City breaks ground on six-story apartment building, retail space in Middletown
MIDDLETOWN >> Calling it a “game-changer” for the city, Mayor Daniel Drew was joined by city, business and construction officials Thursday afternoon for a groundbreaking ceremony for a six-story residential building with ground floor retail spaces at the corner of Broad and College streets.
Larry McHugh, president of the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce, called the $12 million project an opportunity to provide new residents with “outstanding housing to live, work and play.”
Drew said the 89-unit complex at 138 College St., beside the MiddleOak office building, will be the first high-profile, market-rate housing complex in the downtown area. It will play into the “Rennaisance of Middletown’s downtown,” officials say.
Construction will accomodate nearly a quarter of the 400 residential units the city is looking to provide, the mayor said.
Drew said the demographic for the apartments will be empty nesters and young professionals.
Last December, Tom Ford, a senior vice president at MiddleOak Insurance, said the target tenant market was “possibly graduate students at Wesleyan.”
Property owner and developer Chuck Hajjar, owner of Hajjar Management, said the downtown location will allow residents an opportunity to shop and to dine without getting into a car.
Dan Kelly, who will oversee work on the building, said first-floor construction should entail the quick installation of a concrete slab, with the living areas arriving as modules that can be assembled in four weeks. He warned the area should expect a traffic burden during construction. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Tribes in CT forge partnership to protect against outside interests
Two tribes that have been in conflict for almost half a millennium have joined forces against a Massachusetts-based threat to their separate and sovereign casino empires.
Mohegan Tribal Council Chairman Kevin Brown and Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council Chairman Rodney Butler have made it their goal to open the doors of their new joint venture — a smaller scale operation to divert “convenience” gamers who might otherwise cross the state’s northern border — before the $800 million MGM Springfield casino goes into business.
The Massachusetts casino already is facing delays that have pushed back its opening until September 2018 — which is 30 days after construction on the I-91 viaduct in that city is expected to be completed.
“Today is evidence that we’re continuing to move forward despite the challenges that they’re having,” Butler told reporters after the two chairmen put pen to paper at the ceremonial signing event at the State Capitol. “We want to be well in advance of MGM coming on board.” The ceremony followed an Aug. 24 filing with Secretary of the State Denise Merrill recognizing “MMCT Venture” as a limited liability corporation based in Uncasville with Brown as its manager. Butler’s name does not appear in the filing. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Malloy, Amtrak to try to work out commuter rail dispute
Hartford — In a bid to resolve cost and schedule disagreements over the Hartford Line commuter rail project, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is scheduled to meet Thursday with Amtrak executives and federal Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.
The outcome of the session could determine whether Connecticut can start high-frequency train service between New Haven and Springfield by the end of 2016. The talks also may resolve the question of who will be responsible for a projected $180 million overrun — or perhaps whether it can be averted.
"We want to try to reset this relationship," Malloy said Wednesday afternoon. "What should be paramount is creating the greatest service at the least cost."
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a key rail advocate in the Senate, said it's essential that everyone involved in the project work cooperatively.
"The line is vital to the future of jobs and economic growth. This meeting will be an important opportunity and I'll push hard for a path forward," Blumenthal said.
Connecticut has put $244 million toward building a second track along the line between New Haven and Hartford, and improving signals, grade crossings and more along the entire 62-mile stretch from New Haven to Springfield. The federal government is putting up $191 million.
The plan is to run high-frequency commuter trains along the line, which parallels I-91, to give workers a better way to reach jobs. Trains will connect with Metro-North Railroad in New Haven so residents of towns from Enfield to North Haven would get access to jobs in Fairfield County. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
DOT confirms delayed finish of Branford train station, aims for December
BRANFORD >> Commuters will have to bear with construction at the Shore Line East train station through December and maybe even until next year.
According to Paul Andruskiewicz, the state Department of Transportation construction project engineer, there have been unforeseen delays in the project.
“December 18 is the current scheduled completion day but they will most likely not meet it,” Andruskiewicz said.
Last year, Aldo Addario, coordinating superintendent with Rizzo Corp., the construction company handling the project, told the Register the project would be completed by this summer. Construction on the Shore Line East station began on May 1, 2013.
While Andruskiewicz would not give specific details about the construction complications, he did say the previous rugged winter contributed to the delay. He also confirmed that the project was not affected by a power outage July 29.
According to Andruskiewicz, it is common for delays to occur during this type of project, especially since they are constructing while the station is active.
“This is my second or third one and they do exceed the contract time,” he said. “Sometimes we add work due to unforeseen conditions.”
Shore Line East, which is run by Amtrak, declined comment about the project and referred all questions to the DOT. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Bid to upgrade Veterans Memorial Field in West Haven $126K over funding
WEST HAVEN >> Just one contractor bid Thursday on the project to build bathrooms, locker rooms and an office in an existing building at Veterans Memorial Field, and none bid on a separate contract to run sewer and water lines in from Bull Hill Lane.
Even worse: the lone bid by Holzner Construction Co. to do the work in the former parks maintenance building came in at $626,400 — $126,400 over the city’s $500,000 total budget for both contracts.
Veterans Memorial Field, located at the former Nike missile site at 129 Bull Hill Lane, is used by the West Haven Seahawks/Ray Tellier Youth Football League, as well as for games by Notre Dame High School.
Seahawks players and parents have been deeply disappointed that the project, which Gov. Dannel P. Malloy originally announced two years ago, wasn’t done in time for this football season.
“I am definitely 100 percent committed to getting this job done, but we have to get it done within the budget,” said Mayor Ed O’Brien. “I think the reality is, we didn’t ask for enough money” when the previous administration headed by former Mayor John Picard requested the state grant that is funding the project, he said. One option, he said, would be to seek out other grants.
“At this point, I think we have to look at all of our options,” including trying to find cost savings through “value engineering” — essentially, coming up with cheaper ways to get the same things done, said Finance Director Kevin McNabola.
“I think we’re going to have to look at all our options and maybe put it out to bid again,” McNabola said.
“I don’t think there’s any question that the project needs to happen — and will happen,” he said. But “it may be that we have to come up with the (additional) money from somewhere else, whether through the capital (improvement) fund of the city or through fundraising.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE