Greenwich High School's MISA auditorium is on track to be completed by the end of the school year, with most of the major exterior work done. "The masonry portion of the exterior enclosure is almost complete, and the exterior metal wall panels should start soon," Joe Ross, the MISA Building Committee chairman, told Greenwich Time. Now, the auditorium's exterior walls stand out for their yellow coating, which is a waterproofing membrane. The metal panels will cover that layer.
The first few months of construction after the July 2013 groundbreaking were difficult. But since leaks were stemmed in the orchestra pit early this year, the building work has moved ahead without major setbacks. MISA building officials expect the auditorium to receive its temporary certificate of occupancy by June, which would set it up to be ready for student use by the start of the next school year. There is still much to be done inside. Scaffolding is going up in the auditorium, which will allow tradespeople doing the auditorium's interior finish and mechanical, electrical and engineering work to start on the ceiling, Ross said. After numerous cost overruns, the project appears to be financially stable. The Board of Estimate and Taxation unanimously approved Nov. 17 the release of $2.76 million in funding. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
New wing at Meriden's Maloney High School opens
MERIDEN — Moving into the new crescent-shaped wing at Maloney High School went “smoother than expected” for administrators, students, and staff Monday, though all agree that it’ll take a little getting used to. The three-story wing includes three floors of classrooms and preparation rooms, as well as a basement that houses the school’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning units and other utility units. A single hallway connects the new wing to the old building, providing a drastic contrast between the sections. School Principal Jennifer Straub said Monday, “A teacher said this morning, ‘It’s like walking into Oz!,’ and really, it is.” The existing building gives way to the new lockers, classrooms, and equipment of the crescent wing, all of which still have the building equivalent of that new car smell. The completion of the wing marks the end of the first phase of a $107.5 million reconstruction project at the high school. A project of similar scale is simultaneously underway at Platt High School. Students streamed through the hallways — all accented with green paint, tiles, and lockers to complement the Spartan colors of green and white — trying to find their new classrooms Monday. “Every student will have at least one class in the new wing,” Straub said, adding that it was possible a few students had the majority of their classes in the wing.
Sections of special education, math, science, English, world language, and health classes are located in the new wing. A new feature of the wing, which will be incorporated into the whole building once complete, is the addition of teacher preparation rooms. “Teachers don’t live in a classroom anymore,” Straub said, instead preparing for the week or the day in a teacher prep room, then moving throughout the building to the classrooms in which they would teach. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
New state bus plan will speed up travel
The Connecticut Department of Transportation announced Friday the CTfastrak bus rapid transit system will begin operating on March 28.
The CTfastrak bus rapid transit system is a series of routes that use a bus-only roadway to improve travel time. Local CTfastrak buses will stop at every station, or use the bus-only road for part of the trip, then use local roads to bring riders to popular destinations such as Westfarms Mall, Manchester Community College, UConn Health Center and Central Connecticut State University.
Ten new bus stations in New Britain, Newington, West Hartford and Hartford are in the final stages of construction.
3 firms submit bids to build police station
NORWICH - Two long-vacant buildings and the High Street headquarters of New London County Mutual Insurance have been proposed as sites for the construction of a new city police department. On Monday, three developers offered three different locations for the project, though financial details of the plans will remain sealed until a review committee examines the documents to make a recommendation to the City Council – a process that could be completed later this month, Purchasing Agent William Hathaway said. Essex-based RFP Inc., suggests using the old Main Street YMCA facility as a police station, while NorthStar Ally in Boston said it has entered into an agreement with New London County Mutual Insurance to redevelop and convert its location. Meanwhile, Downes Construction Co., based in New Britain, said the work of a police station review committee that ranked the former Buckingham School campus at 188 Cedar St. as the ideal location was the best course of action. According to the 50-page RFP, the venture is estimated to cost between $15 million and $40 million, though an advisory committee that spent nearly a year evaluating potential sites pegged the price in the low $20 million range.