Legislators probe underused Waterbury complex, plan tour of leased National Life space

The House Corrections & Institutions committee questioned state officials Tuesday about underused office space at the rebuilt Waterbury complex and directed staff to help arrange a site tour of leased floors at the National Life building to assess opportunities to consolidate functions.

The committee’s interest followed a field visit last week in which members found broad swaths of empty space at Waterbury. Wanda Manoli, commissioner of Buildings and General Services, told the committee that BGS is collecting badge data, conducting site visits and reviewing telework policies to understand current utilization and to inform possible reuse or consolidation of space.

Committee members said the issue matters because the state owns costly facilities that were sized for higher on‑site staffing levels before widespread teleworking and other changes. Representative Kevin (committee member)…