Quinnipiac University president’s home being renovated for nearly $1M

305 Spruce Bank Road Hamden 305 Spruce Bank Road Hamden Photo: Google Maps / Buy photo Photo: Google Maps / Image 1 of / 6 Caption Close Quinnipiac University president’s home being renovated for nearly $1M 1 / 6 Back to Gallery

HAMDEN — Quinnipiac University is renovating President Judy Olian’s gated estate for almost $1 million.

The town issued a building permit for Olian’s house at 305 Spruce Bank Road Feb. 14, giving the OK for work to begin. Plans for the interior renovation of the main house include new major catering-grade equipment in the kitchen, smart lighting and redoing all the finishes throughout the house.

The building renovations are estimated to cost $900,000, which includes redoing all the lighting with LEDs, and in some areas, occupancy-sensing lights. The plans call for nearly all the house’s hardware, plumbing, flooring, wallpaper, kitchen and bathroom fixtures, electrical devices, window treatments, doors and wood baseboard to be removed and replaced.

“The university sought a permit to renovate this residence earlier this month,” Vice President for Public Affairs Lynn Bushnell said in a statement. “Whenever we acquire new buildings, it is common practice for us to renovate them to enable their use. Once this renovation is completed, the president’s residence will welcome students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors and dignitaries from near and far, for generations to come.”

A substantial amount of work will be done outfitting a new catering kitchen in the basement, according to the site plans. New appliances in the kitchen will include a catering-level freezer, refrigerator, wine cooler and dishwasher, in addition to a new cooking range, professional double oven, convection oven, warming drawer and under-the-counter wine storage.

The ceilings and fireplaces will be replaced or redone as there will be all new tiles and fixtures in the 5.5 bathrooms. The university is leaving no wall alone through the renovation. Even the closets are being redone.

The electrical work includes installing a 35,000-watt generator with two 100-amp transfer switches for $21,000, while new plumbing installation will cost an estimated $5,000 to install one 500-gallon underground liquid propane tank and plumb an existing 250-gallon underground tank on the left side of the president’s house.

Hamden’s building permits cost $25.26 for the first $1,000 worth of construction and $18.26 for each $1,000 worth of construction thereafter. That includes electric and plumbing permits. Based on the entire estimated project cost listed in the building records, the permits cost about $17,000 for the renovation.

Quinnipiac bought the property for $6.5 million in April 2018 after announcing Olian would succeed former President John Lahey. It’s previous owner, Frank Perrotti Jr., died Dec. 10, 2016, and the school named its hockey arena and men’s locker room for him.

Purchasing the property was “a critical strategic acquisition for the university, unanimously supported by the Board,” board of trustees Chairman William Weldon said in a statement. “The university had been trying to acquire the property since 1990, because we have long believed it is an ideal location for our university presidents to live in, and to welcome current and future members of the Quinnipiac University family.

“University presidents of today are expected to spend a great deal of their time fundraising and engaging in community outreach so the institution can continue to invest in the high-quality academic programs and services that develop our students. This residence serves that purpose,” Weldon said.

The president’s home renovation started after the university announced it would end support for Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum and wouldn’t participate in the 30-year tradition of marching in the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

At the time, Bushnell said in a statement that “while we enthusiastically support (the parade’s) important goals and underlying spirit, we are redirecting university resources to more immediate needs that serve students on the campus.”

Both the museum and the university’s affiliation with the parade began during the tenure of Lahey, who retired June 30.

The architect handling the project, Amenta Emma, also designed the Lender School of Business renovation and the Brand Strategy Group building at 3093 Whitney Ave., which was completed in 2016 at a project cost of $1.8 million.

mdignan@hearstmediact.com