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April 11, 2025

After state-backed rescue, downtown Waterbury office building to be named in honor of former Mayor O’Leary

PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED Neil O'Leary
By Michael Puffer

One of former Waterbury Mayor Neil O’Leary’s first acts after his first inauguration in 2011 was to pull the six-story “Odd Fellows” office building out of a tax auction at the last minute.

Almost exactly 13 years later – this past December – Green Hub Development finished a full gut-rehab of the roughly 125-year-old building, which is located just off the city’s downtown Green.

On April 24, UConn – which leases much of the building – will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony honoring O’Leary’s key role in the revival by renaming the building in his honor.  

“This building is the embodiment of legacy and vision,” said UConn Waterbury Dean Fumiko Hoeft. “Mayor O’Leary recognized the potential of this structure when many considered it beyond saving. His vision — combined with the university’s leadership and strong partners — brought it back to life.

Today, it stands ready to serve the community and generations of UConn students.”

O’Leary secured a $10 million grant commitment for the building’s rehab from the administration of former Gov. Dannel Malloy. He also played a key role in recruiting Green Hub Development to the city. The team includes developer Joseph Gramando and his longtime friend, financier Louis Forster.

In 2016, Green Hub took on the redevelopment of another long-vacant downtown Waterbury office building, on East Main Street, into dormitory space for college students. O’Leary helped convince Green Hub of the project’s viability and the city’s potential. 

Green Hub and the O’Leary administration next collaborated on the transformation of the long-vacant former Howland Hughes Department Store downtown into office space leased by Post University.

Under O’Leary’s administration, Green Hub was chosen as the preferred developer to rescue the Odd Fellows building. 

Green Hub tapped the state’s $10 million and added $5 million of its own to the rehab of the building at 36 North Main St. Today it hosts nursing and medical science courses for UConn. The university also hosts programs for local high school students. Robotics teams hold competitions in the former Odd Fellows ceremonial hall.

HBJ PHOTO | MICHAEL PUFFER
Green Hub Development’s Joseph Gramando stands outside the Odd Fellows office building property, at 36 North Main St., in downtown Waterbury. Green Hub redeveloped the six-story, former vacant building to accommodate UConn health programs and other tenants.

Access Rehab Centers — a partnership between Waterbury Hospital and Easterseals — rents a 4,000-square-foot, ground-floor space where it offers occupational, physical and speech therapy to an underserved population.

O’Leary, reached Thursday, noted there is a long list of people to credit with rescuing the Odd Fellows building. O’Leary, in particular, lauded the support of Hoeft, UConn President Radenka Maric and UConn Board of Trustee member Thomas Ritter.

O’Leary, 66, said the Odd Fellows redevelopment was one of the first challenges he took up as mayor.

“This project is a prime example of perseverance, of what you can accomplish in government if you believe strongly enough in what you are doing,” O’Leary said. “I think the long-term impact on downtown Waterbury, in collaboration with UConn, is something we will be proud about for decades to come.” 
 

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