🔒3 new tenants push CityPlace I to 90% full

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Three new tenants have taken more than 49,000 square feet of office space on the upper floors of 38-story UnitedHealthcare Center at CityPlace I, downtown Hartford's tallest skyscraper.

Landlord Paradigm Properties LLC said its lease broker Jones Lang LaSalle inked two law firms and a consulting practice to leases in the building at 185 Asylum St. Its shorter companion, CityPlace II, is linked by a shared atrium next door at 225 Asylum St.

Law firm Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard & Smith LLP leased 5,365 square feet on the 37th floor.

VikingPeak Management Co. LLC leased 8,939 square feet on the 38th floor.

Law firm McCarter & English LLP renewed its 23-year lease in the tower, signing for another 10 years in 35,105 square feet on floors 36 and 37, the landlord said.

With the latest leases/renewals, CityPlace I is 90 percent leased, Paradigm said.

UnitedHealthcare remains lead tenant among the skyscraper's 884,669 square feet of rentable space.

FSB’s Berlin relocation

German commercial lockset and door-hardware maker FSB has chosen an 18,000-square-foot warehouse-distribution facility in Berlin to relocate its North American headquarters from Madison.

Founded in Brakel, Germany, in the late 19th century, FSB's new U.S. home is at 24 New Park Drive, said tenant broker O,R&L Commercial. Commercial Real Estate Group represented landlord The Cariati Family LP.

Avon office building for sale

A 17,000-square-foot Avon office building is for sale at $1.5 million and has space for lease, its owner says.

Landlord Bruce Shein, doing business as Avon Park South Center Associates LLC, is self-listing his Avon Park South Office Center property at 1 Darling Dr., at the intersection of Main Street, in the center of town.

The 30-year-old building is about 55 percent vacant but has office space for lease at $6.76 a square foot, including heat and electric, Shein said.

UHart’s $5M Gengras refresh

The $5 million renovation of The University of Hartford's student center is progressing toward its fall completion, the West Hartford private college says.

The 3,000-square-foot addition to the 82,260-square-foot Gengras Student Union also includes expansion and improvements to the gathering and recreational spaces, common areas, dining space, offices, and meeting rooms.

The student union's patio space will be converted into a new community space for students, faculty, and staff. A new patio space will be added outside the main entrance to enhance campus greenspace.

The former Suisman Lounge area will serve as the new Career Services Center and new gathering spaces will inspire collaboration and encourage students to participate in student organizations and activities.

The commuter student lounge will also undergo a renovation and expansion. Elements will include flexible furniture, including movable chairs, bar stools, and high-top tables in the lounge and café areas. Sustainable elements include LED lighting, new energy efficient air handlers and electrical upgrades.

The S/L/A/M Collaborative in Glastonbury is both project and construction manager.

S/L/A/M has previously completed four design-build renovation projects on the University's campus: the Shaw Center, the Renée Samuels Center, the Department of Architecture, and the Campus Store.

S/L/A/M is also designing the renovation of Auerbach Hall for the university's Barney School of Business and the Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies, and completing the university's master plan update.

Gregory Seay is the Hartford Business Journal News Editor.