Tri-state briefs: TRD’s monthly roundup of news from across the region

Hartford’s landmark Colt Complex to see more redevelopment

The Capitol Region Education Council is expanding into another building in the historic landmark Colt Gateway complex in Hartford. CREC, Colt’s largest tenant with space leased in five of the complex’s 10 building, is redeveloping an office building at the corner of Sequassen Street and Van Dyke Avenue to accommodate the secondary grades for the Two Rivers Middle Magnet School, the Hartford Courant reported. The project, estimated at $5 million to $6 million, is expected to house 750 students. CREC is paying for the renovation with state funding and will lease the space from Colt Gateway. When the redevelopment is complete this fall, CREC will occupy about 200,000 square feet in six buildings, or nearly a third of the 630,000-square-foot complex. Colt Gateway’s management still plans to sign up a variety of commercial tenants for the rest of the available space.

Princeton starts on biggest new project in its history

Princeton University has started work on a $330 million arts and transit project after demolishing a stretch of houses and commercial spaces along Alexander Street, the Times of Trenton reported. The development, Princeton’s biggest in its 267-year history, includes three new arts buildings, road changes and a new transit plaza and garage. The project covers an area along University Place and Alexander Street just south of the McCarter Theatre and east of Forbes College. The university had offered the eight homes that it razed — for free — to anyone willing to pay the relocation costs. Princeton received more than 1,000 inquiries, but the difficulty and expense of moving the houses proved too much. Residents generally support the addition of the arts campus, but are suing to keep the university from moving a train station 460 feet south from the town center. Despite the lawsuit, Princeton expects to complete the project by 2017.

Four developers submit plans for Nassau Coliseum

Four developers have submitted proposals to turn the 40-year-old Nassau Coliseum into a top sports-and-concert arena capable of generating millions of dollars in revenue for Nassau County, Newsday reported. Bruce Ratner, who built Brooklyn’s Barclays Center; Madison Square Garden Company; Edward Blumenfeld of Syosset, whose Manhattan projects include Gotham Plaza and East Side Plaza; and Bayville-based New York Sports LLC presented their plans last month to the Nassau Business Advisory Council, which consists of 17 local business leaders who will advise County Executive Edward Mangano in selecting a developer. The proposals — ranging in cost from $60 million to $250 million — include entertainment venues, convention center space, restaurants, sports bars, retail shops, a bowling alley and an outdoor amphitheater. The developers told the panel that they each would rely on private funds for their projects. The winning bidder must give the county a percentage of the gross revenue from arena events. The transformed coliseum is projected to generate $11 billion in economic activity over 30 years. Mangano is expected to choose a developer by July 15.