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.