HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A $30 million renovation project is restoring some of the luster to the Travelers tower, a Hartford landmark that once symbolized the city's reign as America's insurance capital.The 527-foot-tall tower was New England's tallest building when it was completed in 1919, but it has been eclipsed several times by modern skyscrapers"It was looking dirty and kind of worn out," said Andy Bessette, chief administrative officer of The Travelers Cos.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 it is expected to take until 2015. The light at the top has also been upgraded, so workers who once climbed up with colored blue panels to celebrate UConn basketball championships can change the color with the push of a button.A century ago, mules, pulleys and ropes were used during construction to raise the pink-hued granite blocks, which came from a quarry in Westerly, R.I. Larger blocks were used at higher levels to give the illusion from the ground that they are the same size. As workers need to repair damage on the facade, they are pulling blocks from other parts of the building where any color difference would not be as noticeable.
But the Greenwich Department of Public Works announced last week that work has started, with the aim of completing the park and opening it to the public in a little more than a year.
"We're very excited about this," said First Selectman Peter Tesei, who has been involved in administrative dealings over the park since 2008. "It is a great step forward for the town and the adaptive reuse of an industrial property for public and environmental good."
Construction duties rest in the hands of Providence, R.I., contractors RC&D, Inc., who were awarded a town contract in June for $4,315,000, beating out two other bidders for the position. As of last week, progress remains in a mobilization phase -- moving necessary equipment to the 9.7-acre plot, some minimal site clearing, outlining plans and other preparation for when construction ramps up in the next few weeks.
Yales new president says expansion top priority
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — The new president of Yale University said one of his top priorities will be a plan to build two new residential colleges, a project that represents the largest expansion in more than 50 years.The two new colleges are the largest expansion at the Ivy League university since it began admitting women in 1969 and will allow the school to admit about 15 percent more students each year. The expansion will bring total undergraduate enrollment to about 6,100, up from 5,300.
Yale admits only a small fraction of applicants; the 1,360 members of the class of 2017 were chosen from a record applicant pool of 29,610.I think as a first priority I really want to get that project done," Peter Salovey, who is being inaugurated Sunday, said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I'm very committed to enlarging our undergraduate college. I believe quite strongly that there are talented students very deserving of a Yale college education who aren't getting in. There are many."The $500 million project received a boost this month with a $250 million gift from Charles B. Johnson, a 1954 graduate who retired last year as chairman of the board of Franklin Resources, parent company of Franklin Templeton Investments. Yale officials are hoping to start construction in February 2015 and complete the colleges by August 2017.
Nearly a thousand housing units, from luxury apartments to townhouses, have been built in an area known as "The Reserve," a 545-acre planned neighborhood development that hugs the New York state border along Interstate 84. Another 1,112 luxury units are planned for the section of the Reserve known as Rivington, where more than 300 units have already been built."The kind of development the city is seeing on the west side is really unprecedented," said Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce President Stephen Bull. "There is nothing like this happening anywhere else in the state. As the development continues to grow, so will the city's economy."
Cleanup at former chemical property continues
NORTH HAVEN — The environmental remediation of the former Pharmacia and Upjohn Company site is going smoothly and soon, both tidal and inland wetlands will be created on the property that sits by the Quinnipiac River. Last week, Nick Andreopoulos, senior manager of Pfizer Global Engineering, gave an update to the Board of Selectmen.“There’s been a lot of activity since 2011, a lot of progress,” he said.
Groups want to turn vacant Danielson mill into affordable housing
KILLINGLY — A historic Danielson mill that has sat vacant for years could get a new lease on life in the form of an mixed-use affordable housing complex.
CT Water to rplace water mains in Deep River
Connecticut Water today announced that work will begin this week on a water main replacement project on Route 154 (Main Street) in Deep River that will begin near Lafayette Avenue and extend south toward Essex. Connecticut Water will begin replacing about 5,000 feet of more than the 50 year old, 10- inch water main with 16- inch ductile iron water main.
"This project will improve water system reliability and increase the capacity of the water main to deliver water to fire hydrants for public safety," stated Terrance P. O'Neill, Connecticut Water's vice president, service delivery. Mr. O'Neill added that the project is being done through the WICA (Water Infrastructure and Conservation Adjustment) program. Through WICA, customers pay a small surcharge on their bills, currently about 7.9 percent, which is used to systematically invest in replacing unreliable, undersized water mains or for conservation related projects as authorized by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority This project will occur in two phases. The first phase will work south from the area of Lafayette Avenue toward Essex. Work will continue as long as weather permits. The remainder of the project will be completed in 2014.