Hartford plans $60M stadium
HARTFORD — More than a year of secret talks culminated Wednesday on the steps of city hall as the mayor and the owner of the New Britain Rock Cats announced a deal to bring the minor league baseball team to Hartford. What had been whispered by sources for days was proclaimed at high noon by Mayor Pedro Segarra: The city has agreed to build a $60 million stadium on two lots at 1214 Main St. — just north of downtown and near two major highways — and lease it for 25 years to the Double A Eastern League affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. The deal has not yet been signed, but Segarra and a smiling array of officials used the landmark Main Street municipal building as their backdrop to welcome Rock Cats owner Josh Solomon and two of his red-shirted players to the city.
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Farmington seeks $57M sewer plant upgrade
FARMINGTON — Town officials hope to place a referendum question on the November ballot asking voters to approve spending $57 million for improvements to the water pollution control facility. "We have a design ready to go," said the facility's assistant superintendent, Alex Kaminski.
Town Engineer Russell Arnold the council during a presentation May 27 that after state grants are applied, the cost to the town would be closer to $32.8 million. The sewage plant was built in 1961, expanded in 1970 and upgraded in 1994. A facility study was completed in 2008 which evaluated the sewer system and treatment plant and listed ways to improve the system. "It helped because we saw what we need to do to the plant to carry it into the future and how to best plan for the next 30 years of water treatment," Kaminski said. Kaminski compared the plant to a car: "It has to run," he said. "After you have a car for 30 years, it suffers. But a new car is safer, better on gas and has all the modern equipment." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
CREC suing Town of Enfield
ENFIELD – Capitol Region Education Council officials are suing the town in an effort to allow the nearly completed public safety academy to open on time in August. The lawsuit asks that the town lift a cease-and-desist order on some of the work, and also that the town issue a certificate of zoning compliance or a conditional certificate of occupancy so the school can open in August. The facility, at 1617 King St., is 85 percent complete, according to court documents. CREC's public safety academy currently is located at 117 Post Office Road. The issue behind the lawsuit is a disagreement between CREC and the town about which set of plans on file at town hall govern the work at the site. The town claims that plans approved by the planning and zoning commission in October 2011 are the proper plans. CREC says it modified the plans in September 2012 and those changes were approved by former town planner Jose Giner. Giner has denied he approved any modifications; he no longer works for the town. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE