WFSB Demolished

The Site of the Former WFSB Building

At Constitution Plaza, the old Broadcast House site, formerly home to TV station WFSB Channel 3 at the corner of Columbus Boulevard and State Street, was razed earlier this year. There, Middletown engineer Abul Islam hopes to erect his 13-story AI Technical Center tower which will be built as a "Platinum LEED" type building. While AI Engineers, headed by Abdul Islam, was still negotiating funding and seeking tenants for the project at press time, the demolition process had already begun at Broadcast House. Construc- tion of the new facility is expected to begin this fall, with completion slated for late 2010.

Green systems for the building will include a hybrid HVAC system expected to provide energy savings of up to 70 percent, a solar photovoltaic roof array, internal fuel cell technology, geothermal heating and cooling, water recovery systems, and sunshading.

In addition to providing office space for high- tech green companies, the AI Technology Center, as it will be known, will serve as an educational center for public school and university students interested in learning about science. The complex will feature a 2,500-square-foot auditorium, 120 parking spaces and 8,500 square feet of street-level retail space.

Daniel Whittemore, AI Engineers' associate vice president and head of IT, said the type of green building technology provided by this building will be in huge demand from companies seeking office space in five to 10 years. This project will put AI at the forefront, and serve as a beacon for developers across the country.

"We could have brought this building to any city, but we're bringing it to Hartford, and we're bring- ing it now. We're natives, and the fact is, and we're big believers in Hartford and in its vitality to be the city of the next century, going forward:' he said.