North Stonington board OK's $47M school renovation
North Stonington — After a discussion spanning two special meetings, the Board of Finance voted unanimously Wednesday night to approve a $47 million school renovation project.
The vote was the final step for the project before it goes to a public hearing and referendum in less than a month. Originally planning to make a decision Monday night, board members tabled the resolution until Wednesday as they took a hard look at the taxpayer burden - a subject broached by several vocal residents at a public presentation of the plan to the board last week.
Depending on the state reimbursement rate for renovating the district's school facilities "as new" - something the town won't know for sure until they've voted the project through and sent it off to the state in June for approval - the town could shoulder anywhere from $26 million to $31 million of the cost.The project would include more than 40,000 additional square feet of space for Wheeler Middle School/High School and North Stonington Elementary School, along with a new gymnasium/auditorium on the north side of Route 2. But most pressingly, say school officials, it would resolve multiple health, safety, security and building code issues associated with the age of the facilities, some of which date back more than 50 years.Board of Finance Chairman Dan Spring laid out the fiscal factors the town has going for it Monday evening: The town will likely retire all of its large debt at the end of this fiscal year - which could mean knocking off 1.5 mills from the current 25.6-mill tax rate - and it has maintained an A1 credit rating, meaning the town has an "excellent capacity" to pay its bills. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Schubert,Hartford Stage getting make overs this summer
When New Haven's Shubert Theater celebrates its 100th anniversary in December, the grand dame of Connecticut theaters will have a 21st Century look. Gone will be the angled entrance and popcorn- textured exterior in favor of a reconfigured lobby, additional bathrooms and new performance spaces.
Hartford Stage, too, is putting on a fresh face, updating its upstairs lobby and adding new springier seats for its audiences. The makeovers are in part an effort to make both theaters more patron-friendly, and illustrate a capital spending trend among regional theaters and presenting houses across the country. The Shubert The Shubert Theater will begin its $8.5 million-plus renovation/endowment project May 1, finishing in early October just in time for its 2014-15 season. The theater will be closed during the renovation period. The project will include a warmer and more dynamic lobby, a modern exterior and electronic marquee, up-to-date mechanicals and a slew of audience amenities. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Constructin industry adds 19,000 jobs in March
Construction employers added 19,000 workers to payrolls in March, bringing industry employment to the highest level since June 2009, while the industry's unemployment rate dropped to the lowest March level in seven years, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials warned that the pool of available workers is declining rapidly, raising the prospects for significant labor shortages if demand continues to expand.
“The rate of construction hiring continues to outrun job growth in the overall economy for the past year,” said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. “Furthermore, the pickup has been well balanced, as both nonresidential and residential construction segments added workers last month and over the past 12 months.”