Across the street from a just-opened building that houses the school’s business and communications schools, Sacred Heart University is watching the rise of a new residence hall.
Shawmut Design and Construction last month began a new phase of construction at the 87,000-square-foot hall, scheduled for completion next April, which will provide space for both educational and social activities. A $1.2 billion national construction management firm, Shawmut in August began structural steel work, followed by the building of the first floor precast plank and the pouring of foundations and constructing of masonry walls.
The two residential wings will accommodate 216 students.
“We are excited to work on Sacred Heart’s newest residence hall,” Ken Procino, Connecticut regional director at Shawmut, said in a statement. “We love the opportunity to work with universities and contribute to the student and faculty experience, and cannot wait to have this hall ready for the Sacred Heart class of 2020.”
The team also removed the parking lot on the 1.5-acre project site to landscape and irrigate the space in preparation for the construction of the hall, including a central courtyard. Shawmut also replaced and installed underground utilities. To complement the adjacent Frank and Marisa Martire Business & Communications Center on the university's Park Avenue campus, the exterior of the residence hall will be primarily glass, brick, and copper siding and roofing. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Appreticeship programs funded
Connecticut has been awarded a $5 million U.S. Department of Labor grant to increase apprenticeship programs in high-demand fields, such as manufacturing, health care, business services and construction and related industries.
The money being provided as part of the department’s American Apprenticeship Initiative and will fund the state Department of Labor’s Connecticut American Apprenticeship Initiative. Funds will be used for tuition and training cost assistance for 1,000 registered apprentices and 500 pre-apprentices around the state in advanced manufacturing, health care and business services.
“Significant commitments from employers, ranging from small machine shops to General Dynamics Electric Boat for apprenticeship placement, as well as support from Connecticut’s Workforce Investment Boards and the Board of Regents, will help our agency to expand the apprenticeship model and ensure the sustainability of this valuable workforce program,” said state DOL Commissioner Sharon M. Palmer in statement.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced the receipt of the grant earlier this month.
“As our economy continues to grow, so does the demand for skilled workers to fill new jobs,” he said in a statement.
Ground broken for Plainville artificial turf field
PLAINVILLE — Town officials and athletes joined state Rep. Betty Boukus and representatives of the Tinty Foundation for the groundbreaking of the synthetic turf field at Plainville High School last Thursday.
Kaestle Boos had a crew at work preparing the foundation as field supporters gathered to thank those who made the project possible. The field is slated for completion by Thanksgiving.
School Superintendent Jeffrey Kitching, in a presentation last year, said synthetic turf helps reduce the frequency of concussions, accommodates more community use during the year and costs less to maintain than grass fields. He has stressed that studies have shown no scientific evidence of any health danger to athletes.
The cost of the project will be covered by a $950,000 state grant, which Boukus announced July 2014, a $1 million donation from the Tinty Foundation and $225,000 from the town’s unassigned fund balance. After posing with oversized checks, Boukus lead town leaders in breaking ground with ceremonial shovels. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Quinnipiac River Linear Trail is expanding in Wallingford
WALLINGFORD — More than 10 years after the completion of Phase 2, and despite formidable challenges, the section of linear trail that stretches from its current terminus at a tunnel under the Wilbur Cross Parkway into Yalesville is underway.
“We just finished trimming the trees and started the ground work for the trail,” said Kyle Schultz, of Schultz Corp. of Terryville. “We’re about one-third of the way through the bridge.”
Phase 3 of the Quinnipiac River Linear Trail, which began in June, will run a mile and a quarter from its endpoint after the tunnel under the Wilbur Cross Parkway. It will wind through the flood plain forest beside the Quinnipiac River and eventually cross a 208-foot pedestrian bridge onto Fireworks Island and into Yalesville.
The project was put on hold as the town secured local, state and federal funding and state and local permits that covered the site plan and impacts on local wetlands. The $2.4 million segment is slated to be completed in July 2016, with a typical winter shutdown from Dec. 1 to April 1, said Town Engineer Robert Baltramaitis.
“There are a tremendous amount of wetlands involved,” said Environmental Planner Erin O’Hare.
The Quinnipiac Linear Trail Advisory Committee was also bogged down in negotiations with the owners of Yalesville on the Green condominiums over use of their bridge to Fireworks Island. The condominium owners association balked at the idea, citing liability issues, said committee co-chairwoman Mary Mushinsky.
In the end, the committee agreed to build a second bridge parallel to the one owned by the association. But the presence of an endangered plant species — false mermaid weed — led to a relocation of the bridge and further delays, said Mushinsky, who is also a Democratic state representative serving Wallingford. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
HARTFORD — Replacing the I-84 viaduct through the city will be a complex job, and state engineers want to help motorists visualize what the construction options might look like. The transportation department and its consultants have created an interactive website where visitors can explore the different ways of replacing the deteriorating elevated highway.Engineers are examining various configurations for replacing the stretch of highway with a tunnel, an at-grade roadway, a mix of at-grade and below-grade sections, or simply building a new viaduct. So far, the tunnel option has appeared to be far more costly and time-consuming than the others, and there's been little public support for erecting a new viaduct. Each approach requires a series of related decisions: Where should the exit and entrance ramps be, which nearby local roads should be extended or cut back, and should the parallel Amtrak line be kept in place or relocated. The answers will affect traffic patterns on the highway and in the city for decades to come.
To give drivers and residents a way to see exactly what's at stake, the project website — www.i84hartford.com — now has 27 maps where visitors can highlight just how each option would look. One map, for instance, shows where a tunnel might replace part of the 2-mile highway and what the nearby area would look like if the Amtrak line were moved northward at the same time. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE