The federal government is sending $161 million to Connecticut to help replace the unreliable, 118-year-old movable rail bridge over the Norwalk River. The so-called Walk Bridge became stuck twice this summer, bringing train service to a halt between Norwalk and New York City. The bridge drew the attention of state and federal officials following a year in which rail service suffered some high-profile failures. It's expected to be an expensive job, with one state Department of Transportation estimate placing the cost at $465 million, according to the governor's office. "The reliability of the Walk Bridge and the (Metro-North) New Haven Line is of critical importance to the entire Northeast Corridor. Too many people depend on the commuter line to continue to see the kinds of disruptions we saw over the summer," said Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. "Connecticut was among many East Coast states applying for these very competitive grants to `harden' transportation infrastructure in the wake of Hurricane Sandy and I am pleased that we succeeded. This funding is great news for our economy and for our residents who rely on this system every day," he said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Stamford Looks to fund Mill River improvements
STAMFORD -- The city will issue up to $22 million in new bonds later this month to retire those that funded construction of the 28-acre downtown section of Mill River Park completed last year.
City financial officials say the transaction will save millions in debt payments over the next two decades. City Director of Administration Michael Handler said the move is prompted by a drop in interest rates and will produce $5 million in savings on interest payments. The Mill River Collaborative will be able to use the $5 million to help finance future improvements to the park, Handler said. "There is really no good argument not to refund the bonds," Handler said. "These transactions usually take place to achieve much more modest savings, and this is an absolute win-win for the city and Mill River Park." Next week, the city will hold a sale of general obligation bonds that will reduce the interest rate from 7 percent to 3.5 percent. Under the terms of the original tax-increment finance bonds issued three years ago, the city sold $16 million in bonds to fund an $11 million first phase to overhaul a 28-acre section of the park and pay back the city for $5 million it put toward the work. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
State sought $349M to replace problem railroad bridge
Even though Norwalk's balky Walk Bridge has brought the country's busiest commuter railroad to a standstill several times, the Federal Transit Administration on Wednesday gave Connecticut less than half of what the state sought to replace it. The state and its Congressional delegation had lobbied heavily to get $349 million, with officials warning that increasingly frequent breakdowns of the 118-year-old bridge do far more than inconvenience train riders.
But as it balanced billions of dollars of requests for a limited pot of money, the FTA opted to give Connecticut just $160 million. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy promised that work to replace the Walk Bridge, scheduled to start in 2016, will go forward, and that the state will find other sources to make up the shortfall. "The reliability of the Walk Bridge and the New Haven line is of critical importance to the entire Northeast Corridor. Too many people depend on the commuter line to continue to see the kinds of disruptions we saw over the summer," Malloy said in a statement. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Hearing on Satan's Kingdom plan is Wednesday night in Canton
CANTON — The planning and zoning commission will hold a hearing Wednesday night on the controversial Satan's Kingdom industrial park proposal for a vacant, wooded parcel on Rte 44.
The commission's meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. and will be in the auditorium of Canton High School at 76 Simonds Ave. After the hearing is closed the commission may take action on the proposal, according to an agenda for the meeting.
Developer Allan Borghesi wants to rezone 30 acres that are now designated for residential development to allow industrial uses. In a meeting with residents on Sept. 9, Borghesi said he plans to construct six buildings on the site, each with about 20,000 square feet. He has not specified what would go in the park but has said light industry is among the uses that could be there. Land abutting homes on Mohawk Drive would kept as a conservation area, Borghesi told residents.
The land in Canton adjoins an 18 acre parcel in New Hartford that Borghesi also plans to develop and in June he got that land rezoned from residential to industrial. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
New Haven Wooster Square apartments advance, hotel stalled
NEW HAVEN >> The City Plan Commission Wednesday advanced a proposal for 285 apartments in Wooster Square, while it has recommended putting the brakes on a proposed Marriot Residence Inn Hotel on Whalley Avenue. The commission approved a zoning ordinance map amendment changing some 2.5 acres in the area of 87 Union St. from a BA district to a central business/residential BD-1 district to allow for a mixed-use development by Noel Petra that will activate a dead zone on the edge of Wooster Square and Downtown. The alders from the 7th and 8th wards spoke in favor of the zoning change as one that is a better fit for the area and allows for better design with the buildings closer to the street. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE