HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy says the state will raise $2.1 million to boost the capacity of the Dooley Pond Dam in Middletown.
The dam, located near Route 17 south of Brushy Hill Road, is considered in poor condition — including a partially collapsed spillwall and problems with water control.
The funds approved by the State Bond Commission will pay for construction of a new, higher capacity spillwall and other improvements that will increase the dam capacity.
The state Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection will administer the project. DEEP Commissioner Rob Klee says repairs to the Dooley Pond Dam will contribute to both public safety and allow outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy it.
Does Bridgewater Associates, the giant Westport-based hedge fund, still intend to plant its flag on the city's waterfront? According to administration officials, who have been trying to gauge the company's interest in building a $750 million headquarters on a contested development site in the South End, the answer is not exactly clear. Following a recent meeting with Stamford Mayor David Martin, the company has told the city that it needs more time to decide. "They have a number of discussions internally that they need to have in order to firm up their plans," said Michael Pollard, Martin's chief of staff, in a phone interview last week. "They are assessing their needs and requirements." Although Bridgewater did not indicate a date by which it would respond, Pollard said he expected to hear from company officials "in the near future." "We very much want them to come to Stamford," he said.
Bridgewater did not respond to a request for comment. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Stonnington puts $50K in budget proposal for elementary school work design
Stonington - The town has included $50,000 in the proposed 2014-15 budget to fund the design of the long stalled elementary school renovation and expansion project. The Board of Finance briefly discussed the proposed allocation when it continued its review of the budget last week. Both the Capital Improvement Committee and the Board of Selectmen have assigned the expenditure a "B" priority which means it is urgent. Attention increased on the project last month when the finance board was forced to recommend that the town immediately spend $1.2 million to fix the leaking roof at Deans Mill School. The school along with West Vine Street School would be renovated and/or expanded as part of the project. Whether or not the design allocation remains in the proposed budget will be decided in the next few weeks as the Board of Finance trims the budget and sends it on to voters for approval. At last week's meeting, Board of Finance Chairman John O'Brien said he has received a number of emails from residents supporting the allocation. When it was pointed out that to him that the emails should be printed out and distributed because board member Dudley Wheeler does not have an email account, Wheeler said "I don't want to see their bs." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
Norwich recieves stste funding for sewer plant upgrade
Norwich — The state Bond Commission Friday approved a combination of grants and loans to cover at least part of the city’s $96 million sewer plant upgrade project that would improve water quality and allow the sewer system to expand into surrounding towns. It was unclear Friday exactly how much Norwich Public Utilities will receive, but Michael LaLima, wastewater integrity manager for NPU, said he submitted grant and loan requests for the entire $96 million project cost. LaLima said Friday he has not yet heard from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection on the extent of the funding. Malloy announced that the Bond Commission approved $277 million through the Connecticut Clean Water Fund for local and regional wastewater treatment projects in Norwich, Hartford, Rocky Hill, Middletown, New Haven, and Bristol. The Norwich funding is for denitrification, which comprises about 20 percent of the overall sewer upgrade project, LaLima said.
Malloy touted the state’s commitment to cleaning the state’s waterways and Long Island Sound with the funding approvals. “As a result of the state’s strong financial support for municipal wastewater treatment projects, Connecticut’s rivers and streams and Long Island Sound are cleaner and more appealing than ever,” Malloy said in a press release. “We want to build on our historic commitment to clean water with a strong new round of funding for these projects, which will improve our environment and enhance our communities while putting our citizens to work designing and constructing these critical facilities.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
State Bond Commission approves funds to repurpose two Pfizer buildings
Hartford — The State Bond Commission allocated funds Friday to repurpose two buildings on Pfizer Inc.'s Groton campus, create a bioscience center in one of those buildings, and improve Norwich's wastewater treatment plant and public housing. The Bond Commission also allocated $200 million for the Connecticut Bioscience Innovation Fund and funds for technical schools.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said the administration would be providing more detail on its plans for the Pfizer property and the greater Groton and New London area in the future. "Suffice it to say that we have reached some agreements with Pfizer about acquisition of properties that will allow us to move facilities there and in part pick up some of the slack that has been caused by Pfizer's previously downsizing of their operations in the region," Malloy said. The administration and local legislators have been trying to salvage some of Pfizer's empty buildings since it got rid of hundreds of jobs in 2011. The reuse of the buildings and creation of a bioscience center will help retain and attract information technology and biotechnology jobs, said state Rep. Elissa Wright, D-Groton.
Connecticut United for Research Excellence is scheduled to receive a $4.2 million grant to establish a Bioscience Innovation Center on the Pfizer campus at Building 286. The funds are for improvements, planning, programming and operational costs. The group received $365,000 previously from the state for this project. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
State Bond Commission backs upgrades to XL Center
The State Bond Commission Friday morning backed $31.2 million for upgrades at Hartford's aging XL Center, with construction expected to begin in late spring. The funding is part of a $35 million package approved by the state legislature in last year's session of the General Assembly. In December, the bond commission backed spending $1.8 million of the package on developing plans for the improvements. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said Friday it makes sense to make short-term improvements now because the state does not have any immediate plans for constructing a new arena. "What I'm trying to do is stretch a very old facility," Malloy told reporters at the state Capitol complex. "It is one of the older facilities in the nation of its type. I'm trying to get eight to 10 years out of it, quite frankly. Right now, the air conditioning system is in failure. Other systems in the building are in failure." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE READING
U.S. Construction Activity Expected to Increase
Construction contractors and equipment distributors are optimistic that local non-residential construction activity will improve in 2014 compared to the prior year, according to a recent survey administered by Wells Fargo. The Optimism Quotient (OQ) — this survey’s primary benchmark for measuring construction industry executive sentiment — is at a historic high of 124, up 18 points from 106 in 2013, and up from the survey low of 42 in 2009.
Overall industry sentiment The Optimism Quotient (OQ) presented by Wells Fargo Equipment Finance is this survey’s primary metric for assessing respondents’ sentiment about local non-residential construction activity for the current calendar year compared to the previous year. The OQ for 2014 is a conclusively positive 124. After seeing a slight dip in optimism to 105 in 2013, the OQ is back in record-high territory for the year ahead, signaling executives’ overwhelmingly expressed anticipation that local non-residential activity in 2014 will increase compared to 2013.. The sentiment survey does not predict the degree of growth — only that the coming year will see greater activity than the previous year and that there is broad optimism about the direction of the construction industry. In 2009, the OQ reached an all-time low of 42, and it didn’t recover much in 2010, but it saw rapid increases for each of the next three years. Optimism was somewhat tempered in 2013 when compared to the all-time high recorded in 2012, but it has since rebounded to a record level in 2014.