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New School On Track

Shot In The Arm: St. Joseph College pharmacy school will help cure what ails downtown Hartford

Hartford Courant Editorial

September 20, 2010

That the opening of the St. Joseph College School of Pharmacy was pushed back a year makes it all the more welcome. It's just what downtown Hartford needs.

The school was going to open this year, but officials of the West Hartford college decided to take more time to develop the curriculum. The delay fueled speculation that the deal was off. Not so.

At the risk of dousing the city's general spirit of pessimism, the school is well into a $4.4 million investment that will transform 35,000 square feet of office space in the Hartford 21 complex into the pharmacy school. The new space was opened with a dedication ceremony last week and starts next fall with a class of 68, the first members of a student body that could grow to 300 over five years. In addition, there will be a lab for faculty research, where new pharmaceutical products may be developed.

This is great for the central business district. It puts feet on the street, occupies commercial space, is another component of the city's medical community and adds to the growing number of educational institutions downtown. City officials should be looking at ways to increase affordable housing options, so that some of these students can choose to live downtown.