Hartford Business Journal

4 Hartford Business Journal • April 9, 2018 • www.HartfordBusiness.com Week in Review Briefs Farmington church offers acreage for development An 18 ½-acre undeveloped parcel that a Farmington church owns in the shadow of UConn Health and Jackson Laboratory is being marketed to developers eager to leverage proximity to thousands of people providing medical services and research. Commercial realty broker-adviser CBRE/New England announced the availability of the rear tract at 8231 and 9249 Farmington Ave. that the Farmington Avenue Baptist Church of West Hartford owns. Asking price was not disclosed. The site, part of Farmington's designated "Innovation Zone,'' also can be reached via a signaled intersection adjacent to UConn, at 400 Farmington Ave. The zone, officials say, allows for a higher flexibility/density of mixed-use buildings and developments, including medical and professional offices, housing, and biotechnology and related research and development. Former CCSU president Miller dies at 70 Former Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) President John W. Miller has died, school officials said. He was 70. Miller, who retired in 2016 after 11 years as CCSU's president, had relocated from Farmington to Florida to enjoy retirement with his family, the school said. Miller was a long-time educator and advocate for underrepresented populations in higher education, the school said. As CCSU's 12th president, Miller is credited with helping the school improve its graduation rate from 40 percent in 2005 to almost 58 percent in 2015. CCSU also improved campus aesthetics during Miller's tenure, including new academic buildings, a residence hall, an engineering laboratory and athletic facilities, school officials said. Report: CT hourly workers experience unstable pay, hours A new report tracking Connecticut's hourly workers found trends of low pay and insufficient work hours for employees in the state's food and retail service industries. The report from University of California Berkeley researchers shows that about 66 percent of Connecticut's on-call workers have to keep their schedules open for work without any guarantees. A third of workers polled are parents of young children who "struggle" to spend time with their family, they said. The findings come on the heels of a so-called "fair workweek" bill that limits on-call shift scheduling by guaranteeing workers are compensated for lost time when hours are cut at the last minute. Senate Bill 321 did not pass out of committee last month, however, advocates at the Fair Workweek Coalition are working to bring the bill back to the legislature for a vote. Activists from the Connecticut Working Families Party, a liberal third-party advocacy group, say the new data provides evidence the legislation is needed. The Connecticut Business & Industry Association opposes the measure. Glastonbury fintech moves to larger office, plans expanded workforce Glastonbury digital payments provider Payrailz has moved headquarters to a larger office in response to the company's growth. Payrailz, which launched in November, has relocated to 95 Glastonbury Blvd., to "accommodate the company's growth strategy and momentum," it said. Until last year, that space housed administrative offices for United Bank, which consolidated offices there and at nearby 45 Glastonbury Blvd., to about 68,000 square feet in downtown Hartford's Goodwin Square skyscraper. United said at the time it planned to sub-lease its space in both Glastonbury buildings. Payrailz CEO Fran Duggan said it moved to another office in town with more than double the size of its original space on Eastern Boulevard. The location, he said, provides opportunities to increase its workforce, develop an innovation lab and flexible options for client meetings and product demonstrations. TOP STORY UConn Health to seek partnership proposals U Conn Health's board of directors told lawmakers in a letter that a public-private partnership may be its best chance at long-term sustainability. The April 1 letter, a requirement included in the two-year state budget passed last year, does not say which potential partners UConn Health might be eyeing. The system, which includes the 234-bed John Dempsey Hospital, a medical group and medical and dental schools, said it's engaged outside counsel and a communications firm and that it intends to issue a request for proposals for a financial consultant to help it assess the market and manage the process of soliciting and analyzing proposals from potential partners. The exact structure of any potential deal is unknown. UConn Health proposed a merger with Hartford Hospital in 2009, but the deal fell through. The system said it's been working for the past three years to position itself as a desirable partner, shoring up revenue, avoiding seeking deficit funding, opening a new outpatient pavilion and teaching hospital, and advancing its collaboration with The Jackson Laboratory. BY THE NUMBERS 12 The number of Connecticut lawyers Gov. Dannel P. Malloy included in his latest list of nominees to fill vacant judgeships in the state's courts. 2,400 The number of new jobs MGM Re- sorts International in Springfield has open to help manage its $960 million casino when it opens later this year. 27 The number of project proposals clean energy developers pitched to state environmental officials last week, in- cluding three off-shore wind farms. $12.40 The average hourly wage of Connecti- cut retail and food service workers, according to a recent study from California Berkeley researchers. TOP 5 MOST READ On HartfordBusiness.com • 1. UConn Health to seek partnership proposals • 2. Gov. Malloy tags 12 for CT judgeships • 3. Middletown apt. pair sold at $62.65M • 4. Red Wolf completes purchase of five CT radio stations • 5. Glastonbury fintech moves to larger office, plans expanded workforce STAY CONNECTED For breaking and daily Greater Hartford business news go to www.HartfordBusiness.com HBJ on Twitter: @HartfordBiz HBJ on Facebook: www.facebook.com/HartfordBiz HBJ on Linkedln: www.linkedin.com/company/ the-Hartford-Business-Journal Daily e-newsletters: HBJ Today, CT Morning Blend www.HartfordBusiness.com/ subscribe Weekly e-newsletters: CT Health Care Weekly www.HartfordBusiness.com/ subscribe UConn Health has invested millions in its Farmington campus in recent years, which it hopes will attract a partner. John W. Miller, former President, Central Connecticut State University PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED

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