CT Construction Digest March 31, 2014

Berlin High renovations continue progress

Public Works Director Art Simonian says several ongoing projects will be completed this summer. Those include a new kitchen and cafeteria and the new home of the English, art, business and special education departments. The amphitheater will be transformed into a TV studio. What was once the boys locker room will be converted to social studies, health and early childhood training classrooms. The former UpBeat room will be made into the school’s heating and air conditioning room. Completion of all those projects is anticipated in July, in plenty of time for the next school year. “Roofing replacement will ramp up as the weather permits,” Simonian said. “It has been somewhat slowed due to the cold weather.” The town’s furniture, fixture and equipment proposal — with an expected price tag of $4.1 million — will be sent for state approval next week, he said. The whole high school renovation project will cost more than $84 million. That includes construction of a new six-classroom technology building and complete renovation of the existing school. A $69.95 million budget was approved in 2011.    CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Work resumes at Meriden Hub site  

MERIDEN — After a cold and snowy winter, work resumed at the Hub site last week and is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. The $13 million Hub project is years in the making and initial work on the 14-acre site got underway in early January, when trees, curbing, light poles and a former bank building that stood at the southwest corner of the parcel were removed.

Shortly after the work began, the area was hit with several snowstorms that blanketed the city. Cold temperatures left snow on the site until recently.  The long winter allowed time for the general contractor, Meriden-based LaRosa Construction, to firm up its environmental remediation plans for the contaminated Brownfields site. “They are moving the topsoil and have started removing the gravel from where the parking lot was,” Public Works Director Robert Bass said. “They are doing that in preparation ... for remediation.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

 

Bond approvals include repairs to Rocky Neck

 

Hartford - The State Bond Commission approved funding for a local museum and a state park on Friday. As part of a $5.76 million bond package to fund road improvements, Rocky Neck State Park in Niantic will get $795,000 worth of road repairs. "I think that there has been a recognition for a long time that the parks are in some disrepair and need an infusion of funding to bring them up to speed, and this is a good step in that direction," said state Rep. Ed Jutila, D-East Lyme.
The funds are for resurfacing the road to the beach inside the park. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said that the roadways in many state parks and forests are showing signs of use from millions of visitors.
"In a year when we are celebrating the centennial of our state park system, it is especially important to make the investments needed to ensure that people can travel safely and conveniently into and around our parks," Malloy said. The road improvement projects are estimated to retain and create about 120 construction-related jobs, Malloy said. The projects will begin as soon as the weather permits, he said. Roads near the following locations are also scheduled to receive funding: Topsmead State Forest in Litchfield, Squantz Pond State Park in New Fairfield and Kellogg Environmental Education Center in Derby. "These and other previous funds that have been allocated allow us to make improvements that will ensure our parks remain first-class attractions for many years to come," said Rob Klee, commissioner of the state's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Permit dispute with Canterbury puts squeeze on gravel firm

A permitting dispute between the town of Canterbury and two gravel businesses has resulted in seven cases pending in civil court amid ongoing mediation efforts. First Selectman Roy Piper said the town has paid legal fees in excess of $30,000 since litigation involving LaFramboise Sand and Stone and Rawson Materials began in late 2012. LaFramboise Sand and Stone owner Wayne LaFramboise said he has spent $33,000 on legal fees while a temporary injunction issued by the court, which limits his truck hauling capabilities on Wauregan Road to 20 loads in and 52 loads out, prevents him from turning a profit.The litigation involves the use of Wauregan Road and a parallel — albeit incomplete — haul road for the import of stone products. LaFramboise said the court order makes it impossible to fulfill a contract with Putnam-based Rawson Materials that he signed in 2011. “I probably lost myself close to $300,000 in income this year,” LaFramboise said. “I had nine employees; now I have zero.” He said he operates the company with his son, Daniel. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Apartment construction starts Monday on skyscraper

The $45 million apartment conversion of downtown Hartford's former Bank of America skyscraper will begin Monday, with the hopes of moving tenants in by the end of the year.
"We have been waiting two years for this day," said Bruce Becker, the project's developer. "We are really excited about it." The project's very complex financing package closed on Friday, allowing construction to move forward. Including soft costs, the total financing package is valued at $80 million, and it includes a U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development loan and historic tax credits. The deal also includes the sale of the 777 Main St. office building for $7 million to Becker from current owner Grunberg Realty. "It took a lot of effort to go through that major underwriting process," Becker said. Viking Construction of Bridgeport will led the construction project.
The redevelopment of 777 Main St. from vacant downtown office space into 285 apartment in the 26-story building is the largest of the efforts in Hartford to create more housing in the downtown area.




 

CT Construction Digest March 28, 2014

I-84 bridge work on schedule

Reconstruction of two bridges carrying Interstate 84 over Center Street in Newtown is on schedule, and the $5.9 million project should be substantially complete by November, a state Department of Transportation spokesman said Thursday. Crews from Manafort Brothers Inc. are using staged construction to replace the steel girders and decks of the two spans, which stand 90 feet apart and carry two lanes of traffic westbound and eastbound respectively. By mid-May, the crews will have completed work on the left-hand lanes of each bridge, and traffic will be shifted to finished portions while they replace the decking and supporting girders on the right and breakdown lanes, Kevin Nursick of the DOT said. The process allows two lanes of traffic to remain open in both directions, minimizing delays as much as possible. "Essentially, we are rebuilding half a bridge at a time," Nursick said. The bridges were built in 1977 and 1978, and the supporting concrete abutments are in good shape and need only minor modifications to accommodate the new steel, he said. The rebuilt spans should be good for another 50 years. Only minor work on the bridge and other road construction projects took place over the winter, but now that warmer weather is on the way the pace will be picking up, Nursick said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Man injured in Meriden wall collapse files claim city

MERIDEN— A man who was injured when a retaining wall collapsed at a Research Parkway construction site filed a notice of claim against the city. Jonathan Hall, 49, who works for an excavating company, was pinned against a truck and fallen concrete slabs at the site of a car/pet wash when the wall fell last July. He was trapped from the waist up and was freed by fellow workers.

He went into cardiac arrest at the scene of the accident and was taken to MidState Medical Center then flown by LifeStar helicopter to Hartford Hospital, where he was initially listed in critical condition. “He is still recovering,” said his attorney, Carl Secola of Hamden.

Secola filed the notice of claim as the city’s oversight of the construction is investigated. A lawsuit may or may not be filed. “I’m just trying to find out what they did in regard to inspections on the retaining wall before it collapsed,” Secola said  CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

 

Land clearing underway for Putnam tech park

 

PUTNAM— The roar of massive saws and falling trees brings smiles to Mayor Tony Falzarano and Town Administrator Douglas Cutler. They’re the sounds of progress after years of planning to bring a YMCA and a technical park to Putnam. The town officially owns 62 acres sandwiched by Interstate 395 and Kennedy Drive.“It’s ours and we’re ready for it,” Falzarano said. Last week the town received a quit claim deed from Wheelabrator, which has given the town the 62-acres. The deal clears the way for the proposed regional tech park and for the future YMCA of Northeastern Connecticut. Putnam will eventually transfer 15 of the acres to the YMCA.Falzarano said the day after the deed was in hand the work to clear the land began. Crews are clearing trees now. In the next couple of weeks, Falzarano said the land will be turned over to Rawson Materials to have the gravel removed.As part of the land transfer, Putnam and Wheelabrator will share in the expenses and revenues of gravel removal from the 62 acres, Cutler said. He said there is believed to be about 100,000 cubic yards of gravel on the site and the gravel will be removed at $1.45 per cubic yard by Rawson Materials. The gravel must all be removed by June 30. The deadline allows the YMCA plenty of time to begin developing its 15 acres for a planned August 2015 opening, Cutler said.  CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

 

 

 

CT Construction Digest March 27, 2014

Branford developer gets $12.5M loan for age restricted housing

BRANFORD  First Niagara Bank has extended a $12.5 million loan to a local developer to build an age-restricted apartment complex near the town Green. First Niagara’s mortgage loan will finance the construction of Green View Commons, a 117-unit apartment community for residents 55 or older. Leasing for the complex begins with an open house this Sunday and the full project is expected to be complete sometime this fall. The complex is being built by the Vigliotti family, a second-generation developer from Branford. Their business interests include JFA Management, A. Vigliotti Realtors and Vigliotti Construction Co. The Green View Commons complex will consist of three secured, elevator buildings situated on a 5½-acre property located on a cul-de-sac just a few block from the Green. The one- and two-bedroom apartments will range from approximately 900 to 1,150 square feet.  Each apartment will come with a full array of appliances, with laundry facilities on two floors. Each building will have a large community room and underground parking.  John Vigliotti, president of JFA Management, said in a statement that the bank’s financing “has allowed us to meet the unique needs of the Green View Commons project.” FA Management owns and manages apartment complexes throughout the area, including Branford, Guilford, East Haven, North Haven, Milford and Wallingford. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING

Torrington planning and zoning approves athletic field upgrades

Torrington’s Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved Gale Associates Inc.’s proposed site plan to upgrade the high school’s athletic facilities, with the focus on reconstructing the existing track and field stadium. Eric Roise and Ed Arum of Gale Associates presented their plan to the planning and zoning commission Wednesday night. Present on the commission were James Bobinski, Richard Calkins, City Planner Martin J. Connor, Greg Mele, Christine Mele and Donna Greco. Roise presented Gale’s site plan for the high school, which included reconstruction of the existing track and field stadium—including a new running track, artificial turf on the interior field, replacing the bleachers and press box, adding new visitor bleachers, replacing the lights and controls on the existing light poles and working on other associated walkways and amenities.
“The idea is to improve the track,” Roise said. “Because of the narrow layout of the existing track, you can’t get a full-size soccer field.” To allow for that change, the new track will be expanded into an eight-lane, all-weather surface track, which allows the school to start hosting meets and championships. The inner field surrounded by the track will also change from grass to artificial turf, reducing the amount of upkeep needed on the field. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING

Equipment leasing confidence jumps to two year high

The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation (the Foundation) released the March 2014 Monthly Confidence Index for the Equipment Finance Industry (MCI-EFI). Designed to collect leadership data, the index reports a qualitative assessment of both the prevailing business conditions and expectations for the future as reported by key executives from the $827 billion equipment finance sector. Overall, confidence in the equipment finance market is 65.1, the highest index in two years and an increase from the February index of 63.3. The first quarter MCI levels are the three highest since April 2011. When asked about the outlook for the future, MCI survey respondent Daryn Lecy, VP of operations, Stearns Bank N.A. Equipment Finance Division, said, “Considering we are coming off what are typically slower months and the likelihood that our extra-aggressive winter further impacted new business, we remain optimistic for 2014. We are fortunate to be experiencing year-over-year growth, increasing demand, and overall solid delinquency levels.”  CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING

CT Construction Digest March 26, 2014

Pavement upgrade adds to cost of Wethersfield school renovation

WETHERSFIELD -- At the recommendation of the town's fire marshal, the school building committee voted Monday to beef up the pavement at the high school's northwest corner.
The thicker asphalt – to be four and a half inches compared to the original two and a half inches -- is necessary to support heavy fire apparatus, Fire Marshal Anthony Dignoti said.
"It was intended that the heavy-duty pavement would go to the end of the parking lot," Dignoti said. "For some reason, it stopped three-quarters short." The change will extend the thicker pavement about another 80 feet to the building's shops and cafeteria at an added cost of $6,980. The pavement work is part of the ongoing $85.5 million reconstruction of Wethersfield High School. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

West Haven board hears application for New Haven Magnet School near UNH

WEST HAVEN >> The Planning & Zoning Commission heard the New Haven Public Schools’ application for the proposed regional Engineering and Science University Magnet School, or ESUMS, near University of New Haven for a third time Tuesday night, but took no action.
The commission did vote unanimously to approve a materials removal application for the project with a number of conditions, but continued a public hearing on the site plan approval application until May 13 at the request of the applicant’s lawyer, Timothy Yolen. Yolen told the PZC, “We are awaiting some information on a couple of the smaller parcels and we want to make sure that we have possession of those parcels before the commission votes.” The New Haven Board of Education essentially is seeking to redo a previously-approved application that recently was overturned for procedural reasons by a Superior Court judge. The appeal was filed by Tracy Fagan, a neighbor who lives at Rockview and Emma streets. Superior Court Judge Barbara Brazzel-Massaro, sitting in Derby, recently found that “the notices of hearings ... was insufficient” and there were issues that should have gone before the Inland Wetlands Agency first, but didn’t. New Haven previously had sought and received a change of zone from residential to an Educational Facilities District, as well as the previous site plan approval for the $85.5 million school, last May 28.  The approval of the materials removal application came over objections from Fagan and her lawyer, Max Rosenberg of Stratford. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

OSHA releases new education bulletin on injury recording requirements

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration released a new educational resource that focuses on requirements for injury recording of temporary worker injuries and illnesses. The bulletin explains the requirements for both the staffing agency and the host employer. The new recordkeeping bulletin addresses how to identify who is responsible for recording work-related injuries and illnesses of temporary workers on the OSHA 300 log. OSHA's temporary worker initiative is an agency-wide concerted effort that uses enforcement, outreach and training to assure that temporary workers are protected in their workplaces. In recent months, OSHA has received and investigated many reports of temporary workers suffering serious or fatal injuries, many of which occur within their first week on the job. OSHA's initiative was launched to raise awareness and compliance with requirements that temporary workers receive the same training and protection that existing workers receive. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

CT Construction Digest March 25, 2014

Work on Stamford train station pedestrian bridge starts

A long-planned project to build an enclosed pedestrian bridge over Washington Boulevard linking the Gateway Harbor Point office development to the Stamford train station will begin this weekend.
To finish the $2.8 million bridge in just three weekends, the state Department of Transportation will shut down Washington Boulevard between South State Street and Station Place for the next three weekends and divert drivers. The closures will be from 9 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Monday on the weekends of March 28, April 4 and April 11.  The 190-foot-long, 10-foot-wide bridge that will run 40 feet above the roadway is the first part of a series of planned improvements at and around the station. The project to add pedestrian amenities is a joint effort between the city, state and Gateway's developer, Stamford-based Building and Land Technology. BLT general counsel John Freeman said the bridge will provide a link over the congested boulevard and make the station more accessible for South End residents and nearby corporate offices.  "The new bridge separates pedestrians from automobile traffic, which has two beneficial effects for Stamford: improving safety and quality of life for commuters, and reducing traffic congestion," Freeman said.  In December 2011, the city received a $10.5 million federal grant toward the overall work, after the city, state and BLT allocated $23.3 million as their shares.  CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Malloy: New Milford will get funding for brownfield remediation

Governor Dannel P. Malloy, who runs the State Bond Commission, says the panel on Friday will approve $2.5 million to pay for New Milford’s planned demolition of the tumble-down Century Brass mill site. The project, expected to create a total of about 50 construction jobs, will help create the 72-acre Century Enterprise Center.

“The Century Enterprise Center has tremendous potential for commercial and ‘green’ industrial use that will generate economic development and create jobs, but for too long his site has sat unused,” Malloy said. “The state’s investment in this project demonstrates our ongoing to commitment to work with municipal partners to restore blighted properties, bolster our economy and improve the quality of life for residents. “I’m very grateful for Governor Malloy’s decision to partner with New Milford in helping to move this worthwhile project forward,” said Sen. Clark Chapin, R-New Milford, in a statement. “This additional investment by the state will greatly enhance the town’s ability to transform the former Century Brass property from its idle state to a productive one.” The new site is expected to pump up the town’s tax base by $300,000 a year. Each month, in the days before a State Bond Commission meeting, Malloy’s office joins with lawmakers in underscoring projects scheduled to receive long-term state funding.

Major fire station overhaul planned

BRISTOL — The city plans a $6 million overhaul of the 50-year-old fire station on Vincent P. Kelly Road.

Plans call for a huge addition to the tiny firehouse, which would include three drive-through bays as well as bigger, better residential quarters, a day room and a training room. When the work is done next year, officials said, the old portion of the fire station will be used to house equipment and materials. Fire Chief Jon Pose said the revamped station will be large enough to allow the department to move maintenance there from downtown headquarters, freeing up space there as well.

He hailed the project, set to start by December, as a key first step toward badly needed renovations at all of the city’s aging stations. “All of our firehouses were built when fire trucks were very small. Now our fire trucks are very big. They don’t fit anymore,” Pose said. The change will make it possible to move some critical equipment inside for the first time, perhaps including a $167,000 decontamination trailer and the Hap Barnes Fire Safety House, which have been sitting outside through all sorts of weather. “Thousands and thousands of dollars of equipment gets left outside,” the chief said, because there’s nowhere else to put it. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

 

Public input sought on phase three of streescape project

 

NEW BRITAIN — The public will get its final chance Thursday to chime in on plans to turn Central Park downtown into a European-style square with brick design.

 The project — which is scheduled to begin in the spring of next year and completed in the fall of 2016 — would entail enlarging the park by about 10 percent; creating a new brick plaza in front of TD Bank; taking down the existing trees and planting new ones; and installing granite benches to replace the wooden ones. In addition, Court Street would be widened to allow for two-way traffic with parking not being affected, officials said.
While city officials said the plan is pretty much set, they added that public input is important. The informational meeting — led by Public Works — will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday in Room 305 in City Hall. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

 

New brownfields director to organize redevelopment

 

For the first time, Connecticut has a director focused on redeveloping all the state's blighted brownfields back into productive use. New York City transplant Tim Sullivan was recently named director of brownfields, waterfront, and transit-oriented development, a newly created position within the state Department of Economic & Community Development. Sullivan says he sees plenty of opportunities for Connecticut to remediate old industrial sites into properties for commercial, residential, retail, or open space use. With the state's latest remaking of its brownfields laws, Sullivan said achieving these redevelopments will be easier than ever. "It is a complicated recipe to do a brownfield redevelopment project," Sullivan said. "The trick is to find the sweet spot where with a little bit of help, you can get that private investment." Sullivan's arrival has been in the works since 2006, when Connecticut launched its most recent brownfield initiative with the creation of the Office of Brownfield Remediation and Development, which was supposed to be a one-stop shop for developers to get advice and possible aid to remake polluted properties. That easy navigation system, however, never took off, largely because the office lacked a director to advocate for the reforms and funding necessary for revitalization, said Gary O'Connor, co-chair of the state's Brownfields Working Group. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

BIDs play role in an evolvoing downtown

Downtown Hartford is evolving and as Mayor Pedro E. Segarra remarked at the MetroHartford Alliance Rising Star Breakfast in January, "If we want our city to change, we have to be open to changing along with it." Real economic revitalization is underway and as we continue to see an influx of new residents and increased investment in downtown, an organization like the Hartford Business Improvement District (BID) has a very important role to play. The Hartford BID is an organization of taxable property owners in Downtown Hartford and Asylum Hill that exists to enhance the revitalization of the center city. Property owners should be represented in decisions that impact their buildings and for the past seven years, the Hartford BID has helped make sure that their interests are represented and that downtown's evolution is a smooth one. Any evolution brings new challenges. A city with a strong BID is better equipped to handle those challenges.
The Hartford BID, through its more than 200 member properties, brings significant experience and expertise to the city. Property owners have an obligation to provide their perspective and constructive criticism to the city about development projects that will directly impact their properties and the commercial business district. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

South Windsor holds referendum on new school

SOUTH WINDSOR— On Tuesday, residents will vote on a school referendum that, if approved, would result in the construction of a new school on the grounds of Orchard Hill Elementary School.
The referendum is the first of a three-phase, 10-year plan to replace or upgrade four of the town's five elementary schools. Tuesday's vote seeks to authorize bonding for $33.5 million, with an estimated state reimbursement of $11.26 million, to construct a 71,000-square-foot school that would replace Orchard Hill. The proposed school is expected to have upgraded technology, security, and energy-efficient heating and cooling systems. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE


 

 

 

CT Construction Digest March 24, 2014

Stamford boaters look to restore boatyard

STAMFORD -- As the city and developer Building and Land Technology wrangle in court over the city's most valuable piece of waterfront, a dogged group of activist boaters is loudly clamoring for the restoration of the property's original function: A working boatyard. The peninsula overlooking Long Island Sound, which once hosted slips for 251 boats and winter storage space for 400, has been in legal limbo for three years. The property used to be the epicenter of Stamford's maritime activity, but today only seagulls visit the fenced-off, largely barren landscape of churned-up dirt dotted with dumpsters and construction equipment. Save Our Boatyard, a group of local boaters that has battled the property's developer since it razed the site's former boatyard in 2011, is tired of waiting for what they believe is the boatyard's inevitable restoration. On Wednesday, the group presented, with help from a professional designer, its vision for the property's future. "This situation cannot drag on any longer," said Maureen Boylan, the group's leader. "It's going on three years without a boatyard. Now it's time to, quite bluntly, put up or shut up." On Wednesday, 60 people attended the presentation Boylan organized to showcase Save Our Boatyard's vision for the property. The group outlined a plan to restore the waterfront's working boatyard and marina, as well as add several other new amenities.
CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING

Transitway construction to disrupt traffic

STAMFORD — Urban Transitway construction will disrupt traffic on Myrtle Avenue this week, Mayor David Martin’s office announced Friday. The $52 million project will build a four-lane roadway on Myrtle Ave. between Elm St. and East Main St., allowing for easier passage between the busy Stamford Transportation Center and U.S. Route 1 on the east side. The transitway’s second phase broke ground this summer. On Monday, construction workers will begin demolition on the former DeYulio’s Sausage Company headquarters at Elm Street and Myrtle Avenue. Demolition work is expected to end Friday. “On Monday and Tuesday, traffic flow on Myrtle Ave in the proximity of the property will be reduced to one lane in each direction,” the mayors office said in a news release. “There will be no change in the lane configuration on Elm Street. Stamford Police will be on site to direct traffic. Residents traveling in the area should expect delays.”

Club project set to be done by Labor Day

BRISTOL — With a Christmas tree on one end and an American flag on the other, a construction firm Friday lifted the last 44-foot steel beam into place on the main portion of the new Bristol Boys and Girls Club on West Street.

Despite the harsh winter, the $11 million project remains on pace for completion by Labor Day.
Standing in the dirt nearby, where a basketball court will be erected soon, longtime club supporter Wally Barnes looked around at the rising project.“It’s amazing,” said Barnes, whose grandmother, Lena Barnes, began the club nearly a century ago. She began the dream and Wally continued it,” said Michael Suchopar, the club’s director. The new Don Tinty Boys & Girls Club and Family Center will house a massive field house, a technology center, a teen room, an arts and culture center and much more. It will replace the club’s aging quarters on Laurel Street, which remains for sale. Suchopar said the club has raised all the money it needs for the building but is still working to come up with the money to pay for all the things required inside. He said he’d also like to have enough to start an endowment to cover long-term needs to keep the building in good shape. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING

Reviving the Colt building

The widow of Sam Colt rebuilt Hartford's iconic East Armory after a devastating fire in the 1860s with one thought in mind: Use the latest fire-proofing techniques to ensure the structure would never succumb to fire again. And live on it did. The firearms factory under the familiar blue onion dome became a hub of innovation and assembly-line production in the Industrial Revolution. Those glory days have long since faded, however, and for more than a decade, the East Armory has stood largely vacant, decaying. Now, Elizabeth Colt's vision for survival is entering the Information Age A renovation of the East Armory, built to resemble its burned out predecessor, has kicked into high gear. Its steel roof was replaced last summer, most likely for the first time in its 148-year history, and part of the second floor was converted to classroom space for the Capitol Region Education Council.
 CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING

Americans driving more (despite what you may have heard)

In virtually every recent congressional hearing and many media reports about federal transportation policy, the false claim that “Americans are driving less” emerges in some capacity. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) data show U.S. vehicle miles traveled (VMT) increased 0.3 percent in 2012 and 0.6 percent in 2013. The upward trend is anticipated to continue well into the future as the nation’s economy and population continues to grow. This factual disconnect confuses discussions about the relative viability of various means to stabilize the Highway Trust Fund and support future federal highway and public transportation investments. The reality is that American driving trends are driven largely by macro-economic forces, not agenda-seizing assertions about shifts in societal behavior. These are the facts:  CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING

CT Construction Digest March 21, 2014

Southington gets update on middle school progress

SOUTHINGTON — Construction continues at the town’s two middle schools as the project managers prepare for upcoming move-in dates and the final plan for furniture, fixtures and equipment. The Middle School Building Committee received updates Tuesday on overall progress and technology installation at Kennedy and DePaolo middle schools as part of the $89.7 million renovations at the schools. “We’ll be coming up on some (furniture, fixture and equipment) presentations over the next month or two,” said Angela Cahill, the project manager with architectural firm Fletcher Thompson.  Building committee member Brian Goralski, also Board of Education chairman, asked Cahill about the plans for the library media center and an update on technology.

Cahill said Fletcher Thompson has been asked to speed up the installation of wireless access for the media center. “With the state’s Smarter Balance Assessment, we need to know we have Internet capabilities and wireless,” said Chris Palmieri, the vice chairman of the building committee and assistant principal at DePaolo. “We’re trying to expedite … so we’re ready when we move in.”

A draft presentation of the furniture, fixtures, and equipment for both schools is expected to be completed by April 9, Cahill said. It will include a list of equipment for each room. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

 

If weather cooperates, bridge will be open by Meriden's Daffodil Festival

MERIDEN — City officials are counting on Mother Nature to provide more than just blooming daffodils in the next few weeks.They are also hoping the ground thaws soon so the bridge at the West Main Street exit of Hubbard Park can be repaired before the annual Daffodil Festival next month.

“The concrete blocks we need to do the work came in,” said City Councilor Cathy Battista, who chairs the council Public Works and Parks and Recreation Committee. “Now we’re waiting on the ground to thaw. It’s going to be close.” LaRosa Construction Co. has the contract to rebuild the Notch Road bridge that intersects with West Main Street. It has been “failing” in recent years, said Mark G. Zebora, director of Parks and Recreation. Notch Road has been blocked from the parking lot across from the swimming pool to the exit since the Festival of Lights ended in early January. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

 

Meriden receives federal grant to alleviate flooding

 

MERIDEN — The city’s efforts to prevent future floods were helped by a $2.46 million federal grant announced Thursday morning. The Federal Emergency Management Agency grant, announced by Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Christopher Murphy along with Rep. Elizabeth Esty, will fund work on a downtown railroad bridge that is part of the city’s ongoing effort to prevent flooding along Harbor Brook. “This FEMA grant is an integral part of ensuring we can keep the center of Meriden safe and dry,” Esty said at a press conference in the Midstate Chamber of Commerce offices on Colony Street.  The flood control project was prompted by a 1992 flood that caused $14 million worth of damage downtown. A 1996 flood caused $12 million in damage to the same area. The city has seen 11 significant floods since the mid 1800s.  Bridges have been replaced along Harbor Brook in the area of Bradley, Coe and Cook avenues. This spring, work is expected on the Columbus Avenue bridge. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

 

Bridge work to close one lane of 691 starting Monday

 

 MERIDEN — Reconstruction work on the bridge that carries Interstate 691 over Lewis Avenue will begin Monday, closing the right lane of the westbound side of the highway, the state Department of Transportation announced.  The reconstruction will consist of bearing replacement, painting of beam ends, work on the underside of the deck and at the bridge abutments as well as replacement of the expansion joints, according to a DOT statement.  Work is expected to end by Oct. 7, though Exit 5 will be open throughout the process. Parts of Lewis Avenue will be periodically closed as necessary as well. Southington-based Mohawk Northeast, Inc. was contracted to complete the work at a cost of $1,259,376, according to the DOT.

 

A Middletown company has been hired to study Metro Square redevelopment

 

MIDDLETOWN — The common council's economic development committee has recommended a local firm, Centerplan Companies, to form a redevelopment vision of Metro Square and its two downtown blocks. The committee interviewed four development firms Monday and Tuesday after receiving applications from 10 firms. Planning Director William Warner said the economic development committee voted unanimously to recommend city leaders begin negotiations with the duo of Centerplan and New York-based Leyland Alliance for the project.The common council last year approved spending $25,000 to hire a consultant. That funding will pay for an overall recommendation for how to develop the roughly 8 acres around Metro Square including the site of the city's parking structure behind the Superior Court building and the auto repair facility on the corner of Dingwall and deKoven drives. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

 

CT Construction Digest March 20, 2014

East Lyme voters OK $4.4M to fix Niantic Boardwalk

East Lyme - Plans to rebuild the damaged Niantic Bay Boardwalk will move forward following a vote of approval at a town meeting Wednesday. Many residents applauded after a majority voted in favor of allocating up to $4,442,779 for the redesigned boardwalk. So many attendees filled the meeting room at Town Hall that some watched the meeting by television outside the room.
The approximately half-mile long boardwalk will feature heavy-gauge steel pilings and rock revetment topped with concrete, according to the presentation. Construction is slated for spring through December. With Amtrak's already rebuilt portion included, there will be a 1.1 mile concrete walkway stretching between Hole-in-the-Wall Beach and the new beach by the Niantic River Bridge, said First Selectman Paul Formica. Formica also said the boardwalk, averaging about 60,000 to 80,000 trips per year, would contribute to the town's economic development.
The funding approved Wednesday comes from legal and insurance settlements as well as Federal Emergency Management Agency funds. A $500,000 Small Town Economic Assistance Program grant, previously approved by residents, will also go toward project costs. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Another $3M possible for Norwich Hospital

NORWICH — With $5 million from the State Bond Commission already in hand, Preston officials may get access to another $3 million in state money to help pay for continued cleanup at the former Norwich Hospital property. “I will push that at an opportune time. Let’s spend the $5 million and demonstrate the (Preston Redevelopment Agency) can spend every single dime wisely,” state Rep. Tim Bowles, D-Preston, said Wednesday. Bowles said the $3 million in potential funds would come from a State Bond Commission application he submitted late last year. Meanwhile, demolition of the 250,000-square-foot Robert H. Kettle Treatment Center and nearby 106,186-square-foot Russell Occupational Therapy Building is slated to begin some time next month. First Selectman Robert Congdon and Jim Bell, a member of the 10-person agency, appeared before the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments Wednesday to provide an update on remediation efforts at the sprawling 393-acre site off Route 12. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

New Haven Plan Commission OK's more residential housing downtown

NEW HAVEN >> A total of 66 apartments should be coming online soon in the city to add to the growing residental nature of downtown, while also adding an larger element of housing on lower Whalley Avenue. A little-noticed garage on Crown and High streets downtown was approved by the City Plan Commission Wednesday for conversion to 24 apartments. The owner, Robert Smith, has proposed adding two levels to the structure at 280 Crown St., where 12 of the studio and one-bedroom apartments will be located. The building, which was described as being in tough shape and losing part of its facade, is located in the heart of a downtown section that has seen a growth in restaurants in recent years. The current structure is three stories and was built in the 1920s.
The ground level will continue to house a commercial entity. Smith said he hopes to have the project finished by spring 2015. Attorney James Segaloff said this is Smith’s first project in New Haven, but he is interested in taking on more in the near future. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Council approves solar project with UI

 BRIDGEPORT -- It didn't go as smoothly as he'd expected, but following a winter-long debate, Mayor Bill Finch on Tuesday finally got his 9,000 solar panels.
"Great," a beaming Finch said afterward, when asked how he felt. The City Council, in a 15-5 vote, approved a deal to lease the top of the shuttered landfill at Seaside Park to United Illuminating for the solar field. It is estimated that the 20-year agreement will net the city $7 million in rent and tax payments -- something proponents say is great, for currently unused public property.
Critics worried about the aesthetics and, arguing that the landfill is passive parkland that should be preserved, not industrialized, have been trying to kill the deal since the lease was first forwarded to the council in January. "No mayor has been more committed to parks than I have," Finch told the council and audience. One panel opponent -- Councilman Rick Torres, R-130, the council's sole Republican -- walked away with a concession prize Tuesday. The full council agreed to ask city attorneys to incorporate some modest tweaks to the lease, including making UI responsible for addressing all public safety concerns and security measures. Also any security equipment must be approved by the city and can't include barbed wire, night-time lighting or fencing higher than 6 feet.
CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

CT Construction Digest March 19, 2014

Demolition progresses at abandoned Meriden power plant

 MERIDEN — The sight of an 82-foot-high abandoned power plant building atop Cathole Mountain will soon be a memory. In recent weeks, a demolition crew has been dismantling the abandoned natural gas-fired generating plant. Workers removed a storage tank intended for fuel and another for water and will demolish the larger building last. A smaller, 15,000 square-foot building was also removed. “We are very satisfied with how the demolition is progressing. NRG has been keeping us informed,” City Manager Lawrence J. Kendzior said. “We look forward to a timely completion of their remaining obligations to the city.”  The city and NRG negotiated a settlement last year, which included demolishing the abandoned power plant on South Mountain Road. In addition, NRG agreed to pay the city $500,000 in two installments before June 30. NRG also agreed to an annual tax payment of $71,886 and the city will keep more than $700,000 in performance bonds.

After starting the plant, NRG ran into some financial troubles, which halted the project. Later the energy giant learned no new power generation would be needed in the state before 2022. In April 2012, NRG notified city officials it would be abandoning the project after being stalled for close to a decade.   The buildings have been considered an eyesore by many. Still, officials note that the city has been paid several millions of dollars in property taxes, so the project was not a total loss for Meriden. Public Works Director Robert Bass was among a small group of city officials to visit to the site on Monday. “Both of the two large storage tanks had been disassembled and were laying on the ground and a crew was cutting those into pieces so they could transport them for scrap value,” Bass said.  CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

 

Wallingford Town Council reaches tax agreement with hotel developer

 

WALLINGFORD—After nearly four hours of deliberation, the Town Council came to agreement Tuesday on a revised tax break requested by hotel developer Robert Winston, who is looking to build a 139-room Hilton Garden Inn on Route 68. Republican Town Councilor Craig Fishbein was the only councilor to vote against the agreement, which was a compromise between Winston and recommendations last week from the town’s administration. Before the agreement is official, the Law Department must first put together a legal document that must be approved by the Town Council. Also, the council stipulated that the project be finished within 30 months of April 1, and that Winston remain the managing partner of CT Wallingford LLC — the company that owns the 1181 Barnes Road property. After stating that he hoped the work by the Law Department wouldn’t tie up the deal, Winston said, “I can rely on the fact that this will be done and I will start tomorrow with the idea I have a deal.” “What I don’t want to see happen is this whole thing gets derailed over something ridiculous,” Democratic Town Councilor John Sullivan said of work by the Law Department. “I want to make sure we’re being honest with this business man in front of us.”CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

 

Torrington Inland Wetlands Commission unveils plans to remediateFranklin Street brownfield

 

TORRINGTON >> The city unveiled plans for the remediation of a damaged property on Franklin Street during an Inlands Wetlands Commission meeting Tuesday.The plans were approved by the commission unanimously. The conceptual drawing presented on Monday was created by outgoing Wetlands Enforcement Officer Kim Barbieri with input from Mayor Elinor Carbone and Director of Economic Development Erin Wilson, who presented the plans to the commission. The city acquired the 1.4 acre property on 100 Franklin St. last year for $1. The plan presented on Tuesday calls for capping a majority of the space with either asphalt or concrete, which Carbone said is one form of remediation. The concrete would seal contaminates and prevent them from further damaging soil.
The conceptual drawing represents the most “aggressive” remediation, Carbone said, and would include 149 parking spots. However, both Carbone and Wilson said they would much rather have additional greenspace instead of using the majority of the lot for parking. Carbone said she would like to keep half of the lot as greenspace, with as little as 60 parking spots. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

City eyesore to be razed

WATERBURY — Residents and commuters tired of seeing a boarded-up building when they leave Interstate 84 at Exit 21 will soon enjoy a more pleasing entrance to the Brass City — even if it's mostly empty space. At 10 a.m. today, members of the Waterbury delegation in Hartford, Mayor Neil M. O'Leary and Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner James Redeker will hold a ceremonial groundbreaking to kick off the 25,000-square-foot building's demolition. Razing the building not only removes a blighted eye sore, but could pave the way for enhancements on the Waterbury Branch of Metro-North Railroad that would increase ridership, city officials say.
The building, at 333 Meadow St., sits in front of the Waterbury Train Station and blocks the parking lot from Meadow Street. Last week, asbestos abatement was finished. On Monday, excavators finished removing the concrete subsurface parking garage. Starting today, crews will begin razing the main building. It will be demolished using a machine equipped with a claw. By the end of May, the building will be removed and the ground will be leveled. The concrete will be recycled on-site as fill, and the steel frame of the building will be recycled off-site. By fall, the site will be redeveloped. The parking lot will be expanded, a bus pickup and drop-off zone will be built along Meadow Street, and there will be lighting and landscaping improvements. A waiting room with restrooms and other amenities will be built in the south end of the Republican-American building. The first proposal to convert the site into a transportation center was in 2000. The Naugatuck Valley Development Corporation conducted a feasibility study into building an intermodal transportation center that would serve local and intercity buses, taxis, limos and rail service under one roof. In 2008, city officials resurrected the idea of turning the site at 333 Meadow St. into a multimillion dollar intermodal transportation center, but the idea was scrapped after a consultant found that it was cost prohibitive and would make the city's bus service less efficient. The building at 333 Meadow St. opened in 1973. A developer, Meadow Associates, built it for Southern New England Telephone Co.'s 411 call center and customer service station. SNET moved in as the sole tenant as soon as the building was finished.

 

 

 

 

CT Construction Digest March 18, 2014

State's transportation megaprojects leave scant funds to existing infrastructure

Drive around the state and it's easy to see where transportation dollars are being spent.
In fact, more than $3 billion, or 94 percent of all highway funds, is being funneled into one project.
The Pearl Harbor Memorial-Quinnipiac River Bridge at the mouth of New Haven Harbor is slowly taking shape as new links are formed between the busy interstates 95 and 91 and Route 34 interchanges.  Started in 2001, it's a colossal project that still has at least two years of construction remaining, but will continue to have financial effects for years to come and influences nearly every transportation funding decision the state makes. "The Q Bridge is an example of a highway project that has sucked up so much of the available funding in the road budget that it heavily impacts other projects," Steve Higashide, senior planner for the Tri-State Transportation Campaign.
"The state has plenty of repair needs on its roads and bridges, and should reprioritize more money for repair needs, including for transit." By some estimates, the state needs nearly $3.6 billion to upgrade and repair the New Haven Line -- a stretch of 75 miles of tracks, bridges and signal systems -- where Metro-North Railroad is experiencing steady ridership growth along with a series of calamities that have pointed out weaknesses in the system.  Nearly $2 billion is needed to replace two movable bridges that are more than 110 years old and are vital to Metro-North and Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Manuever hints to action at Depot Square

BRISTOL — Though city officials are worried that the Depot Square project eyed for the former downtown mall site may never happen, a Long Island-based developer is moving ahead with a legal maneuver necessary for it to buy the first piece of the 15-acre parcel this spring.

Renaissance Downtowns won Planning Commission permission recently to divide the property into three sections, including a 4.2-acre piece that borders Main Street and would contain the initial phase of Depot Square. Tim Furey, an attorney for the developer, said that carving up the site into several lots “is just giving us the ability to make the next legal move.”
Whether that move will ever happen is a mystery. Renaissance is required by contract to buy the first lot by May 26 after the city approves its financing plan for the $39 million first phase of the project. To meet that deadline, city officials said, they need the details now so they have time to study them.

But Renaissance has yet to submit a financing plan, though project manager Ryan Porter said he intends to do so this month. Mayor Ken Cockayne said Monday he hasn’t heard anything yet.

The Bristol Downtown Development Corp., the nonprofit overseeing the project, canceled its March meeting because it had nothing to review.  CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

 

Southington Sewers

 

If the northwest corner of Southington is to be opened up to further development, a proposed $2.6 million sewer expansion could be the key. Voters will have their say in November. Construction would take about six months. The town is especially interested in encouraging the expansion of Lincoln College of New England — formerly Briarwood College, which was founded in 1979 but traced its presence in Southington back to 1966. The college has been unable to build more dormitories without a sewer hookup, but Town Council Chairman Michael Riccio and Economic Development Coordinator Louis Perillo are planning a trip to New Jersey to meet with Lincoln executives. “That’s always been the hold-up for them,” Riccio said. “Once the sewers go in, we’ll be ready for them to expand.” (See Tony Manning’s editorial cartoon on this page.) CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

 

Coast Guard museum gets downtown New London deal

 

New London - With representatives of the Coast Guard and its museum association in the front row of Council Chambers, the City Council on Monday night unanimously approved the sale of roughly 16,000 square feet of downtown waterfront property - including about 10,000 square feet to the Coast Guard to build its $80 million National Coast Guard Museum. In addition to approving the sale of land near Union Station and City Pier to the Coast Guard for $1, the council also approved the sale of approximately 6,155 square feet to Cross Sound Ferry for about $123,100. Cross Sound Ferry is expected to use the land to build a new ferry terminal. "This museum is important for a number of reasons, but primarily it's important because to understand who we are as a Coast Guard, the public needs to understand where we came from," said Rear Adm. Steven D. Poulin, the Coast Guard's director of governmental and public affairs. "Our legacy, our history and heritage defines who we are today. This museum is about expressing, and making visible and vibrant, our history to the American public." Last April, city, state and Coast Guard officials announced plans to build the four-story, 54,300-square-foot national museum on the city's waterfront. "For many of us here in New London we think about what this means for our city; how it will lift our economy, how it will revitalize our downtown, how it will bring between half a million and a million visitors a year to New London," Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

NCDC recommends $8.4M plan for Reid & Hughs Building

 An $8.4 million plan by POKO Partners LLC to construct 113 residential units and 24,000 square feet of Main Street retail space in the dilapidated Reid & Hughes building is the best option for its future, the city's economic development agency recommended to aldermen on Monday.“Ultimately, the goal of this project is to get an exit strategy so the city doesn't have ownership, management or liability of this property,” Norwich Community Development Corp. Vice President Jason Vincent said. “Our secondary goal is to minimize the city's financial impact in contributions to make that happen.” In an NCDC report, POKO ranked 10 points ahead of a proposal by Norwich Heritage Trust and Carter Realty and 40 points ahead of a plan by Williamson County Investments out of Austin, Texas. All three submitted proposals on Jan. 10 CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Jackson Laboratory on schedule in Farmington

Construction of The Jackson Laboratory in Farmington is on schedule and on budget, the genetic research organization said in its annual report to Connecticut's investment and technology agency.
Under development at the UConn Health Center campus, The Jackson Laboratory has also exceeded job-creating targets that were set by the state as part of its $291 million economic development deal to lure the Maine research organization to Connecticut. Nearly $64 million in construction work has been completed on the $135 million, four-story Jackson Laboratory Genomic Medicine facility, scheduled for an October completion, said the report, filed with Connecticut Innovations and dated March 1. Small contractors have won 25.8 percent of the contract value and minority-owned contractors have been awarded 18.5 percent. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

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  Farmington (Hartford, Connecticut)
  University of Connecticut Health Center

 

CT Construction Digest March 17, 2014

Officials see Bass Pro summer ground breaking

BRIDGEPORT -- Missouri-based Bass Pro Shops is still coming to Bridgeport's Steel Point site.
The company has been waiting for the state to finalize a package of financial incentives later this month. "You've heard the story -- if you're from Missouri, you've got to show them," said Robert Christoph, the Miami-based developer of Steel Point. "These are true Missourians ... Bass Pro's not going to get too far out in front of this until they know it's finished and a certainty. Logically, it makes sense." Some Bridgeport residents likely have a bit of Missourian in them, too, when it comes to believing Bass Pro will break ground here.  After all, the company's decision to build a massive store and tourist attraction at the long-in-limbo Steel Point site was announced in July 2012 with much fanfare by state and local officials. At that time, Bass Pro aimed to open its doors by Christmas 2013. But the date kept getting pushed back and back. Last week, Mayor Bill Finch, who is counting on Bass Pro to give a big boost to Bridgeport's economy and reputation, told members of the Democratic Town Committee, "We've got Steel Point coming back with a vengeance, Bass Pro being built this summer." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

GHS soil remediation to take longer then hoped

Soil remediation at Greenwich High School could take as long as four years instead of two, Public Works officials say, following a state agency's announcement that it will not approve plans to remove PCBs from the ground in time for work to begin this summer. The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is, however, expected to approve plans for arsenic removal on the site's south side early next week.  Town officials had planned to complete contaminant removal at the high school over the next two summers.  "This means instead of a 2-3 year project, we have a 3-4 year project," Public Works Commissioner Amy Siebert said in an email.  Last month, the BET Budget Committee approved $9 million in funding for remediation efforts planned for this summer. The DPW will present the BET with a revised request early next week, said Siebert. "Expect us to be asking the BET for a reduced figure so we can address the south side, continue our design work and continue necessary site monitoring," she said.  CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Boardwalk repairs up for vote in East Lyme

East Lyme - Residents will vote Wednesday on whether to appropriate funds to repair the Niantic Bay Boardwalk and hire a consultant to design a plan to upgrade the town's elementary school facilities. The special town meeting, which includes several other items, will take place at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. The agenda calls for residents to vote to appropriate $54,800 for an architectural firm to develop educational specifications and cost estimates for upgrading the elementary school facilities.
The Board of Education has approved an $82,200 contract with Jacunski Humes Architects to design the first two phases of a three-part project. The firm will consult with the community as it develops a solution for the town's three aging elementary school buildings.  In the first phase, the firm will study the elementary school facilities and the options outlined by the Facilities Vision Task Force, a committee that studied the elementary schools. The firm will review a 2011 study on the facilities, enrollment projections and the task force's report, and make recommendations to the school board.
The firm is expected to get feedback at public forums and meet with the school board, community groups and a design committee recently formed by the board for the project. A second phase, likely for next school year, will prepare the district and community for a referendum and applications for state grants and reimbursement. A third phase, which was not part of the contract approved last week, would be to execute the selected construction option. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

DOL stops work at Front Street's Ted's Montana Grill

 The state Department of Labor issued stop-work orders this week to two contractors building the Ted's Montana Grill on Front Street in Hartford. Investigators found that Garrard Construction Group, the Georgia-based general contractor on the project, was not registered or insured in Connecticut, according to Resa Spaziani, a supervisor in the department's fraud unit.
In addition, Spaziani said Hayford Builders LLC of Rocky Hill was avoiding payroll and workers compensation taxes by paying workers in cash. For work to resume, Garrard will need to get registered and insured, which for out-of-state contractors requires a bond, Spaziani said. Hayford will have to get insured and pay back taxes to the state. The New England Regional Council of Carpenters said it plans to visit the site today to display union banners and hand out leaflets.

Report: NYC Infrastructure Needs $47B Investment

NEW YORK (AP) - A new report says New York City needs to spend $47 billion over the next five years to upgrade its aging infrastructure.  The Center for an Urban Future says many of the city's bridges, subways, sewer systems and public buildings are over 50 years old.  The public-policy think tank says 47 bridges were deemed structurally deficient in 2012.  It says in some cases the infrastructure is so old that experts “don't even know where it is under the street.”  The institute says the city needs to invest in fixing the decaying infrastructure to maintain its quality of life and economic competitiveness.  The report recommends changes to state and city contracting rules that could bring down construction costs.  The mayor's office says the city is investing billions to maintain and expand its infrastructure.

CT Construction Digest March 14, 2014

Independent living is selling in Groton

Groton - The construction of a small neighborhood of single-family homes and duplexes that will offer independent living for those 55 and older is almost completed - and almost sold out. Fairview, Odd Fellows Home of Connecticut is building 23 new homes on its 70-acre property that offers spectacular views of the Thames River, Gold Star Memorial Bridge and New London skyline, and 19 have been snapped up. By the time the first "members" move in later this spring, it's anticipated that contracts on the final four will have been executed. Then Fairview will turn its attention to the second phase of Thames Edge, construction of another 17 Nantucket-inspired independent homes on its sprawling campus. "There is strong demand for the homes and their value proposition," said James Rosenman, chief executive officer and administrator of Fairview, which was founded 122 years ago by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Grand Lodge as a nonprofit senior housing and health care provider. Fairview is a still a nonprofit, but today, membership in the Odd Fellows is no longer a requirement for admission. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING

Explosion a reminder on NYC's aging infrastructure 

New York - Even while the cause remains unknown, a deadly blast that leveled two buildings served by a 127-year-old gas main has provided a jarring reminder of just how old and vulnerable much of the infrastructure is in New York and many other cities nationwide. A detailed report issued only a day before Wednesday's explosion in East Harlem estimates that $47 billion is needed for repairs and replacement over the next five years to spare New York from havoc. Nationally, the projected bill - for bridges, highways, mass transit and more - is almost incalculable. Just upgrading the nation's water and wastewater systems is projected to cost between $3 trillion and $5 trillion over the next 20 years, according to the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a conservative Washington think tank.
Politicians often shy away from blunt talk about infrastructure, but it was in the spotlight Thursday as investigators sought to determine how and why a suspected natural gas leak triggered the explosion, which destroyed two apartment buildings, killed at least eight people and injured more than 60.
The gas pipe serving the building included a cast iron section dating from 1887, and a nearby water main was built in 1897. Federal investigators said the water main broke but it was unknown if that contributed to the gas explosion or was caused by it, and it was unknown whether the gas pipe played any role in the explosion. It was nonetheless upsetting for some New Yorkers to be reminded that Consolidated Edison, the natural gas supplier for East Harlem and much of the rest of the city, makes extensive use of 19th-century piping. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING

224-unit apartment complex for Manchester

Construction of a 224-unit apartment complex is under way in Manchester by the same landlord who developed the nearby Evergreen Walk open air-retail complex, Buckland Hills mall and surrounding apartments, authorities say. First Niagara Bank announced Thursday it agreed to fund a $27.6 million construction loan to Manchester-based Evergreen Crossing LLC to erect The Broadleaf at 325 New State Road. Evergreen Crossing LLC's principal is John Finguerra, developer of both Evergreen Walk and, decades earlier, The Shoppes at Buckland Hills mall and much of the surrounding commercial-residential sites around it, including some 1,000 apartment units. The 29-acre complex will consist of six buildings, with 57 one-bedroom and 167 two-bedroom apartments. Residents will have access to 72 carport spaces and 432 open-air parking slots. Rents will be market rate, officials said.
Finguerra's project manager, Steve Goodman, pegged the development's full cost at $34.6 million. The first building is set for completion around November, with lease up starting soon after. Thereafter, each successive building will follow a staggered, 30-day completion schedule, Goodman said. Pilot Construction of New Hampshire is erecting the buildings. Total Access Construction is the site contractor. Fuss & O'Neill is engineer. Manchester's FHLB Architects designed the structures.

Construction of Simsbury Big Y nears

Big Y Supermarkets is closer to erecting its first Simsbury store, in the town's north end, officials say.
The Massachusetts grocer has gotten nearly all necessary town approvals to invest $12 million in a 53,000-square-foot store at 1313 Hopmeadow St., former site of the Wagner Ford dealership, Town Planner Hiram Peck and Big Y said this week. Among remaining clearances is for the chain to retrieve a building permit to get started with construction, Peck said. The site also will have parking for about 200 vehicles. "We're hopeful that if this starts now, they'll be open this fall,'' he said.
But Matt D'Amour, Big Y's director of store development, said Thursday that appears unlikely. Both store-construction and opening timetables remain up in the air, while the grocer secures several easements and finalizes permitting with the town and the state. "We would hope that it would be no later than 2015,'' D'Amour said. The grocer broached plans back in 2011 for the Simsbury store, which would employ 125 full- and part-time workers. Though its zoning application and other use reviews went smoothly, the retailer has been held up as it works out an easement from neighboring International Skating Center at 1375 Hopmeadow St., Peck said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING

Wetlands agency OK's high-end development in Rocky Hill

ROCKY HILL – The town wetlands agency has granted a permit to develop a 10-lot high-end residential subdivision at the Oleski family farm property on France Street.
Mapped wetlands, including two branches of Sawmill Brook, comprise about one-quarter of the 22.4-acre site. The subdivision is planned under regulations for environmentally sensitive sites with challenging topography that allow for smaller lots, less required frontage and with a minimum of 40 percent open space maintained. Plans submitted — and subsequently revised by — the developer, Rocky Hill Development Co. LLC, call for 61 percent of the development to be kept as open space. In addition to Sawmill Brook, which forms part of the Mattabesset River watershed, the property includes a section of wooded swamp and a seasonal vernal pool.

The developers who have an agreement to purchase the property plan to retain the Oleski home at 395 France St. and add nine new home lots, which will be accessed via a new roadway, Sawmill Drive, to be constructed off France Street. The roadway will feature a pre-cast concrete bridge that will span the main stem of the brook along an existing gravel drive, replacing two 42-inch culverts. The stream bank will be graded and stabilized.  CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING

 

New Haven residents voice their concern about Route 34 West Project

 

NEW HAVEN >> Some residents who live near the proposed Route 34 West corridor development proposal told members of the Board of Alders Legislation Committee Thursday night they are concerned about more cars and a large parking garage coming into their neighborhood.
The board will be asked to approve zoning changes for the 16.2 acres of the project, which would extend from Dwight to Tyler streets. One of the new zoning districts would allow for denser mixed-use retail, commercial development and medical mixed-use. The other would allow for mixed-use retail, residential and office development. The centerpiece of the project would be a new home for Continuum of Care Inc., a not-for-profit provider for persons with psychiatric and developmental disabilities. Their headquarters would occupy a 5.5 acre block. The new development, to be developed by Centerplan Development Co., would include construction of a parking garage for about 800 cars. City Plan Director Karyn Gilvarg, who presented the plan to the committee, noted city officials have held at least 10 community meetings to gather public input about the project. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING 

CT Construction Digest March 13, 2014

Son of urban renewal returns, to rebuild  Bob Landino

Robert Landino’s dad’s gang helped tear down New Haven. Now it’s the son’s turn to reshape his hometown’s landscape. Landino (pictured at left), who runs Centerplan Development Company, is behind two $50 million building projects in town right now, neither of which is receiving public subsidies:
• His $50 million “College & Crown” project has broken ground and will fill the block of College Street across from Cooperative Arts & Humanities High School. Its five-story buildings will house 160 luxury studio and one- and two-bedroom rental apartments as well as 20,000 square feet of street-level retail. A Stamford Wrecking crew the other day finished demolishing (pictured above) the one-story College Plaza storefronts that occupied a corner of the block surrounded by surface parking lots.
• His $50 million plan for building on a 5.39-acre surface lot on Legion Avenue is currently the subject of public hearings and approvals. (Click here for the latest meeting; another takes place Thursday night at 7 p.m. in City Hall’s Board of Alders chambers.) The block-long lot would house a new headquarters for the not-for-profit Continuum of Care mental-health agency, a pharmacy, a medical office building or hotel, and a parking garage.
The latter project is the first part of a broader effort by the city to bring new life to 16.2 fallow acres along Route 34/Legion Avenue. The idea is to fix a mistake from a half-century ago, when government razed a neighborhood there during the bulldozer-happy “slum clearance” days of urban renewal. In the name of eradicating poverty, New Haven spent more money per capita than any other American city tearing down buildings and demolishing neighborhoods. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING

City's Keney, Goodwin links to get facelift

The first of Hartford's two public golf courses will reopen this spring with a new operator, and both courses will soon undergo extensive facelifts, the city says. Mayor Pedro E. Segarra said Wednesday the city signed a contract Feb. 24 with the Connecticut chapter of the Professional Golf Association (CT PGA) to operate and maintenance of the Goodwin Park Golf Course in the city's South End.
Meantime, Hartford nonprofit The Knox Parks Foundation will play a major role in Goodwin's restoration, including hiring workers, the city said. "Delivering the services Hartford residents expect and deserve is critical to us becoming one of America's Best Capital Cities," Segarra said in a statement. "Restoring these golf courses is a step in that direction and I'm pleased to be working with experts like the CT PGA to make sure best practices are followed every step of the way." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING

Outlets shops coming to Rentschler airstrip

A Michigan development company said it has entered into an agreement to build a 350,000-square-foot retail development at East Hartford's Rentschler Field.
Horizon Group Properties said The Outlet Shoppes at Rentschler Field will open in the summer of 2016 and will feature well-known brands and designer outlets. The center will be built at Rentschler's former airstrip. The center will have covered walkways, landscaped courtyards, and leave room for a future 50,000-square-foot expansion, Horizon said. The shops are projected to generate more than $130 million in sales annually, and $1.2 million in property taxes. Rentschler is home to UConn's football stadium and outdoor retailer Cabela's, which opened in 2007. Officials have hoped the store would be a catalyst for further development. State and local officials were in talks early last year with an Arizona developer looking to build a retail center with a pricetag of several hundred million dollars, but those efforts apparently didn't pan out.


United Rentals snaps up pump provider in $780M deal

United Rentals, the world's largest rental equipment provider headquartered in Stamford, has agreed to pay $780 million to acquire National Pump, a privately-owned business that is the second-largest specialty pump rental company in North America. The deal, which will include cash and $15 million in restricted stock, will enable United Rentals to move into pump rentals, a high-margin business which primarily serves the oil, gas and petrochemical industries but is also used in commercial and utilities construction. National Pump, a Beaumont, Texas-based firm consisting of four companies with about 300 employees in the U.S. and Canada, had revenue of $211 million over the last 12 months ending in February. United Rentals said the acquisition of National Pump is part of its strategy to expand its specialty businesses.  "The company has the right scale to have an impact on our business and be a platform for growth," said Michael Kneeland, president and CEO of United Rentals, during an investor conference call Monday.  CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING

Southington hopes to entice Lincoln College to expand with new sewer line

SOUTHINGTON — Voters will decide on a $2.6 million sewer expansion plan in November for the northwest corner of town that officials hope will encourage Lincoln College of New England to expand. There’s no sewer service in that part of town and the college uses a septic system for its waste. The sewer line expansion would also bring service to some of the planned homes in a subdivision on Welch Road. Town Council Chairman Michael Riccio said he and other town officials are planning a visit to New Jersey to talk with Lincoln College executives about expansion. Lincoln College is a for-profit campus owned by Lincoln Educational Services Group which owns nearly 50 campuses in 17 states.  Lincoln College did not return a call for comment on Wednesday.

The college came to the town more than a decade ago with expansion plans, Riccio said, but wasn’t able to build more dorms without sewer hookup. “That’s always been the hold-up for them,” he said. “Once the sewers go in, we’ll be ready for them to expand.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING

 

New Britain begins slashing bond plans

 

NEW BRITAIN — As the financially troubled city gets ready to cobble together its next budget, the common council reluctantly acknowledged Wednesday night that it has to rescind millions of dollars in bonding that it can no longer afford. But Democrats on the council held fast on at least two projects funded through the sale of bonds, insisting that money for park improvements and a municipal pool be left on the books. Even then, though, they conceded that the construction won't actually be done because Mayor Erin Stewart won't move the projects forward.
Stewart said the city's financial advisers have warned that New Britain is saddled with a multimillion-dollar deficit and is far too close to its credit limit, potentially risking a state takeover of its finances unless it slashes borrowing, such as selling bonds that must be repaid over time.

She put together a package to reduce or cancel about $25 million worth of bonding, and the council was on track Wednesday to approve most of it. Some of the package represents actual spending cuts: Construction and renovation projects that the city won't do and thus won't need to borrow money for.

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Reconstruction of street in Oxford will begin soon

 

OXFORD -- The state Department of Transportation said Tuesday that work will begin next week on the reconstruction of Christian Street from Towner and Robinson lanes in town. The project will start March 11, and it consists of grade changes, widening, new drainage systems and safety improvements, according to a news release from DOT. Guerrera Construction Co., of 154 Christian St., was awarded the project at a cost of about $1.6 million, the release states. The project is scheduled to be completed by Nov. 26, it says. During the project, traffic can be restricted to alternating one lane between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m., the release states. Traffic can be halted for up to 10 minutes between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on all non-holiday days, it states. DOT advises drivers to maintain a safe speed when traveling in this area.

 

Diggerland Theme Park offers loads of fun

 

It's a first for America and it's located in New Jersey — Diggerland USA, a construction themed amusement park that will soon open for business in the Garden State. Located behind project owner Sahara Sam's Oasis, an indoor and outdoor water park on Route 73 in Camden County's West Berlin, Diggerland USA will operate independently from its neighbor. However, there will be incentives to encourage guest traffic between the two facilities. The Diggerland adventure park will feature a mix of 90 percent JCB and 10 percent Terex equipment, providing visitors with supervised opportunities to ride, drive and operate full-sized big iron such as skid steer loaders, tractors, backhoes, small excavators and mini-dumpers.“The Diggerland concept is native to the UK where JCB has its headquarters, and all of the equipment is modified for use as rides, on a course, or made stationary by design for operation in designated excavation areas,” said Chris Peters, director of marketing and PR of Sahara Sam's Oasis and Diggerland USA.  CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING