June 4, 2015

CT Construction Digest June 4, 2015

Developers to break ground DoNo grocery store in October

ity officials and developers of the Downtown North project, which includes retail, housing and a baseball stadium, said Wednesday that they will break ground on a parcel that includes a grocery store by late October.
Yves-Georges A. Joseph II, vice president of development for Centerplan, said the developers don't yet have a supermarket operator on board, but they are in conversations with operators.
The area, known as Parcel E, is the first phase of housing and retail in the project. The parcel, which would include 328 apartments, a grocery store, a fitness center, other shops and parking, would be located across Main Street from a 9,000-capacity minor league baseball stadium.
Joseph said Wednesday that if developers don't reach a deal with a supermarket operator, "we as an organization will own or operate a supermarket."
The supermarket was always part of the plan and will remain part of the plan, he said.
Downtown North's developers are seeking $20 million in subsidies for the first phase of housing to help finance income-restricted apartments.
Centerplan Cos., a partner in the $350 million development, will ask the Capital Region Development Authority for the funding, after the city council pushed to have some rentals set aside for low- and moderate-income households. Those apartments carry lower rents. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Mohegan Sun begins pouring foundation for Earth Hotel
Construction crews pour the foundation of Mohegan Sun's Earth Hotel on Wednesday, June 3, 2015. Contributed/ Mohegan Sun Casino
Construction crews began pouring the foundation early Wednesday morning for Mohegan Sun's Earth Hotel in Uncasville.  The pouring of 1,100 yards of concrete began 5 a.m. and will continue until the afternoon. This stage of construction marks the beginning of the hotel's foundation, which will be completed over the course of the next few days, the casino said in a news release.
Plans were announced for the 400-room hotel project at a press conference on March 5, which is expected to be complete by the fall of 2016. The tribe estimates during the hotel's construction that more than 1,000 jobs will be created or retained, with an additional 1,200 ancillary or support jobs as well.

Future uncertain for Hooker's DoNo brewery

Thomas Hooker Brewery's proposal to build a restaurant and brewing operation adjacent to the Downtown North ballpark now under construction may be in question, sources confirmed to Hartford Business Journal.
Approximately 10 months after Hartford city officials selected Centerplan Development Co. as the developer for the Downtown North project, Hooker has yet to come to terms with Centerplan on a sale or lease of space at 150 Windsor St., a former bank data center site where Hooker wishes to build a nearly 50,000-square-foot restaurant and brewery, Hooker owner Curt Cameron confirmed Wednesday morning.
"We can't jeopardize the health of our company by not entering into an appropriate deal," Cameron said.
Cameron said he has not yet given up on the project, though he admitted he expected to have a deal in place by now.
He said he wants to own the brewery's building, but leasing or owning the land around it have both been discussed.
Cameron said he is scheduled to meet with Centerplan next week to continue deal negotiations.
Cameron said he has also been looking at other Hartford properties, just in case.
"It is our desire to be in Hartford," he said "If the DoNo development doesn't work out, we won't have all our eggs in one basket." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

UConn buys office building near new campus in Hartford

HARTFORD — UConn has completed the purchase of an office building that will add space to the new campus under construction nearby, the university said Tuesday.
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