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June 8, 2022

The Hartford to leave Windsor office building, consolidate to Hartford

COSTAR The Hartford's Windsor office complex at 1 Griffin Road North
By Greg Bordonaro and Michael Puffer

The Hartford confirmed Wednesday it will withdraw staff from its massive Windsor office building and reassign them to its Hartford headquarters.

The giant insurer also confirmed it plans to either lease out the newly free space or sell the Windsor property, which is currently appraised at $63.3 million by Windsor’s assessor.

Matthew Sturdevant, spokesman for the giant insurer, said the decision came about as part of regular assessment of property needs.

“As part of that process, and to optimize the use of our Connecticut office buildings, we are transitioning our Windsor-based employees to Hartford,” Sturdevant wrote in an email response to questions. “We will be exploring opportunities to further lease or sell the Windsor building.”

Less than 500 Hartford staff are currently assigned to the Windsor location. That doesn't mean a flood of new office workers into the city, however. 

Most employees assigned to the office at 1 Griffin Road North in Windsor are working remotely, Sturdevant wrote.

“As we consider our real estate portfolio, we continue to maintain a strong presence in the City of Hartford, where we have been headquartered for more than 210 years,” Sturdevant said.

Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin sees a bright side to Wednesday's news. 

“The Hartford has long been a vital part of the Hartford community and a tremendous partner in our work to build a stronger, more vibrant city," Bronin said. "As they and so many other companies make post-COVID adjustments to their workspaces, we’re excited to welcome additional employees to The Hartford’s downtown headquarters."

The Hartford’s 457,396-square-foot Windsor office building was built in 2007 and sits on 72.9 acres. 

About a third of the Windsor building is currently leased to other companies, including insurance risk partner Talcott Resolution; Waste Management and Aflac. Some is taken up with common areas and amenities. About 250,000 square feet will be freed for lease by the pending transition.

The Hartford, long one of the capital city's largest employers, has seen its Connecticut workforce shrink by 10% over the past year, largely as a result of more staff working remotely. 

The Hartford recently reported a staff count of about 5,500 Connecticut-based employees, down from 6,100 a year prior.

“About 50 percent of the change to our Connecticut employee count in the past year is due to employees who made an individual choice to move out of state during the pandemic and continue to work remotely for The Hartford,” Sturdevant recently told the Hartford Business Journal. “For the remaining 50 percent of the change in our Connecticut employee numbers, the vast majority has come from natural attrition, talent mobility and reskilling.”

A small portion of the local employee reduction was a result of “involuntary separations,” Sturdevant said at the time. 

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