Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com July 11, 2016 • Hartford Business Journal 3 State workers begin filling CT's downtown twin towers By Gregory Seay gseay@HartfordBusiness.com "M oving day'' has finally begun for the first of more than 2,100 state workers from several agencies relocating to the state's newest office build- ing in downtown Hartford. Starting July 11, the first 111 of the 545 full- time employees with the state Department of Revenue Services are settling into their fresh workspaces in the south tower of the two-building 450 Columbus Blvd. — formerly Connecticut River Plaza — overlooking Con- stitution Plaza, I-91 and the river. Bought by the state for $34.5 million in Sept. 2013, 450 Columbus is intended as a relief valve to consolidate workers and state operations scattered in various buildings around the Capital City. Many of those sites either have leases that are expiring, or, in the case of DRS, are located in structures near- ing the end of their useful lives and in need of extensive repairs/renovations. On top of the purchase price, Connecticut taxpayers have invested another $101 million or so to design and install 450 Columbus' inte- rior/exterior configurations and furnishings. Except for their steel-masonry shells erect- ed in 1983, and the high-tech Otis Elevator cars installed by the previous owner, just about everything inside and outside of both towers is new: Carpeting, paint, small but intuitive work cubicles with desks, chairs and storage "cub- bies.'' New roofs, natural-gas powered boilers and chillers, too, were installed. According to the state Department of Administrative Services' team overseeing 450 Columbus' conversion, state workers were surveyed for ideas/suggestions as to what they did/didn't want in their new workspaces. What workers coveted most, DAS says it tried to accommodate despite budget con- straints exacerbated by the state's fiscal woes. Cubicles and workstations are oriented so they are next to or face the twin tower's window-laced exteriors. To provide an even "brighter, open feel,'' lots of glass panels sepa- rate halls and corridors. The dozens of conference and meeting rooms have etched glass partitions to provide occupants with some measure of privacy. Reserving one of the rooms illustrates the extensive integration of technology into the building for occupants' convenience. Using the Windows Outlook programs on their PCs, staffers can book a conference room and then that information is instantly shared with fellow office workers. "Everything in this building is designed to be shared,'' said Doug Moore, DAS director of facilities management. Moore is part of the DAS team that has spent more than two years shepherding the conversion at 450 Columbus. Ira Henowitz is project man- ager. DAS lawyer Erin O'Brien Choquette, who is Continued 450 Columbus Blvd. Vitals • Two inter-connected steel-frame tow- ers, totaling 580,443 gross square feet, above a five-story parking garage situ- ated on 1.7 acres. • Approx. 750 parking spaces in the below-ground garage; plus 2,290 spac- es at the adjacent state-owned Morgan Street Garage. • North tower has 15 stories • South tower has 11 stories • Towers' eventual occupants: Dept. of Administrative Services; Dept. of Education; Dept. of Consumer Protection; Dept. of Agriculture; Office of Early Childhood; Dept. of Revenue Services; Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities; and Office of Public Hearings S O U R C E : C T D E P T . O F A D M I N I S T R A T I V E S E R V I C E S 860.871.1111 Toll Free: 800.741.6367 nemsi.com License #'s: E1-104939 • S1-302974 • P1-203519 • F1-10498 • SM1-192 • MC-1134 MECHANICAL • ELECTRICAL • PLUMBING • SHEET METAL • BUILDING AUTOMATION • FACILITIES SERVICES FACILITY SOLUTIONS…ONE SOURCE The company that builds and installs the critical systems in virtually every type of facility is the same company you can rely on to maintain them. For 50 years, our clients have trusted us to deliver end-to-end facilities solutions, so they can focus on their core business. We design, install, maintain, and protect systems in: Industrial Facilities Manufacturing Facilities Commercial Facilities Higher Education Facilities Healthcare Facilities Pharmaceutical Facilities 196 6-2016 196 6-2016 Twin towers (left) comprise the state's newest office building, 450 Columbus Blvd., overlooking Constitution Plaza and the Connecticut River. At right, interior flourishes of the towers' shared main lobby. P H O T O S | S T E V E L A S C H E V E R

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