Downtown Hartford's landmark Travelers tower is getting a $30 million makeover.
The 527-foot-tall granite tower was the tallest building in New England when it was completed in 1919, but it has been eclipsed several times by modern skyscrapers.
The chief administrative officer of The Travelers Cos. says the tower is a point of pride for employees and the community, but the building had been looking dirty.
The makeover involves cleaning the granite, replacing 30 miles' worth of mortar between the stones and restoring decorative moldings. The project began in 2011 after a need for extensive repairs was discovered and is expected to take until 2015.
The tower building hosts about 2,500 of the 7,000 Travelers employees in the Hartford area.
Copyright Associated Press / NBC Connecticut
