said. "Just recently, I had to leave work to pick up my sick grand- daughter, and they really are very support- ive of that type of occurrence. They know things happen." There's nothing better than working with people who have a positive attitude, McCar- thy added. "I come to work and I like spending time with the people here," she said. ◆ ▶ " I had to leave work to pick up my sick granddaughter, and they really are very supportive of that type of occurrence. " – Jean McCarthy, legal secretary Hinckley Allen prioritizes teamwork Hinckley Allen employees (above) volunteer together at Camp Courant, celebrate special occasions together (below), and let loose at office socials (left). Large Company Category S A M P L E R e p r i n t & P l a q u e Connecticut Green Guide, Hartford Business Journal and HartfordBusiness.com content is copyrighted. Visit HartfordBusiness.com/reprints for more info on article usage and obtaining copyright permissions. ALL PDF LIST REPRINTS COME WITH ADDITIONAL Commemorative Plaque OPTION Plaques are Walnut Brown woodgrain finish with reprint mounted under beveled plexi-glass. Trimmed with metal corner nails. It's the perfect addition to your office or lobby — Ask for details and pricing. For article reprint info & pricing, contact: Jessica Baker jbaker@HartfordBusiness.com or 860.236.9998 ext. 122 or visit HartfordBusiness.com/ reprints Artist's rendering of a proposed apartment-commercial building at 616 New Park Ave., West Hartford. DEAL WATCH P H O T O | C O N T R I B U T E D R E N D E R I N G | C O N T R I B U T E D

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