Lockton has moved into the former New York Sports Club space at 65 Memorial Road in West Hartford’s Blue Back Square.

By Ronni Newton

A space in West Hartford formerly occupied by an entity that helped community members with their fitness goals is now occupied by the state-of-the-art offices of a company that ensures other businesses remain financially fit through addressing their risk management needs.

International insurance brokerage Lockton has relocated its Connecticut operations from Farmington’s Batterson Park to the beautifully-redesigned first two floors of the the Rutherford Building at 65 Memorial Road in West Hartford’s Blue Back Square – in the 22,000-square-foot space that was formerly the entire New York Sports Club.

For years passersby along Memorial Road or Raymond Road may have gotten a glimpse through the window of the pool on the ground floor of NYSC, but the space has been vacant since a Thursday morning in October 2020, when gym-goers found the doors locked and the facility closed without advance warning. NYSC’s parent company, Town Sports International, had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy the month before, and the gym never reopened. Signage was removed months later, and the windows were papered over. Recently, there was visible construction activity, and just about two months ago the paper came down and Lockton’s expansive and contemporary kitchen and break room became visible from the sidewalk.

Lockton, a 58-year-old company that’s the largest privately-held, family-owned, independent insurance brokerage in the world, was looking for larger and more modern facilities, and like Beazley – a specialty insurance company that Lockton’s brokers often work with, that also moved to 65 Memorial Road from Batterson Park – the Class A office space in the Rutherford Building had great appeal. In Lockton’s case, they had the ability to create a space from scratch in the former gym that appeals to their hybrid workforce.

AVP Bob Cortellino, who is involved with Lockton’s marketing and communications, said the brokerage provides companies across a wide variety of industries with risk management assessments and solutions. They negotiate property and casualty as well as employee benefits programs, and also provide other strategic approaches including safety management to help clients mitigate their claims.

The company that was founded by Jack Lockton in 1966 is headquartered in Kansas City, and the West Hartford office, which is one of the offices in the Northeast Series (Boston; Portland; Bluebell, PA; Center City Philadelphia; New York; Washington, DC; Northern Virginia; and Norwalk, CT) opened in the early 2000s. Worldwide, Lockton has more than 11,700 associate, serves clients in more than 140 countries, and had revenue of more than $3.5 billion globally in 2024.

There are roughly 110 employees who report to the West Hartford office, and while not everyone is in the office every day, most have their own personally-assigned spaces and come into the office three or more days per week. In-office attendance has increased greatly since the move, said Steve Smith, office manager.

The Town of West Hartford is also happy to gain Lockton as a new business.

“We are thrilled to welcome Lockton Companies to Blue Back Square, choosing West Hartford as their new Connecticut home,” said West Hartford Economic Development Coordinator Kristen Gorski. “The investment by Lockton and Brand Street Properties to re-activate the former New York Sports Club at 65 Memorial Road has visibly enhanced the western gateway to this premier property. With just over 100 employees, Lockton’s relocation to West Hartford provides a significant boost to the small businesses located in and around West Hartford Center through an increase in daytime population and foot traffic. We are very appreciative of Lockton and recognize this as a major win for our community.”

“Coming here was a huge upgrade across the spectrum,” for their associates, clients, and the community, said Liz Spencer, who is vice president of People Solutions for Lockton and also a West Hartford resident. Lockton had already established a footprint in town by being supportive of many community organizations and nonprofits including Johnny’s Jog. They’re now members of the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce, and “it’s nice to put our roots down in West Hartford,” she added.

Even though it’s a longer commute for some, and there’s not a large, free parking lot like they had in Farmington, the employees really enjoy being in Blue Back Square, Spencer said, and being able to share in all of the activities and events, including a weekly lunchtime jazz series on the stage every Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. throughout the summer.

Smith said that the office as a whole, as well as various departments, regularly schedule activities that foster community among employees, including a lunch every third Thursday, and happy hour every fourth Friday. “More people than ever are coming into the office. There is real enthusiasm for the new space,” Smith said.

The Batterson Park location had very little meeting space, but West Hartford has more than a dozen meeting spaces, including “huddle rooms” and phone booths, as well as a board room and other larger conference areas. The rooms are named after local landmarks.

“There have been major improvements in technology,” Spencer added, and not just for professional needs. Several large screens throughout the office provide listings of activities and area restaurants that are within walking distance.

The kitchen/break room – on the ground floor where the NYSC pool was once located – is also an area where employees and clients can gather for meetings as well as social events.

The kitchen is also stocked with Nitro cold brew on tap, a bevi flavored-water machine, sodas, a variety of snacks, and even a beer fridge.

Lockton’s space also includes a wellness room. The company’s future is being built on the foundation of eight “chapters” that are intended to allow their “people, clients, communities, and the Lockton family to reach their full potential,” and wellness is part of that. Employees are provided with three wellness days each year, as well as a day for volunteer service in the community.

“This fits our culture,” said Bill Husic, president of the West Hartford office. “We serve our clients, our associates, and our community. This is the perfect venue for dealing with all three,” he said, for meetings and other interactions, and perfectly accommodates the hybrid workforce with the collaborative spaces. Being near places to eat and shop, and having the Delamar Hotel right across the street, is also an advantage, he said.

“We are thrilled to welcome Lockton to Blue Back Square and know that their employees will truly enjoy all that Blue Back has to offer them in an unparalleled office environment where everything is right outside your door,” said Paul Brandes, principal at Brand Street Properties which owns Blue Back Square. “Having Lockton join our office mix here at Blue Back is an exciting addition. Their innovative approach and commitment to excellence perfectly align with our vision of fostering a dynamic community. We look forward to a mutually beneficial partnership that enhances both our tenant experience and vibrancy of our property.”

It’s no secret that in general, nearly everywhere throughout the country, filling offices has been a struggle since the pandemic. West Hartford, however, has been bucking the trend and has been adding Class A office space and continues to have low vacancy rates for office occupancies.

“With the addition of Lockton to Blue Back Square, West Hartford continues to see great momentum in the office market. Over the last two years, West Hartford has attracted several new office tenants to town with the largest concentration in our vibrant, walkable and amenity-rich downtown,” Gorski said.

“The most significant thing is that these office tenants are taking larger floorplates. In the past two years, we’ve had seven office tenants execute new leases ranging between 8,000 square feet all the way up to 29,000 square feet,” Gorski added. “The new businesses have also collectively brought hundreds of employees to our community.”

In a recent report to the Town Council’s Community Planning and Economic Development Committee, Gorski shared that vacancy rates in the office sector have ranged in the 5-6% range over the past year – signifying a “very strong” market. “West Hartford continues to prove attractive to officer users, particularly insurance, risk management, asset management and financial services, and is a place where companies can growth and thrive.”

“This is a space where we truly get to do what’s best for our clients, day-in and day-out,” Spencer said.

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