The students and parents of the East Side and East End communities deserve a replacement for Harding High School. For nearly two decades, Harding has been in major disrepair. All possibilities to repair and renovate the current building have been exhausted. There is no alternative to new construction. Two previous administrations have received grants from the State to build a replacement for Harding High School. Neither of these attempts came to fruition, and the grant money had to be returned to the State, due to the lack of a suitable location. In consultation with the Board of Education and the Superintendent's Office, my administration successfully applied for a third grant to bring about a much needed replacement for Harding. The best suited location for the replacement is on the former General Electric site on Boston Avenue and Bond Street. The school site is being remediated to residential standards -- the cleanest standards, with GE bearing the brunt of the cost. Once the site is remediated, GE will donate this land to the City. CLICK ON TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Wallingford council come to hotel development plan
WALLINGFORD — A workshop meeting Wednesday will introduce town councilors to Bob Winston, owner of a partially built hotel on Route 68. On Dec. 9, Winston presented plans to the Economic Development Commission to build a Hilton Garden Inn at 1181 Barnes Road. The presentation included a request for more tax relief. Winston, chief executive officer of the Raleigh, N.C. based Winston Hospitality, sent an email to Town Council leadership on Dec. 19 asking to come before the council to further discuss the project. The Town Council has yet to hear directly from Winston, with the Economic Development Commission handling negotiations thus far. The workshop will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Town Hall auditorium. Town councilors said Monday they are curious about the project’s cost. Winston’s proposal states that he would need to spend more than $15 million to complete the hotel. In his proposal, Winston said, construction was either expected to begin by late 2013, or delayed indefinitely. The partially built hotel came under Winston’s ownership through foreclosure in early 2013. Winston could not be reached for comment for this story. CLICK ON TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Meriden officials consider way to secure old hospital
MERIDEN — After a tour through the former Cook Avenue hospital several weeks ago revealed numerous health and safety hazards, city officials drafted a list of measures to secure the building before the city solicits qualifications from companies interested in redeveloping the old hospital and other sites downtown. City councilors received a list of 17 items that were discussed at a Safety Committee meeting shortly after a tour with department heads and members of the City Council last month. Those attending the safety meeting included heads of police, fire, public works, code enforcement, building, and legal departments and City Manager Lawrence Kendzior.
According to an e-mail from Kendzior to members of the City Council, the city plans to install security lighting around the building’s perimeter, limit access to the parking garage — particularly stairwells — remove all vegetation and shrubbery to improve visibility, board up first floor windows, close off alleyways, secure doors and secure all potential points of entry from the roof, including hatches, vents, doors etc. CLICK ON TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Partners Winstanley, ABB closeing in on Great Pond's launch
Panning the wide expanse stretching beyond the intersection of Windsor's Great Pond and Day Hill roads, mind's-eye outlines of thousands of apartments, condos and townhomes, hundreds of single-family dwellings, and acres of offices, shops and open spaces almost spring to life.
Known as Great Pond Village, restoration of the 653-acre industrial brownfield is no pipe dream for long-time commercial-development partners Winstanley Enterprises LLC of Concord, Mass., and multi-billion-dollar Swiss engineering-automation-power services conglomerate Asea Brown Boveri, or ABB Group. ABB got title to the brownfield and nearby undeveloped acreage in its 1990 buyout of former Combustion Engineering. Three years after Great Pond was first announced and with all local zoning, wetlands and building approvals making it virtually "shovel ready,'' Windsor and the Hartford region may be closing in on the first turn of village dirt — perhaps as early as this summer.
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