Everyone,
Governor
Dannel P. Malloy and Commissioner James Redeker would like to invite you to
join them at a “Year-in-Review” Press Conference to outline the Connecticut
Department of Transportation’s accomplishments of 2015. Details are included
below:CT DOT “Year-in-Review” Press Conference
10:00 a.m., Today, January 4, 2016
Amtrak Platform at Union Station
1 Union Place Hartford, CT
Stamford developments, stalled in 2015, may make progress in 2016
STAMFORD — The “hole in the ground” is still a hole in the ground.
And the parcel at the corner of Tresser Boulevard and Greyrock Place, which for years has sat undeveloped, was not the only one that showed no outward signs of development in 2015.
While small residential projects visibly moved forward, several large-scale developments planned for the city appeared to be stuck last year.
State officials spent the full year negotiating a contract for a hotel, retail and office complex around the train station. No construction equipment was seen on land where two large residential skyscrapers are planned around the historic post office on Atlantic Street or the empty St. John’s Towers, which was closed and fenced off in early 2015.
However, Thomas Madden, the’s city economic development director, said there was plenty going on behind the scenes. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
State: I-95 expansion in Greenwich a decade away
The state plans to study widening Interstate 95 through Fairfield County within the next year or two, but any impact on Greenwich won’t happen for at least a decade, if then.
Thomas Maziarz, chief of planning for the Connecticut Department of Transportation, said plans for adding lanes or putting tolls on the highway are being discussed, but little else has been done.
“We’re expecting early environmental planning and preliminary design work within the next year or two,” Maziarz said. “We would do it by section and do Bridgeport to Stamford first. Greenwich is at least 10 years away from any construction in its section and it could be longer than that.”
The potential expansion of I-95 was part of the Board of Selectmen’s discussion of a new building for New Lebanon School. The school now sits near Exit 2 in Byram and the three-man selectman’s board was concerned that a plan to build a new school in land behind the current building would put it too close to the highway, especially if the state planned to widen the road to ease congestion.
Even if the state were to widen the interstate, the roadbed would be about 12 feet further into what is now a buffer of 400 to 500 feet, Maziarz said. The buffer includes 60 to 80 feet of unused land along the right of way at the side of the highway. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Beams, girders rise as Mohegan Sun's latest hotel takes shape
MOHEGAN — The planned 400-room Earth Tower hotel at Mohegan Sun is still 10 months away from accepting its first guests, but its progress toward completion is visible on the skyline.Work on the $120 million hotel, slated to open in October, began last March with a groundbreaking, followed by the pouring of the concrete foundation in June. Now the steel beams and girders of completed floors are visible to visitors at Mohegan Sun Casino. Its completed neighbor, the 34-story Sky Hotel, was recently named as Connecticut's best hotel by Travel and Leisure Magazine. The general contractor on the work is A/Z Corporation, based in North Stonington. Architect Kohn Pederson Fox has based the new tower's design on the Sky Hotel. Mohegan Sun originally planned to build a hotel seven years ago as part of its Project Horizon that added the Casino of the Wind to the facility. But it halted those plans in September 2008, at the start of the Great Recession. Tribal leaders say the hotel project is designed to not only create 1,000 jobs, but to recapture the almost 500,000 room nights turned away in 2014, as well as battle increased competition from future casino projects in Massachusetts and nationwide. The Earth Hotel room rate will be about 25 percent lower than those now offered in the Sky Hotel, casino officials said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Negotiations ongoing in plan to build gas line in Griswold
GRISWOLD- The first of the year will come and go and there will be no finalized contract between Eversource and American Industries to construct a gas line along Route 12 between Plainfield and the plant on Plainfield Road in Griswold. They had hoped to have a signed contract by Jan. 1. “At this point right now we continue to evaluate all possible options with the hope of bringing gas to Griswold,” Yvonne Alston, a spokeswoman with Eversource said this week. She did not elaborate. According to Economic Development Commission meeting minutes from Sept. 16, the negotiations between Eversource and American needed just one more signature for an official commitment for the gas line to be installed. Town officials have not heard anything since then, First Selectman Kevin Skulcyck said this week. “It’s my understanding that the contracts have to be signed before Jan. 1 in order for American to benefit from incentives,” Skulczyck said. “I don’t know where they sit now.” He said Griswold intends to pursue bringing natural gas into Griswold within the next 24 months. Skulczyck said if American Industries and Eversource sign the negotiations to install the gas line on Plainfield Road, the town would look to expand that line throughout the town in order to entice new businesses. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Congress approves $1.4B in Amtrak upgrades
Congress has approved more than $1.4 billion in Amtrak and rail safety. That appropriation includes a new $19 million fund dedicated to the Northeast Corridor.
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy said in a statement that the funding breaks a string of cuts in spending. "We're getting $50 million to perform safety upgrades, and for the first time ever, we're getting an account of $19 million dedicated just to the Northeast Corridor. It's a foot in the door that will help us address the specific needs of Connecticut residents and commuters for a long time to come," he said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Massive rail plan leaves Connecticut hopeful but mystified
Nearly four years and $30 million after the Federal Railroad Administration began looking at how to reinvent the Northeast Corridor rail system, there is a proposal. In fact three of them in a nearly 1,000-page environmental impact statement.
NEC Future, as it is called, offers rail improvement choices that range from bare-bones fixes for noted choke points and other problems on the existing line to entire second lines that in Connecticut could re-route historic travel patterns.
It is also prompting a good deal of exasperation from officials, communities and all manner of interest groups in Connecticut, even though many have been begging for an improved rail system for years, if not decades.
“They spent $30 million on this report – it just doesn’t feel like a finished product,” said Joe McGee, vice president for public policy at the Business Council of Fairfield County, who, along with many others, was having difficulty assessing the options because of a lack of details. “It looks more like a response to be rejected than a real option.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Construction Employment Increases Between November 2014, 2015
Construction employment increased in 190 out of 358 metro areas, was unchanged in 64 and declined in 104 between November 2014 and November 2015, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released Dec. 29 by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that the number of metro areas experiencing construction job growth continues to grow as firms appear to be having an easier time finding workers to hire steady amid reports of worker shortages.
“Construction employment is expanding in more parts of the country now that firms appear to be having more success finding workers to hire,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Firms may not be able to continue expanding their headcounts as rapidly unless public officials increase investments in career and technical education programs.”
New York City, N.Y. (9,200 jobs, 7 percent) added the most construction jobs during the past year. Other metro areas adding a large number of construction jobs include Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, Colo. (8,300 jobs, 9 percent); Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, Calif. (8,200 jobs, 10 percent) and Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz. (7,900 jobs, 8 percent). The largest percentage gains occurred in Weirton-Steubenville, W.Va.-Ohio (50 percent, 800 jobs); Boise, Idaho (19 percent, 3,300 jobs); Coeur d’Alene (18 percent, 700 jobs) and Huntsville, Ala. (18 percent, 1,400 jobs). CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
BEACON FALLS — Members of the Connecticut Siting Council have indicated in a non-binding straw vote they will approve a proposed fuel cell energy park that the developers say will be the largest in the world.
Council members recently voted unanimously in favor of the plan, dubbed Beacon Falls Energy Park. On Thursday, the Council is expected to vote on the project at its headquarters in New Britain.
I think if there were any strong considerations that would work against the Siting Council, we would have heard some kind of feedback already," First Selectman Christopher J. Bielik said. "Since we haven't, my expectation is that they will make a positive ruling."
Middletown-based Beacon Falls Energy Park, LLC, has applied to the Council for a declaratory ruling that states no Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need is required for the proposed construction, operation and maintenance of the proposed 63-megawatt park. If approved, the project would be developed on about 8 acres of a 24-acre vacant former sand and gravel mine owned by Torrington-based O&G Industries, Inc.
The Siting Council has conducted hearings and site walks since the project was proposed to town officials in May. The council has also released findings of fact about the proposal; they do not indicate there are any major obstacles that would impede development.
The project is expected to increase the town's grand list by about $200 million — the grand list last year was about $479 million, so the plan would increase it by about 42 percent. The project is expected to pump about $90 million into local and state tax coffers.
"I'm gratified that we're at this point because there has been a lot of behind-the-scenes effort that has gone into this process so far," Bielik said.
William Corvo, of William Corvo Consultants, Inc., one of the founders of Beacon Falls Energy Park, said he's confident going into the Siting Council's vote. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Council members recently voted unanimously in favor of the plan, dubbed Beacon Falls Energy Park. On Thursday, the Council is expected to vote on the project at its headquarters in New Britain.
I think if there were any strong considerations that would work against the Siting Council, we would have heard some kind of feedback already," First Selectman Christopher J. Bielik said. "Since we haven't, my expectation is that they will make a positive ruling."
Middletown-based Beacon Falls Energy Park, LLC, has applied to the Council for a declaratory ruling that states no Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need is required for the proposed construction, operation and maintenance of the proposed 63-megawatt park. If approved, the project would be developed on about 8 acres of a 24-acre vacant former sand and gravel mine owned by Torrington-based O&G Industries, Inc.
The Siting Council has conducted hearings and site walks since the project was proposed to town officials in May. The council has also released findings of fact about the proposal; they do not indicate there are any major obstacles that would impede development.
The project is expected to increase the town's grand list by about $200 million — the grand list last year was about $479 million, so the plan would increase it by about 42 percent. The project is expected to pump about $90 million into local and state tax coffers.
"I'm gratified that we're at this point because there has been a lot of behind-the-scenes effort that has gone into this process so far," Bielik said.
William Corvo, of William Corvo Consultants, Inc., one of the founders of Beacon Falls Energy Park, said he's confident going into the Siting Council's vote. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE