A total of 13 property owners have expressed interest in housing the University of Connecticut’s new downtown Hartford campus, officials say.
The landlords, whose names aren’t being disclosed, responded to a “request for expressions of interest,” issued in January by UConn as the school searches for 150,000 square feet of office space to relocate its West Hartford campus to the Capital City.
UConn spokeswoman Stephanie Reitz said the 13 letters of interest were received by the March 6 deadline, but the school is not disclosing who the interested parties are because negotiations are ongoing.
It’s also not clear what the time frame is for a possible decision, Reitz said.
The request was put out as part of an effort to broaden UConn’s search for a downtown location after the school’s initial targeted property—the Travelers Education Center at 200 Constitution Plaza—had multiple issues including asbestos.
UConn officials have said moving into the Travelers Education Center is still not out of the question.
Sources tell HBJ Today that the empty office building at One Talcott Plaza could be a frontrunner for relocation. The building is owned Laz Parking, whose CEO and founder Alan Lazowski has had an appetite for downtown development.
Sources say a deal could also include Lazowski building a new office tower for UConn in a parking lot near the intersection of Main and Talcott streets. Lazowski would own the property and lease it to UConn, sources say.
UConn is looking for 150,000 square feet of usable space and 850 parking spaces to accommodate 3,100 students and 300 faculty and staff, which will be relocating from UConn’s Greater Hartford Campus in West Hartford.
The relocation includes all present academic and support units of the Greater Hartford Campus, with the exception of the branch of the Connecticut Cooperative Extension System. The University’s School of Social Work is included in this relocation and the University’s Graduate Business Learning Center, which is currently located in downtown Hartford, may also be included.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is asking state lawmakers for $70 million to pay for the move.
