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Long-vacant state office tower in Hartford ?— once studied for ‘sick building’ syndrome ?— has a buyer

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Vacant for more than two years, a state-owned office building in Hartford — once studied to determine if poor air quality can make workers sick — has a potential buyer offering $1 million in cash.

William H. Coons III, a West Hartford commercial real estate investor with offices in Cromwell, said Thursday he has reached a deal with the state to purchase the 15-story office, 467,000-square-foot tower at 25 Sigourney St.

“It should and can be a strong property if you get the property into the marketplace over time,” Coons said. “There are still ‘big block’ tenants out there looking for Class A space.”

Class A space has the most modern layouts and technology.

Coons estimates that the office tower, built in 1984 and purchased by the state in 1994 for $42.6 million, will need about $30 million in renovations and tenant improvements, a cost that could be spread out over several years.

The fate of the attached parking garage is not yet clear. Even though the tower remained occupied until two years ago, the above-ground portion of the garage was closed because its crumbling structure raised safety concerns.

One estimate in 2010 pegged the cost of repairs at up to $5 million, or $5.9 million in today’s dollars.

Coons said the garage could be repaired or demolished and replaced by surface parking or a combination of both.

The state Department of Administrative Services, which oversees the sale of state property, did not return a call seeking comment Thursday.

DAS first went out to bid a year ago, but it then extended the deadline because it did not receive any acceptable offers. Coons said he signed a purchase contract at the end of July.

“The bones of this building are solid, and there are no issues with the building,” Coons said. “It has been given a clean bill of health.”

In the early 2000s, U.S. government scientists studied the tower seeking insight into what is known as “sick building” syndrome.

The state spent almost $6 million to seal the brick building, replace the roof and remove wallboard and carpet that had been damaged by leaks. In 2004, the building was declared clean and watertight.

Before the repairs, workers complained of coughing, asthma, shortness of breath and other health problems that can be associated with allergies to mold and otherwise bad indoor air.

Coons also brushed aside any concerns about a future lowering of the I-84 viaduct that could impact properties along the route of the present highway. The office tower overlooks the viaduct.

While highway planners have said there is the potential for impact on 25 Sigourney St., Coons said, “I’ve seen a couple of schematics and none touch this property.”

The possible replacement of the viaduct, now in the planning stages, is still years away.

Coons said he expects the purchase to close by the end of year, pending working out a tax abatement deal with the city.

The purchase will bring tax dollars to the city because the property will owned privately, rather than by the state, which doesn’t pay local property taxes. The abatement would ease some of the leasing and renovation costs, Coons said.

Coons points to a successful track record of transforming buildings, including the renovated, now fully leased 1 Herald Square in New Britain, the former headquarters of the New Britain Herald.

State workers who most recently worked in the tower — the largest number working for the state’s tax department and the Department of Social Services — moved to newly renovated space elsewhere in the city.

Kenneth R. Gosselin can be reached at kgosselin@courant.com.