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OCTOBER 2, 2017 • HARTFORD BUSINESS JOURNAL | 43 In the face of a large budget deficit, Connecticut state lawmakers adopt a two-year, $40.2 billion budget that includes $1.5 billion in new taxes. Tropical Storm Irene slams Connecticut causing widespread blackouts in August. In late October, a snowstorm knocks out power again and lights stay out up to 10 days for some in hard-hit areas. The state launches investigations. 2012 Hartford's iQuilt concept grows past its planning stages. The main thrust is to tie together cultural assets to make Hartford more livable and walkable. Lots of money, mostly federal is needed to help it reach its full potential. Downtown Hartford's high vacancy rates wreak havoc on the property values of nearly all Class A office towers in the central business district. Municipal revaluation is shaving at least 15 percent off most values, while the biggest buildings downtown lost much more. In the waning days of the legislative session, the General Assembly creates the Capital Region Development Authority, giving it broad power and state financial backing to plan and implement major regional development projects, including housing, the future of the XL Center, and overseeing the purchase of Hartford office space to move state workers downtown. The iconic Travelers Tower in downtown Hartford is getting a $30 million facelift. The project will repair and replace exterior elements, windows and drainage systems. 2013 The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine breaks ground on its new 189,000-square-foot facility in Farmington. The state will pay about $120 million to acquire, renovate and move into two downtown Hartford office buildings it has been negotiating to buy for more than a year. Officials break ground on Infinity Music Hall Hartford, the 500-seat entertainment and dining venue slated for a late 2013 opening in downtown's Front Street Entertainment District. Connecticut's health insurance market gets a bit more competitive as Wallingford nonprofit HealthyCT gains approval to operate a new health plan in the state. It didn't last long, dissolving in 2017. Hartford health insurer Aetna completes its $5.7-billion acquisition of Coventry Health Care Inc. Connecticut's General Assembly gives final approval to a $1.5-billion plan to expand the University of Connecticut, including relocating its suburban Hartford campus to downtown. The proposed merger between St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center and Missouri for-profit hospital operator Ascension Health Care Network has dies. Middletown's Liberty Bank has received regulatory approval for its $11 million purchase of the struggling New Haven lender The Bank of Southern Connecticut. Insurer Harvard Pilgrim Health Care chose downtown Hartford as its new Connecticut headquarters taking up residence in CityPlace II. Access Health CT received nearly 2,000 phone calls and its website received more than 28,000 unique visits during its first-ever open enrollment day under the federal Affordable Care Act. The state's Appellate Court reversed former Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez's five corruption convictions and called for two new trials, arguing there was sufficient evidence to sustain Perez's convictions. 2014 Pratt & Whitney announce the building of a new headquarters and its parent will invest as much as $4.5 billion in facilities over five years — in exchange for state incentives — as part of its commitment to staying in Connecticut. Hartford's Trinity College name Massachusetts scholar and neuroscientist Joanne Berger- Sweeney as its first female and African-American president. Glastonbury's Rockville Bank and United Bank in West Springfield complete their merger, creating United Financial Bancorp. Bristol sports network ESPN opens its new 194,000-square-foot digital production facility that houses the popular program "SportsCenter." Hartford city officials unveil plans in June for a $60-million ballpark on downtown's northern rim scheduled to be the new home of the future Hartford Yard Goats in 2016. Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra also announces that the city has chosen Centerplan Construction as the lead developer of the Downtown North development. A New Haven federal jury finds former Republican Gov. John G. Rowland guilty on all seven charges related to a campaign finance conspiracy. Watertown's Theraplant in September delivers medical marijuana to all six of the state's dispensaries, making it the first licensed marijuana grower in the state to do so. Infinity Music Hall & Bistro opens in downtown Hartford's Front Street Entertainment District. Grove Hill Medical Centers and Connecticut Multispecialty Group agree to merge. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy wins re-election fending off GOP challenger Tom Foley. In a surprising Nov. 24 announcement, United Technologies Corp. say CEO and Chairman Louis R. Chenevert will resign and be replaced by Gregory J. Hayes.