May 12, 2010
EAST HARTFORD DELEGATION CELEBRATES SAVING OF 600 LOCAL JOBS
New lease will keep DOIT, Judicial Branch at Riverview Square for five years
EAST HARTFORD - State Senator Gary D. LeBeau (D-East Hartford) and East Hartford state Reps. Henry Genga, Timothy Larson and Jason Rojas announced today that a new five-year lease extension has been agreed to that will keep the state Department of Information Technology (DOIT) and the Judicial Branch at Riverview Square for another five years, thereby assuring that 600 local jobs stay in East Hartford and continue to provide financial support to local retailers for the next half-decade.
DOIT and the state Judicial Branch rent space at 99-101 East River Drive (Riverview Square) from The Fremont Group, LLC, a private investment and property management firm based in West Hartford. The DOIT facility, located on the banks of the Connecticut River, is just a mile from East Hartford's shopping and dining district on Main Street.
Sen. LeBeau said he met twice this year with the Fremont Group and once with the state Department of Public Works to help secure the lease extension and to oppose a proposal by Governor Rell that would have moved DOIT's data center from East Hartford to a renovated Cedar Crest Hospital in Newington.
"It would have been a real blow to East Hartford if 600 jobs had been pulled out of here in a short period of time. That would have been a great loss to the community," Sen. LeBeau said. "Now we can engage the administration in a more deliberate and well-planned process to expand the capacity of the data center in a manner that is in the best interests of everyone involved, including the Town of East Hartford."
"Losing these 600 positions would have been a serious setback in our effort to bring jobs to East Hartford," said Rep. Genga, whose district includes the data center. "Rentschler Field is not too far away and we've been trying to get that area developed so we can attract new jobs, but the process has been slow because of the recession. East Hartford doesn't need any more setbacks. I'm really glad these jobs stayed in town."
"Keeping these jobs here is a big win for our town and says a lot about what we offer as a community," said Rep. Larson. "This is a great example of our legislative delegation working together with town officials and the state to ensure these hundreds of workers continue to be part of the community and contribute to our economy every day."
"I am very happy to see that these jobs will be staying in East Hartford to the benefit of our local economy and that substantial facility investments already made with taxpayer dollars will continue to be put to best use by DOIT rather than paying for new construction," Rep. Rojas said.
Fremont Group President Jonathan Keller wrote the East Hartford delegation on April 30 to announce the lease extension and to thank them for their help in keeping the DOIT facility in East Hartford.
"I would like to extend to each of you my thanks and appreciation for your interest in this issue and your efforts to maintain the state's important presence in East Hartford," Keller wrote. "The accomplishments to date are due in large part to your attention to these issues."