Hartford Baseball Stadium Developers Want to Add Hotel
The developers of the $350 million stadium and related retail, housing, and grocery store in downtown Hartford now want to include a hotel, the city said Friday.
In an email to the city council, Hartford's Chief Operating Officer Darrell Hill said the developers at DoNo Hartford LLC have started talks to modify their existing plans for the parcel across the street from the ballpark for the Hartford Yard Goats.
"All of the existing components (grocery, retail, residential and structured parking) remain in their proposed modification," Hill wrote. "Of specific note is that the size of the grocery store (40,000 s/f) is not changed in their requested modification."
Hill said the request will need the approval of the city council as well as the Planning and Zoning Commission.
"Both approval processes will include public presentations and provide the opportunity for public comment prior to the requested modifications being considered," Hill wrote. "The Administration is evaluating DoNo Hartford LLC's requested modifications, which upon initial review appears to be positive for our City and the Downtown North Project."
If approved, the hotel would be part of the retail and residential development that is in the second phase of the project's design. Earlier this week, DoNo's Bob Landino said his company had decided to delay a groundbreaking on that second phase of construction to allow the firm to focus all of its attention on finishing the ballpark in time for opening day in April.
Immediate efforts to reach Council President Shawn Wooden were unsuccessful. Councilman Larry Deutsch questioned both the delay and the hotel. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Hartford Hospital topping off new orthopedic care space
The Bone & Joint Institute, now under construction at Hartford Hospital, will have its topping-off ceremony this afternoon. It is being billed as the most advanced orthopedic care facility in the region.
Hartford Healthcare is in the midst of a major five-year capital spending plan headlined by the $110 million bone and joint institute that will reshape Hartford Hospital's Seymour Street campus. The capital investments, which could reach $1.2 billion, also will fund a health information technology makeover and significant expansion of Hartford Healthcare's ambulatory care network
The five-floor institute is 130,000 square feet. It will have 10 operating rooms and 48 to 52 inpatient beds with the capability of expanding to nearly 80 beds. Diagnostic services will be offered at the institute, as well as orthopedic urgent care.
The ambulatory and medical space will consist of three floors; 35,000 total square feet; offices for orthopedics, rheumatology and neurosciences; and three ambulatory surgery rooms – with space for two additional operating rooms.
The hospital said in a statement it is pushing ahead with the project even while cutting costs in a difficult environment. It says the new institute is part of its vision to a greater audience of patients while lowering costs. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Middletown Voters To Decide On $48M Parks, Sewer Referendum Questions
MIDDLETOWN — City voters will decide on two referendum questions in the Nov. 3 election that, if approved, will allow the city to pursue $33.45 million in funding for improvements to parks and fields and $15 million to cover a funding shortfall for the sewer project begun by the city last year.
The money for the parks would pay for projects around the city over a 10- to 12-year period. The extensive list of work includes playground renovations, new tennis and basketball courts, lighting, seating, bathrooms and a new pool at Veterans Memorial Park.
After extensive debate over three meetings this summer, the common council narrowly decided to recommend that all playing fields use natural grass surfaces instead of artificial turf.
A consultant studying the parks work recommended the synthetic surface, but dozens of residents complained that some studies show the rubber filling in artificial fields may contain toxic substances.Some parents of children in sports programs supported using artificial turf because it provides a playing surface that is more durable and easier to maintain, but they were outnumbered by those opposed to it.
The sewer work question would add $15 million in funding to $40 million that has already been approved by voters and the common council.
Officials have blamed the added costs on inadequate estimates from engineering firm CDR Maguire and increases in labor and material costs since the project was first designed.
The project includes building a pump station on East Main Street and a pipeline to link the city with the Mattabassett District CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Glastonbury Council Approves $1.18M Plan To Replace Eastern Boulevard Bridge Leading To Gateway Medical Campus
GLASTONBURY — A new bridge is planned for the road leading to a large medical campus in town.
The town council has approved a $1.8 million plan to replace the Eastern Boulevard bridge across Salmon Brook.
The road takes 6,000 cars a day from Hebron Avenue to the Gateway Medical Campus and on to Addison Road.
In 2009, the state Department of Transportation gave the bridge a "poor" rating along with spans on Naubuc Avenue, Addison Road and Fisher Hill. The Naubuc Avenue bridge was restored and the Addison Road bridge has been replaced. Fisher Hill Road bridge will be replaced in 2016."It is a structural deficiency driving the poor rating," Town Engineer and Director of Physical Services Daniel A. Pennington said. "I don't want to alarm anyone. The structure is very safe to pass over. There are no worries in the short term, but it is time to address the replacement of that bridge."
Pennington said the current structure was built in 1956 and is beginning to buckle under the road surface. He noted portions of the steel structure have lost some of their protective asphalt coating and are rusting.
Pennington said the project will use accelerated bridge techniques that will require one-way traffic for several weeks, and then a road closure for eight weeks. A prefabricated concrete deck structure will be put in on concrete footings secured 25 to 30 feet into the bedrock. A new road surface will be installed.
"I feel it is important in this area, even though we have a very viable detour," he said. "This road is the gateway to our Gateway [Medical Campus]. That's a lot of traffic to displace for a long period of time." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE