Shopping complex work ramps up on rockpile
If you live in Guilford, you'd have had to been living under a rock the past several years to never have heard of plans to develop the so-called "Rockpile." Current activity at the site has only increased the interest in what's going on at 1919 Boston Post Road, as on a daily basis there has been a stream of trucks working on roads in and around the entrance to the future shopping complex. In a recent interview, DDR Corporation officials were more candid than ever in outlining their plans to build a 139,000-square-foot shopping center. The big question everyone in town has had about the project now known as "Guilford Commons" is who will be the main tenant(s). "While our policy is not to identify potential tenants during these negotiations, we can share that plans call for three junior anchors and one restaurant to occupy the shopping center," said DDR Director of Communications Matt Schuler. "Junior anchor spaces typically encompass between 10,000 and 20,000 square feet," said Schuler. "We anticipate stores will begin opening in late 2015." Asked again about the names of the possible tenants, Schuler reiterated, "Our leasing team is currently in negotiations with numerous national retailers to occupy space at Guilford Commons." In addition to construction at the shopping center site, improvements to nearby roadways have also recently begun. Plans call for the widening of Route 1 with a dedicated turn lane, the addition of a traffic signal, the addition of a bus stop, and the widening of the I-95 North off ramp. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Downtown Madison beautification readies for bids
After close to a decade-and-a-half of discussion, planning, and some work, the finish line is in sight for the downtown Madison beautification project. At a recent Board of Selectmen meeting, Director of Public Works Mike Ott updated the selectmen on the project, stating that two landscape architect firms have been retained for the project; one to assist with the plantings, and one to assist with selection of sidewalk pavers. Also, the streetscape improvement is designed and ready to go out to bid, said Ott. The requests for bids will be advertised in February 2015, and the work will be scheduled to be started in spring 2015 and be completed prior to the 2015 holiday season.
Regarding the utility portion of the project, Ott noted that the infrastructure has been placed on the south side of Route 1. Work on the north side has been designed and is ready to go out to bid.
The request for bids will be advertised soon, with work to be completed before the start of the streetscape portion next spring, Ott said. Further, the town plans to hire an outside person to help with relocation of utility services for individual buildings after the northern utility work is complete. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
CT earmarks $51.5M to 6 apartment sites
This is an updated version of an earlier report
Hartford's Billing Forge Apartments is getting $10 million to rehabilitate its 112 units as part of the state's ongoing funding to build or recondition thousands of affordable apartments.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, state Department of Housing (DOH) Commissioner Evonne M. Klein, and Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) President Eric Chatman announced $25 million in state capital funding, plus $3.9 million in CHFA tax-exempt bonding, to go with $22.5 million in federal housing tax credits, earmarked to six apartment communities statewide.
The properties with more than 500 existing or proposed units are the latest recipients in the state's Competitive Housing Assistance for Multifamily Properties (CHAMP) initiative, authorities said.
"In this year alone, we've made more than $100 million available to help municipalities address one of their most pressing needs – the lack of affordable housing options in their communities," Malloy said. Recipients are: CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Sacred Heart University breaks ground on new residence hall
FAIRFIELD, Conn. - Sacred Heart University broke ground today on a new 87,000-square-foot, 216-bed residence hall to be built on the corner of Jefferson Street and Park Avenue across from the nearly completed Frank and Marisa Martire Business & Communications Center.
The building has been designed by Centerbrook Architects in Centerbrook, Conn., and will provide students with all the latest amenities. It will be organized like a village, with bedroom suite neighborhoods sharing small lounges. To promote a building-wide community, students can gather around a bluestone fireplace in a grand three-story maple-paneled lounge on the first floor. Warm, glowing glass exterior walls highlight entries, lounges and other community spaces. Two residential wings spread out from the main entrance to form a protected grass courtyard, offering students a sunning spot to see and be seen. On its south side, the courtyard opens to the campus, framed by two glass entry stair-towers. The new hall also features a fitness center, conference and multi-purpose rooms for formal meetings, student government activities and social events. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
I-84 bid comes in under state plan
WATERBURY — The apparent low bidder for the upcoming Interstate 84 widening project is a joint venture between North Haven-based Empire Paving and Yonkers Contracting of New York.
The state Department of Transportation opened bids for the project on Wednesday. The joint venture, called I-84 Constructors, bid $260.55 million for the contract. That amount is roughly 10 percent less than the state expected to spend. The work includes reconstructing a 2.7-mile section of I-84 from the Hamilton Avenue overpass to Exit 25A, the Austin Road interchange. The DOT frequently does business with Empire Paving. In 2008, the company completed the I-84 widening project between Waterbury and Cheshire, after the original contractors botched the work and walked away. Empire Paving also constructed a portion of the New Britain-to-Hartford busway, which is scheduled to open next year. The total cost of the upcoming I-84 project, including ancillary work, is expected be about $325 million. Earlier cost estimates were $365 million to $400 million. Connecticut will pay $145 million toward the project. The rest will be funded by the Federal Highway Administration. "The fact that we are already looking at spending 10 percent less than we had anticipated is great news," Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said in a news release. "Not only will we be improving the flow of commerce and commuting in this important corridor, we will be creating thousands of jobs. The state estimates that the project will create or sustain 3,000 construction jobs and another 3,700 ancillary jobs. The project involves widening the highway from two lanes to three in each direction, eliminating an S-curve near Harpers Ferry Road, reconfiguring exits, adding 12-foot-wide shoulders and building an access road, called Plank Road East, between Scott Road and Harpers Ferry Road. The section of I-84, which was built in the 1960s, was designed to handle about 34,000 vehicles per day, according to the DOT. More than 105,000 vehicles now drive on it every day. Preliminary work will begin before the end of 2014, and construction will start in spring 2015. The project is expected to be finished in 2019.
The DOT received two other bids for the project. O&G and TPC Joint Venture placed a bid for $279.51 million and Tully Construction Co. bid $294.04 million. The DOT has 60 days to review the bids before awarding the contract.