Processing Your Payment

Please do not leave this page until complete. This can take a few moments.

April 1, 2024 Deal Watch

Consigli Construction finds room to grow in longtime downtown Hartford home

HBJ PHOTOS | STEVE LASCHEVER Josh Sylvester, project executive and director of operations for Consigli Construction’s Connecticut region, stands in the company’s newly renovated third-floor office space at 100 Allyn St., in downtown Hartford.
By Hanna Snyder Gambini
Consigli Construction: At A Glance 
More Information

Consigli Construction has moved into a larger and newly renovated space in its longtime downtown Hartford home to accommodate a growing local workforce.

The Massachusetts-based general contractor and construction management company’s Hartford office, at 100 Allyn St., serves all of Connecticut, western Massachusetts and western Rhode Island.

Consigli has been in the four-story, 24,000-square-foot Allyn Street building for more than 10 years, having previously occupied 4,400 square feet, spread between the third and fourth floors.

Josh Sylvester, project executive and director of operations for the Connecticut region, said the two-level configuration was not a conducive workspace, and the company was looking for additional room and a more collaborative environment, which many employers have been in search of post-pandemic.

Part of the fourth floor is occupied by Shepley Bulfinch Architects, but there was room to grow on the third floor.

Consigli recently signed a new six-year lease for the entire third floor, which includes 6,000 square feet of space. Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

Consigli did the bulk of the renovation work, which included some demolition to open up divided spaces. The newly renovated office features conference rooms, private offices, desk areas, collaboration spaces and a kitchen/common area.

Sylvester said Consigli has grown, both in revenue and staff, and wanted to get employees on the same floor.

HBJ PHOTO | STEVE LASCHEVER
Project managers hold a meeting at one of the many collaboration areas in Consigli Construction’s new expanded downtown Hartford space.

In 2020-21, the company had about 45 workers based out of the Hartford office, and is now up to 75. Office workers are able to take advantage of a flexible or remote work policy, and project managers are often out in the field, Sylvester said.

Consigli has more than 1,800 total employees in offices from Maine to North Carolina. The company, which recorded peak revenue close to $3 billion in 2023, works on projects for a diverse range of industries, including health care and education.

In recent years, it completed work on Fairfield-based Sacred Heart University’s new $70 million Martire Family ice hockey arena, and $22 million Bobby Valentine Health & Recreation Center.

Historic property

Jack Sennott, who owns 100 Allyn St. with his wife Donna Sennott, said the previously vacant space on the third floor was “last-generation” office space, with deep red carpeting, lots of small offices, and closed-off spaces.

The Sennotts wanted to open up the space to make it more appealing to office users’ modern-day needs, and brought Consigli into a conversation about taking it over.

With Consigli’s expansion, 100 Allyn, also known as the Crosthwaite Building, is now 90% leased. Jack Sennott said he has already started advertising the remaining available 2,500 square feet on the fourth floor.

Hartford Business Journal is also a tenant in the building, while ground-floor spaces are filled by Mexican restaurant Agave Grill and Aladdin Halal, which serves Mediterranean fare.

The Sennotts purchased 100 Allyn St. in late 2022 for $1.25 million, placing a bet on the city’s office market, which has struggled coming out of the pandemic.

At the end of the fourth quarter of 2023, 27.1% of downtown Hartford’s 7.97 million square feet of office space was vacant, according to real estate firm CBRE.

However, 100 Allyn has fared better, and was about 85% leased at the time of the 2022 sale.

The building dates back to 1911, when it housed the Hartford Wire Works Co.

Sennott, who was the former CEO and president of Hartford-based specialty insurer CapSpecialty, said there are no shortage of opportunities for companies looking for downtown office space, and with reasonable rents and significant major development projects in the works, the city offers tenants a walkable live, work, play environment that many companies desire as they try to entice workers back to the office.

Sennott noted that 100 Allyn is located across the street from the new sports betting lounge at the XL Center, and a 2-acre parking lot on the other side of the building is a contender for a new $335 million federal courthouse, which would drive up office space demand in the area.

Sylvester said Hartford is a good fit for Consigli as it provides easy access to western Massachusetts and New Haven and Fairfield counties.

The 100 Allyn St. building — which features exposed brick walls, beams and ductwork, in addition to having large windows that overlook the XL Center and other downtown landmarks — also fits the design history of the company, which specializes in historic renovations, Sylvester said.

“We were founded on historic renovation, so this old building with the exposed brick is a great complement to our history,” Sylvester said.

Editor's Note: This article originally contained inaccurate figures on Consigli's employee count and revenues, which are 1,800 employees company wide and revenue close to $3 billion.

Consigli Construction: At A Glance

Industry: Construction

Top Executive: Anthony Consigli, CEO

HQ: Massachusetts

CT Office: 100 Allyn St., Hartford

Employees: 1,800

Revenue: $3B

Website: www.consigli.com

Contact: 860-741-9850

Sign up for Enews

Most Recent

Most Recent

0 Comments

Order a PDF