BRIDGEPORT -- Plans for a new four-story Harding High School and state-of-the-art athletic fields on 17 acres at the General Electric Co.'s Boston Avenue property will go before the local zoning and wetlands boards this month."It's an exciting project," said Jorge Garcia, the school district's deputy director of Public Facilities.For years, officials have talked of replacing the 89-year-old high school building on Central Avenue. This year, GE donated a portion of its 77-acre property for that purpose. The school, parking lot, and athletic fields would take up about 8 percent of the property and would face Bond Street.The $78 million school project includes plans for a rubberized track, baseball diamond and a synthetic turf field for football and soccer. A grandstand would seat nearly 900 people and there will be space for portable bleachers. "The new school would be designed with the intent to host C.I.A.C. (Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference) events," officials wrote in a summary of the project filed with the zoning application.
Man claims fall result of loose stones
NEW BRITAIN — A city man has filed a lawsuit against the city and LTC Construction claiming he suffered trauma to his head after falling near a construction project on Broad Street.
In the lawsuit, filed recently with the City Clerk, Gary Curcio of Burritt Street claims he fell as a result of “loose stones and gravel on the walkway surface” near 123 Broad St. in October 2011.
Curcio, who is seeking at least $15,000 in monetary damages, maintains that “the sidewalk had an accumulation of stones and gravel on it, thus it was dangerous and defective” and that the stones and gravel “was spilling onto the adjacent walkway.”With regard to New Britain-based LTC, Curcio’s suit states the company “was responsible for the maintenance and inspection of the walkway adjacent to its construction area.”Also, the suit asserts, “the adjacent driveway/entranceway lacked any type of structural barrier to prevent the stones and gravel from spreading onto the sidewalk...” LTC, the lawsuit continues, “failed to adequately, timely and/or properly inspect the premises.”
The lawsuit alleges the area in question was a “heavily traveled sidewalk” and the city “failed to adequately protect pedestrians, such as the plaintiff, from the dangerous and defective condition.”
CT owner charged with failing to pay wages
WETHERSFIELD — The Connecticut Department of Labor has accused a business owner of failing to pay $469,000 in wages owed to 65 workers between June 2011 and last January.
The agency said Friday it issued an arrest warrant for Arturo Mota, the owner of Mota Brothers Asbestos LLC in Hartford.A phone listed in the business' name was not in order on Friday and it was not known if Mota is represented by a lawyer.Labor Commissioner Sharon Palmer said the agency gave Mota several opportunities to pay employees. She says he admitted he falsified payrolls on 10 construction projects, a felony.Labor officials accused Mota of failing to pay the prevailing wage, file certified payrolls, pay money that's due and falsifying certified payrolls.
Busway builders to give progress report
The busway's design team figures commuters want to know about progress on the long-awaited bus rapid transit system, and it's ready to give the most up-to-date answers.Under the theme, "Are we there yet?," the state transportation department will host informational meetings this week and next in Newington, New Britain and West Hartford to discuss construction progress.The DOT also will present the latest version of its service plan, which details the bus routes that will use the 9-4-mile CTfastrak when it opens. There will be updated schedules for those buses."When CTfastrak opens for operation, some bus routes in Bristol, Plainville, New Britain, Newington, West Hartford, Cheshire, Southington, Waterbury and Hartford will change and most will have much more frequent service," the DOT said.
Rental revenue reasches $38B
Total equipment rental revenue in North America for 2013 is expected to reach $38.0 billion, according to the latest figures released by the American Rental Association (ARA) from its ARA Rental Market Monitor service updated in late October. This figure represents a 6.2 percent increase over 2012 with fourth quarter revenue growth projected to be 7.1 percent.
The figure includes revenue for all three segments of the equipment rental industry — construction/industrial, general tool/DIY and party/special event — in both the United States and Canada combined.In the United States alone, equipment rental revenue is projected to grow 6.5 percent in 2013 to reach $33.3 billion.“The general economy in the U.S. has slowed down slightly this year with the gross domestic product [GDP] now forecast to grow 1.5 percent in 2013. That means equipment rental industry revenue continues to grow at more than four times the general economy,” said Christine Wehrman, ARA's executive vice president and CEO.
Panel proposes contractor for Kennedy High addition
WATERBURY — A panel of city and school officials have recommended the Board of Education hire Hartford-based Newfield Construction Inc. to build a $23.2 million addition to Kennedy High School.Newfield was one of four finalists interviewed by a selection committee including Board of Education members Ann M. Sweeney and Charles L. Stango; schools Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff Paul Guidone; mayoral Chief of Staff Joseph Geary and city Purchasing Director Rocco Orso."As usual, the committee came to immediate consensus based on the interviews and the history of the firm," Guidone told the Board of Education during a meeting last Tuesday.
This week, Guidone said Newfield was the lowest bidder on the project, though this was not the deciding factor in the company's selection.The project was put out to bid July 22, with submissions due Aug. 14. Eight firms responded and the four lowest bidders were interviewed. Guidone would not release the other bids until after city officials vote on the project.The Board of Education is likely to approve the hire Thursday, which sends the hiring request to the Board of Aldermen. Aldermen are expected to vote at a Nov. 12 meeting.Newfield would be hired as a "construction manager at risk" through October 2016. This means it will be responsible for delivering the project at the promised $19.6 million construction cost. Any excess costs would be Newfield's responsibility.
Newfield would be paid $287,197 under the contract.
Executive charged in rigging bids seeks venue change
SOUTHBURY -- A lawyer for one of three local business executives sued last month over allegations of bid-rigging in 2011 will file for a change of venue in the case.Ralph Crozier, who represents Harry H. “Chuck” Stone of H.I. Stone, said Friday he will ask a judge to move the case from Hartford to Waterbury for the convenience of his client and two co-defendants.“We've got everybody here in Southbury,” Crozier said. “There's not a single thing in Hartford going on.”
Stone, Kevin W. Starchak of S&S Paving and George H. Stone Jr. of Stone Construction were sued by Attorney General George C. Jepsen, who alleged they engaged in an illegal boycott and bid-rigging conspiracy in October and November 2011 over snow removal and snowplowing services for the town.The lawsuit, which seeks $1 million in penalties from each company and $100,000 from each executive for each violation, claims the men were angry that the town required them to bid for snow plowing in 2011.The town overhauled its procurement policy in 2011 and required contractors to bid for snow removal for the first time in six decades.Under pressure to get roads plowed when a freak snowstorm struck in October 2011, selectmen waived the bidding policy so the contractors could get a snowplowing contract worth $7,125 for each of five trucks the contractors rented to the town to plow roads.