Hawleyville sewer project OK'd
NEWTOWN -- A $2.8 million sewer construction project intended to fuel development of some large commercial properties near the intersection of Route 6 and Route 25 in the town's Hawleyville section was unanimously approved by the Board of Finance last week. This is a capital project that will include a benefit assessment to prospective users. First Selectman Pat Llodra and Fred Hurley, public works director, have advocated for money to begin construction this year to generate new commercial enterprises that will help lift the burden for municipal services from taxpayers.
United Rentals, Inc. Looks great in the long run
Equipment rental company United Rentals has the wind in its sails. As an industry behemoth, the company has been in prime position to benefit from a global economic recovery, and recent earnings show further proof that that is well under way. United Rentals is seeing growth not only in its rental segments but in outright sales as well, suggesting that construction companies and industrials are investing in what should remain an upward-trending macroeconomic environment. While highly susceptible to shifts in said environment, United is looking great today as a globally oriented cash-printing business. CLICK TITLE TO CONTIUNE READING
Fire in Branford Quarry, Evacuation order lifted
January 31, 2014
January 30, 2014
CT Construction Digest January 30, 2014
Developers appeal after Stonnington rejects plan
Mystic - Toll Brothers, the firm developing a luxury housing project of 48 homes off Pequot Trail known as Old Mystic Estates, has appealed a decision by the Stonington Planning and Zoning Commission rejecting its design for a revised drainage system. Problems with the existing system have not only caused serious erosion and flooding problems for some neighboring property owners but restricted Toll Brothers from developing 27 of the lots and some roads. Toll Brothers is asking a New London Superior Court judge to invalidate the commission's denial and order it to approve the plan. Despite the appeal, Town Planner Keith Brynes said this week that Toll Brothers is also trying to find a new solution or revise the rejected plan. The project has been a controversial one dating back to 2004, when the Planning and Zoning Commission approved plans by the previous developer, Meehan Group, for the cluster subdivision. The approved application included a drainage plan created by a licensed professional engineer hired by Meehan. He assured the commission his design could handle rainfall without impacting neighboring properties. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Future in Limbo for Historic Home on School Site
CLINTON - A sign is up at the new Morgan School site at 69 Killingworth Turnpike, explaining that the home that currently exists on the property is slated for demolition on March 1. This has some residents in town up in arms. "The Town of Clinton is growing increasingly callous about preserving historic architectural treasures," said Kirk Carr. "The historic home purchased by the town at 69 Killingworth Turnpike was built on minuteman David LaBarron's farm in 1800 and owned by the family for 143 years." Carr, a frequent critic of the new Morgan School project in general, is upset the town is not having the home moved and preserved as was discussed. First Selectman Willie Fritz said that moving the home was one option and remains an option, but explained that a sign must be posted 90 days prior to a building removal, regardless of how it is taken down or removed. At this time, the town is unsure how the historic home will be removed. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Controversial housing development in Avon approved
AVON — A developer's effort to get approval for a housing subdivision that had gone on for nearly a year concluded Tuesday when the planning and zoning commission gave permission for the plan to go ahead. The homes will be built on a 45-acre parcel between Haynes and Lenox roads. The proposal had attracted a lot of opposition from people in that neighborhood. Officials have said the process of approving this plan was one of the longest of its kind in recent memory. "I would like to thank the commission for its patience and due diligence," commission Chairwoman Linda Keith said after the vote on Tuesday. "We have done a lot of soul searching and a lot of compromise."
Mystic - Toll Brothers, the firm developing a luxury housing project of 48 homes off Pequot Trail known as Old Mystic Estates, has appealed a decision by the Stonington Planning and Zoning Commission rejecting its design for a revised drainage system. Problems with the existing system have not only caused serious erosion and flooding problems for some neighboring property owners but restricted Toll Brothers from developing 27 of the lots and some roads. Toll Brothers is asking a New London Superior Court judge to invalidate the commission's denial and order it to approve the plan. Despite the appeal, Town Planner Keith Brynes said this week that Toll Brothers is also trying to find a new solution or revise the rejected plan. The project has been a controversial one dating back to 2004, when the Planning and Zoning Commission approved plans by the previous developer, Meehan Group, for the cluster subdivision. The approved application included a drainage plan created by a licensed professional engineer hired by Meehan. He assured the commission his design could handle rainfall without impacting neighboring properties. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Future in Limbo for Historic Home on School Site
CLINTON - A sign is up at the new Morgan School site at 69 Killingworth Turnpike, explaining that the home that currently exists on the property is slated for demolition on March 1. This has some residents in town up in arms. "The Town of Clinton is growing increasingly callous about preserving historic architectural treasures," said Kirk Carr. "The historic home purchased by the town at 69 Killingworth Turnpike was built on minuteman David LaBarron's farm in 1800 and owned by the family for 143 years." Carr, a frequent critic of the new Morgan School project in general, is upset the town is not having the home moved and preserved as was discussed. First Selectman Willie Fritz said that moving the home was one option and remains an option, but explained that a sign must be posted 90 days prior to a building removal, regardless of how it is taken down or removed. At this time, the town is unsure how the historic home will be removed. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Controversial housing development in Avon approved
AVON — A developer's effort to get approval for a housing subdivision that had gone on for nearly a year concluded Tuesday when the planning and zoning commission gave permission for the plan to go ahead. The homes will be built on a 45-acre parcel between Haynes and Lenox roads. The proposal had attracted a lot of opposition from people in that neighborhood. Officials have said the process of approving this plan was one of the longest of its kind in recent memory. "I would like to thank the commission for its patience and due diligence," commission Chairwoman Linda Keith said after the vote on Tuesday. "We have done a lot of soul searching and a lot of compromise."
Last spring, Sunlight Construction asked permission to build 57 homes but withdrew that plan in the face of opposition from residents and concerns on the commission. Sunlight came back with a proposal, in the summer, for 39 homes. But even then there were many concerns and a lot of review before approval was given. A hearing the commission held on Sunlight's application started in October and did not wrap up until early January. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Harwinton >> Voters approved an additional $450,000 for the construction of a new building for the Harwinton Emergency Medical Service by a wide margin at referendum on Tuesday. The official vote was 623 to 186. “It’s been a long road through the approvals and over the hurdles,” said Harwinton Ambulance Chief Jason Emery. “The membership is very excited and we’re thankful to the people who came out to show their support today.” Nearly 20 percent of the town’s registered voters came out to vote on the referendum, which First Selectman Mike Criss called, “huge.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Zoners table plans for shopping center
CHESHIRE — An application by a Massachusetts developer for an outlet shopping center was tabled Monday until Feb. 10 because of a scheduling conflict. W/S Development, of Chestnut Hill, Mass., doing business locally as Route 10 LLC, has submitted final plans for the first of two phases of development on a 111-acre site in the town's north end bordering Southington. Plans before the Planning and Zoning Commission are for the development of an outlet shopping center on about half of the property. A housing complex, hotel and fitness facility is expected to be built later, once the market for that type of development improves. The application was tabled Monday until the commission's next meeting. An architect and civil engineer, hired by W/S Development, are expected to be at the February meeting to provide additional information, according to Louis Masiello, W/S vice president of development. W/S has submitted plans for a 500,000-square-foot shopping center, which will be called The Outlets at Cheshire. The project would consist of 10 buildings clustered together with 2,460 parking spots. A second phase would include 147 apartments, a hotel and fitness center and an athletic club. If plans are approved, construction on the shopping outlet could begin this year, and the center could open for business in 2015. Also on Monday, the commission approved plans by Whole Foods Market to turn a field on its 400 East Johnson Ave. property into a truck queuing area with enough paved parking for 31 trucks. Company representatives have told commissioners the queuing area will allow trucks to line up before they approach the building.
Whole Foods has a distribution warehouse at the Cheshire location, but trucks from other Whole Foods locations and distributors use the facility. The company plans to have a gate with a guard who will assign each truck a queuing spot. The trucks will line up before moving 150 to 160 feet to the building.
Zoners table plans for shopping center
CHESHIRE — An application by a Massachusetts developer for an outlet shopping center was tabled Monday until Feb. 10 because of a scheduling conflict. W/S Development, of Chestnut Hill, Mass., doing business locally as Route 10 LLC, has submitted final plans for the first of two phases of development on a 111-acre site in the town's north end bordering Southington. Plans before the Planning and Zoning Commission are for the development of an outlet shopping center on about half of the property. A housing complex, hotel and fitness facility is expected to be built later, once the market for that type of development improves. The application was tabled Monday until the commission's next meeting. An architect and civil engineer, hired by W/S Development, are expected to be at the February meeting to provide additional information, according to Louis Masiello, W/S vice president of development. W/S has submitted plans for a 500,000-square-foot shopping center, which will be called The Outlets at Cheshire. The project would consist of 10 buildings clustered together with 2,460 parking spots. A second phase would include 147 apartments, a hotel and fitness center and an athletic club. If plans are approved, construction on the shopping outlet could begin this year, and the center could open for business in 2015. Also on Monday, the commission approved plans by Whole Foods Market to turn a field on its 400 East Johnson Ave. property into a truck queuing area with enough paved parking for 31 trucks. Company representatives have told commissioners the queuing area will allow trucks to line up before they approach the building.
Whole Foods has a distribution warehouse at the Cheshire location, but trucks from other Whole Foods locations and distributors use the facility. The company plans to have a gate with a guard who will assign each truck a queuing spot. The trucks will line up before moving 150 to 160 feet to the building.
January 29, 2014
CT Construction Digest January 29, 2014
New public works facility high priority in Cromwell
CROMWELL >> Town officials have not abandoned their efforts to find a viable location for a new public works facility. Earlier this month, residents at a town meeting overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to buy a 37-acre parcel of land as the site for the new facility. However, Town Manager Jon B. Sistare said on Tuesday finding a new home for the public works garage is “still a high priority.”
“We’re not done proposing a new facility at some other location,” Sistare said earlier this month.
“We’re looking for a new location and then a new facility,” Sistare said Tuesday.
The town proposed buying a 37-acre site located on the west side of Interstate 91 from the Cromwell Fire District for $340,000. But several residents who attended the town meeting said the site, located off Evergreen Road, was not viable because of water and ledge. Still others complained the price was too steep. But in the wake of the meeting, Sistare said even while residents at the meeting rejected the site, “There seems to have been a consensus that existing facility is not adequate” and needs to be replaced. The present highway garage is located on a 2.2-acre site just south of Pierson Park. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
From Brownfield to Brewery
Plans to transform a brownfield site on the Branford River into the new Stony Creek Brewery are in high gear, with groundbreaking hoped to begin in the next 60 days and the new facility up and running by this summer. The ground-up, mixed-use gathering place and brewery facility design, produced by Branford architect Joe Sepot, was approved by the Planning & Zoning Commission (PZC) following a public hearing on Jan. 16. On Jan. 24, The Sound touched base with brewery manager Manuel Rodriguez for a progress update. While no firm construction start is set as yet, "We'd like to break ground in the next 60 days. It is our intention to be open by summer," Rodriguez told The Sound. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
NPU, nearby towns continue sewer hook up
NORWICH — As Norwich Public Utilities seeks partnerships from surrounding communities to help pay for a $96 million sewer treatment plant upgrade by offering excess capacity to nearby towns, officials said Tuesday any signed agreements would not strip NPU of local oversight.NPU General Manager John Bilda gave an update on the project Tuesday to the Board of Public Utilities Commissioners. He said that regional use of the city’s system will not take away its ability to set rates or make maintenance decisions.“We need to do what is in the best interest of those in the city, who have already paid for the plant,” Bilda said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Transportation Commission chides state for pilfering funds
The Connecticut Public Transportation Commission told Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and the legislature to not take any more funds away from transportation projects to pay for other state programming.
In its annual report, the commission said Connecticut needs to preserve the integrity of all money in the Special Transportation Fund. The fund, which is support by the gas tax and other user fees, was raided in the latest state budget to pay for expenditures in the state General Fund. The commission said the STF is needed to keep the state's transportation infrastructure up to date, and that raiding the STF for General Fund purposes undermines the trust of those who pay gas tax, gross receipts tax, fares, and license and permit fees. The commission made five other recommendations to Malloy and the Connecticut General Assembly: develop a better funding mix for the Coastal Link bus service in Norwalk; keep funding for municipal dial-a-ride programs; continue public disclosure on CTfastrak; develop a privately run rail service between Danbury and Pittsfield; and increase marketing for local bus service.
Wethersfield officials make cuts to high school renovation project
WHETHERSFIELD -- Time ran out on the new shot clock proposed for the Wethersfield High School gym Monday night. The timepiece was among items that fell victim to more than $1 million in cuts to the high school reconstruction budget approved by the school building committee.
Other cost savings included less expensive floor and ceiling tiles, fewer windows that open, cheaper roll shade fabric, PVC instead of cast iron piping and interior locker room walls that no longer reach the ceiling. The committee made the changes as the town battles $10.3 million in cost overruns on the project's original $75 million price tag. Officials have blamed the exploding costs on discovery of far more hazardous materials than expected and a stronger economy, which inflated bids. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
CROMWELL >> Town officials have not abandoned their efforts to find a viable location for a new public works facility. Earlier this month, residents at a town meeting overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to buy a 37-acre parcel of land as the site for the new facility. However, Town Manager Jon B. Sistare said on Tuesday finding a new home for the public works garage is “still a high priority.”
“We’re not done proposing a new facility at some other location,” Sistare said earlier this month.
“We’re looking for a new location and then a new facility,” Sistare said Tuesday.
The town proposed buying a 37-acre site located on the west side of Interstate 91 from the Cromwell Fire District for $340,000. But several residents who attended the town meeting said the site, located off Evergreen Road, was not viable because of water and ledge. Still others complained the price was too steep. But in the wake of the meeting, Sistare said even while residents at the meeting rejected the site, “There seems to have been a consensus that existing facility is not adequate” and needs to be replaced. The present highway garage is located on a 2.2-acre site just south of Pierson Park. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
From Brownfield to Brewery
Plans to transform a brownfield site on the Branford River into the new Stony Creek Brewery are in high gear, with groundbreaking hoped to begin in the next 60 days and the new facility up and running by this summer. The ground-up, mixed-use gathering place and brewery facility design, produced by Branford architect Joe Sepot, was approved by the Planning & Zoning Commission (PZC) following a public hearing on Jan. 16. On Jan. 24, The Sound touched base with brewery manager Manuel Rodriguez for a progress update. While no firm construction start is set as yet, "We'd like to break ground in the next 60 days. It is our intention to be open by summer," Rodriguez told The Sound. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
NPU, nearby towns continue sewer hook up
NORWICH — As Norwich Public Utilities seeks partnerships from surrounding communities to help pay for a $96 million sewer treatment plant upgrade by offering excess capacity to nearby towns, officials said Tuesday any signed agreements would not strip NPU of local oversight.NPU General Manager John Bilda gave an update on the project Tuesday to the Board of Public Utilities Commissioners. He said that regional use of the city’s system will not take away its ability to set rates or make maintenance decisions.“We need to do what is in the best interest of those in the city, who have already paid for the plant,” Bilda said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Transportation Commission chides state for pilfering funds
The Connecticut Public Transportation Commission told Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and the legislature to not take any more funds away from transportation projects to pay for other state programming.
In its annual report, the commission said Connecticut needs to preserve the integrity of all money in the Special Transportation Fund. The fund, which is support by the gas tax and other user fees, was raided in the latest state budget to pay for expenditures in the state General Fund. The commission said the STF is needed to keep the state's transportation infrastructure up to date, and that raiding the STF for General Fund purposes undermines the trust of those who pay gas tax, gross receipts tax, fares, and license and permit fees. The commission made five other recommendations to Malloy and the Connecticut General Assembly: develop a better funding mix for the Coastal Link bus service in Norwalk; keep funding for municipal dial-a-ride programs; continue public disclosure on CTfastrak; develop a privately run rail service between Danbury and Pittsfield; and increase marketing for local bus service.
Wethersfield officials make cuts to high school renovation project
WHETHERSFIELD -- Time ran out on the new shot clock proposed for the Wethersfield High School gym Monday night. The timepiece was among items that fell victim to more than $1 million in cuts to the high school reconstruction budget approved by the school building committee.
Other cost savings included less expensive floor and ceiling tiles, fewer windows that open, cheaper roll shade fabric, PVC instead of cast iron piping and interior locker room walls that no longer reach the ceiling. The committee made the changes as the town battles $10.3 million in cost overruns on the project's original $75 million price tag. Officials have blamed the exploding costs on discovery of far more hazardous materials than expected and a stronger economy, which inflated bids. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
January 28, 2014
CT Construction Digest January 28, 2014
Meriden HUB soil bound for tire pond
MERIDEN — Big changes at the downtown Hub site will mean large amounts of soil hauled out of the city. Close to 100,000 tons of soil will be removed from the Hub over the next 18 months as part of a redevelopment project. For years, officials have been planning to create flood storage by unearthing Harbor Brook and turning the parcel into a park.
MERIDEN — Construction at H.C. Wilcox Technical High School is nearing completion, a day that for students and faculty at the school, likely can’t come soon enough. “Teachers and students have had to be flexible and patient these past few years,” said Lisa Hylwa, the school’s principal.
MERIDEN — Big changes at the downtown Hub site will mean large amounts of soil hauled out of the city. Close to 100,000 tons of soil will be removed from the Hub over the next 18 months as part of a redevelopment project. For years, officials have been planning to create flood storage by unearthing Harbor Brook and turning the parcel into a park.
To create the flood storage space, machinery will excavate the soil, much of which is contaminated from past industrial uses. The material will be hauled down Interstate 91 to the infamous “tire pond” on the Hamden-North Haven town line. “They say timing is everything and timing was perfect for us,” said Public Works Director Robert Bass. Since 2002, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has been sending millions of tons of soil and sedimentation to the tire pond as the state tries to cover what has been described as the country’s largest tire dump. The pond was illegally filled with an estimated 20 million tires over the years as a private disposal site. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Renovation of the technical high school by Glastonbury-based Gilbane Building Co. started in early 2012, and is expected to be finished by this September, Hylwa said. The state-funded $77.9 million project includes renovating the building “like new,” and adding some new construction to the north and south sides of the school. Now in the third and final phase of the process, the work is on schedule. “Parts of this building were built in the 1960s,” Hylwa said, “so they were in desperate need of some updating.” Updates include things like completely renovated classrooms that now feature interactive Smart Boards. Though students say they’re happy with the renovations, the process has not been an easy one. Portable classrooms are in use in the front of the school campus to house students whose classrooms were being renovated, outdoor corridors are often the only way to get from one part of the building to another, and technical issues in the school have caused headaches for everyone involved. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Mystic - The developer of a proposed 55-unit luxury condominium project on the former Mystic Color Lab property site has temporarily withdrawn its plans in the midst of its public hearing before the Stonington Planning and Zoning Commission. The commission had started the hearing on the application by Edgewood Mac LLC on Jan. 7 and then continued it to tonight. The commission has now canceled tonight's hearing in light of the withdrawal. Edgewood Mac attorney Ted Ladwig of Pawcatuck said Monday the plans were withdrawn after Edgewood learned from the town last week that the commission had approved a modified plan for the site in 2008. Edgewood Mac had been comparing its new design of four buildings with three stories over a garage and surrounding a courtyard to the one the commission had originally approved for the project in 2005 which called for two buildings of four stories over a garage. Edgewood had maintained its revised plan, which includes architectural features such a recreated tower, was much more appealing because it was more in keeping with the character of Mystic. But the 2008 modification, which Ladwig said Edgewood was not aware of, altered the original plan so it would have three stories. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
North Stonington emergency services building could cost $2M less
North Stonington - Architecture and engineering firm Silver/Petrucelli presented a pared-down plan Monday night for a new emergency services complex, suggesting that $2 million could be shaved off the cost of the original proposal. Voters approved a $6.36 million project last summer, which called for a two-story, 18,000-square-foot building to replace the aging firehouse on Rocky Hollow Road and combine the facility with the town's ambulance service, located now on Mains Crossing.
Principal architect Dean Petrucelli told committee members Wednesday that a one-story building would mean both a more efficient use of space and significantly lower costs, particularly by eliminating the need for elevators and cutting down on unnecessary hallway space.
Monday's joint meeting was the first between Silver/Petrucelli and the Emergency Services Building Committee, which has formed a subcommittee to begin working on the initial design. The firm expects construction to begin in 2015 and wrap up by the end of that year.
New Haven officials to address saftey concerns at East Rock Bridge site
NEW HAVEN >> Three barricades along the East Rock Road Bridge construction site block vehicles from entering the site, but yard-wide spaces between the barricades allow pedestrians onto the site, and potentially onto the bridge platform, despite no railing or suspension cables in place on either side of the platform. The Farnam Drive entrance to the bridge, which runs over the Mill River, is completely gated off. City Engineer Larry Smith said the site is supposed to be secured every day and that “people shouldn’t be able to walk up to the job site.” Smith said he would visit the site first thing in the morning and “drill down” on both the contractor and inspector if he finds the safety measures to be inadequate. Smith said he hasn’t received any complaints about the site from residents in the area. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
North Stonington emergency services building could cost $2M less
North Stonington - Architecture and engineering firm Silver/Petrucelli presented a pared-down plan Monday night for a new emergency services complex, suggesting that $2 million could be shaved off the cost of the original proposal. Voters approved a $6.36 million project last summer, which called for a two-story, 18,000-square-foot building to replace the aging firehouse on Rocky Hollow Road and combine the facility with the town's ambulance service, located now on Mains Crossing.
Principal architect Dean Petrucelli told committee members Wednesday that a one-story building would mean both a more efficient use of space and significantly lower costs, particularly by eliminating the need for elevators and cutting down on unnecessary hallway space.
Monday's joint meeting was the first between Silver/Petrucelli and the Emergency Services Building Committee, which has formed a subcommittee to begin working on the initial design. The firm expects construction to begin in 2015 and wrap up by the end of that year.
New Haven officials to address saftey concerns at East Rock Bridge site
NEW HAVEN >> Three barricades along the East Rock Road Bridge construction site block vehicles from entering the site, but yard-wide spaces between the barricades allow pedestrians onto the site, and potentially onto the bridge platform, despite no railing or suspension cables in place on either side of the platform. The Farnam Drive entrance to the bridge, which runs over the Mill River, is completely gated off. City Engineer Larry Smith said the site is supposed to be secured every day and that “people shouldn’t be able to walk up to the job site.” Smith said he would visit the site first thing in the morning and “drill down” on both the contractor and inspector if he finds the safety measures to be inadequate. Smith said he hasn’t received any complaints about the site from residents in the area. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
January 27, 2014
CT Construction Digest January 27, 2014
Stamford developer bypassed zoning board, went ahead with construction
STAMFORD -- The developer of the office and residential complex opposite the train station entrance at Washington Boulevard has doubled the number of lanes in and out of its parking garage without proper city approvals, and now the Zoning Board must decide whether to OK the change, even though it's already been built. The plan that the Zoning Board approved for the Gateway project called for three entrance/exit lanes on Washington Boulevard for the 2,000-space parking garage, but six were built. The change came to light recently when the developer, Building and Land Technology, requested a certificate of occupancy from the board to begin providing parking for commuters. The board members postponed deciding what went wrong. BLT says the change wasn't a big one and didn't require the board's approval, and instead asked for and received approval from the city's land use department. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
MIllstone acts on Fukushima failures
Waterford - Nearly three years after a major earthquake and tsunami caused the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station disaster, Millstone Power Station here is undergoing more than $10 million in equipment and facilities upgrades to enable it to better withstand natural disasters. The work is taking place at Millstone and the nation's other nuclear power plants after orders were issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in March 2012 for enhancements of safety and emergency response capabilities in response to the 2011 disaster in Japan, in which three reactor cores melted down and large amounts of radiation were released. The orders issued in 2012 were the first of what the NRC expects will be at least three sets of Fukushima-related directives to nuclear power plants, NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan said Wednesday. Analysis required to determine the extent of further modifications needed at plants is expected to be completed in the next two years, he said.
"We still have a significant amount of work to do on the recommendations," he said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Plans for New England rail network continue
Despite the collapse of President Barack Obama's ambitious national high-speed rail proposal, transportation planners in four states and the province of Quebec are busily promoting something similar — though probably more modest — to link Boston, New York and Montreal. The project will take the cooperation of Massachusetts and five railroads that own tracks along three corridors that need extensive construction or upgrades: New Haven to Springfield, Springfield to Boston, and Springfield to Montreal. Massachusetts and CSX, Amtrak, PanAm Southern, Canadian National and the New England Central Railroad each own sections of the roughly 470 miles of rail line. Some of it is in relatively good shape but needs a second track to accommodate high-frequency schedules; other stretches are deteriorated freight lines with severe restrictions on train speeds. Massachusetts has begun heavily investing in rail improvements, with construction underway to let Amtrak run a more efficient route for its Vermonter service. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Harwinton to vote on Tuesday for additional funds ambulance building project
HARWINTON >> A Tuesday referendum will ask town voters to decide whether they want to spend an additional $450,000 for the construction of a new building for the Harwinton Emergency Medical Service. The building would be on town owned land alongside the firehouse on Burlington Road. The ambulance service’s headquarters are currently in a portion of the firehouse and are in need of upgrade or repair, officials say. Voters approved $750,000 for the project in 2010, but the cost to complete it has gone up, officials said, because of inflation over the last three years and additional requirements from the state Department of Transportation that were not initially expected. First Selectman Mike Criss said during a public meeting last week that the scope of the project has not changed. EMS Chief Jason Emery said the project is “not extravagant.” The new facility would include two bays for the ambulances, a training room that will double as the town’s Emergency Operations Center, offices, male and female bunks and bathrooms, a kitchen and lounge.
STAMFORD -- The developer of the office and residential complex opposite the train station entrance at Washington Boulevard has doubled the number of lanes in and out of its parking garage without proper city approvals, and now the Zoning Board must decide whether to OK the change, even though it's already been built. The plan that the Zoning Board approved for the Gateway project called for three entrance/exit lanes on Washington Boulevard for the 2,000-space parking garage, but six were built. The change came to light recently when the developer, Building and Land Technology, requested a certificate of occupancy from the board to begin providing parking for commuters. The board members postponed deciding what went wrong. BLT says the change wasn't a big one and didn't require the board's approval, and instead asked for and received approval from the city's land use department. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
MIllstone acts on Fukushima failures
Waterford - Nearly three years after a major earthquake and tsunami caused the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station disaster, Millstone Power Station here is undergoing more than $10 million in equipment and facilities upgrades to enable it to better withstand natural disasters. The work is taking place at Millstone and the nation's other nuclear power plants after orders were issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in March 2012 for enhancements of safety and emergency response capabilities in response to the 2011 disaster in Japan, in which three reactor cores melted down and large amounts of radiation were released. The orders issued in 2012 were the first of what the NRC expects will be at least three sets of Fukushima-related directives to nuclear power plants, NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan said Wednesday. Analysis required to determine the extent of further modifications needed at plants is expected to be completed in the next two years, he said.
"We still have a significant amount of work to do on the recommendations," he said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Plans for New England rail network continue
Despite the collapse of President Barack Obama's ambitious national high-speed rail proposal, transportation planners in four states and the province of Quebec are busily promoting something similar — though probably more modest — to link Boston, New York and Montreal. The project will take the cooperation of Massachusetts and five railroads that own tracks along three corridors that need extensive construction or upgrades: New Haven to Springfield, Springfield to Boston, and Springfield to Montreal. Massachusetts and CSX, Amtrak, PanAm Southern, Canadian National and the New England Central Railroad each own sections of the roughly 470 miles of rail line. Some of it is in relatively good shape but needs a second track to accommodate high-frequency schedules; other stretches are deteriorated freight lines with severe restrictions on train speeds. Massachusetts has begun heavily investing in rail improvements, with construction underway to let Amtrak run a more efficient route for its Vermonter service. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Harwinton to vote on Tuesday for additional funds ambulance building project
HARWINTON >> A Tuesday referendum will ask town voters to decide whether they want to spend an additional $450,000 for the construction of a new building for the Harwinton Emergency Medical Service. The building would be on town owned land alongside the firehouse on Burlington Road. The ambulance service’s headquarters are currently in a portion of the firehouse and are in need of upgrade or repair, officials say. Voters approved $750,000 for the project in 2010, but the cost to complete it has gone up, officials said, because of inflation over the last three years and additional requirements from the state Department of Transportation that were not initially expected. First Selectman Mike Criss said during a public meeting last week that the scope of the project has not changed. EMS Chief Jason Emery said the project is “not extravagant.” The new facility would include two bays for the ambulances, a training room that will double as the town’s Emergency Operations Center, offices, male and female bunks and bathrooms, a kitchen and lounge.
January 24, 2014
CT Construction Digest January 24, 2014
Council rejects mayor's rescission
New England seeks to expand gas delivery network
HARTFORD >> New England governors have announced a plan to expand the region’s pipeline capacity to deliver more natural gas and cut energy costs. Maine Gov. Paul LePage said Thursday he and the governors of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont have asked the region’s grid operator to help as the states seek proposals for transmission equipment and public works to deliver enough electricity to serve 1.2 million to 3.6 million homes. The proposal also would develop a way to finance pipeline construction to bring natural gas from Pennsylvania and adjacent areas to New England. LePage said the initiative will help cut costs in New England by capitalizing on more competitive energy sources. The governors agreed Dec. 5 to develop a regional energy strategy to reduce costs and boost reliability and efficiency.
New downtown Norwich police station would cost $20M
NORWICH — It’s unlikely a new police station could be built anywhere in downtown Norwich for less than $20 million, but there are more than a dozen sites around the city that could support a new headquarters at that price, an advisory panel said Thursday.Nearly a year after it was created by the City Council, the Police Station Committee finally began to rank 28 properties it believes would be suitable for a 50,000 square-foot headquarters. It also suggested a minimum lot size of 2.72 acres at a cost of between $18.5 million and $22 million for a modern facility. With the acreage restriction, more than half of those sites would be eliminated — including the 2-6 Cliff St. location that city leaders proposed in 2012 for a new $33.4 million, 57,000 square-foot public safety complex that voters rejected at a referendum. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Wethersfield officials explore options to cover high school construction cost overrun
WETHERSFIELD -- Cost overruns for reconstruction of Wethersfield High School have nearly doubled to $10.3 million, almost 14 percent of the project's original $75 million budget.
Preconstruction Manager Lorel Purcell of O & G Industries attributed the overruns, originally estimated at $5.5 million, to discovery of unexpectedly large amounts of hazardous materials. The asbestos, PCBs and other substances pose no immediate health threat, but must be removed, she said.
Purcell also blamed the overruns on the stronger economy, which inflated recently opened bids, and security upgrades mandated by the state after the Newtown school shooting.
"There's a lot of factors that compiled and piled up," Purcell said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Governors ask electric customers to help pay for gas upgrades
New England's six governors stepped into uncharted territory Thursday, asking the region's electric grid to help pay for new natural gas pipelines to ease supply constraints. The governors announced a pact in December to push for regional investment in natural gas pipelines, and the request, in a letter to grid operator ISO New England, marked the first coordinated effort. Currently, New England electricity customers pay a winter premium for power because the region lacks adequate pipeline capacity for power plants. That situation contributed to the Jan. 1 hike in electric bills, and on Thursday pushed wholesale electricity markets above $400 a megawatt hour, while normal days average closer to $60. Under the plan, ISO New England would raise money for the pipelines by levying an additional fee on power plants, which would then pass the cost along to customers in their prices. The idea is to jumpstart construction of pipelines because, the governors say, the gas industry isn't moving quickly enough. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Construction firms expect growing demand in 2014
Many firms plan to start hiring again and most contractors predict demand will either grow or remain stable in virtually every market segment this year according to survey results released Jan. 21 by the Associated General Contractors of America. The survey, conducted as part of Optimism Returns: The 2014 Construction Industry Hiring and Business Outlook, provides a generally upbeat outlook for the year even as firms worry about growing worker shortages, rising costs and the impact of new regulations and federal budget cutting. “Contractors are more optimistic about 2014 than they have been in a long time,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association's chief executive officer. “While the industry has a long way to go before it returns to the employment and activity levels it experienced in the middle of the last decade, conditions are heading in the right direction.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Video shows suspect car in the theft at Prospect construction site
PROSPECT -- Police continue to investigate a major theft that occurred between Jan. 11 and 13 at the site of an elementary school that is under construction. Resident Trooper Matthew Comeau on Wednesday said police have been able to obtain video stills of a suspect vehicle in the incident. The images show an older model, possibly Ford F250, green pickup truck that is pulling a dual axle trailer with a white tank on it, he said. According to state police in a release, at least two people unlocked a gate and drove onto a construction site at 75 New Haven Road, Route 69, and stole several items, including a quad and GPS unit valued at $48,000. The thieves also are believed to have siphoned about 800 gallons worth of red-dyed diesel fuel from several machines, police said.
The stolen items include an 1,800-watt generator and a 2011 Polaris Sportsman quad with an Ashtech Z GPS unit mounted on the front.
Anyone with information can call the Prospect Resident Trooper's Office at 203-758-6150 or Troop I in Bethany at 203-393-4200.
NEW BRITAIN — The Common Council voted late Wednesday to reject Mayor Erin Stewart’s rescission of a $1.07 million bond authorization for improvements at Chesley Park.
The voice vote by the council means the improvement project — which would include two softball fields, a football field and a soccer field — will likely move forward. “More conversations are needed to see how we move forward with this project,” said Alderman Michael Trueworthy after the meeting. The mayor said Thursday she recommended rescinding the project for financial reasons. “The bigger picture is a bleak financial outlook with our debt limits,” the mayor said. “We’ve got to prioritize. We don’t live in a world where we can afford luxury items when everyone else is downsizing. We’re spending money like we have it, and we don’t.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READINGNew England seeks to expand gas delivery network
HARTFORD >> New England governors have announced a plan to expand the region’s pipeline capacity to deliver more natural gas and cut energy costs. Maine Gov. Paul LePage said Thursday he and the governors of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont have asked the region’s grid operator to help as the states seek proposals for transmission equipment and public works to deliver enough electricity to serve 1.2 million to 3.6 million homes. The proposal also would develop a way to finance pipeline construction to bring natural gas from Pennsylvania and adjacent areas to New England. LePage said the initiative will help cut costs in New England by capitalizing on more competitive energy sources. The governors agreed Dec. 5 to develop a regional energy strategy to reduce costs and boost reliability and efficiency.
New downtown Norwich police station would cost $20M
NORWICH — It’s unlikely a new police station could be built anywhere in downtown Norwich for less than $20 million, but there are more than a dozen sites around the city that could support a new headquarters at that price, an advisory panel said Thursday.Nearly a year after it was created by the City Council, the Police Station Committee finally began to rank 28 properties it believes would be suitable for a 50,000 square-foot headquarters. It also suggested a minimum lot size of 2.72 acres at a cost of between $18.5 million and $22 million for a modern facility. With the acreage restriction, more than half of those sites would be eliminated — including the 2-6 Cliff St. location that city leaders proposed in 2012 for a new $33.4 million, 57,000 square-foot public safety complex that voters rejected at a referendum. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Wethersfield officials explore options to cover high school construction cost overrun
WETHERSFIELD -- Cost overruns for reconstruction of Wethersfield High School have nearly doubled to $10.3 million, almost 14 percent of the project's original $75 million budget.
Preconstruction Manager Lorel Purcell of O & G Industries attributed the overruns, originally estimated at $5.5 million, to discovery of unexpectedly large amounts of hazardous materials. The asbestos, PCBs and other substances pose no immediate health threat, but must be removed, she said.
Purcell also blamed the overruns on the stronger economy, which inflated recently opened bids, and security upgrades mandated by the state after the Newtown school shooting.
"There's a lot of factors that compiled and piled up," Purcell said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Governors ask electric customers to help pay for gas upgrades
New England's six governors stepped into uncharted territory Thursday, asking the region's electric grid to help pay for new natural gas pipelines to ease supply constraints. The governors announced a pact in December to push for regional investment in natural gas pipelines, and the request, in a letter to grid operator ISO New England, marked the first coordinated effort. Currently, New England electricity customers pay a winter premium for power because the region lacks adequate pipeline capacity for power plants. That situation contributed to the Jan. 1 hike in electric bills, and on Thursday pushed wholesale electricity markets above $400 a megawatt hour, while normal days average closer to $60. Under the plan, ISO New England would raise money for the pipelines by levying an additional fee on power plants, which would then pass the cost along to customers in their prices. The idea is to jumpstart construction of pipelines because, the governors say, the gas industry isn't moving quickly enough. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Construction firms expect growing demand in 2014
Many firms plan to start hiring again and most contractors predict demand will either grow or remain stable in virtually every market segment this year according to survey results released Jan. 21 by the Associated General Contractors of America. The survey, conducted as part of Optimism Returns: The 2014 Construction Industry Hiring and Business Outlook, provides a generally upbeat outlook for the year even as firms worry about growing worker shortages, rising costs and the impact of new regulations and federal budget cutting. “Contractors are more optimistic about 2014 than they have been in a long time,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association's chief executive officer. “While the industry has a long way to go before it returns to the employment and activity levels it experienced in the middle of the last decade, conditions are heading in the right direction.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Video shows suspect car in the theft at Prospect construction site
PROSPECT -- Police continue to investigate a major theft that occurred between Jan. 11 and 13 at the site of an elementary school that is under construction. Resident Trooper Matthew Comeau on Wednesday said police have been able to obtain video stills of a suspect vehicle in the incident. The images show an older model, possibly Ford F250, green pickup truck that is pulling a dual axle trailer with a white tank on it, he said. According to state police in a release, at least two people unlocked a gate and drove onto a construction site at 75 New Haven Road, Route 69, and stole several items, including a quad and GPS unit valued at $48,000. The thieves also are believed to have siphoned about 800 gallons worth of red-dyed diesel fuel from several machines, police said.
The stolen items include an 1,800-watt generator and a 2011 Polaris Sportsman quad with an Ashtech Z GPS unit mounted on the front.
Anyone with information can call the Prospect Resident Trooper's Office at 203-758-6150 or Troop I in Bethany at 203-393-4200.
January 23, 2014
CT Construction Digest January 23, 2014
Work continues to move forward at Guilford High School
Despite freezing temperatures and gusty winds, construction workers on site at the new Guilford High School keep plugging away. Work is on schedule for completion in summer 2015, making the graduating class of 2016 the first to make use of the new school. To date, the new floor decking has been added to the second floor of the new school structure, the construction of the roof deck has begun on the classroom wing, and over in the southwest corner, construction on the gym and locker rooms is well underway. Other forward motion includes the Guilford High School Building Committee's decision to add a third construction phase to the project for technology. The committee's Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mary Beeman explained, "This decision allows us to push back decisions on technology until February of 2015. It poses no risk to the project." In addition, discussion for months has been orbiting around the inclusion of a black box theater as part of the project. To date, the design development of the theater was approved by the committee, for a fee of $37,500. However, the committee has not yet approved the addition of the black box theater, only its design, in order to get a more specific cost quote. The next Guilford High School Building Committee meeting will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
Meeting scheduled for middle school renovation
A special town meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 28th to discuss and take action on plans to renovate the North Haven Middle School. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of the middle school. Prior to the meeting, tours of the 55-year-old school will be held, starting at 6 p.m.
At the meeting, North Haven voters will be asked to authorize the North Haven Board of Education to “apply to the Commissioner of Education of the State of Connecticut for a grant in connection with a “renovate as new’’ plus “new” addition construction project at the middle school. Voters will also be asked to allow the North Haven Middle School Building Committee to hire an architect for the “preparation of schematic drawings and outline specifications for the project, as well as other incidental pre-referendum professional services.’’ A referendum to proceed with work on the middle school project is expected, according to school and town officials, to be held this June.
Regulators lower CNG rate increase by $14M
The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority on Thursday will lower Connecticut Natural Gas' proposed $20 million rate increase to $6.5 million, according to a release from the agency.
CNG, which provides natural gas to 165,000 customers in Greater Hartford, had asked for the $20 million ensure its financial strength and add critical infrastructure to meet Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's goal of adding 280,000 customers to the home heating distribution system in the state over the next 10 years. PURA had approved other funding mechanisms to pay for the natural gas expansion, which includes CNG, Yankee Gas, and Southern Connecticut Gas. Because of those measures – which include charges new customers more on their distribution fees – PURA said CNG didn't need the whole $20 million. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Recycling center breaks ground in Watertown
Sachs said the foundation should be completed by some time in February and he hopes to start erecting the building at the end of February. “We're planning on working through the winter,” Sachs said. He said he hopes the business is in operation by the end of 2014. Frost Bridge Associates bought the property for $750,000 in May 2008, and originally planned to start construction on the 48,000-square-foot transfer station in beginning of 2013. Sachs said there was no particular reason for the delay other than the company hadn't gotten its plans together. The new owners cleaned up the formerly contaminated site and the new facility is expected to add a healthy sum to Watertown's tax roles once it is up and running.
Despite freezing temperatures and gusty winds, construction workers on site at the new Guilford High School keep plugging away. Work is on schedule for completion in summer 2015, making the graduating class of 2016 the first to make use of the new school. To date, the new floor decking has been added to the second floor of the new school structure, the construction of the roof deck has begun on the classroom wing, and over in the southwest corner, construction on the gym and locker rooms is well underway. Other forward motion includes the Guilford High School Building Committee's decision to add a third construction phase to the project for technology. The committee's Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mary Beeman explained, "This decision allows us to push back decisions on technology until February of 2015. It poses no risk to the project." In addition, discussion for months has been orbiting around the inclusion of a black box theater as part of the project. To date, the design development of the theater was approved by the committee, for a fee of $37,500. However, the committee has not yet approved the addition of the black box theater, only its design, in order to get a more specific cost quote. The next Guilford High School Building Committee meeting will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
Meeting scheduled for middle school renovation
A special town meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 28th to discuss and take action on plans to renovate the North Haven Middle School. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of the middle school. Prior to the meeting, tours of the 55-year-old school will be held, starting at 6 p.m.
At the meeting, North Haven voters will be asked to authorize the North Haven Board of Education to “apply to the Commissioner of Education of the State of Connecticut for a grant in connection with a “renovate as new’’ plus “new” addition construction project at the middle school. Voters will also be asked to allow the North Haven Middle School Building Committee to hire an architect for the “preparation of schematic drawings and outline specifications for the project, as well as other incidental pre-referendum professional services.’’ A referendum to proceed with work on the middle school project is expected, according to school and town officials, to be held this June.
Regulators lower CNG rate increase by $14M
The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority on Thursday will lower Connecticut Natural Gas' proposed $20 million rate increase to $6.5 million, according to a release from the agency.
CNG, which provides natural gas to 165,000 customers in Greater Hartford, had asked for the $20 million ensure its financial strength and add critical infrastructure to meet Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's goal of adding 280,000 customers to the home heating distribution system in the state over the next 10 years. PURA had approved other funding mechanisms to pay for the natural gas expansion, which includes CNG, Yankee Gas, and Southern Connecticut Gas. Because of those measures – which include charges new customers more on their distribution fees – PURA said CNG didn't need the whole $20 million. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Recycling center breaks ground in Watertown
WATERTOWN -- The project to build a construction debris recycling facility at the former drive-in site on Frost Bridge Road broke ground Jan. 1, according to the company's owner, Robert Sachs.
He said crews have been pouring the foundation and construction is progressing steadily.Sachs said the foundation should be completed by some time in February and he hopes to start erecting the building at the end of February. “We're planning on working through the winter,” Sachs said. He said he hopes the business is in operation by the end of 2014. Frost Bridge Associates bought the property for $750,000 in May 2008, and originally planned to start construction on the 48,000-square-foot transfer station in beginning of 2013. Sachs said there was no particular reason for the delay other than the company hadn't gotten its plans together. The new owners cleaned up the formerly contaminated site and the new facility is expected to add a healthy sum to Watertown's tax roles once it is up and running.
January 22, 2014
CT Construction Digest January 22, 2014
National firms giving Renaissance financial advice
BRISTOL — Renaissance Downtowns is getting financial advice for its proposed Depot Square project in the city center from at least a couple of national firms that specialize in the field.
Two firms are specifically cited in the public portion of its preliminary financial report submitted recently to the nonprofit Bristol Downtown Development Corp. that is overseeing the revitalization of the former mall site on North Main Street. A Maryland-based firm, The Bainbridge Cos., is “reviewing our site plans” and has “provided significant input on the financing approach” for the first phase of the project, the report said. Bainbridge calls itself “a leading owner, developer and manager of luxury multifamily apartment communities in the Eastern United States.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Portland officials to discuss Route 66 improvements with DOT
PORTLAND >> The town is still pursuing efforts to improve conditions along portions of Route 66 following a recent spate of fatal accidents on the road. To that end, First Selectwoman Susan S. Bransfield is working to arrange a meeting with a state transportation official. Bransfield has spoken with the official, Edmund Hedge, who is the law-enforcement liaison for the DOT. Now he and Bransfield are attempting to set up a meeting that would also include Lt. Ron Milardo, the police department’s highest ranking officer. “Mr. Hedge called me, and asked me when we could meet, and I said I would come up with some dates in the beginning of February,” Bransfield said Tuesday.
Now she is waiting to hear back from Hedge about which date is best for him. Bransfield said.
Town officials became concerned about conditions on Route 66 after two accidents on the road in the area of the ledges — one in September, the other in December — took the lives of the respective drivers. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
NCDC approves grant to downtown Norwich developer
Norwich — The first maximum downtown revitalization building code upgrade grant was awarded Tuesday to the owner of a commercial building at 54-56 Broadway to augment the $305,850 the developer already has invested in the project. The Norwich Community Development Corp.’s Code Correction Review Committee Tuesday approved an $85,000 matching grant to the UZ-MAH ownership firm. The new grant was added to the initial $15,000 approved in April for the project, bringing the city’s grant to $100,000 — the maximum allowed in the code improvement grant program. NCDC Vice President Jason Vincent said this is the first full $100,000 grant awarded under the city’s $3.38 million downtown revitalization program approved by voters in 2010. The grant is distributed as a reimbursement to the owner after the work is completed, Vincent said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Facing coast overruns, Wethersfield officials to meet about high school construction
WETHERSFIELD -- The town council will convene a rare joint meeting with two other commissions Wednesday evening to discuss cost overruns for construction at Wethersfield High School.
Councilmen and the Town Manager Jeff Bridges will meet with the school building committee and the school board at 7:30 p.m. in the Stillman Building at 127 Hartford Avenue in Old Wethersfield.
Officials will share information about the overruns, estimated at $5.5 million or about 7 percent of the project's $75 million budget, and discuss options for raising additional funds, Mayor Paul Montinieri said. He said he did not expect any decisions to be made Wednesday. "It was time, I thought, to hold a meeting to get everyone up to speed," Montinieri said. "There really isn't a game plan because (a list of proposed cost-saving measures) isn't done yet. It (the joint meeting) is a good thing because we can get it all on the table at the same time with the right players." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
BRISTOL — Renaissance Downtowns is getting financial advice for its proposed Depot Square project in the city center from at least a couple of national firms that specialize in the field.
Two firms are specifically cited in the public portion of its preliminary financial report submitted recently to the nonprofit Bristol Downtown Development Corp. that is overseeing the revitalization of the former mall site on North Main Street. A Maryland-based firm, The Bainbridge Cos., is “reviewing our site plans” and has “provided significant input on the financing approach” for the first phase of the project, the report said. Bainbridge calls itself “a leading owner, developer and manager of luxury multifamily apartment communities in the Eastern United States.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Portland officials to discuss Route 66 improvements with DOT
PORTLAND >> The town is still pursuing efforts to improve conditions along portions of Route 66 following a recent spate of fatal accidents on the road. To that end, First Selectwoman Susan S. Bransfield is working to arrange a meeting with a state transportation official. Bransfield has spoken with the official, Edmund Hedge, who is the law-enforcement liaison for the DOT. Now he and Bransfield are attempting to set up a meeting that would also include Lt. Ron Milardo, the police department’s highest ranking officer. “Mr. Hedge called me, and asked me when we could meet, and I said I would come up with some dates in the beginning of February,” Bransfield said Tuesday.
Now she is waiting to hear back from Hedge about which date is best for him. Bransfield said.
Town officials became concerned about conditions on Route 66 after two accidents on the road in the area of the ledges — one in September, the other in December — took the lives of the respective drivers. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
NCDC approves grant to downtown Norwich developer
Norwich — The first maximum downtown revitalization building code upgrade grant was awarded Tuesday to the owner of a commercial building at 54-56 Broadway to augment the $305,850 the developer already has invested in the project. The Norwich Community Development Corp.’s Code Correction Review Committee Tuesday approved an $85,000 matching grant to the UZ-MAH ownership firm. The new grant was added to the initial $15,000 approved in April for the project, bringing the city’s grant to $100,000 — the maximum allowed in the code improvement grant program. NCDC Vice President Jason Vincent said this is the first full $100,000 grant awarded under the city’s $3.38 million downtown revitalization program approved by voters in 2010. The grant is distributed as a reimbursement to the owner after the work is completed, Vincent said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Facing coast overruns, Wethersfield officials to meet about high school construction
WETHERSFIELD -- The town council will convene a rare joint meeting with two other commissions Wednesday evening to discuss cost overruns for construction at Wethersfield High School.
Councilmen and the Town Manager Jeff Bridges will meet with the school building committee and the school board at 7:30 p.m. in the Stillman Building at 127 Hartford Avenue in Old Wethersfield.
Officials will share information about the overruns, estimated at $5.5 million or about 7 percent of the project's $75 million budget, and discuss options for raising additional funds, Mayor Paul Montinieri said. He said he did not expect any decisions to be made Wednesday. "It was time, I thought, to hold a meeting to get everyone up to speed," Montinieri said. "There really isn't a game plan because (a list of proposed cost-saving measures) isn't done yet. It (the joint meeting) is a good thing because we can get it all on the table at the same time with the right players." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
January 21, 2014
CT Construction Digest January 21, 2104
Oil & Gas PIpeline Construction in the US Industry
Increases in energy prices and advancements in extraction technologies have caused significant growth in domestic oil and natural gas production, and higher production has consequently boosted demand for pipeline construction to connect existing infrastructure and markets. For this reason, industry research firm IBISWorld has updated a report on Oil & Gas Pipeline Construction in its growing industry report collection. New York, NY (PRWEB) January 20, 2014
Pipelines are essential for transporting vital fuel supplies to households and businesses. The aftermath of global energy price hikes and the opening of natural gas fields early in the five-year period to 2013, led to extraordinary investment growth in domestic energy resource developments. This occurrence underpinned demand for pipeline and related infrastructure construction. Currently, heavy investment in natural gas and oil infrastructure construction has the Oil and Gas Pipeline Construction industry booming. Increases in energy prices and advancements in extraction technologies have caused significant increases in domestic oil and natural gas production. In turn, higher production has also boosted demand for pipeline construction to connect existing infrastructure and markets. As a result, industry revenue is expected to grow at an average annual rate in the five years to 2013. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Capital workforce Job Funnel helps launch careers
HARTFORD — Bristol resident Karl Robertson Jr. enrolled in the Capital Workforce Partners Jobs Funnel looking for a career change. He liked working with his hands and with people. For him, computer numeric controlled machinist was too solitary a job.
Through Jobs Funnel, Robertson learned skills he needed to enter the career he wanted. He now installs and repairs water meters. “My job is flexible, the hours are great and I get paid a decent wage,” he says. Elena Alvarez, a New Britain resident, was referred to Jobs Funnel for welding training through Local 15 of the Ironworkers union following her honorable discharge from the U.S. Marines. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Federal budget cuts fail to slow New England high speed rail projects
Increases in energy prices and advancements in extraction technologies have caused significant growth in domestic oil and natural gas production, and higher production has consequently boosted demand for pipeline construction to connect existing infrastructure and markets. For this reason, industry research firm IBISWorld has updated a report on Oil & Gas Pipeline Construction in its growing industry report collection. New York, NY (PRWEB) January 20, 2014
Pipelines are essential for transporting vital fuel supplies to households and businesses. The aftermath of global energy price hikes and the opening of natural gas fields early in the five-year period to 2013, led to extraordinary investment growth in domestic energy resource developments. This occurrence underpinned demand for pipeline and related infrastructure construction. Currently, heavy investment in natural gas and oil infrastructure construction has the Oil and Gas Pipeline Construction industry booming. Increases in energy prices and advancements in extraction technologies have caused significant increases in domestic oil and natural gas production. In turn, higher production has also boosted demand for pipeline construction to connect existing infrastructure and markets. As a result, industry revenue is expected to grow at an average annual rate in the five years to 2013. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Capital workforce Job Funnel helps launch careers
HARTFORD — Bristol resident Karl Robertson Jr. enrolled in the Capital Workforce Partners Jobs Funnel looking for a career change. He liked working with his hands and with people. For him, computer numeric controlled machinist was too solitary a job.
Through Jobs Funnel, Robertson learned skills he needed to enter the career he wanted. He now installs and repairs water meters. “My job is flexible, the hours are great and I get paid a decent wage,” he says. Elena Alvarez, a New Britain resident, was referred to Jobs Funnel for welding training through Local 15 of the Ironworkers union following her honorable discharge from the U.S. Marines. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Federal budget cuts fail to slow New England high speed rail projects
Hartford - Higher-speed trains and intercity rail service in New England remain on track despite a congressional budget deal that cut off spending for high-speed rail - though future expansion plans could be in doubt. Transportation officials in Connecticut and Massachusetts looking to extend rail service from the shoreline of Long Island Sound to western Massachusetts say money has already been allocated from stimulus spending in 2009 and other sources of federal funding. In addition, work on a higher-speed rail line in Vermont was completed in 2012. "There should be no impact in terms of funding commitments made to date," said Timothy Brennan, executive director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission in Springfield, Mass. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Windham building committee begins second roof project
WINDHAM — Just as one school roof project ends, another one must begin.The building committee that oversaw the construction of the Charles H. Barrows STEM Academy magnet school and the recent replacement of the Natchaug Elementary School roof has now turned its focus to the Windham High School roof project. “This is a larger project than the (Natchaug roof),” committee chairman Tom DeVivo said. “We need to get started to make the time lines we have in mind.”Ideally, DeVivo said, the panel would like to have the construction done during the summer, but there’s still a lot of steps to complete before work can begin. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Windham building committee begins second roof project
WINDHAM — Just as one school roof project ends, another one must begin.The building committee that oversaw the construction of the Charles H. Barrows STEM Academy magnet school and the recent replacement of the Natchaug Elementary School roof has now turned its focus to the Windham High School roof project. “This is a larger project than the (Natchaug roof),” committee chairman Tom DeVivo said. “We need to get started to make the time lines we have in mind.”Ideally, DeVivo said, the panel would like to have the construction done during the summer, but there’s still a lot of steps to complete before work can begin. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
January 17, 2014
CT Construction Digest January 17, 2014
DEEP Commissioner stepping down (VIDEO)
MERIDEN, Conn. (WTNH)-- He has overseen the transformation and merging of two major state agencies into one. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environment Commissioner Dan Esty is stepping down after three years to return to his teaching post at Yale. Dan Esty says his department, known as DEEP, actually has three Es: Energy, Environment and Economy. Thursday the commissioner was getting a lesson on arc welding on a welding simulator at the plumbing and pipe fitters union school in Meriden. Esty is considered the architect of Governor Malloy's energy policy that has cleared the way for a massive expansion of the natural gas pipelines in the state. It has made him a big hero to the trade unions. "This is huge, ya know, as of right now, we do have some members out of work and with this kind of work coming through, it'll put a lot of our guys to work," said Chris Capozzi, Waterbury. The expansion is expected to take a decade or longer and create three to four thousand jobs. "As a response, the gas companies are committing to buy more gas and the gas pipeline companies are expanding capacity in response," said Cmsr. Dan Esty, CT Dept. of Energy & Environment. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
East Hampton building committee ok"s reduced high school plan
EAST HAMPTON >> The School Building Committee approved a proposal Thursday to reduce the size of the high school renovation project by nearly 7,000 square feet. Doing so will eliminate one classroom and one science lab, but is expected to shave approximately $100,000 off the cost of the project, building officials said. The reduction in the size of the school became necessary after the state Department of Education reviewed enrollment projections and concluded the committee had over-planned the size of the school. Thursday, a team from the SLAM Collaborative, the project architects, came before the building committee and laid out three options for them to consider.
The first option (labeled “2C” by SLAM) called for a reduction of 5,000 square feet. The second option (“2D”) called for reducing the square footage by 5,680 square feet. The third option (“3B”) would have reduced the floor plan by 9,100 square feet. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Meriden building with collapsed wall has history of problems
East Lyme -The Zoning Commission on Thursday unanimously approved plans to rebuild the Niantic Bay Boardwalk, which the town's engineers say will withstand a 100-year storm.
The approximately half-mile long reconstructed boardwalk will have steel sheet pilings, a concrete pathway and new riprap stones, according to the presentation of the engineering plans at the meeting.
The new design is 2½ feet higher than the original boardwalk, which was damaged during earlier storms. "We're achieving a higher elevation than the 100-year flood level," said Town Engineer Victor Benni. The 10½-foot-wide walkway will be similar in appearance to the recently constructed Amtrak portion that stretches near the Niantic River Bridge. Stones near the Amtrak railroad will vary in size according to the slope of the riprap to create a smooth transition, according to the presentation. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
MERIDEN, Conn. (WTNH)-- He has overseen the transformation and merging of two major state agencies into one. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environment Commissioner Dan Esty is stepping down after three years to return to his teaching post at Yale. Dan Esty says his department, known as DEEP, actually has three Es: Energy, Environment and Economy. Thursday the commissioner was getting a lesson on arc welding on a welding simulator at the plumbing and pipe fitters union school in Meriden. Esty is considered the architect of Governor Malloy's energy policy that has cleared the way for a massive expansion of the natural gas pipelines in the state. It has made him a big hero to the trade unions. "This is huge, ya know, as of right now, we do have some members out of work and with this kind of work coming through, it'll put a lot of our guys to work," said Chris Capozzi, Waterbury. The expansion is expected to take a decade or longer and create three to four thousand jobs. "As a response, the gas companies are committing to buy more gas and the gas pipeline companies are expanding capacity in response," said Cmsr. Dan Esty, CT Dept. of Energy & Environment. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
East Hampton building committee ok"s reduced high school plan
EAST HAMPTON >> The School Building Committee approved a proposal Thursday to reduce the size of the high school renovation project by nearly 7,000 square feet. Doing so will eliminate one classroom and one science lab, but is expected to shave approximately $100,000 off the cost of the project, building officials said. The reduction in the size of the school became necessary after the state Department of Education reviewed enrollment projections and concluded the committee had over-planned the size of the school. Thursday, a team from the SLAM Collaborative, the project architects, came before the building committee and laid out three options for them to consider.
The first option (labeled “2C” by SLAM) called for a reduction of 5,000 square feet. The second option (“2D”) called for reducing the square footage by 5,680 square feet. The third option (“3B”) would have reduced the floor plan by 9,100 square feet. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Meriden building with collapsed wall has history of problems
MERIDEN — The owner of an East Main Street building that had a wall collapse Wednesday did not submit a structural report required by city inspectors. William Lussier, city building official, said the building at 72 E. Main St. had a history of structure complaints and city officials were waiting for an engineering report from the property manager, which was overdue. Lussier said the property manager, APB Holdings LLC was sent notice as early as May 2013 about a deteriorated wall at the rear of the building. Lussier said the city building department requested a structural report, and had expected it around Christmas, but as of Jan. 16 no report has been submitted. The city sent an engineer out to the site yesterday and a report will be prepared, Lussier said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
The approximately half-mile long reconstructed boardwalk will have steel sheet pilings, a concrete pathway and new riprap stones, according to the presentation of the engineering plans at the meeting.
The new design is 2½ feet higher than the original boardwalk, which was damaged during earlier storms. "We're achieving a higher elevation than the 100-year flood level," said Town Engineer Victor Benni. The 10½-foot-wide walkway will be similar in appearance to the recently constructed Amtrak portion that stretches near the Niantic River Bridge. Stones near the Amtrak railroad will vary in size according to the slope of the riprap to create a smooth transition, according to the presentation. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
January 16, 2014
CT Construction Digest January 16, 2014
$3.6B needed to maintain rail service
Rail commuters on Metro-North's New Haven Line will face continuing disruptions and delays over the next 20 years without an additional $3.6 billion to maintain the railroad's basic dependability, according to a regional planning report released Thursday. The report by the Regional Plan Association calls for the immediate replacement of the state's four movable bridges, which are each more than 100 years old, repairing and straightening sharp curves and installing collision avoidance technology by 2020. "The construction doesn't have to be complete by 2020, but we would be moving forward with construction by 2020," said Amanda Kennedy, Connecticut director for the RPA, who led the analysis. "If they don't invest at higher levels they will continue to have to run at slower speeds and we could see the problems of 2013 continue or become worse." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
House passes &1.1T bill to fund government
SOUTHBURY -- Three Southbury contractors accused of rigging their bids for municipal snowplowing services just days before a crippling early season snowstorm in 2011 have agreed to settle a lawsuit filed in October by Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen. Under terms of the agreement, which Jepsen announced Wednesday, contractors H.I. Stone & Son Inc., S&S Paving and Stone Construction, all of Southbury, and their respective heads, Chuck Stone, Kevin Starchak and George Stone Jr., will each pay civil penalties of $30,000 and will continue to plow roads for the town at the "original pre-conspiracy rate." "These settlements will provide relief to the town of Southbury through lower rates for snowplowing services, while at the same time ensuring that illegal business activities such as these will not be tolerated," Jepsen said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
DEEP Commissioner Esty stepping down
Dan Esty, the commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, will resign in February and return to his position at Yale, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced Wednesday.Esty is the first DEEP commissioner, which was reorganized from the old Department of Environmental Protection in order to set energy policy for the state. Esty played a significant role in the formation of the new agency and setting its structure and power after it was created.
Yale granted Esty a three-year leave of absence from his tenured professorship to serve as DEEP commissioner. He was first appointed as commissioner in March 2011, and his last day will be Feb. 3. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Mansfield inks water agreement
The Mansfield Town Council has approved a long-term supply agreement with Connecticut Water Co., the utility announced. Under the deal, Connecticut Water will supply town residents with water, including those in the Four Corners section and those who have been receiving their water from UConn's water supply. The agreement follows a related supply deal last month between Connecticut Water and UConn — located in the Storrs section of Mansfield. Uconn and Mansfield's water needs are expected to reach as much as 2.2 million gallons per day over the next 50 years. Connecticut Water Co. said it would begin seeking state and local permits immediately, which could take a year. Construction of the pipeline is expected to take an additional 18 months.
Council approves 18-unit apartments in West Hartford
WEST HARTFORD — The town council on Tuesday approved an 18-unit apartment building at the corner of North Main Street and Loomis Drive. Brothers Ari and Niko Koutouvides plan to tear down the existing office building at 24 North Main St. and build a 19,288-square-foot, three-story apartment building with a primarily underground parking garage. The 6,400-square-foot garage is visible from the eastern side of the building because of the site's topography, according to Town Planner Todd Dumais. Jack Kemper of Kemper Associates Architects described an attractive, high-end building during the public hearing Tuesday. "When Niko and Ari came to us, they really wanted to do a special project. They wanted to make sure it fit in. They're excited to be part of the center," Kemper said. They wanted a "traditional building, but have the interiors be kind of sleek and modern, have an upscale feel." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Equipment and fuel stolen from construction site
PROSPECT -- Police are investigating the theft of gasoline and equipment from the site of a new elementary school at 75 New Haven Road (Route 69). Sometime between Saturday night and Monday morning, police suspect two people unlocked the gate and drove into the construction site in a pickup truck. They siphoned approximately 800 gallons of diesel fuel (red dyed) from several machines, stole a Champion 1800 watt generator and a red 2011 Polaris Sportsman quad with an Ashtech Z GPS unit mounted on the front. The quad and GPS unit are valued at $48,000.
Police think the pickup truck the suspects used had single tires in the rear and no trailer.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Prospect Resident Troopers Office at 203- 758-6150 or state police 203-393-4200. All calls will remain confidential.
Rail commuters on Metro-North's New Haven Line will face continuing disruptions and delays over the next 20 years without an additional $3.6 billion to maintain the railroad's basic dependability, according to a regional planning report released Thursday. The report by the Regional Plan Association calls for the immediate replacement of the state's four movable bridges, which are each more than 100 years old, repairing and straightening sharp curves and installing collision avoidance technology by 2020. "The construction doesn't have to be complete by 2020, but we would be moving forward with construction by 2020," said Amanda Kennedy, Connecticut director for the RPA, who led the analysis. "If they don't invest at higher levels they will continue to have to run at slower speeds and we could see the problems of 2013 continue or become worse." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
House passes &1.1T bill to fund government
WASHINGTON (AP) — A $1.1 trillion spending bill for operating the government until just before next fall's election steamed through the battle-weary House on Wednesday over tepid protests from tea party conservatives, driven by a bipartisan desire to restore painful cuts in domestic and defense programs and show disaffected voters that Congress can do its job. The bill swept through the House on a 359-67 vote and was on track for a big Senate vote by week's end. Republicans voted for the bill by a 2 1/2-1 margin, and just three Democrats were opposed. The measure funds virtually every agency of government and contains compromises on almost every one of its 1,582 pages. It covers the one-third of government spending subject to annual decisions by Congress and the White House, programs that have absorbed the brunt of budget cuts racked up since Republicans reclaimed control of the House three years ago. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
DEEP Commissioner Esty stepping down
Dan Esty, the commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, will resign in February and return to his position at Yale, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced Wednesday.Esty is the first DEEP commissioner, which was reorganized from the old Department of Environmental Protection in order to set energy policy for the state. Esty played a significant role in the formation of the new agency and setting its structure and power after it was created.
Yale granted Esty a three-year leave of absence from his tenured professorship to serve as DEEP commissioner. He was first appointed as commissioner in March 2011, and his last day will be Feb. 3. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Mansfield inks water agreement
The Mansfield Town Council has approved a long-term supply agreement with Connecticut Water Co., the utility announced. Under the deal, Connecticut Water will supply town residents with water, including those in the Four Corners section and those who have been receiving their water from UConn's water supply. The agreement follows a related supply deal last month between Connecticut Water and UConn — located in the Storrs section of Mansfield. Uconn and Mansfield's water needs are expected to reach as much as 2.2 million gallons per day over the next 50 years. Connecticut Water Co. said it would begin seeking state and local permits immediately, which could take a year. Construction of the pipeline is expected to take an additional 18 months.
Council approves 18-unit apartments in West Hartford
WEST HARTFORD — The town council on Tuesday approved an 18-unit apartment building at the corner of North Main Street and Loomis Drive. Brothers Ari and Niko Koutouvides plan to tear down the existing office building at 24 North Main St. and build a 19,288-square-foot, three-story apartment building with a primarily underground parking garage. The 6,400-square-foot garage is visible from the eastern side of the building because of the site's topography, according to Town Planner Todd Dumais. Jack Kemper of Kemper Associates Architects described an attractive, high-end building during the public hearing Tuesday. "When Niko and Ari came to us, they really wanted to do a special project. They wanted to make sure it fit in. They're excited to be part of the center," Kemper said. They wanted a "traditional building, but have the interiors be kind of sleek and modern, have an upscale feel." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Equipment and fuel stolen from construction site
PROSPECT -- Police are investigating the theft of gasoline and equipment from the site of a new elementary school at 75 New Haven Road (Route 69). Sometime between Saturday night and Monday morning, police suspect two people unlocked the gate and drove into the construction site in a pickup truck. They siphoned approximately 800 gallons of diesel fuel (red dyed) from several machines, stole a Champion 1800 watt generator and a red 2011 Polaris Sportsman quad with an Ashtech Z GPS unit mounted on the front. The quad and GPS unit are valued at $48,000.
Police think the pickup truck the suspects used had single tires in the rear and no trailer.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Prospect Resident Troopers Office at 203- 758-6150 or state police 203-393-4200. All calls will remain confidential.
January 15, 2014
CT Construction Digest Januuary 15, 2014
Transportation Secretary upbeat about infrastructure
Groton — Electric Boat plans to spend about $100 million to upgrade its facilities here in the coming years. The investment is evidence of what new EB President Jeffrey S. Geiger says is a “significant shift” at the company, where, in five years’ time, EB expects to be building or buying parts for four types of submarines instead of just one. Within the next 12 to 18 months, however, Geiger predicted there will be some layoffs in Groton because maintenance and modernization projects will finish and the North Dakota will be commissioned as the 11th member of the Virginia class in the spring.
The Virginia-class submarine program accounted for more than half of EB’s more than $4 billion in revenue in 2013. But soon, Geiger said, the company will ramp up its work on a new class of ballistic-missile submarines, as well as on the Virginia-class submarines that will have a module to boost firepower and on two Los Angeles-class submarines that will be converted to serve as training platforms. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
CT approves $4M for Hamden remediation
The State Bond Commission approved a $4 million grant to remediate Rochford Field in Hamden.
The field was built upon an industrial fill that has become a health concern for the community. The remediation grant will cover the park with an impermeable liner and a drainage layer before backfilling it with two feet of clean soil.Rochford Field is a popular place in Hamden for baseball, hiking, and general outdoor time.The ongoing maintenance and monitoring of the site after the restoration work will be paid for by the town of Hamden.
Congress reaches a $1.1T compromise on spending bill
Top congressional negotiators Monday night released a bipartisan $1.1 trillion spending bill that would pay for the operations of government through October and finally put to rest the bitter budget battles of last year. The massive measure fleshes out the details of the budget deal that Congress passed last month. That pact gave relatively modest, but much-sought relief to the Pentagon and domestic agencies after deep budget cuts last year.
Here’s what you need to know about it: CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Harwinton, Burlington residents vote down new athletic fields
Burlington >> Harwinton and Burlington residents rejected spending $2.9 million to construct a new multi-use athletic field at Lewis S. Mills High School by a large margin at a Tuesday referendum.
The official tally of the two towns was 920 in favor, 1409 opposed. In Harwinton, 275 voted in favor and 528 opposed. In Burlington, 645 in favor and 881 opposed. The improvement project would have included renovating the track, installing a turf field, adding bleachers and field lighting, renovating the school’s tennis courts and adding boat storage for its crew program. The project was initially slated to cost $3.4 million, but the regional Board of Education reduced the price tag at its meeting in December following a public hearing where many people and town officials expressed concern at the large price tag. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans spend a total of 600,000 years stuck in traffic every year. The nation has about 100,000 bridges old enough for Medicare. And a recent global ranking put the United States' infrastructure in 25th place, just behind Barbados. But Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx says he sees signs the nation may finally be ready to tackle its "infrastructure deficit."
One reason for optimism is that some members of Congress are beginning to talk about specific proposals to shore up the federal Highway Trust Fund, which has been teetering on the edge of insolvency for years, Foxx told The Associated Press in an interview. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
CONCORD, N.H. — New Hampshire’s congressional delegation on Tuesday asked the U.S. Department of Energy to provide details of alternative routes for a proposal to run electrical transmission lines from Canada to southern New Hampshire. The DOE is preparing an Environmental Impact Study on the proposed Northern Pass, a $1.4 billion project that would transmit 1,200 megawatts of hydroelectric power from Hydro-Quebec into New England.
Opponents worry the project will damage the environment, scar the state’s scenic beauty and chase tourists away. Supporters point to job creation and to cleaner, renewable power helping to stabilize the New England energy market. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
The Virginia-class submarine program accounted for more than half of EB’s more than $4 billion in revenue in 2013. But soon, Geiger said, the company will ramp up its work on a new class of ballistic-missile submarines, as well as on the Virginia-class submarines that will have a module to boost firepower and on two Los Angeles-class submarines that will be converted to serve as training platforms. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
CT approves $4M for Hamden remediation
The State Bond Commission approved a $4 million grant to remediate Rochford Field in Hamden.
The field was built upon an industrial fill that has become a health concern for the community. The remediation grant will cover the park with an impermeable liner and a drainage layer before backfilling it with two feet of clean soil.Rochford Field is a popular place in Hamden for baseball, hiking, and general outdoor time.The ongoing maintenance and monitoring of the site after the restoration work will be paid for by the town of Hamden.
Congress reaches a $1.1T compromise on spending bill
Top congressional negotiators Monday night released a bipartisan $1.1 trillion spending bill that would pay for the operations of government through October and finally put to rest the bitter budget battles of last year. The massive measure fleshes out the details of the budget deal that Congress passed last month. That pact gave relatively modest, but much-sought relief to the Pentagon and domestic agencies after deep budget cuts last year.
Here’s what you need to know about it: CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Harwinton, Burlington residents vote down new athletic fields
Burlington >> Harwinton and Burlington residents rejected spending $2.9 million to construct a new multi-use athletic field at Lewis S. Mills High School by a large margin at a Tuesday referendum.
The official tally of the two towns was 920 in favor, 1409 opposed. In Harwinton, 275 voted in favor and 528 opposed. In Burlington, 645 in favor and 881 opposed. The improvement project would have included renovating the track, installing a turf field, adding bleachers and field lighting, renovating the school’s tennis courts and adding boat storage for its crew program. The project was initially slated to cost $3.4 million, but the regional Board of Education reduced the price tag at its meeting in December following a public hearing where many people and town officials expressed concern at the large price tag. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
January 14, 2014
CT Construction Digest January 14, 2014
Bethel moves forward on police station
BETHEL -- A couple of steps have been taken in the long-range path toward a new police station in town. Request for proposals were due Thursday from engineering firms to conduct soil analysis on the site preliminarily chosen on Judd Road. In addition, the Public Sites and Facilities Commission has hired Jacunski Humes Architects to update a space study for the Police Department that was completed in 2008, when town officials first began to plans to upgrade the Plumtrees Road station.
"We're going along as we can," said Nancy Ryan, chairman of the Public Sites and Utilities Commission. "Any municipal project takes a while because there is a process to follow to satisfy the Town Charter and to ensure the public is kept informed and part of the process." CLICK ON TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Developer, BDDS discuss Depot Square in private
BRISTOL — Though the specifics remain secret, Renaissance Downtowns has submitted a draft financial plan for the first phase of its proposed Depot Square project.
Bristol Downtown Development Corp. officials discussed details behind closed doors Monday after a brief talk in open session about a 19-page public portion of the report. The report lays out Renaissance’s strategy for attracting retailers and renters for its proposed project. The Long Island-based developer, which is charged with revitalizing the former mall property, also discussed cost estimates for the initial phase in the public document, which put the costs of the first two buildings on Main Street at $38.7 million. CLICK ON TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Costco's move to New Britain still a complex deal
NEW BRITAIN — Last January, officials from the O’Brien administration acknowledged that Costco was becoming “a complex deal.” Mayor Erin Stewart, two months into her job as mayor, agreed. Costco, a worldwide membership warehouse club, was expected to open a store in New Britain last June. However, after working with the state to obtain necessary permits, including for a gas station and to sell liquor, Stewart and others in her administration were hesitant to talk about an opening date. “I’m happy we came to an agreement with Tartaglia [over the access road],” Stewart said, referring to the real estate company that owns the Target Store property, and the road that leads to Route 9. Then there was the matter of the land-swap deal which restored lost holes to Stanley Golf Course. CLICK ON TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Southington plant will turn local waste to energy
SOUTHINGTON — Mountains full of different colored mulch covered acres of land on the former landfill on DePaolo Drive Monday morning as trucks made their way in and out of the mulch-processing facility created by Supreme Forest Industries of Harwinton. If all goes according to plan, local supermarkets, hotels and other businesses could be utilizing a waste-to-energy service approved by the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission last week to occupy the area alongside the mulch operation by December. It would be operated by a company called Quantum Biopower, a division of Supreme Forest Industries. CLICK ON TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Wallingford PZC approves plans for United Concrete subsidary
WALLINGFORD — The Planning and Zoning Commission approved plans for the creation of a new subsidiary of United Concrete Products Monday, called the Pile Division of United Concrete Products, which will be located at 59 and 65 North Plains Highway. The properties, both of which are owned by the parent company, will be merged to create the site for the subsidiary business, said the company’s president, Jonathan Gavin. “Piles” are long concrete pieces that are used in bridge construction and other construction projects. The pieces range from 65 to 90 feet in length and 16 inches to 2 feet in diameter, Gavin said. Gavin said United Concrete purchased the North Plains Highway parcels with the intent of creating the new business and entering the pile market, 90 percent of which is based in Virginia. CLICK ON TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Speedway to repave track with help from state
With the help of an $800,000 loan that could be forgiven if job creation promises are kept, Thompson International Speedway that will repave its 1.7-mile track, build a new garage and upgrade its facilities, Gov. Dannel Malloy's office announced. The Thompson stock-car racing venue has pledged to retain its 48 employees and add 23 more by 2015. If it does, the principal of the 2-percent, 10-year loan will be forgiven, officials said. The speedway will do the work in phases this year and in 2015.
Consultant details riverfront plans for Middletown
MIDDLETOWN — A consultant's vision for the redevelopment of the riverfront includes an array of recreational and commercial activity in an effort to draw visitors regionally.
Projects for Public Spaces presented the results of its study to the Middletown Riverfront Redevelopment Committee Monday night, focusing on increasing public access and use of land along the Connecticut River. Officials said the city will start to figure out how to implement various aspects of the plan.
BETHEL -- A couple of steps have been taken in the long-range path toward a new police station in town. Request for proposals were due Thursday from engineering firms to conduct soil analysis on the site preliminarily chosen on Judd Road. In addition, the Public Sites and Facilities Commission has hired Jacunski Humes Architects to update a space study for the Police Department that was completed in 2008, when town officials first began to plans to upgrade the Plumtrees Road station.
"We're going along as we can," said Nancy Ryan, chairman of the Public Sites and Utilities Commission. "Any municipal project takes a while because there is a process to follow to satisfy the Town Charter and to ensure the public is kept informed and part of the process." CLICK ON TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Developer, BDDS discuss Depot Square in private
BRISTOL — Though the specifics remain secret, Renaissance Downtowns has submitted a draft financial plan for the first phase of its proposed Depot Square project.
Bristol Downtown Development Corp. officials discussed details behind closed doors Monday after a brief talk in open session about a 19-page public portion of the report. The report lays out Renaissance’s strategy for attracting retailers and renters for its proposed project. The Long Island-based developer, which is charged with revitalizing the former mall property, also discussed cost estimates for the initial phase in the public document, which put the costs of the first two buildings on Main Street at $38.7 million. CLICK ON TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Costco's move to New Britain still a complex deal
NEW BRITAIN — Last January, officials from the O’Brien administration acknowledged that Costco was becoming “a complex deal.” Mayor Erin Stewart, two months into her job as mayor, agreed. Costco, a worldwide membership warehouse club, was expected to open a store in New Britain last June. However, after working with the state to obtain necessary permits, including for a gas station and to sell liquor, Stewart and others in her administration were hesitant to talk about an opening date. “I’m happy we came to an agreement with Tartaglia [over the access road],” Stewart said, referring to the real estate company that owns the Target Store property, and the road that leads to Route 9. Then there was the matter of the land-swap deal which restored lost holes to Stanley Golf Course. CLICK ON TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Southington plant will turn local waste to energy
SOUTHINGTON — Mountains full of different colored mulch covered acres of land on the former landfill on DePaolo Drive Monday morning as trucks made their way in and out of the mulch-processing facility created by Supreme Forest Industries of Harwinton. If all goes according to plan, local supermarkets, hotels and other businesses could be utilizing a waste-to-energy service approved by the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission last week to occupy the area alongside the mulch operation by December. It would be operated by a company called Quantum Biopower, a division of Supreme Forest Industries. CLICK ON TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Wallingford PZC approves plans for United Concrete subsidary
WALLINGFORD — The Planning and Zoning Commission approved plans for the creation of a new subsidiary of United Concrete Products Monday, called the Pile Division of United Concrete Products, which will be located at 59 and 65 North Plains Highway. The properties, both of which are owned by the parent company, will be merged to create the site for the subsidiary business, said the company’s president, Jonathan Gavin. “Piles” are long concrete pieces that are used in bridge construction and other construction projects. The pieces range from 65 to 90 feet in length and 16 inches to 2 feet in diameter, Gavin said. Gavin said United Concrete purchased the North Plains Highway parcels with the intent of creating the new business and entering the pile market, 90 percent of which is based in Virginia. CLICK ON TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Speedway to repave track with help from state
With the help of an $800,000 loan that could be forgiven if job creation promises are kept, Thompson International Speedway that will repave its 1.7-mile track, build a new garage and upgrade its facilities, Gov. Dannel Malloy's office announced. The Thompson stock-car racing venue has pledged to retain its 48 employees and add 23 more by 2015. If it does, the principal of the 2-percent, 10-year loan will be forgiven, officials said. The speedway will do the work in phases this year and in 2015.
Consultant details riverfront plans for Middletown
MIDDLETOWN — A consultant's vision for the redevelopment of the riverfront includes an array of recreational and commercial activity in an effort to draw visitors regionally.
Projects for Public Spaces presented the results of its study to the Middletown Riverfront Redevelopment Committee Monday night, focusing on increasing public access and use of land along the Connecticut River. Officials said the city will start to figure out how to implement various aspects of the plan.
Meg Walker, a vice president at Projects for Public Spaces, said her firm recommends forming centers of activity along the riverfront to draw visitors. CLICK ON TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
WETHERSFIELD -- Officials may have to seek more money from voters after bids for the $75 million reconstruction of Wethersfield High School came in about $5.5 million over budget.
Mayor Paul Montinieri said that a new referendum is the "least preferable" of the options the town is considering to bridge the deficit. Those options include requesting a waiver so the state can provide additional funds and cost-saving changes to the building's design and materials, he said.
"We're going to have to be creative and get some help form the state," he said. "Last resort, we go back to the voters. We're hoping to avoid that."
Mayor Paul Montinieri said that a new referendum is the "least preferable" of the options the town is considering to bridge the deficit. Those options include requesting a waiver so the state can provide additional funds and cost-saving changes to the building's design and materials, he said.
"We're going to have to be creative and get some help form the state," he said. "Last resort, we go back to the voters. We're hoping to avoid that."
Montinieri said he and town officials are meeting with the town's state legislators Tuesday to discuss the waiver, which would require the approval of the General Assembly and support of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. CLICK ON TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
John Anderson knows how to take existing heavy construction equipment and leverage it to find new opportunities, even in a new and emerging marketplace. John Anderson Construction is headquartered in Warren, Pa., (pop. 9,623). It has grown to include four divisions: earthwork, concrete, pipeline and facilities. For the past 28 years, Anderson has worked in the construction industry. He started his own company in 1989 and over time, expanded his company's services from concrete work to include excavating, which led to becoming a site contractor, while still offering concrete services for civil projects. CLICK ON TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
January 13, 2014
CT Construction Digest Janmuary 13, 2014
Harbor Point still a good bet as BLT sells buildings
STAMFORD -- For Harbor Point developer Carl Kuehner, 2013 turned out to be yet another year spent on the battle lines of Stamford development. Plans brought by his company Building and Land Technology to redevelop an industrial waterfront parcel into a headquarters for the world's largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, were stymied as planning officials turned down a deal that would have paved the way for a critical rezoning. But for all the headlines touting the defeat of Bridgewater, there was other news suggesting that as far as real estate investors are concerned, Kuehner and Harbor Point are still a good bet. In December, a Chicago-based real estate investment firm known as Capri Capital Partners snapped up 101 Park Place, a 15-story apartment building with 336 units, for $135 million, on behalf of an institutional investor. The transaction marked the third and the largest sale to date of a Harbor Point property. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Platt, Maloney classes continue amid construction, with few distractions
MERIDEN — As construction on Platt and Maloney high schools marches on, some are feeling the changes more than others. At Maloney High School, work by the Glastonbury-based Gilbane Building Co. is for a separate wing outside the existing high school building. Once that’s complete, classes will begin moving in, opening up swing space in the existing building for “like new” renovations to begin. The work then, “hasn’t been much of an issue because at this point it’s all external,” Principal Jennifer Straub said. She added that she and the administration at the high school intend to begin in August with “two schedules” for the 2014-15 school year: one to start the year, and one that reflects alternate classrooms for areas of the school where construction will be taking place. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Three development projects proposed in Norwich
Norwich - The city received three development proposals for the former Reid & Hughes Building on Main Street Friday, all for mixed commercial and residential projects, including one project from the Norwich Heritage Trust, headed by city Historian Dale Plummer. Officials at the Norwich Community Development Corp. opened the bid packets Friday, a few minutes after the 4 p.m. deadline. A review committee will examine the bids starting next week and decide which firms should be interviewed. The group hopes to make a recommendation to the City Council by the council's Feb. 18 meeting, NCDC Vice President Jason Vincent said. POKO Partners LLC - the New York firm that had planned a stalled major renovation of the decaying Capehart Mill in Greeneville - proposed an $8.4 million project that would encompass surrounding properties with a 113 total apartment units and about 25,000 square feet of commercial space. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
West Haven lawmakers creates alternative to exit 45 plan
An alternative plan to reconfiguring southbound Exit 45 off Interstate 95 has been proposed that would create a more direct route to Kimberly Avenue, one of the most-traveled routes into West Haven. The concept was presented Thursday by state Rep. Louis Esposito, D-West Haven, to engineers from the state Department of Transportation. The DOT is planning to close Exit 44 and reconfigure Exit 45 to meet Kimberly Avenue via a new road, including three stoplights.
“I gave them a proposal for an alternate plan,” Esposito said. “They’re not sure it will work but they’re going to go back to the drafting board.”The new proposal is based on a split in the Exit 45 off-ramp, with one side going to Ella T. Grasso Boulevard and the other directly to Kimberly Avenue with one stoplight. Exit 44 also would be closed in Esposito’s proposal. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Harwinton, Burlington residents vote Tuesday on Region 10 field proposals
Residents of Burlington and Harwinton will vote Tuesday on whether to approve spending $2.9 million to construct a new multi-use athletic field at Lewis S. Mills High School. The voting will take place at Burlington Town Hall and Harwinton Town Hall from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. The two towns make up the Region 10 School District, which oversees the high school, located on Route 4 in Burlington. The field project was presented to residents in December. It calls for renovating the track, installing a tuf field, adding bleachers with a press box and field lighting, renovating the school’s tennis courts and adding boat storage for its crew program. The project was initially slated to cost $3.4 million, but the regional Board of Education reduced the price tag at its meeting in December after hearing input from the public and other officials. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Money floats ferry across harbor
As the state Department of Transportation's opposition to the proposed transfer of the Bridgeport-Port Jefferson Ferry terminal finally evaporated last year, the company's chief executive wrote a $10,000 check to Connecticut Democrats. Two weeks later, on Sept. 26, Brian A. McAllister, chairman and CEO of the ferry line's parent company, sent another $10,000 check to the Democratic State Central Committee. The two political contributions -- one to the DSCC's state account and the other reported to the Federal Election Commission -- are not illegal. But their proximity to the pending approval of the ferry's relocation to the city's East End punctuated a multi-year campaign by the New York-based McAllister Towing and Transportation Company Inc. The ferry line founded in 1883 by an elderly P.T. Barnum, the legendary Bridgeport circus impresario and former mayor, will call its new harbor site "Barnum Landing." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
STAMFORD -- For Harbor Point developer Carl Kuehner, 2013 turned out to be yet another year spent on the battle lines of Stamford development. Plans brought by his company Building and Land Technology to redevelop an industrial waterfront parcel into a headquarters for the world's largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, were stymied as planning officials turned down a deal that would have paved the way for a critical rezoning. But for all the headlines touting the defeat of Bridgewater, there was other news suggesting that as far as real estate investors are concerned, Kuehner and Harbor Point are still a good bet. In December, a Chicago-based real estate investment firm known as Capri Capital Partners snapped up 101 Park Place, a 15-story apartment building with 336 units, for $135 million, on behalf of an institutional investor. The transaction marked the third and the largest sale to date of a Harbor Point property. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Platt, Maloney classes continue amid construction, with few distractions
MERIDEN — As construction on Platt and Maloney high schools marches on, some are feeling the changes more than others. At Maloney High School, work by the Glastonbury-based Gilbane Building Co. is for a separate wing outside the existing high school building. Once that’s complete, classes will begin moving in, opening up swing space in the existing building for “like new” renovations to begin. The work then, “hasn’t been much of an issue because at this point it’s all external,” Principal Jennifer Straub said. She added that she and the administration at the high school intend to begin in August with “two schedules” for the 2014-15 school year: one to start the year, and one that reflects alternate classrooms for areas of the school where construction will be taking place. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Three development projects proposed in Norwich
Norwich - The city received three development proposals for the former Reid & Hughes Building on Main Street Friday, all for mixed commercial and residential projects, including one project from the Norwich Heritage Trust, headed by city Historian Dale Plummer. Officials at the Norwich Community Development Corp. opened the bid packets Friday, a few minutes after the 4 p.m. deadline. A review committee will examine the bids starting next week and decide which firms should be interviewed. The group hopes to make a recommendation to the City Council by the council's Feb. 18 meeting, NCDC Vice President Jason Vincent said. POKO Partners LLC - the New York firm that had planned a stalled major renovation of the decaying Capehart Mill in Greeneville - proposed an $8.4 million project that would encompass surrounding properties with a 113 total apartment units and about 25,000 square feet of commercial space. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
West Haven lawmakers creates alternative to exit 45 plan
An alternative plan to reconfiguring southbound Exit 45 off Interstate 95 has been proposed that would create a more direct route to Kimberly Avenue, one of the most-traveled routes into West Haven. The concept was presented Thursday by state Rep. Louis Esposito, D-West Haven, to engineers from the state Department of Transportation. The DOT is planning to close Exit 44 and reconfigure Exit 45 to meet Kimberly Avenue via a new road, including three stoplights.
“I gave them a proposal for an alternate plan,” Esposito said. “They’re not sure it will work but they’re going to go back to the drafting board.”The new proposal is based on a split in the Exit 45 off-ramp, with one side going to Ella T. Grasso Boulevard and the other directly to Kimberly Avenue with one stoplight. Exit 44 also would be closed in Esposito’s proposal. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Harwinton, Burlington residents vote Tuesday on Region 10 field proposals
Residents of Burlington and Harwinton will vote Tuesday on whether to approve spending $2.9 million to construct a new multi-use athletic field at Lewis S. Mills High School. The voting will take place at Burlington Town Hall and Harwinton Town Hall from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. The two towns make up the Region 10 School District, which oversees the high school, located on Route 4 in Burlington. The field project was presented to residents in December. It calls for renovating the track, installing a tuf field, adding bleachers with a press box and field lighting, renovating the school’s tennis courts and adding boat storage for its crew program. The project was initially slated to cost $3.4 million, but the regional Board of Education reduced the price tag at its meeting in December after hearing input from the public and other officials. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Money floats ferry across harbor
As the state Department of Transportation's opposition to the proposed transfer of the Bridgeport-Port Jefferson Ferry terminal finally evaporated last year, the company's chief executive wrote a $10,000 check to Connecticut Democrats. Two weeks later, on Sept. 26, Brian A. McAllister, chairman and CEO of the ferry line's parent company, sent another $10,000 check to the Democratic State Central Committee. The two political contributions -- one to the DSCC's state account and the other reported to the Federal Election Commission -- are not illegal. But their proximity to the pending approval of the ferry's relocation to the city's East End punctuated a multi-year campaign by the New York-based McAllister Towing and Transportation Company Inc. The ferry line founded in 1883 by an elderly P.T. Barnum, the legendary Bridgeport circus impresario and former mayor, will call its new harbor site "Barnum Landing." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
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