It’s been more than a half century since WVIT Ch. 30 opened its New Britain Avenue television studio in West Hartford. Even the bricks on the 20,000-square-foot facility are considered “antique,” said the station’s general manager David Doebler.
That should all change, if at its May 7 meeting West Hartford’s Conservation Commission gives the NBC broadcast station its nod to construct a new, approximately $20 million state-of-the-art television studio.
The project will dramatically transform WVIT’s facilities from being “the most outdated television station, possibly in the entire nation, to the most state-of-the-art television station in the country,” Doebler said.
Doebler acknowledged that other towns attempted to lure WVIT away from West Hartford, including one town’s offer of a $1 million tax incentive.
That is significant because West Hartford does not generally offer commercial tax incentives, said Ronald Van Winkle, director of West Hartford’s community services. The reason WVIT plans to stay in West Hartford is because its current location is a good geographic fit –- seconds away from Interstate 84 and minutes away from Route 9 and Interstate 91 — which helps it better serve the state’s residents, Doebler said.
Its historical link to West Hartford also is a factor, he added. “It is part of our heritage,” Doebler said, noting that the station is not opposed to other towns or even downtown Hartford. “But we are doing our best to stay in West Hartford.”
Dramatic Transformation
WVIT received approval by West Hartford in April 2006 to build a 7,000 square-foot addition to its existing 20,000 square-foot facility. But after additional consideration, Doebler said the company decided against those plans because it would cost as much or more to modernize its current broadcast station, constructed in 1954, as it would to build a new one.
Those changes to WVIT’s plans require another administrative review by West Hartford’s town planner and another wetlands permit. “It is a small change for what they already received approval for,” Van Winkle said, adding, “We are very pleased to see that they are staying in West Hartford.”
Doebler said the project is currently expected to cost about $20 million. But he warned the final price tag is still a moving target, and could range from $15 million to $26 million. That is because company officials — WVIT is owned by Fairfield-based General Electric Co. — have not yet decided whether the plans will include a second, 7,000 square-foot broadcast studio, and because all the project details have not been finalized.
Old Station To Be Razed
A groundbreaking is planned for August. The new television station will be built behind the existing facility on the station’s three-acre parcel, allowing WVIT to continue broadcasting throughout the 14-month construction cycle.
Associated Architects of Farmington designed the new television station with the intention of driving new technology while utilizing a smaller footprint on the parcel by building a multiple-floor structure.
“The open-floor plan can evolve into any layout we want,” Doebler said.
The design would allow for its construction on a smaller, urban-sized lot, and depending on WVIT’s construction experience, may even become a national model for other NBC television stations, Doebler said.
Notably, WFSB Channel 3 is nearly complete in its construction of a new, approximately $25 million television station in Rocky Hill’s Corporate Ridge office park. Nearly three years ago WFSB backed out of a deal with the City of Hartford to construct a new station on a 3.2-acre parcel on city-owned land. CBS officials maintained that the parcel was too small to accommodate its needs to build a two-story, 69,000-square-foot television station. Its new station will be fully operation in July, said Klarn DePalma, general manager for WFSB.
In contrast, WVIT plans to build a 21/2-floor structure with a 100-foot by 160-foot imprint that would fit on a parcel half the size of the one WFSB rejected in Hartford. Construction is expected to be complete October 2008.
High-Tech Design
The new facility will feature a black, high-gloss brick and reflective-glass exterior, meant to represent the high-tech equipment being used inside the new station. All of the station’s current equipment will be replaced with high-definition, digital broadcast equipment, Doebler said.
The key purpose of WVIT’s interior design is flexibility and adaptability to enable it, with a push of one button, to distribute content through a variety of media, including the Web, wireless devises and other broadcasters.
A balcony, where additional offices and conference rooms will be located, will encircle an open-floor newsroom that includes 12 “news pods,” or four-person round terminals where producers and news staff will work.
An expansive backdrop located behind the anchor desk will feature a seamless wall capable of displaying a variety of graphics, Doebler explained.
The new station also will include a professional kitchen set, capable of broadcasting a cooking show, and a living room set.
Television cameras will be situated throughout the building — not only in the studio — but also in the newsroom, as a way to provide for more instantaneous news reporting that can be immediately disseminated to other media, he added.
Old Bricks In Demand
When the new television station is completed, the brick and steel materials of the existing facility will be recycled and sold, and then the existing structure will be razed. The high demand of the bricks and steel used in the 1950s television station is significantly reducing the cost to raze the facility.
After the current television station is torn down, a parking lot will replace it.
Environmentally friendly elements are included in the new station, with long-lasting and low-heat lighting aimed at reducing the air conditioning costs. The design — including the possible addition of solar panels — is expected to save the station about $100,000 annually in energy costs, Doebler added.
Van Winkle of West Hartford said that town officials have had numerous discussions with WVIT representatives over the past 15 years about substantially improving the television station. However, this is the first time WVIT got the green light from its corporate parents, Van Winkle said.
