Today begins a change in workplace scenery for the first few hundred of the 3,600 Aetna workers making the move from the health care provider’s Middletown campus to its mid-town Hartford complex.
Extra security and staff will be on hand to guide vehicle and foot traffic “so everyone knows where they need to be,’’ said Aetna spokesman Fred LaBerge.
In a total of 151 moves over the next six months, Aetna will empty most of its worker from its sprawling 200-acre hilltop campus near I-91 in Middletown to its renovated and expanded two-building complex on Farmington Avenue, between Sigourney and Flower streets.
Moving cost: $220 million — $15 million of which was spent doubling the size of the company cafeteria, LaBerge said. About 2,600 workers will occupy the renovated Atrium Building, former home to insurer ING’s operations. Another 1,000 will move into Aetna’s landmark Colonial-style headquarters next door.
Aetna has an outsourced team of movers, called the “Move Crew,’’ to set up furniture, phones and other office equipment to make the transition for workers — and customers — as smooth as possible, LaBerge said. (GREGORY SEAY)
Coccomo Deal Closes
More than six weeks after being sold at auction, the 72-unit Adel Coccomo assisted living retreat in Haddam officially has a new owner.
An experienced assisted-living property investor, a billion-dollar private equity fund with investments run by Zephyr Management in New York City, recently signed papers completing its $7.2 million bid — more than twice the $3.5 million reserve price — for the 20-month-old facility at 1556 Saybrook Road in the Tylerville section, the auctioneer said.
Zephyr plans to ramp up marketing for the mostly vacant property. Developer Carmen Coccomo opened the center in spring 2008 on 12 wooded acres for $14.5 million.
Joshua Olshin, president of auction house Tranzon Integrated Property Group in New York, said the Aug. 5 cash auction went well for all parties involved, including full payment to first lender People’s United Bank.
“Even the seller walked away with a couple bucks in his pocket,’’ Olshin said. (GREGORY SEAY)
