May 30, 2014

CT Construction Digest May 30, 2014


Today's State Bond Commission Agenda

Blumethal urges federal officials to expedite funds for Norwalk bridge replacement

NORWALK -- U.S. Sen. Richard M. Blumenthal on Thursday urged federal officials to approve funding to replace the century old Walk Bridge in Norwalk. On Thursday morning, the swing bridge over the Norwalk River remained stuck in the open position for five hours, causing major delays for Metro-North Railroad New Haven Line riders. "The failure of the Walk Bridge in Norwalk causing yet another significant service delay for rail commuters this morning further underscores the urgent need for immediate investment in our aging rail infrastructure," Blumenthal, D-Conn., said in a statement. "I support the Connecticut Department of Transportation's effort to secure federal Sandy Resiliency Project funds to repair this 117-year old bridge and other critical, dated infrastructure along the New Haven Metro-North line." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

UConn trustees to vote on downtown campus move

 Assuming trustees approve the deal, the campus could be ready for classes as early as fall 2017, Uconn said. It would be able to accommodate approximately 2,300 students and 250 faculty members. Construction would begin as soon as late 2015. UConn previously announced that it had selected the former Hartford Times building on Prospect Street as the location for its downtown campus. Front Street developer HB Nitkin has development rights to the site and would be constructing the campus. UConn Spokeswoman Stephanie Reitz said Thursday that UConn intends to redevelop the Times property into a 140,000-square-foot campus, as well as 20,000-square-feet of retail space. UConn officials are also in talks with the Hartford Public Library, Wadsworth Atheneum, Connecticut Science Center and Connecticut Convention Center to hold some classes at the nearby venues. UConn officials did not yet have an architectural rendering, but expect to by the June 3 meeting, Reitz said.

National Guard breaks ground on $29M CT facility

The 112,000-square-foot combined support maintenance shop (CSMS) will replace a much smaller, recently demolished 60-year-old facility. Four external support shops will also be consolidated into the new facility. The new shop, paid for entirely by federal funds, will service more than 700 vehicles and other equipment valued at approximately $325 million, officials said.
A total of 64 management and maintenance personnel will work at the facility when it is complete in the fourth quarter of 2015. The CSMS will contain an environmentally-advanced paint stripping bay and paint booth to refurbish vehicles, as well as a modern in-bay exhaust removal and lubrication systems, expanded storage areas and classroom space. San Fransico's URS Corp., which has Rocky Hill and Groton offices, is the project architect and engineer. The contractor is Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. of Baltimore, which has New Haven and Shelton offices. The administrator is Virginia-based Leidos.

New buildings rising at Uconn health center in Farmington

FARMINGTON — The UConn Health center's campus is in the midst of an $864 million renovation and construction project that, when finished, will include a brand-new hospital and extensive renovations to the current John Dempsey Hospital. After construction is complete, the two hospitals will have a total of 234 beds, according to UConn Health communications officer Christopher DeFrancesco, allowing each patient to have their own room. Construction began in June 2012, after Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signed the Bioscience Connecticut bill, which promotes the growth of medical and science facilities in the state. The measure provides funding to ensure there are up-to-date medical and science facilities in the state, said DeFrancesco. A new outpatient care pavilion and renovations to the campus's medical, clinical and academic buildings were partially funded by the bill, DeFrancesco said. The total cost of the project is $864 million, said Tom Trutter, UConn Health associate vice president for campus planning, design and construction. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

May 29, 2014

CT Construction Digest May 29, 2014

Gravel Street road project coincides with Maloney H.S. renovation

MERIDEN — Reconstruction of Gravel Street is finally getting underway this month.
The $8.7 million project calls for a complete reconstruction of Gravel Street and most of Baldwin Avenue, including new drainage systems. Federal and state government funds will cover up to $6.96 million of the project, with the city picking up the rest. Funding was approved in 2009.
Public Works Director Robert Bass said crews from the state Department of Transportation are making use of Maloney High School property to replace and add to the drainage system that discharges into Willow Brook.   Pennsylvania-based utility contractors Henkels and McCoy are also in the area to relocate a gas main on Horseshoe Drive, Bass said.  Bass said the goal is for work to be finished in the high school area by around June 9, at which point crews would begin work on drainage systems on Baldwin Avenue.  With a target date by the end of the year, about 4,500 feet of Gravel Street — from Lois Street to Baldwin Avenue — will be repaired, as well as 1,525 feet of Baldwin Avenue — from North Wall Street to the bridge over the Wilbur Cross Parkway.  CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
 
 
SOUTHINGTON — State and local officials explained to about two dozen residents Wednesday details of the plan to replace the highway bridge over Marion Avenue, a project that will close Interstate 84 for 56 hours and reroute local traffic. The state Department of Transportation is building a replacement bridge next to the structure carrying I-84 over Marion Avenue. The new bridge will be wheeled into place and installed from Friday, June 27, at 9 p.m. to Monday, June 30, at 5 a.m. DOT spokesman Kevin Nursick said the replacement is the first major project in the state to use the new method, called accelerated bridge construction. The replacement is completed over a weekend.
Marion Avenue will be closed as highway traffic is diverted from the highway before the bridge, using the ramps of Exit 30 to return to the highway. Fifteen hundred cars per hour will be detoured around the bridge back onto the highway, according to state officials. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
 
 

May 28, 2014

CT Construction Digest May 28, 2014

State changes date for Southington bridge replacement

SOUTHINGTON — A bridge replacement project that will shut down Interstate 84 has been postponed a week by the state Department of Transportation to avoid interfering with the Traveler’s Championship. The DOT is building a replacement bridge next to the structure carrying I-84 over Marion Avenue. The new bridge will be wheeled into place and installed from Friday, June 27 at 9 p.m. to Monday June 30 at 5 p.m. DOT spokesman Kevin Nursick said the replacement is the first major project in the state to use the new method, called accelerated bridge construction. The replacement is completed over a weekend. “We need to make sure everything goes off perfectly. That’s the bottom line,” he said. The delay means the golf tournament won’t coincide with the highway closure. Another week will also give the department time to install cameras that will stream to the DOT website. That’ll give drivers a view of traffic around the project, Nursick said, along with the project itself. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Nuclear plants prepare long-term waste storage

WATERFORD — Nuclear power plants across the United States are building or expanding storage facilities to hold their spent fuel — radioactive waste that by now was supposed to be on its way to a national dump. The steel and concrete containers used to store the waste on-site were envisioned as only a short-term solution when introduced in the 1980s. Now they are the subject of reviews by industry and government to determine how they might hold up — if needed — for decades or longer.
With nowhere else to put its nuclear waste, the Millstone Power Station overlooking Long Island Sound is sealing it up in massive steel canisters on what used to be a parking lot. The storage pad, first built in 2005, was recently expanded to make room for seven times as many canisters filled with spent fuel.  CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
 
 
The referendum vote for a new $69 million North Haven Middle School will be held on June 17. Project supporters are hoping for a good voter turnout-and hoping voters will understand the likely lower final cost. The renovations will include building a completely new classroom wing while still maintaining some other usable school facilities. Building Committee Chair Gary Johns said, "A good portion, in the range of 30 to 40 percent, of the initial $69 million, will be reimbursed by the state and so...new improvements would cost the town between $45 and $50 million. Johns added, "We are confident that the cost will fall between the range [First Selectman] Michael Freda has mentioned and know residents understand the importance of these renovations. We hope everyone will come out to vote 'Yes.'" The cost was based on current data for school construction in the area and the size of the school based upon the program space requirements provided by the Board of Education and the state's space standards based on student population. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

CT's first food recycler gets nod from Southington to move forward

Southington recycler Quantum Biopower has received approval from the Southington Planning & Zoning committee to put Connecticut's first food recycling and anaerobic digestion facility on 65 acres in the town. The approval in early May coincides with Quantum landing three key contracts to start receiving food waste from Aqua Turf Club, the Southington Country Club and the Farmington Club in order to power its facilities. The anaerobic digester uses the gas created by the decomposing garbage to generate electricity. The opening of the facility will be a major win for Connecticut environmental officials who are pushing for a 60 percent state recycling rate by 2024. Processing of food waste is a significant cornerstone of that plan. A 2011 state law requires all major food waste generators near an organics recycling plant to send their leftover food for processing at the facility. The Southington location can handle food from generators like hospitals, hotels, sporting arenas, grocery stores, and food processors that create waste from expired beverages and packaged foods, produce, fats, and pre- and post-consumer food waste. Quantum expects the Southington facility to generate enough electricity to power 750 homes per year. Quantum partnered with trash haulers All Waste and Winters Brothers to tap into their client rosters to route more organics waste to the Southington facility.

West Hartford plans for hotel unveiled

WEST HARTFORD — The development team seeking to build a six-story luxury hotel at the corner of Memorial and Raymond roads has detailed their plans for town officials. The town council and plan and zoning commission held a joint public hearing on the application Tuesday for the Delamar Hotel, which would be a 111-room boutique hotel. Officials did not make any decisions on the application. Mayor Scott Slifka said the plan and zone commission is expected to vote on numerous zone changes and related regulation amendments on June 2, and the council is set to vote on necessary approvals on June 10. Town Manager Ronald Van Winkle said officials have long thought that a hotel would enhance the West Hartford Center and Blue Back Square areas, so in June 2012, the town sought proposals for a hotel on four acres of town-owned land across from the police station.  CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Courthouse to be built in Torrington

TORRINGTON — One of the longest-running disputes in state government appears to be over: A new courthouse will be built in Torrington. For the past four decades, Republicans and Democrats have argued bitterly over where the courthouse should be constructed. Republicans wanted it in the Republican town of Litchfield, while Democrats wanted it in the city of Torrington.
Some governors — on an issue that dates to Democrat Ella Grasso — decided through the years not to take a position on potential locations. As the first Democratic governor in two decades, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy traveled to Torrington on Tuesday and said that the consolidated courthouse will be built in the city. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Wrongful death trial opens in NYC crane collapse

NEW YORK (AP) - A construction crane owner who was acquitted of manslaughter in a collapse that killed two workers is now facing a civil wrongful death trial over the accident, which helped spur new safety measures.  The slain workers' families are suing crane owner James Lomma, his company and others involved in a Manhattan high-rise construction site where a crane snapped apart in May 2008. In opening statements Friday, lawyers for the families lambasted Lomma, whose 2012 acquittal they saw as a blow.  “Cranes are not supposed to fall from the sky,'' said Bernadette Panzella, who represents crane operator Donald C. Leo's family. “James F. Lomma didn't do what he was supposed to do.'' CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

May 27, 2014

CT Construction Digest May 27, 2014

Bristol firm gets stop work order from state

WETHERSFIELD — The state Department of Labor has issued a stop work order to Bristol-based Alvin Quality Masonry LLC for a construction site at 230 Industrial Park Road in Old Saybrook.
Industrial Technical Services Inc. of Westfield, Mass. was also issued a stop work order. It was determined that the construction contractors did not have Connecticut workers’ compensation coverage or unemployment coverage. According to State Labor Commissioner Sharon Palmer, Alvin was issued stop work order after inspectors with the agency’s wage and workplace standards division determined that the contractors — both working on the Big Y supermarket building project — did not have workers’ compensation or unemployment insurance coverage for their employees. G&F Group LLC of Baldwin, Ga., which was doing carpentry work on the Kohl’s building being constructed at the same site, was issued a Stop Work order for failure to have workers’ compensation or unemployment insurance coverage, and for misclassifying its employees as independent contractors. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

$2.1M earmarked to fix East Haddam's Basham Lake Dam

EAST HADDAM >> Environmental and state officials are hailing more than $2 million in state funding slated to be approved to repair the town’s aging dam over Bashan Lake.Gov. Dannel P.  Malloy has announced that $2.1 million to fund needed repairs to Bashan Lake Dam in East Haddam is expected to be approved at the next meeting of the state Bond Commission. “Bashan Lake is a very extremely popular recreational water resource used long enjoyed by residents and visitors,” Malloy said. “These repairs will improve the safety of the dam, ensure public access to recreational fishing and boating, and improve parking and access at the state boat launch.” The historically rebuilt dam was originally of stone masonry construction. The masonry was covered with concrete around 1939 to slow seepage through the structure. Around 1966, dam ownership was transferred from the Moodus Reservoir Company to the State of Connecticut. The dam and gate structure are in need of major repair due to seepage through the structure. A new walkway over the spillway will be installed to improve safety and access for yearly maintenance and inspection. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE 

Stonington school roof replacement to start July 1

Stonington - The $1.2 million project to replace the leaky Deans Mill School roof is slated to begin July 1 and be completed by Sept. 1, according to a "very aggressive" timeline released by Superintendent of School Van Riley. In a memo to school staff and parents, Riley said that from today until June 30, school officials will complete the design, prepare and process the forms required for partial state reimbursement, meet with local and state officials, seek bids and hire a contractor, among other tasks. "This is a very aggressive timeline. Depending on the workload as at the state, some items may take longer. The architect has confirmed that, if necessary, construction can take place during the school year after school dismissal each day. We will move as quickly as possible to complete the project prior to the beginning of school," Riley wrote in his letter. School is slated to begin on Aug. 27. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE   

Construction to begin on New Haven's Dr. Reginald Mayo Early Childhood School

new haven >> A new facility, believed to be the largest of its kind housing a public pre-school program, has gotten final approval with construction to start at the end of the year. The current Helene Grant School on Goffe Street will be demolished and replaced with a new structure specifically designed for the 565 3- and 4-year-olds that will occupy it when it is completed by the end of 2016. The school, which will include historic references to Helene Grant, will be renamed the Dr. Reginald Mayo Early Childhood School in honor of the former superintendent of schools.
Mayo was superintendent for 21 years and worked in the New Haven public school system for 46 years. Kenneth Boroson, architect for the project, said there was extensive consultation with early childhood experts on the design and program needs of the children. “There was a lot of going back and forth with varying points of view expressed,” Boroson said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE   

Construction employment up in 39 states

Construction firms added jobs in 39 states and the District of Columbia over the past 12 months and in 29 states and D.C. between March and April according to an analysis May 16 by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data. Association officials welcomed the mostly positive figures but cautioned that the industry's recovery remained fragile, with construction employment levels below prior peaks in every state except North Dakota.
"Growing demand for a range of construction services and better weather helped boost construction employment in most states in April," said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. "But we are still a long way away from getting back to the kind of employment levels the industry experienced nearly a decade ago."?? CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE   

Building market picking up

MIDDLEBURY — Toll Brothers construction company has sold 23 "luxury town homes" in a community called Ridgewood of Middlebury and recently broke ground for new housing on the site.
Since buying the property from GDC two years ago, Toll Brothers has breathed new life into a development that had stalled at 58 town homes — and has given a boost to building permit applications for new construction. Of 42 building permits issued for new construction in the past two years, 25 went to Toll Brothers, according to the Middlebury Building Department "I've been going there a lot," Building Official Ollie Leduc said of making inspections. "It's almost a daily trip. The new home construction this year really picked up. It's not a boom, but it's picked up considerably."
Three years ago, the Middlebury Building Department had only issued three permits for new construction. When Ridgewood of Middlebury is completely built out, Project Manager Stephen Rodgers said, it will have 270 units. "There's some job recovery from the low point in the economic downturn, so that gives people some more confidence in the market and decisions to buy a home," Rodgers said. Liz Bauer, a sales manager for Toll Brothers, added that interest rates have remained steady and low, allowing buyers to get loans. "It's definitely picked up," she said of the housing market. "Since we opened for sale in early July, we've sold 23 units. We're not building on speculation. We build as people purchase." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE   





May 23, 2014

CT Construction Digest May 23, 2014

Officials hope to clear final hurdles for Costco's August groundbreaking

NEW BRITAIN — Shovels in the ground by August. That’s the expectation of Mayor Erin Stewart for the future Costco megastore on Hartford Road. Discussion of the site on Route 71 near Westfarms mall has raged for more than three years. Three city administrations needed to clear several hurdles, including reassuring Friends of A.W. Stanley Park who were concerned about potential loss of forest land; changing the layout of the Stanley Municipal Golf Course and acquiring state and local permits, all so Costco could build on the site. Overshadowing the project was a provision in Costco’s contract that it could cancel if it were determined that the property failed to meet the store’s “financial and competitive objectives in the trade area.” Stewart, a Republican, said that, since she has taken office, she has been frustrated by “lack of progress on the project. Nobody has been together at the same table for more than two years. People who own the property that the Target store [adjacent to the Costco site] sits on wanted a lot of money to share the driveway to the store with Costco.” Stewart said Costco was prepared to make improvements to the entryway. However, the Target landowners and Costco couldn’t agree on payment for the work. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Battle not over on tribal recognition

The Obama administration released proposed regulations Thursday that would make it easier for Indian tribes to win federal recognition, a move that could pave the way for three tribes to build casinos in the state. The ruling by the U.S. Department of the Interior would aid the Schaghticoke Indians in Kent, the Golden Hill Paugussett Indians in Trumbull and Colchester, and the Eastern Pequots in North Stonington. All three have expressed an interest in building casinos but have been blocked because they have failed to gain federal recognition. The proposal published Thursday would create a fast track to federal acknowledgment for tribes that have been rejected for recognition but have had a state reservation since at least 1934. The current rules require proof of reservations back to as early as 1789. Each of the Connecticut tribes could qualify under the 1934 requirement.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, Attorney General George Jepsen and the state's congressional delegation fought the changes, which the Obama administration said were aimed at making federal recognition easier and faster. Malloy wrote President Barack Obama earlier this year lobbying against the proposals. State officials have argued that the new rules would uniquely affect Connecticut.  CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Burlington fire station to be built with $1M in state aid

BURLINGTON >> State Sen. Beth Bye (D-5) and state Rep. John Piscopo (R-76) announced Thursday that the State Bond Commission is expected to approve $1 million in state aid for a new fire station to be built in the Lake Garda section of Burlington. The commission will next meet May 30 in Hartford. Bye and Piscopo said they have been working to secure funding for a new fire station for more than a year. “This funding is abolutely critical to Burlington - both for the level of current fire protection services and for the future growth that this town and the region will see,” Bye said. “I’m pleased that the volunteer firefighters who lend their time and talents to this town...are going to have a modern, safe facility from which to operate. They deserve it.” Piscopo agreed with Bye that the funding is needed for the Burlington community. Burlington First Selectman Theodore Shafer called the bonding announcement “an exciting day for Burlington.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

May 22, 2014

CT Construction Digest May 22, 2014

Sewers could spur growth

Newtown officials said they hope infrastructure improvements in the Hawleyville section of town, funded in part by a $500,000 state grant announced this week, will pave the way for additional commercial and industrial development.  The town will receive the grant through the state's Small Town Economic Assistance Program to pay for a new sewer main from Mount Pleasant Road north to Hawleyville Road and Covered Bridge Road, state Rep. Mitch Bolinsky, R-Newtown, announced Monday. "This line is needed to spur the economic development necessary to grow our local tax base without further overburdening homeowners," Bolinsky said. Town voters authorized $2.8 million for the project, according to Economic Development Director Elizabeth Stocker. Construction on the project is expected to begin this summer. "Hawleyville has been considered an area of potential growth for the town for many years," she said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Voters to decide soon on Shepaug repairs/renovations

Region 12 voters will again go to the polls June 17. This time voters in Washington, Bridgewater and Roxbury will decide on a proposed $8.3 million project to renovate and repair Shepaug Valley School, which houses the district's middle and high schools. The polls will be open June 17 from noon to 8 p.m. in all three towns. Voters in the region rejected middle/high school repairs April 29, as well as the construction of a new consolidated elementary school on the Shepaug campus.
It is hoped by the region's Board of Education that the defeat of the construction question was due to the two projects being linked together in one $40 million referendum question. Work at the 44-year-old middle/high school would include a $1 million replacement/upgrade of the science labs, a new atrium entrance area, replacement of bleachers, site lighting improvements, heating, ventilating and air conditioning system improvements, and energy management system improvements among other renovations. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

State grant to allow East Hampton to clean up old factory site

EAST HAMPTON >> A $500,000 state grant could enable town officials to complete the remediation of a former factory site and in doing so, eliminate the worst liability of any town-owned property. Doing so could help spark the hoped-for revitalization of the Village Center, officials say.
On Monday, the state announced that it had awarded a $500,000 Small Town Economic Assistance Program grant to the town. Old Saybrook received $500,000 for the Main Street Connections Park and Parking Lot Project. Town Manager Michael Maniscalco said the money will be used to remediate a brownfield site at 13 Watrous St. “This is a big step down the road toward eliminating the worst liability of any property the town owns,” Maniscalco said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Yale close to reaching fundraising goal for expansion

New Haven - Yale University is closing in on its fundraising goal for a nearly $500 million project to build two new residential colleges in what will be its largest expansion since the Ivy League university began admitting women in 1969, a spokesman said Wednesday. The new colleges will allow the school to admit about 15 percent more students each year and bring total undergraduate enrollment to 6,200, up from about 5,400. Yale officials are hoping to start construction in February 2015 and complete the colleges by August 2017. Yale spokesman Tom Conroy would not disclose the precise amount raised, but says Yale is close to reaching its goal. The project received a major boost last year with a $250 million gift from Charles B. Johnson, a 1954 graduate who retired in 2012 as chairman of the board of Franklin Resources, the parent company of Franklin Templeton Investments. Yale said at the time that the gift brought it within $80 million of its goal. Yale President Peter Salovey, who was inaugurated last year, said building the new colleges was one of his top priorities. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

State gets $12M for UCONN Law Library Settlement

HARTFORD — The state has received about $12 million from more than two dozen companies it sued over construction problems at the UConn law school library, closing a case that arose after significant structural and safety problems were discovered soon after the building opened 18 years ago. The state received $12,073,001.20 on Tuesday, resolving the lawsuit filed in 2008. The payment was made by 28 defendants and their insurance carriers under terms of a mediated settlement, said Stephanie Reitz, a UConn spokeswoman. A breakdown of the payouts was not available from the university or from the attorney general's office. State lawyers withdrew the lawsuit Wednesday at Superior Court in Waterbury. The six years of litigation included a precedent-setting, state Supreme Court ruling that the state is not bound by statutes of limitations when filing suit to recoup on behalf of taxpayers. The high court's decision was viewed at the time to have wide implications for the construction industry. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Bridge over Farmington River closed for a study

CANTON — Access to the historic bridge that takes Town Bridge Road over the Farmington River is still restricted as engineers assess the span, one of the final steps before recommending improvements. The bridge was closed on May 19 and town officials expect that it will remain so for at least part of each day for the rest of this week, and possibly into next week.
Robert Skinner, the town's chief administrative officer, said engineers hired by the town are assessing the approaches to the bridge and the abutments that support it on the river banks. Skinner said he expects a report from those consultants in June. Town officials are considering their options for upgrading the bridge, which was built in 1895 and is on the National Register of Historic Places and the Historic American Engineering Record. Officials say the bridge, built with a through-truss design, is among a small number of that type still in use. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

DOT agrees to try to hasten moving of drain pipe for Allingtown project

WEST HAVEN >> The state Department of Transportation, at the city’s request, will try to rearrange the construction schedule for the upcoming reconstruction of the Route 1/Campbell Avenue/Forest Road intersection in order move up diversion of an aging drain pipe beneath the Carroll Cut-Rate Furniture store. DOT officials agreed to try to fast-track sealing the 36-inch concrete pipe — which runs through the soon-to-be-redeveloped store’s foundation — and diverting the stormwater that flows through it elsewhere. The decision came during a meeting on the site Wednesday morning.
The work already was supposed to be done as part of the reconstruction project, but probably not for at least a year, officials said.  CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

CT looks to spend nearly $12M on roads ravaged by winter

HARTFORD >> Connecticut is spending nearly $12 million to fill in potholes and make other repairs to roads ravaged by the harshest winter in years. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and state transportation officials announced Wednesday that the state Bond Commission will be asked this week to approve $11.9 million to pay for the state’s annual maintenance and road resurfacing program. With $57 million previously approved, 264 miles of primary roads will be fixed. Malloy touted the work as needed road repair and job creation projects. “Our Department of Transportation is keeping our roads in a state of good repair and hiring Connecticut workers to get the job done,” he said. Rep. Antonio Guerrera, House chairman of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, said the damage caused by the weather is in addition to the usual wear and tear and justifies new sources of revenue for repairs. The Rocky Hill Democrat repeated his call for tolls, particularly as gas tax revenue declines with more energy-efficient cars and trucks on the roads. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

May 21, 2014

CT Construction Digest May 21, 2014

Legislation eases assistance for flood control projects

MERIDEN — New legislation passed in the U.S. House would make it easier for states and municipalities to get assistance for flood control efforts such as the city’s Hub project, and other projects that restore the environment and protect against super storms.   U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-5th District, who worked on the Water Resources Reform and Development Act praised passage of the final version Tuesday. It is expected to pass in the Senate and be signed by President Barack Obama. “I’m proud that a bill I’ve worked on since coming to Congress passed today with strong bipartisan support,” Esty said. “This is exactly what Congress needs to do — work together to pass commonsense bills that spur economic growth, rebuild our infrastructure, create jobs, and cut bureaucratic red tape.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Norwich City Council decides to hold off on apprenticeship ordinance

Norwich - After hearing complaints from several local contractors, the City Council on Monday tabled a controversial proposed ordinance that would have mandated all firms bidding on city projects valued at more than $5 million to have a "bona fide" apprenticeship program.
Mayor Deberey Hinchey had championed the proposed ordinance as a vehicle for promoting job training for local residents seeking to learn viable trades on a career path. During a public hearing Monday, several contractors said the ordinance was too restrictive and would steer major bid contracts to large, unionized corporations. Several representatives of local carpenters' and other unions supported it and said it would provide trade training to local residents. All apprentices also would have to be registered with the state, with documentation provided to the city, and the apprentices would have to be employees rather than independent contractors. The bid firm also would have to show that it has "graduated apprentices to journey person status for at least three of the past five years." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Southington hearing draws crowd over $20M recycling plant

SOUTHINGTON — The initial zoning hearing Tuesday on a proposed $20 million high-tech food- and yard-waste recycling plant drew several dozen people, though only a few raised question, mostly about increase traffic. Backers of the plant, proposed for 37 acres off Spring Street, would turn waste into compost to enrich soils and gas to burn for energy, and provide a safe way to more efficiently reuse items. The plant also would have greenhouses that would use waste byproducts to grow vegetables. The crowd listened carefully, though most people left the 90-minute hearing without asking questions. Three people spoke in favor and three raised concerns about traffic on Spring Street. "It sounds like a valid proposal, but this is my concern," Cynthia Lombardo of Spring Street said. "I'm really worried about more traffic on Spring Street." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Wethersfield gets $450K to redevelop vacant property

WETHERSFIELD — The state has awarded the town $450,000 to help redevelop a long-vacant Silas Deane Highway property and spruce up the facades of existing buildings. Planning and Economic Development Director Peter Gillespie said that the town hopes to use $200,000 of the money to demolish a large, disused industrial building at 1000 Silas Deane Highway. The former Weight Watchers food packaging plant has been closed for about 15 years, he said. A developer is interested in the property, and funding to help raze the structure will hopefully help close a deal, Gillespie said. He thanked Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, state Rep. Russ Morin, D-Wethersfield, for securing the funds. "We're very excited about this," Gillespie said. "We think that this will make all the difference seeing that property redeveloped."  CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

May 20, 2014

CT Construction Digest May 20, 2014

Keeping up with Bridgeport School Building Committee

BRIDGEPORT – The city’s school building committee has a lot of balls up in air. Here is what’s up with the following projects:
ROOSEVELT – Structural steel for the $44 million project to rebuild the school is up and masonry walls have started. Things are moving along.
HARDING – Now that the Board of Education has signed off on the first phase of the project and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is half way through reviewing remediation plans. Once it is complete and a determination is made, there will be a 45 day comment period. There also will be a presentation on the findings at the next school building committee meeting on June 19.
LONGFELLOW – The $50 million project to replace the school is in the final stages of plan review. Demolition has been bid and are under budget. The school should start to come down soon.
CENTRAL – The Central High School renovation project is waiting for a state traffic review before bids can go out. That the school will have fewer students and presumably less traffic apparently did not convince officials a study should be done. As such it is questionable if construction will get underway before the fall.
BLACK ROCK – The addition at Black Rock is about to about to go up.
DUNBAR – The project is still in the process of collecting permits.

Trees make way for flood control project in Meriden

MERIDEN — The work at the Hub site to alleviate future flooding and to add a park to downtown Meriden is considered the flashier and more complicated project, but about one mile upstream another important part of the city’s flood control effort is underway.
Since the beginning of April, workers have been clearing land off Westfield Road to make way for flood storage in the event of a significant rainstorm. The work is part of the overall flood control project along the 3.44-mile Harbor Brook. A few weeks ago, the Public Works Department and some city councilors began receiving phone calls about the disappearance of some trees along Westfield Road. While some were initially concerned, Associate City Engineer Brian Ennis said the concerns were alleviated when people were told what was going on. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE



 Last year, Connecticut ranked 49th out of 50 states in transportation and infrastructure quality, behind only the island state of Hawaii, in a CNBC poll examining business competitiveness.
For a state marketing itself as the link between New York City and Boston, having such poor transportation infrastructure impedes Connecticut's ability to attract and retain businesses, said Eric Gjede, a lobbyist with the Connecticut Business & Industry Association. The fact that Connecticut is dropping in those rankings (the state ranked No. 43 in 2012) makes the situation all the more dire."All of our needs are so expensive, and we do have a lot of transportation infrastructure," Gjede said. In its latest attempt to fix a transportation system overburdened by costs, complexity, and a lack of marketing and future planning, the state legislature — three years after forming the Connecticut Airport Authority — has created the Connecticut Port Authority, tasked with increasing the marketing and economic impact of the state's three deepwater ports. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

 


Glastonbury firm begins construction of 829 MW power plant

Glastonbury engineering firm Gemma Power Systems launched the construction of an 829 megawatt Pennsylvania power plant this May.
The Panda Liberty Generating Station in Towanda, Pa. is the first new station in the Marcellus Shale Gas formation, giving it direct access to cheap natural gas to provide power to more than a million homes. Gemma, through a joint venture with The Lane Construction Corp. of Cheshire, is the engineering-procurement-construction contractor for the project.
The plant will employ up to 500 skilled workers at the peak of construction and is scheduled for completion in early 2016.
 

May 19, 2014

CT Construction Digest May 19, 2014

Meriden HUB work progressing

MERIDEN — Every day during his lunch break, Jacky Lin watches the dump trucks, front loaders and excavators as they move, sift and dig dirt at the Meriden Hub site across Pratt Street.
“It’s going to be a park,” Lin said from a table at Wa Wah Kitchen. “It’s going to bring more business. It’s going to bring a whole bunch of people who are going to bring their kids.”
Lin, whose cousin owns the Chinese restaurant, said the family plans to open an ice cream shop when the Hub work is complete.  Firefighters at the Pratt Street station watch the construction from the second-story dining room through large windows that give them a view of the ever-moving trucks and piles of dirt.  “It reminds me of boys playing in a sandbox,” said one observer walking near the site. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
 
Norwich — The projected total cost of the completed Kelly Middle School renovation could rise by up to $1 million, but the city's $10.8 million share should remain "roughly the same or possibly even less," according to city Comptroller Josh Pothier. Voters approved the $40.2 million project in 2007, and renovations were completed in early 2011, but a lingering dispute with an electrical subcontractor is at the heart of the projected increase, city and project officials said. School Building Committee Chairman Charles Jaskiewicz said the disputed amount could add up to $500,000 to the total cost, plus the legal fees associated with attempts to resolve the dispute. If the city prevails, he said, the legal costs would still have to be covered. None of the cost overrun would be borne by the city, however, Jaskiewicz and Pothier said. The General Assembly this spring included funding for the Kelly Middle School cost overrun in a much larger bill approving school construction grants throughout the state, said state Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, whose district includes Norwich. She confirmed the added state grant money would not require a local match. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

RFP for Putnam tech park bridge nears

The regional technical park has gone from an idea to becoming a reality within a few months.
After years of behind-the-scenes work, another major hurdle will be cleared within the next month when a request for proposals is issued to construct a bridge to access the park. “This is a big milestone,” Town Administrator Douglas Cutler said. Cutler expects the RFP to go out in June or early July. He said that could allow construction on the bridge to start in August or September.
Bridge construction opens doors to many other portions of the project, Cutler said. The bridge also will provide access to the YMCA that will be built on 15 acres of land that Putnam will transfer from the 62-acre tech park to the organization. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

CT approves additional funding for West Haven high school project

 WEST HAVEN >> The state has approved the additional funding for the $132.64 million West Haven High School rebuilding and renovation project, clearing the way for final designs, WHHS Building Committee Chairman Ken Carney said Thursday. As a result of design changes and the passage of time since the process began, the overall price has risen from the original $109 million.
The City Council already last month authorized financing of the $32.68 million local share of the project, an increase of about $5 million from the original plan. What West Haven will get for that extra money that wasn’t in the original plan is “a brand new auditorium and gym” instead of renovated facilities, a National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence-certified auto shop, a new lecture hall, a fully asbestos-free building, “much better security upgrades and a more energy-efficient building,” Carney said. He credited state Rep. Louis P. Esposito Jr., D-West Haven, with getting the special legislation, which was necessary to ensure that the project received the additional funding. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Obama to Congress OK new cash for roads and bridges

TARRYTOWN, N.Y. (AP) - With New York's aging Tappan Zee Bridge looming behind him, President Barack Obama challenged congressional Republicans to spend more money on the nation's crumbling roads, see-through bridges and outdated ports or face losing businesses to other countries.
“We've got ports that aren't ready for the next generation of cargo ships,” Obama said against a backdrop of cranes that are being used to replace the 58-year-old Tappan Zee. “We've got more than 100,000 bridges that are old enough to qualify for Medicare.”  Obama used the major Hudson River crossing point north of New York City and its $3.9 billion replacement project to illustrate a fast-track system he initiated that he said cut the permitting time from five years to 1 1/2 years.  CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE



May 16, 2014

CT Construction Digest May 16, 2014

Wallingford councilors worry about future of trash to energy plant

WALLINGFORD — T own councilors expressed concern Thursday that a payment in lieu of taxes the town receives annually for hosting the Covanta trash-to-energy plant on South Cherry Street could disappear or be reduced if a proposal from Covanta to turn the plant into a transfer station moves forward. Leaders from Meriden, Wallingford, Cheshire, North Haven and Hamden — the five towns under contract to send waste to the 10-acre plant at 530 S. Cherry St. — have privately considered the proposal for the past two months. Negotiations are ongoing.
Hamden Mayor Scott Jackson confirmed this week that the Covanta plant isn’t meeting its targets for waste processing due to increased recycling. The facility is capable of processing 420 tons of solid waste a day. By burning trash, up to 11 megawatts of energy can be generated daily, which is sold to Connecticut Light & Power. Jackson said Covanta has proposed turning the plant into a transfer station that sends waste elsewhere for processing. No decision has been made yet, Covanta spokesman James Regan said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
 
SOUTHINGTON — Police plan on hiring a dozen extra officers to assist with detours for the Interstate 84 bridge closure and replacement in June. The state Department of Transportation is building a replacement bridge next to the structure carrying I-84 over Marion Avenue. The new bridge will be wheeled into place and installed from Friday, June 20 at 9 p.m. to Monday June 23 at 5 p.m. Exits 30 and 29 will be closed, along with Marion Avenue. State police will divert highway traffic on I-84 off the highway before the bridge, onto Marion Avenue, and then back onto the highway after the bridge via the ramps. Local traffic won’t be able to cross Marion Avenue under the highway so police are preparing to divert traffic. \ Lt. Michael Baribault said a dozen extra officers will be brought on to direct traffic around the clock for the entire weekend. The cost of these officers will be paid by the state. Traffic on Marion Avenue will be diverted to Diana Road west of the highway and West Street, West Main Street and Route 10 east of the highway. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
 
 
Norwich — Separate development teams presented plans Wednesday to build a new police station either on the former YMCA property on Main Street or a boatyard area off North Thames Street, with both groups proposing "public-private partnerships" in which the city would lease the building.
After hearing outlines of the two proposals, the City Council's Public Safety Committee voted to recommend to the full council that the ad-hoc Police Station Study Committee be asked to review the two proposals. Both sites were rejected by the committee in its ranking of some 30 sites considered for a new police station. Henry Resnikoff told the Public Safety Committee that his group has an option on the former YMCA property, now controlled by Chelsea Groton Bank, which holds the mortgage from the defunct YMCA corporation. That proposal calls for building below-ground parking and a three-story police station. Resnikoff admitted that the site is small; at 0.62 acres, it was rejected outright by the Police Station Study Committee as falling well short of the 2.72-acre minimum size. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

CT unemployment drops to 6.9%

Connecticut's unemployment rate in April dropped below 7 percent for the first time since 2008, as the economy marked its third straight month of job gains with an addition 2,200 people employed, according to data from the state Department of Labor released Thursday. The unemployment rate fell to 6.9 percent, its lowest level since the 6.7 percent in December 2008. The April metric was down from 7 percent in March and from 7.8 percent from April 2013. The pace of Connecticut's employment recovery is moderate but on solid footing, said Andy Condon, DOL director of the Office of Research. The additional 2,200 jobs added to payrolls in April were led by the trade, transportation, and utility industry, followed by leisure and hospitality, education and health services, and financial activities. The industries that lost jobs were professional and business services, manufacturing, and information. Connecticut has recovered 55.7 percent of the 119,100 jobs that were lost during the 2008-2010 recession.

DECD creates $20M superfund site

The Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development has started accepting applications for $20 million in brownfield remediation grants and loans.
The proposed projects will be ranked by their financial need, the project feasibility, the economic impact, the growth initiatives, and the applicant capacity and experience.
Grants will be awarded up to $4 million and are available to municipalities and economic development agencies. Low-interest loans will be awarded up to $2 million and are available for businesses, nonprofits, municipalities, and agencies. The money can cover abatement, demolition, site investigation, assessment, groundwater monitoring, installation of controls, and professional services fees. The deadline is June 30. DECD will hold a series of sessions to discuss this round of funding in Waterbury, Hartford, Killingly, Norwich, New Haven, and Bridgeport.

East End school gets nod

WATERBURY — The Board of Education unanimously voted Thursday to move ahead with a $49.6 million proposal for a new elementary school in the East End. The vote came after the board trimmed $1.6 million from the proposed budget. Board members also resolved to continue to seek savings as the project moves forward. The project is far from assured, however. School board members approved an application for state aid. If approved by the state legislature, this will cover nearly 70 percent of cost. Before the application goes to the state, however, it must also meet with approval of the city's Board of Aldermen. The school board and aldermen are scheduled to hold a joint meeting and hearing on the proposal at 6 p.m. on May 28 at Chase Elementary School. Some board members expressed reservations about cost last week, but all agreed to press forward Thursday. Board member Thomas Van Stone Sr., one of the more fiscally conservative members, praised consultants for finding savings. "I think in just one week's time we have shown the public we have looked for and found some savings," said Van Stone. Board Vice President Karen E. Harvey warned about public concern about increased taxes, but ended up voting in support. She also questioned if there are alternatives if this plan fails. "I don't think there's any debate that we need the school," Harvey said. "It's just a question of how and what school." Board member Catherine Awwad continued to press district staff to consider reusing plans for one of three recent elementary school building projects in the city. School construction consultants O&G Industries sharpened their pencils after cost concerns were raised last week. At Van Stone's suggestion, they cut $546,147 for rooftop solar panels.
Van Stone argued that the solar panels wouldn't yield enough energy savings over their 25-year life expectancy to cover installation costs. After some protest, board member Elizabeth C. Brown reluctantly agreed, provided planners look for other ways to incorporate clean energy and conservation measures. The remaining reductions come mostly from reducing budget padding, which means more risk if costs are higher than expected. Planners cut $227,307 from design contingency. This lowered the construction budget, which impacts several fees and costs based on the size of the budget. O&G Industries took a $200,000 cut in their $2.4 million fee for this project. Guidone said O&G hadn't used up its budgeted amounts in prior projects, and the new estimate is in line with past experience. Another $200,000 was cut from the original budget of $1.2 million for financing costs. And $30,000 was cut from a line item that would cover property management related expenses. Unlike some recent projects, no homes or structures would be claimed as part of this project.


May 15, 2014

CT Construction Digest May 15, 2014

Developer aims for fall opening of Bethel senior living complex

As baby boomers age, they consider their housing options.
But many have a more pressing problem -- helping their parents find safe, convenient homes where they can feel comfortable as they perhaps face the challenges of aging.
Developers are building assisted-living complexes and related facilities throughout Fairfield County to meet these needs. Among them is Maplewood Senior Living, a Westport-based developer of senior independent living facilities which has constructed sites in Danbury, Darien, East Norwalk, Newtown and Orange, and is now building Maplewood at Stony Hill in Bethel. "Bethel is a purpose-built, memory-care community," said Gregory Smith, chairman and CEO of Maplewood Senior Living. "It will have a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day a week licensed CNA (certified nursing assistant)." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

DOT officials sign bulk of CTFastrak contracts

NEW BRITAIN — According to state Department of Transportation officials, most of the New Britain-to-Hartford busway contracts have been signed, with less than a year left before the project’s expected completion. A majority of contractors, subcontractors and workers on the CTfastrak project are Connecticut-based.
Ken Fargoli, senior construction engineer for CTfastrak, said only two contracts have yet to be awarded — for the ticket vending machines at CTfastrak stations and for development of a new fare collection system. In addition, the Flower Street project and a potential wrap-up project are in the developmental stage and, as such, have not made it to our projects in design and have not made it onto our construction schedule,” said John Dunham, assistant district engineer. One of the first projects completed was the Broad Street Bridge in New Britain. Manafort Brothers of Plainville was the general contractor. The original contract value was $9.6 million. The contract for the New Britain station went to Manafort for $26.7 million.  CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

City's final riverfront redevelopment report to be given tonight

MIDDLETOWN >> The Riverfront Redevelopment Commission is poised to recommend immediate refurbishment of Harbor Park, as well as a land purchase, a partnership with the Canoe Club, the construction of a new boathouse and the creation of a Riverfront Improvement Authority and Friends of the River group. The commission will review its final report at its regular meeting Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Common Council Chamber at City Hall. Based largely on recommendations from private consultants Projects for Public Spaces and a public survey of city residents, the commission has compiled a three-year action plan comprising 20 specific recommendations. Based on the final report, “The pedestrian tunnel will remain a major gateway and access point to the riverfront for the foreseeable future,” but Harbor Park would also expand into an influx for boat drivers headed for downtown. In the short term the commission recommended lightweight additions – Adirondack chairs, picnic tables – and the city would keep what works and discard what does not. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Chesire plans to replace bridge

CHESHIRE — The town intends to replace the East Johnson Avenue bridge in 2016, following planned replacements of the bridges on Blacks and Creamery roads this summer and in 2015.
The 94 feet long bridge, which was built in 1969, crosses over the Quinnipiac River slightly west of Cheshire Street. David P. Artz, senior project manager for Cardinal Engineering Associates, the project’s lead engineer, said the bridge is “susceptible to instability failure.” He also cited other problems associated with it, including leaking, guard rails that aren’t up to standard and bridge supports that are “quite a problem.”  “At some point it becomes a safety issue,” said Town Engineer Walter Gancarz. The new bridge will cost $2.2 million, 80 percent of which will be funded by a grant from the federal Local Bridge Program. Cheshire would cover the remainder of the cost for the project, which voters will have to approve in a 2015 referendum. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
 
 
A pair of new site proposals for a future Norwich police headquarters were reviewed Wednesday by a City Council subcommittee. After hearing the presentations to build a police station either on North Thames Street next to the city’s fire headquarters or on Main Street in the vacant YMCA building, the Public Safety Subcommittee voted to ask the council to have an existing Police Station Committee study the two proposals more closely. The committee already has recommended building the police station on the city-owned site of the former Buckingham School on Cedar Street.
That project calls for a 51,000-square-foot facility with 190 parking spaces at a cost of about $19.2 million.  CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
 
 
WATERBURY — Noise barriers will be installed to muffle the sound of construction along Interstate 84 for the upcoming widening project, Department of Transportation officials said Wednesday during a public information meeting at Crosby High School.
The change is due to new Federal Highway Administration regulations that require noise barriers for projects where the construction sound level exceeds 67 decibels.
The DOT is notifying the owners of billboards if their signs will likely be obstructed. Because the city has banned the installation of billboards, existing billboards are considered a nonconforming use under the city's zoning regulations.
Billboards that are modified to maintain their visibility will require a special exception from the Zoning Board of Appeals and, in some cases, a height variance.
The I-84 project is expected to begin in spring 2015 and will be finished in five years. The DOT will receive bids from contractors this summer. Construction is expected to cost between $400 million and $450 million.The highway will be widened to three continuous lanes in both directions, from Washington Street(west of Exit 23) to Pierpont Road (west of Exit 25A).
The project is meant to reduce traffic congestion, straighten an S-curve near Harpers Ferry Road and eliminate a weave section, where traffic enters the highway too close to an exit.
"There is chronic congestion and at long last it's going to get fixed," said Joseph Sweeney, an attorney in Hartford who drives on I-84 to get to courts in Waterbury and Danbury. "It's not a glamorous project, but it's got to get done."To remove the weave section, Plank Road, which is currently an on-ramp to I-84 westbound, will connect to Plank Road East. The on-ramp will be eliminated. Also, the westbound off-ramp to Harpers Ferry Road will be removed.
On the north side of I-84, a new road, called Plank Road East, will be constructed between Scott Road and Harpers Ferry Road. Also, about a third of a mile of Reidville Drive will be moved south of its current location to accommodate the S-curve realignment.No businesses on Plank Road or Reidville Drive will be displaced.There will be three detours at different points of construction, DOT officials said. At times, the highway may need to be shut down for 10 to 15 minute periods
The DOT and its contractors will work to minimize the disruption to traffic."If it's something that's really going to have an impact on traffic, we're going to have them working 24 hours a day until the project is complete," said Jim Hunt, a consulting engineer for the DOT who works for Amman and Whitney.State Rep. Selim Noujaim, R-74th District, asked about the left turn from Scott Road to Reidville Drive and whether it would be improved. The answer was yes, but congestion might not be completely eliminated.Alderman Lawrence V. De Pillo asked if the off-ramp at Exit 25 eastbound, which will be reconfigured, could have two lanes instead of the proposed one lane. A DOT engineer told him that any change to the design would delay the project another two years. 
 
 
WATERBURY — The high cost of dealing with the unstable soils at Municipal Stadium has forced the city to put its grandstand renovations on hold until at least September. The escalating costs and the dramatic change in scope of work prompted the city to put the remaining construction at its century-old athletic facility on Watertown Avenue back out to bid. Mayor Neil M. O'Leary isn't saying exactly how far over the initial $4 million budget this final phase of the renovations has gone. He is wary of influencing the city's second bid attempt, he said. But in March, the city development arm, Waterbury Development Corp., was ready to move ahead with the project when it thought that the soil problems would mean a $2 million overrun. When it first embarked on its final phase of the estimated seven-year, $6.7 million renovation, the city expected all the work done and the stadium ready for public use again by this July 4. But Independence Day will come and go, as will Labor Day, too, before the city can award the remaining work to a general contractor for completion, O'Leary said during a stadium tour Tuesday. The WDC had been waiting to hear from the project's contractor, Banton Construction Co., about how much it estimated it would cost to tackle the extra work brought on by the poor soil conditions. Silty soil shifting under the foundation had caused cracks in both the facade and the interior walls, forcing the city to yank the concrete slab flooring, cart off the unstable soil and raze the interior walls. Banton had been negotiating with its subcontractors to come up with a new price. But the city's purchasing director said the increase in cost and scope of work required new bids, O'Leary said.
That means Banton will have to fight if it wants to keep the job.

May 14, 2014

CT Construction Digest May 14, 2014

Plan for 95/7 site in S. Norwalk exceeds 125K of retail space

NORWALK -- General Growth Properties, Inc., (GGP) forthcoming plan for the 95/7 site in South Norwalk likely will call for more than 125,000 square feet of retail within what officials still expect to be a mixed-use redevelopment project. In a letter to the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency, Douglas T. Adams, senior director for GGP-affiliate Norwalk Land Development, LLC, wrote that GGP will request modifications to the Reed Putnam Urban Renewal Plan, Land Disposition Agreement (LDA) governing the site, and also zoning regulations addressing maximum permitted square footage.
"Specifically, GGP anticipates that the plan which it will submit will require an increase under these regulations of the maximum permitted retail square footage, as well as other revisions which can only be determined when a fully designed plan is prepared," Adams wrote. "GGP and its representatives look forward to presenting the City of Norwalk with an exciting plan which will allow for the redevelopment of this important project." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Stamford orders BLT to stop work at South End site

STAMFORD -- City officials halted work at a major South End construction site after learning the project strayed from its originally approved plans. The Washington Boulevard project was first approved in 2008 as a 260,000-square-foot hotel topped with 60 condominium units. Building and Land Technology didn't break ground until last year, however, and by then had abandoned the hotel component in favor of two residential towers with ground floor retail. Construction continued at the site even though the Zoning Board has not yet signed off on the changes, prompting city officials to shut down the project until all approvals are in place. "They got sort of ahead of themselves," said Land Use Bureau Chief Norman Cole. "At some point they apparently decided they would start building from the set of plans that hadn't been approved yet." Chief Building Official Bob DeMarco issued a "verbal violation" two weeks ago to Building and Land Technology. He then sent a letter to the company Tuesday formally implementing a stop-work order. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Referendum on downtown plan is goal of petition drive

BRISTOL — Rather than trusting city leaders to make the decision on Depot Square, a number of residents are calling for a public referendum on whether to let the controversial project move ahead.
Bristol Veterans Council President Tim Gamache, who favors the project, said it’s a good idea to let people vote on it. “The people who are going to be paying that bill should have a voice,” Gamache said. Many of the opponents to the revitalization plan under consideration by the Bristol Downtown Development Corp. also pleaded for a referendum to decide its fate. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Downtown developer gets more time for plan

BRISTOL — City councilors unanimously agreed Tuesday to give Renaissance Downtowns more time to work out details of the initial phase of its ambitious plan to create a new urban center where the mall once stood on North Main Street. Mayor Ken Cockayne said the council’s willingness to provide more time doesn’t mean it will ultimately support the developer’s proposal, but it wants to give the developer time to try to come up with something acceptable. Some council members and the chairwoman of the nonprofit Bristol Downtown Development Corp., Jennifer Arasimowicz, said they were disappointed with the plan on the table to begin the project with a single four-story apartment building with 101 rental units and only a small commercial space. But, they said, they’re ready to give Renaissance a chance to work out an initial phase of its $280 million project that could win support among city leaders. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Cleanup phase begins at Southington Superfund site

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is scheduled this week to begin removing contamination from the Solvents Recovery Service of New England Superfund site in Southington.
The site used to be an approved hazardous waste treatment and storage facility that disposed of industrial solvents from 1957 to 1967 in two unlined lagoons. Although the solvent disposal was discontinued, the site remained a source of contamination until 1991 because of spills and poor housekeeping. The site has been on the EPA's national priority list for contamination cleanup for 31 years. The remediation work to be started this week includes using electric heaters to vaporize the solvents and then extract them using a vacuum system. The process will take six months to complete.
When the remediation is complete, the area will be capped, leading to the construction of a new segment of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail.

Middletown sewer pipeline project breaks ground

MIDDLETOWN — Work will begin soon on a new pump station and pipeline project that will allow the city to join the regional Mattabassett wastewater treatment system, a major step toward redeveloping the riverfront. Officials held a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday at the former fire training center off East Main Street to celebrate a process that has taken more than 20 years to complete. Water and Sewer Director Guy Russo said the construction contractor, Northeast Remsco Construction of Farmingdale, N.J., will begin bringing in equipment and preparing for construction on May 19. The pipeline will be the first component of the $40 million project, and is expected to take about 18 months. The building committee overseeing the project will seek construction bids on the pump station component this summer, Russo said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Success not guaranteed for unique Stratford reef project

Stratford Point -- Three huge earth-movers are lined up end-to-end across the beach here. Bucket brigade style, they are handing off bell-shaped 1,500-pound concrete objects pocked with Swiss-cheese-style holes. They are placing them in two parallel lines along the mucky sand just above the low-tide line. These bells are Reef Balls – part of a first-for-Connecticut project aimed at stemming the rampant erosion on a 28-acre spit of land that borders Long Island Sound on one side and the Housatonic River on the other. And while the project will be watched carefully for potential applications elsewhere on the Connecticut coast, there’s one big problem.
No one is sure it will actually work. “It’s experimental,” said Jennifer Mattei, a biology professor who specializes in restoration ecology and population ecology at Sacred Heart University, one of several partners on the project. “We don’t know if it’s going to work. I can think about it and I can hypothesize -- wouldn’t it be great if it did all these things -- but we actually don’t know.”  CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Torrington High School field project has to go back out to bid

TORRINGTON >> “Go back, talk to the mayor, and get them to pony up the money.”
It was Andrew Nargi’s way of telling Ed Arum, chairman of the turf committee, the Board of Education would not approve a measure floating the turf committee money, on paper, for Torrington High School turf and track improvement project after the lowest bid exceeded the project’s budget.
Board members cited surging special education costs — what Superintendent Cheryl Kloczko called the school district’s “Waterloo” — in rejecting the proposal during a contentious special board meeting Tuesday capped when Ken Traub, board chairman and a member of the turf committee, resigned his post on the turf committee. He said he could no longer co-exist with co-chair Mario Longobucco, THS’ girls soccer coach, after they sparred over a scoreboard donation at a prior meeting. The turf committee asked for $117,000 to cover a gap between the lowest bidder, H.I. Stone, of Southbury, and the project budget of $2.73 million following nearly $80,000 in project expenditures. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE


May 13, 2014

CT Construction Digest May 13, 2014

Work on Lyman Hall athletic complex pushed back

WALLINGFORD—The Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously Monday to table action on a site plan outlining improvements at the Lyman Hall High School athletic complex. With the vote, the site plan won’t be considered by the commission until mid-June.
Due to the delay, construction of a turf field and expanded track, expected to begin at the end of the school year, will be pushed back until spring 2015, Luke McCoy, a representative of the BSC Group, the engineering firm handling the project, told the commission.
The delay will postpone the bidding and preparation process until July; therefore the project wouldn’t be able to start during summer break. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
 
Speakers split over plans for Depot Square

BRISTOL — The Bristol Downtown Development Corp. got an earful Monday. Almost 50 people, split evenly between passionate advocates and equally committed critics, aired their thoughts on the controversial Depot Square project that promises to transform the city center.
Builder Joe Geladino said it’s sad to see a growing division in the community that is just getting “deeper and deeper.” The strain is hurting everybody, he said, urging officials to move forward and “bring our city back together.” About 150 people attended the BDDC session at City Hall, listening to the wide range of opinions expressed. Two police officers watched to make sure everything remained calm. Younger residents favored the project far more than their elders, some of whom worried the city was heading for another costly mistake like the redevelopment era, in which a historic downtown was torn down and a mall erected as a centerpiece. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Museum of art breaks ground on 17,000 square foot addition

NEW BRITAIN — The New Britain Museum of American Art broke ground Monday on its 17,364-square foot addition. Guests included Gov. Dannel Malloy, who participated in the ceremony. Director Douglas Hyland led the institution through its past campaign and transformation. He said the museum was “thrilled to again be working with [architect] Ann Beha and her outstanding team. We look forward to a seamless and beautifully designed addition that will be enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of visitors for years to come.” Calling it “a great day for New Britain,” the governor added that, “Working with [the museum] on this and the Busway, is an important connection. It will deliver a whole bunch of folks who will visit the museum for the first time.” “It’s good to see the museum taking another step forward under the dynamic leadership of Douglas Hyland,” said Lindsley Wellman, former general manager of the New Britain Herald and former president of the Herald Publishing Co. Wellman, current owner of the Wellman Group, said,  “To reinforce this museum is something citizens of New Britain, the state and the nation can take great pride in.”  CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

DOT offers 2 new proposals to cross busway at Flower Street

HARTFORD — Residents, city officials and business owners affected by the closure of a city street due to construction of the CTfastrak busway learned more Monday about the state's multimillion-dollar proposals to restore pedestrian and bicycle access, but could not reach a consensus about what to do next. Department of Transportation officials provided the handful of residents and business owners who attended the informational meeting with two detailed plans for a proposed handicapped-accessible walkway over Flower Street, which has been closed to pedestrians and bicyclists as the busway construction progresses. One plan calls for a "skywalk" that would begin near the corner of Flower Street and Capitol Avenue, envisioned as a 900-foot-long sloped walkway with illuminated handrails. That plan would cost between $11.3 million and $12.4 million.  CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Bristol to rebuild stretch of Waterbury Rd

BRISTOL - The public works department advises motorists that it has begun extensive, long-term work on Waterbury Road between Terryville Road and the Plymouth town line.
Crews will tear up the pavement, re-grade the road bed, installing storm drainage along with new roadside barriers and curbs, and repave the surface. The project is scheduled to continue through the fall. "There may be traffic delays during construction, however the road will remain open for mail delivery, emergency vehicles, and local traffic at all times," the public works department said in a statement. "Temporary 'No Parking' signs will be posted as needed during construction."

Madison approves funds for East Warf, other projects

MADISON >> More than two years after Tropical Storm Irene battered the Shoreline, the Board of Selectmen on Monday unanimously approved a $450,000 special appropriation for the reconstruction of East Wharf. East Wharf was heavily damaged by the storm and the end of the wharf was “reduced to a pile of stone rubble,” First Selectman Fillmore McPherson said.  “The end of the wharf was heavily damaged during Tropical Storm Irene,” Director of Public Works and Town Engineer Michael Ott said. “It was reduced to a pile of stones.” Ott said the construction should start after Labor Day and is expected to be completed before the start of next year’s beach season.
West Wharf — also damaged by Irene — was repaired last summer. Up to 75 percent of the cost of the project can be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Ott said.  CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Construction Bog is real, But not forever

For more than a decade, Ken Simonson has been analyzing construction industry statistics for Associated General Contractors. Economically speaking, he has witnessed ups and downs, peaks and valleys, and, for several years now, a bog. The AGC chief economist’s look at 2014 identifies trends that are supporting industry growth or are impairing it. They are revealing. Simonson cites three positive trends—shale oil drilling, residential construction (a shaky trend) and… Panama Canal expansion. Not many people on the street would cite widening of the canal as a major contributor to construction industry health in the U.S. But Simonson charts 16 Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf ports in the U.S. that are busier because of canal work. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE