Construction company's ties to Yale expand

Payne Whitney Gymnasium. The new swing-space housing. A renovated Yale Field. Each of these Yale landmarks shares the distinction of being a construction project of New Haven's Fusco Corporation (Fusco Corp.), a behind-the-scenes fixture in the city and at Yale. Adding to its impressive list of Yale ties, Fusco Corp. added a somewhat unusual responsibility to its Yale-affiliated jobs this year, assuming the role of property manager of the Science Park project on a no-fee basis.

"Fusco has agreed to manage Science Park without a fee, because they are so committeed to getting Science Park on its feet," said University Secretary Linda Lorimer, LAW '77. According to Lorimer, Fusco Corp. serves as a major civic leader, contributing in many ways to the New Haven community.

The company, founded by Edward Fusco in 1924, is heavily invovled in New Haven on both a charitable and professional level. According to Lorimer, the company is a contributor to many community programs, from theatre to youth-oriented programs like Leadership, Education, and Athletics in Partnership (LEAP).

The corporation has developed very close ties with Yale. A member of the athletic department's corporate partnership program, Fusco Corp. has been involved in the recent efforts to boost Yale's sagging athletic programs. More directly, the company was the driving force behind the renovation of Yale Field, a project that helped to bring the New Haven Ravens minor league baseball team to the Elm City.

Fusco showed a dedication to the community even when it seemed the construction would not be completed on schedule. "As a service to the city, the company ate the extra cost of the overtime work required to finish the work and the ballpark was completed before the first game," Lorimer said.

Looking for this level of commitment and proven success, Yale thought of Fusco Corp. when it started the search for a company to step in and take over the management and development of the Science Park property early this year.

Science Park was first conceived of 15 years ago as a center for research and industry in the growing field of biological and science based technologies. The Park has been plagued with financial difficulties since its establishment, however, and in recent years both Yale and New Haven have been frantically trying to rescue the property from dire straits.

The failure of those joint efforts provided the impetus for the University's decision to hand over management of the property to an outside party.

"We felt that it would be more cost-effective to handle it through a property manager," Martha Heismith, Yale's associate secretary of public affairs, said.

Fusco Corp., along with three other companies, submitted a bid for the project, Heismith said. Fusco's proposal, which did not ask for an up-front fee, was the lowest bid submitted, and the coporation was rewarded with the managment of Science Park.

The Science Park project is considered ongoing, and no date has been set for its resumption. However, the University is confident that Fusco will succeed in its endeavor.

Fusco has helped bring economic vitality to the New Haven," Heismith said. "Fusco has done a very good job and it has been a pleasure working with them.

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