FAIRFIELD -- The $14.5 million plan to renovate and build an addition onto Riverfield School has been approved again by the Board of Education, in a formality designed to secure state aid for the project planned for a summertime start. The school board previously approved educational specifications for the project, and other town boards already approved a funding request. But Tom Quinn, chairman of the Riverfield School Building Committee, told the school board recently that its approval was needed for construction documents so the building committee could file for partial reimbursement from the state. The state Department of Education's Office of School Facility is scheduled to conduct a review on Feb. 18, and the school board's approval on Jan. 30 was needed before that meeting, said Sal Morabito, the school district's manager of construction, security and safety. CLICK ON TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Designs for major Chesire outlet revealed
CHESHIRE — The design of the facades for the planned high-end outlet center on the north end of Cheshire have been produced and will be shown to the Planning and Zoning Commission at its meeting tonight. The drawings of the building perspectives show light-toned clapboard and wood-paneled buildings of differing heights and depths, with shingled roofs.
“The idea here is to have it emulate a village setting that is appropriate for the town of Cheshire,” said Lou Masciello, spokesman for WS Development, which is developing the 114-acre site. “There will be small tower elements like a church or town hall to keep with that village feel.” CLICK ON TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
MERIDEN — With fencing up around the Hub, construction machinery and trailers on site and a large mound of asphalt and dirt in the center of the 14-acre site, the public will only have a short wait before the real digging begins at the city’s most well-known downtown parcel. The $13 million Hub redevelopment project is finally underway after more than 20 years of studies, funding applications and planning. A major component of the project involves uncovering Harbor Brook, which runs north and south across the site. The brook will be realigned slightly to the east and its flood plain will ultimately be reduced by the increased flood storage space created on the site. The flood storage will be created by changing the Hub’s topography, with the area around the brook as the parcel’s lowest point. The Hub will double as a park, complete with a pedestrian bridge connecting State and Pratt streets and an amphitheater toward the northwest corner. The amphitheater will also double as flood storage space in the event of the brook overflowing. The entire project will be paid for through federal and state funding. CLICK ON TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Merged NU grows '13 profits 50%
Northeast Utilities posted modest fourth-quarter profits, but saw its annual net income rise 50 percent, following its merger with Boston-based NStar last May, the utility reported.
Net income for the quarter ended Dec. 31 was $177.4 million, up 1.5 percent from $174.7 million a year ago. Operating revenue for the quarter ticked up to $1.78 billion from $1.68 billion in the year ago period. The quarter included $3.2 million in after-tax costs related to the NStar merger, compared to $2.1 million in the final quarter of 2012. Those costs shaved a penny from the recent quarter's earnings per share of 56 cents. For the year, profits were $786 million, or $2.49 per share, up from $525.9 million, or $1.89, in 2012. The company expects earnings per share of between $2.60 and $2.75 this year.
There are solutions to Infrastructure Crisis
Policymakers working to fix America's crumbling transportation network have an important new tool. A study by researchers at the College of William & Mary's Thomas Jefferson Program in Public Policy (TJPPP) examines the vast array of funding and financing mechanisms states are using to pay for roads and bridges. The report, which was sponsored by Associated Equipment Distributors, a trade association representing construction equipment dealers, includes a chart to allow quick comparison between state programs. The study comes as the federal highway program faces unprecedented challenges. The Congressional Budget Office reported in July 2013 that due to inadequate Highway Trust Fund (HTF) resources, Congress would need to reduce the authority to obligate funds in FY 2015 to zero for both highways and transit. CLICK ON TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Part of GE site sought for new high school
BRIDGEPORT -- City officials have been quietly working on a proposed agreement with the General Electric Co. for the acquisition of a portion of its 77-acre Boston Avenue site, where officials hope to build a new Harding High School. That agreement will be presented Tuesday to the City Council, marking the potential start of an idea that has floated around the city for years. Harding, which has been plagued with a high dropout rate and low test scores for years, was built in 1924 and is in dire need of replacement.The two-story school is overcrowded, but expanding it would be impossible since it sits on just eight acres and is sandwiched between Boston Avenue and Bridgeport Hospital.
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