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