The historic 26-story skyscraper that sits at 777 Main St. in downtown is finally getting the facelift it deserves. Viking Construction (www.vikingconstruction.net) has begun work on this 1967 landmark which was originally designed by Welton Becket Associates whose famous modernist buildings include the iconic Capital Records Building in Hollywood and the Contemporary Resort in Disney World, Orlando. The $50 million renovation project, which has been designed by owners and architects Becker + Becker Associates Inc. of Fairfield, Conn., is expected to be completed before the end of 2015.
Currently, Viking is working on abatement and complete demolition of floors 2-25, which will be renovated into 250 studio, one and two-bedroom apartments (ranging from 500 - 1,150 s/f each).
The historic 26th floor will be restored and refurbished to contain common amenities such as a fitness room, pool tables, a screening room, common kitchen, and library. This floor also will include a covered terrace with plenty of seating to enjoy the views in all directions - particularly of the Old State House, Science Center, Connecticut River, and beyond.
The building's distinguished and stylized lobby - which was home to Hartford National Bank and Trust Co. before ultimately becoming part of Bank of America - will remain intact and restored as much as possible. Viking will renovate this 35,000 s/f ground floor for retail and office use.
The 300,000 s/f building originally had 10 elevators - several featuring marble and 60's decor. To accommodate the new design, four "low-rise" elevators will be removed, and the remaining will be preserved as much as possible and upgraded to service all floors.
Upon completion of the project, Viking expects the building to earn a LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.