Supporters had a hard time containing themselves Tuesday when describing what a planned transformation of a closed factory along Interstate 95 would mean for Bridgeport.
“This is a project that has great significance for our city,” said David Kooris, who heads the city’s economic development department. “This is our calling card, a visual representation of what’s going on in the city.”
A square block of buildings used by a variety of industries over the years, the century-old complex could soon be the site of hundreds of housing units, retail and a school.
“This is a great example of a smart investment,” said Mayor Bill Finch, who is facing a tough fight in advance of the Sept. 16 Democratic primary. “This is a neglected industrial site, and for years more pigeons lived here than anything else.”
He said bringing the site to active use will help change the city’s image.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy attended the announcement to tout the state’s investment in contaminated industrial sites to bring them back into productive use, noting that Connecticut, adjusted for population, spends more than any other state on the effort.
“This is how you build a community, with housing and great schools,” he said.
The $130 million project has been in the works since the development team came up with the idea in late 2013; it presented the project to City Hall in May 2014. Most of the details discussed Tuesday had been previously disclosed.
Gary Flocco, managing partner of Corvus Capital Partners, of White Plains, N.Y., and Bhupi Verma, of Bhagya Realty Holding, are leading the project. Bhagya has owned the tallest building on the site, on Railroad Avenue, which will be the first to be converted to housing, for 27 years. Bhagya recently closed on the rest of the block, allowing construction to begin. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Aquarion gets approvals to replace deteriorated pump station
The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously has given approval for Aquarion Water Company to replace a pump station in the back of Julian Curtiss School.
The work, done at the corner of Anderson Road and Elm Street on school property, will not affect classes.
The replacement pump station will be underground and built with reinforced concrete. It will house four electric pumps and a standby generator in case of a power outage.
‘This will replace the current 32-year-old pump station which is located within the Anderson Road right of way,” Mike Hiltz, senior engineer for Aquarion and project manager, told the commission.
Hiltz said he anticipated construction would take place mostly in 2016 and would be done by the end of the year. It will be directly behind the current station.
“We may need to do some site restoration though in 2017 depending on what season we finish up in,” Hiltz said. “If we finish up in November we might not be able to restore the lawn or complete final restoration until the weather is warmer.”
The project will require replacing sidewalks on Anderson Road as well as granite curbing, pavement restoration and tree replacement, which Aquarion will handle as part of the work.
A chain link fence will surround the area; construction deliveries will be moved after the students are in school and before they are dismissed.
The pump station is considered critical to the company’s water distribution in and around Greenwich, officials said. The current station has deteriorated and rusted. The old station will remain in operation until the new one is ready.
“Its main purpose is to transfer any water that is in excess of demand,” said Salvatore Longo, a consulting engineer on the project. “This pump station will transfer (excess) water to the west so it can be utilized in the other service areas.”
Residents of Meriden's Gravel Street continue to cope with construction
MERIDEN — While some residents are voicing frustrations over the Gravel Street reconstruction project, others are expressing the need for patience as it wraps up in the coming months.
Walking along his property Tuesday, Todd Constantini pointed to a section where drainage pipes were once stored for the project. Frustrated by the condition of his lawn, he recently asked that the pipes be moved.
For the past two years, workers have been replacing aging drainage systems under Gravel Street from East Main Street to Baldwin Avenue as part of an $8.7 million project paid for by a combination of federal, state and local funding. The project is being overseen by the state Department of Transportation. RED Technologies, based in Bloomfield, was selected as the project contractor. Representatives of the company could not be reached for comment.
The project is on schedule and should be completed by December, said DOT supervising engineer Mohammed Bishtawi.
Constantini, who moved to the corner of Gravel Street and Cricket Drive seven years ago, was about ready to repave his driveway when the project began two years ago. The state approached Constantini to purchase a piece of his property in order to widen the road. Knowing that part of his property would be under construction, Constantini said, he decided not to immediately repave his driveway. Instead, he made a verbal deal with RED Technologies allowing the company to store drainage pipes on his property in return for a freshly paved driveway, according to Constantini.
Similar deals are not uncommon, according to Bishtawi, who said the state goes by project plans that limit driveway paving and other work done on private property.
“If anyone wants extra work done, that’s between them and the contractor,” he said. “If a contractor makes a deal to store something on a property, and promised something in return, we are not privy to that.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
GRISWOLD - During a presentation Tuesday evening, residents and Griswold town officials heard the multiple changes American Industries has made to its property to address concerns.Attorney Henry Heller, who represented the company at the meeting at Griswold Middle School, discussed construction updates since the May permit approval from the Inland, Wetlands and Watercourses Conservation Commission. “This presentation demonstrates American Industries has taken complaints very seriously and has worked very hard to address concerns in a comprehensive and responsible way,” Heller said. “American Industries is a significant employer. The jobs are critical to the region, especially to the employees. This operation is their livelihood and it’s very important to work together.”The asphalt and gravel plant on Plainfield Road has been the subject of residents' complaints since May 2014. Most of the complaints are about noise and odor issues. In May, American Industries was granted a permit to construct a 100-foot berm and to make other improvements in an attempt to cut down on noise, dust and smell issues. Heller said construction of the berm is expected to be completed by Oct. 31. Steven Webster, a resident who lives near the plant, shared his doubts about the noise fix. “I don’t see how the decibels will be brought down with the berm,” he said, arguing the plant's rock crusher starts at 4 a.m. “What if they worked with different contractors so the jobs will still be in the state, but they don’t need to work at night?”Heller said in the 16 months since the initial complaints were filed, the company has spent in excess of $1 million to make improvements to the company's property. In addition to the berm, American Industries has enacted a spill prevention plan to prevent contamination from entering wetlands next to the property, and mixed a chemical called Ecosorb into the liquid asphalt to cut down on the smell. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
A move to allow the town to use $260,000 to continue cleanup at the former Norwich Hospital property failed by eight votes, 121-129, on Tuesday in Preston.
The town hoped to use the money to help pay for cleanup and demolition of the Russell and Gallup buildings.
To date, 49 of the 57 buildings on the 393-acre property have been demolished, leaving eight still standing.
The town has $630,000 remaining from a $5 million 2014 Urban Act grant. It also hopes to get a request for $1.25 million in Urban Act grant funds before the state Bond Commission this month
Two years ago, the giant mall developer Simon Property Group challenged smaller rival Horizon Group Properties Inc. in a fight to build an outlet shopping center in Columbus, Ohio.Simon won that slugfest, breaking ground in June.
Now, the two developers again are going head-to-head — in the Hartford area. This time, Horizon says it will emerge the victor with its plan for East Hartford's Rentschler Field.
Simon's proposal for an outlet center on a Windsor Locks tobacco field emerged publicly two weeks ago. The Indianapolis company says it's fully commited to making it happen.
But Horizon, with just eight outlet centers across the country, compared with 75 for Simon — not to mention Simon's 300 regional malls — claims some muscle behind its argument: dozens of signed leases with tenants and a head start of more than a year.
"We're waiting to get the bids in. We will go in the ground," Skoien said. For emphasis, he repeated: "We. Will. Go. In. The. Ground."
Skoien said the $100 million Rentschler outlet plan is better for the Hartford area: it's nearer to downtown Hartford and the convention center and right next to United Technologies Corp.'s research center and its Pratt & Whitney division, with thousands of employees.
He is emphatic that both outlet centers, at 350,000 square feet and 80 or more stores plus room to expand, can't get built. He lists more than a dozen metro areas nationwide the same size as greater Hartford, or larger, that have only one full-sized outlet.
"This is outlet wars," said longtime outlet center expert Linda Humphers, editor of Value Retail News in New York. "Pretty much, only one is going to serve a market that size. I could bet on that." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Now, the two developers again are going head-to-head — in the Hartford area. This time, Horizon says it will emerge the victor with its plan for East Hartford's Rentschler Field.
Simon's proposal for an outlet center on a Windsor Locks tobacco field emerged publicly two weeks ago. The Indianapolis company says it's fully commited to making it happen.
But Horizon, with just eight outlet centers across the country, compared with 75 for Simon — not to mention Simon's 300 regional malls — claims some muscle behind its argument: dozens of signed leases with tenants and a head start of more than a year.
"We're waiting to get the bids in. We will go in the ground," Skoien said. For emphasis, he repeated: "We. Will. Go. In. The. Ground."
Skoien said the $100 million Rentschler outlet plan is better for the Hartford area: it's nearer to downtown Hartford and the convention center and right next to United Technologies Corp.'s research center and its Pratt & Whitney division, with thousands of employees.
He is emphatic that both outlet centers, at 350,000 square feet and 80 or more stores plus room to expand, can't get built. He lists more than a dozen metro areas nationwide the same size as greater Hartford, or larger, that have only one full-sized outlet.
"This is outlet wars," said longtime outlet center expert Linda Humphers, editor of Value Retail News in New York. "Pretty much, only one is going to serve a market that size. I could bet on that." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE