CT Construction Digest June 30, 2016

Airport rules out tribal casino at 1 Connecticut site, open to others

WINDSOR LOCKS >> The Connecticut Airport Authority says its new transportation center at Bradley International Airport will not include a proposed tribal casino.
Kevin Dillon, the authority’s executive director, said Wednesday that it’s become clear that the timeline of any potential development of the casino would not be compatible with the $225 million transportation center’s construction schedule. But the authority says it wants to discuss other potential casino sites on the airport property.The Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribal nations hope to open a jointly owned satellite casino in north central Connecticut to compete with MGM Resorts International’s planned casino in Springfield, Massachusetts. The tribes say they’re pleased the authority wants to continue what they call a critically important conversation by suggesting other locations on the property.

Neighborhood Leaders Push For School Board Vote On Hartford's Weaver High

HARTFORD — Neighborhood leaders in north Hartford say they are concerned about the state of the $100 million Weaver High School renovation after the city school board postponed a key vote to next month.The latest holdup will cost the project roughly $200,000 for the first month of the delay, said John Motley, chairman of the Hartford school building committee. Weaver's projected re-opening had already been pushed to fall 2019, a year later than expected, after a slowdown in the spring.

"We're dancing on a timeline," city Council President TJ Clarke II said at a community meeting this week. "There is a decision that needs to be made immediately. That's the bottom line. You either want to go down the path that's been outlined, or we need to make a decision collectively to not build the school. That's just how it is."

Demolition is underway at the prison-like Weaver building in the city's Blue Hills neighborhood. Built in 1974 for more than 2,000 students, the southern side of Weaver now looks like a bombed-out, skeletal version of its former self. Crews were on site this week as a rattling, robotic jackhammer chipped away at the top level five stories high, debris crashing down with a thud. The Blue Hills Civic Association, a group that has been advocating Weaver's overhaul for years, has hopes that the school that has long languished on Granby Street will be transformed into an academically rigorous, gleaming "crown jewel" that will allow city students to benefit from a partnership with neighboring University of Hartford. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Airport Authority Withdraws Prime Site At Bradley For Casino, Interest Remains

WINDSOR LOCKS — The Connecticut Airport Authority has withdrawn the prime site at Bradley International Airport for a potential casino, but the authority said Wednesday it is not abandoning efforts to bring a gaming venue to the airport.
Kevin Dillon, the authority's executive director, told the authority's board members Wednesday that the top location — a new, $225 million transportation center at the entrance to the airport — has been taken out of contention. Planning for the new casino by the tribes operating Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun is taking longer than expected, Dillon said.

The authority said it cannot wait any longer to begin designing the transportation center — a hub for rental cars and mass transit vehicles — if construction is to get underway in 2018, already later than the 2017 groundbreaking that was originally expected.

"Unfortunately, because of some of the delay that has been incurred in terms of moving this forward and getting legislative approval, it is not matching up with our time frame," Dillon said. "We are starting design on that project right now, and without understanding which way that is going to go, it is very difficult to start designing."

The Mashantucket Pequots and Mohegans have formed a joint venture, known as MMCT, to pursue a third casino in the Hartford area. The "satellite" casino is aimed at lessening the impact on Connecticut from a casino and entertainment complex being built in Springfield by MGM Resorts International. The tribes said in a joint statement Wednesday that they were encouraged that the airport authority was still interested in a casino at the airport. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

 

Land sales, agreement amendments approved for West Haven’s The Haven

 

WEST HAVEN >> The City Council and the Redevelopment Agency, in back-to-back special meetings Wednesday, both approved amendments to the development agreement with The Haven Group that the city’s lawyer said does not affect the project itself.
The council also approved the previously-planned sale of four properties within the project area to The Haven Group, developer of The Haven proposed upscale outlet mall. The sales are scheduled to close Thursday. Sale of the properties, which include 1.14 acres at 16 Elm St.; 0.5 acre at 70 Water St.; 7 Richards Place; and 3 Richard Place; will net the city a total of $402,500 — coming at the very end of the fiscal year when the city’s finances are at their tightest.The four properties were sold for $250,000 for 16 Elm St.; $110,000 for 70 Water St.; $21,500 for 7 Richards Place; and $21,000 for 3 Richards Place, according to information released by the city.They will join the 4.13-acre 105 Water St. parcel that was sold to The Haven Group LLC of Dallas on June 23, 2015. The one “substantive change” to the development agreement resulted from the extra time the city asked the developer to put into negotiating property acquisition to try to avoid eminent domain proceedings with the remaining holdouts, lawyer Gary B. O’Connor of Pullman & Comley told the City Council. Because that change put the developer off its development schedule, the city has agreed to waive its right to do a complete “due diligence” environmental assessment on the properties it is selling to The Haven Group. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

I-84 project's first bridge 

WATERBURY — The first bridge scheduled to be finished on the Interstate 84 reconstruction project will have its concrete deck poured next week The bridge will carry the new Exit 25 eastbound off-ramp — which shifts south of its current location — over the Mad River. It's located adjacent to the mainline I-84, across from Hamilton Park. At 154 feet long and 29.26 feet wide, it's the smallest of eight highway bridges that are being built or reconstructed as part of the project. The state Department of Transportation and its contractor, I-84 Constructors, chose to complete the smallest bridge first to give workers a chance to become familiar with the process before moving onto bridges that are several times its size. The complex task of pouring 8.5 inches of concrete over the 4,500-square-foot bridge deck will occur over five to six hours. A total of 135 cubic yards of concrete will be used. The concrete will be poured on a series of stay-in-place forms, with ribs to increase their strength. The rib voids will be filled with plastic foam to prevent them from filling with concrete — which would weigh down the deck and do nothing to strengthen the bridge, said Project Engineer Christopher Zukowski, of the state Department of Transportation. The forms sit across steel girders, which contain shear studs and rebar that strengthen the concrete and help it bond to the steel. The concrete will be infused with 62,000 pounds of rebar. "Concrete is strong in compression and weak in tension," Zukowski said. "When the concrete is in tension, it wants to pull apart, but the rebar holds it in place and provides the strength." As the fluid, or plastic, concrete is poured, a screed equipped with drums that spin will set the concrete to prescribed elevations. Bright yellow screeds will run along rails on both sides of the deck Workers will stand on wooden platforms and use bull floats to manipulate the concrete to a smooth finish. They will provide optimal curing conditions by using moist burlap covers, soaker hoses and a misting fog spray. The concrete must cure at the same rate to prevent cracking. Chemical retarders will be mixed into the first half of the pour to delay the curing process, allowing the entire bridge deck to be poured and cure at the same time. The concrete will continue to cure for 28 days. "If it cures too fast, it could affect the overall strength and longevity of the bridge deck," Zukowski said. "You really want all concrete on the deck to cure at the same time."
Overhang brackets hold plywood along the outskirts of the bridge and will keep the concrete in place as it cures. Once the cure is finished, the brackets and plywood will be removed. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

CT Construction Digest June 29, 2106

Groton Town Council votes to send school construction program forward

Groton — The Town Council voted 6-0 on Monday to adopt an ordinance appropriating $184.5 million to design and build a consolidated middle school and convert the two existing middle schools into renovated elementary schools.
The ordinance goes to Representative Town Meeting on July 13, with a vote expected on August 10.
If approved, it would go to voter referendum on Nov. 8.
Of the total project cost of $184.5 million, Groton taxpayers would pay $84 million.
The project assumes a diversity grant of 80 percent state reimbursement for one of the schools, as well as other accommodations.
But Groton can't formally apply for financing without a voter-approved project.
Mayor Bruce Flax said said there would be an "out" if the support doesn't materialize.
The financial impact on taxes would vary by year and not hit immediately, according to a memo from Finance Director Cindy Landry.
The project would cost the least in the first year of financing, or the 2018-19 fiscal year: About $9 for every $100,000 of assessed property value.
The project would cost the most in the 2023-24 fiscal year, or $179 for every $100,000 of assessed property value, unless the town uses fund balance to lessen the amount.
The cost would then drop in the following years, falling below $150 in the 2031-32 fiscal year.
The school construction initiative, called the "Groton 2020 Plan" would build a new middle school on the town-owned Merritt property at 35 Groton Long Point Road, between Ella T. Grasso Technical High School and Robert E. Fitch High School, and convert West Side and Carl C. Cutler middle schools into renovated pre-kindergarten through grade 5 elementary schools.
Each elementary school would have an 11,000-square-foot addition built.
Groton would close S. B. Butler, Pleasant Valley and Claude Chester Elementary schools, three of the district's oldest facilities. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Special meetings Wednesday for The Haven in West Haven

WEST HAVEN >> The Redevelopment Agency and the City Council both will hold special meetings Wednesday to approve an amendment to the development agreement for The Haven high-end outlet mall project and, in the council’s case, approve the sale of four properties to the developer.
The Redevelopment Agency will meet at 4:30 p.m.in the City Council chamber on the third floor of City Hall, 355 Main St. The City Council will meet at 6 p.m. in the same room.Sale of the properties, which include 1.14 acres at 16 Elm St.; 0.5 acre at 70 Water St.; 7 Richards Place; and 3 Richard Place will net the city a total of $402,500 — coming at the very end of the fiscal year when the city’s finances are at their tightest. The four properties are being sold for $250,000 for 16 Elm St.; $110,000 for 70 Water St.; $21,500 for 7 Richards Place; and $21,000 for 3 Richards Place, according to information released by the city.
They will join the 4.13-acre 105 Water St. parcel that was sold to The Haven Group LLC of Dallas on June 23, 2015. The agendas and other information released Tuesday did not divulge the nature of the amendment to the development agreement. The Redevelopment Agency agenda lists a “presentation by Attorney O’Connor regarding the proposed Second Amendment to the Development Agreement by and between the City of West Haven, the West Haven Redevelopment Agency and the Haven Group, LLC.” It also lists “action by the West Haven Redevelopment Agency for consideration and approval of the proposed Second Amendment to the Development Agreement by and between the City of West Haven, the West Haven Redevelopment Agency and the Haven Group, LLC.” The City Council agenda listed the same presentation as well as a presentation “regarding the proposed Land Disposition Agreement for 70 Water St., 3 Richards Place and 7 Richards Place” and a separate presentation on the proposed land disposition agreement for 16 Elm St., as well as action on all three items. Developers Sheldon Gordon and Ty Miller have proposed to build the $200 million, 347,826-square-foot waterfront development project in two phases, with about 60 stores and seven restaurants in the first phase and about 100 stores if both phases ultimately are built. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE 

Watertown facility set to open

WATERTOWN — A new construction debris recycling facility on Frost Bridge Road is getting ready to open the first week of July, according to owner Robert Sachs. He said construction on the new Frost Bridge Transfer Station should be complete within the next week or so, with only a few minor details left to finish. The Planning and Zoning Commission approved the project at the old Watertown Drive-in in 2013, but delays in upgrades to rail lines stalled the project for a while.
The Frost Bridge Transfer Station will collect construction debris from Sachs' business, Cherry Hill Construction in North Branford, as well as other commercial haulers. The debris will be sorted inside the facility and transported out of state. "There's been a lot of interest in it from the area," Sachs said. "There's other smaller transfer stations in the Waterbury area, but this area will allow the debris to be removed out of the facility by rail to one of several landfills in Ohio." He said a few other transfer stations in Connecticut can move debris by rail, but this is the only one in the Waterbury area. The rail system allows the facility to move more debris at once, while putting fewer trucks on the road and reducing traffic, Sachs said. He developed a new siding off main Naugatuck Railroad line to bring rail cars right into the building to be loaded up. Two to three cars can fit inside the facility at one time and several dozen can be stored on site. Sachs said he's not sure exactly how many cars he will have on site, as that will depend on demand, but some are already lined up on tracks along the driveway. We're very excited about the opening of the facility. We think its going to be a great asset for the community," Sachs said.  CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

New committee may oversee school's renovation project

WATERBURY — The Board of Education will appoint a committee to oversee planning and construction of a $46.3 million renovation and addition of Wendell Cross Elementary School
For the first time in at least a decade, school board members are looking outside their body for people to help. The Board of Education's Building Committee on Monday recommended a Wendell Cross building committee that includes five school board members as voting members, and two members of the Board of Aldermen; a Wendell Cross parent or East Mountain neighborhood community member and Wendell Cross Elementary Principal Joseph N. Amato as nonvoting members.
In the past decade, the Board of Education's School Building Committee has routinely appointed itself as the committee overseeing individual building efforts. This time, however, Mayor Neil M. O'Leary and members of the Board of Aldermen expressed reluctance at the cost of the project. Aldermen, who hold the city's purse strings, voted for the project last week, but with the understanding they'd keep an extra-close watch and seek ways to trim expense. Building Committee Chair Ann M. Sweeney said Monday that aldermen are always invited to take part on an informal basis. But it rarely happens. "They felt informally was not working, so they wanted something more formal," Sweeney said. It may be some time before the Wendell Cross Building Committee is needed. Local officials have approved funding, but the project will require backing of the General Assembly, something that could be decided as late as next June. The Building Committee will also have say into the hiring of an architect, something that should happen in January or February, according to a consultant serving the school board. The full Board of Education needs to vote on the new committee arrangement. It will be up to Board of Aldermen President Paul K. Pernerewski Jr. to appoint two aldermen. School board members said they'd look to Amato to recommend a parent member.   CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

   

CT Construction Digest June 28, 2016

Stamford schools chief proposes short-term deal with embattled firm

STAMFORD — The school district’s outgoing superintendent has asked the Board of Education to approve a temporary agreement with its embattled facilities contractor — a Bridgeport company under local and federal investigation for possible extortion.
Interim Superintendent James Connelly said the four-month contract with AFB Construction Management will allow new Superintendent Earl Kim, who starts next week, time to review the six-figure arrangement and consider restructuring the district’s facilities operations.
The deal with AFB Construction, run by CEO Al Barbarotta, would be the company’s first short-term contract with the district since it began managing the city’s public schools 18 years ago. The agreement would cost taxpayers about $57,000 a month — an 8 percent cut from the current agreement, which paid AFB about $62,000 on a monthly basis and cost a total of $742,000 this school year.
“My proposal not only allows for the continued smooth operation of all ongoing and planned facilities work, but also allows time for incoming Superintendent Earl Kim, along with staff, and the city of Stamford, to evaluate the current arrangement, the roles and responsibilities of other city departments, and consider a number of viable options,” Connelly wrote to the school board.
The panel is expected to vote on the proposal Tuesday night.
Connelly said some of those options include working with AFB in other roles, starting a partnership with the city or implementing in-house facilities management.
“The hope is that these options will be studied over the next four months,” he said Monday. “This protects us in case we don’t have a plan.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Crews begin to lay track in Wallingford for commuter rail project

WALLINGFORD — There has been a lot of recent construction activity along the Route 5 corridor, including downtown, as work progress on the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield commuter rail project.

Materials have been delivered and new track has already been put down between Quinnipiac and Ward streets. Officials hope to bring in a machine to lay additional track near the North Haven and Wallingford line by the end of the summer.

“We’re in one of our busiest times,” said John Bernick, assistant rail administrator for the state Department of Transportation.

The $643 million project, which will enhance commuter travel between New Haven and Springfield, includes laying a second track and the construction of new train stations in Meriden, Wallingford and Berlin. Workers from The Middlesex Corporation were creating track beds Monday and laying ballast — the material that bears the load from railroad ties — along the tracks parallel to Route 5 across from the plaza that is home to Holiday Cinemas.

Worker Dave Schafrick said track beds have been completed from New Haven to Pent Highway

“We do the subgrade, then the subballast and then the first lift of the ballast,” Schafrick said.

Once contractors complete the beds, Amtrak will put down the final foot of ballast when they install the track.

Contractor crews in the area have also been busy constructing retaining walls, installing signal boxes and working on culverts.

Crews will be laying “skeletonized” track in the area throughout the summer, Bernick said. The track will still need to be surfaced and brought up to grade before it will be capable of supporting a train. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

 

Report: Connecticut’s interstates among nation’s busiest

 

A Washington-based nonprofit research group issued a report Monday that confirms what motorists who travel I-95 in the summer know all too well — Connecticut’s interstate highways are wicked busy.
They are, in fact, among the most congested in the United States, and their bridges are among the most deteriorated, according to the group, TRIP, which assessed the nation’s 60-year-old Interstate Highway System.
The report found that among the 50 states, Connecticut’s urban interstates have the third-highest rate of vehicle travel per lane mile and are the eighth-most congested. Traffic on 60 percent of the state’s urban interstates experiences significant delays during peak hours.
Seven percent of Connecticut’s interstate bridges are structurally deficient, the fifth-highest rate in the nation, TRIP found.
Nationally, 43 percent of urban interstates are considered congested, with California ranking as the most congested. Rhode Island (No. 4) and Massachusetts (No. 6) have a greater percentage of congested interstate miles than Connecticut.
California also ranks as the state with the busiest urban interstates in terms of vehicles per lane mile. Rhode Island ranks fourth, right after Connecticut, and Massachusetts is 10th.
At 15 percent, Rhode Island has the greatest share of structurally deficient interstate bridges. New York ranks fourth at 8 percent and Massachusetts ninth at 6 percent.
The report, “The Interstate Highway System Turns 60: Challenges to Its Ability to Continue to Save Lives, Time and Money,” says interstates face increasing congestion, unprecedented levels of travel — particularly by large trucks — and insufficient funding for repairs and improvements.
According to TRIP, the current backlog of needed upgrades to the system, as estimated by the U.S. Department of Transportation, is $189 billion. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

CT deals seen as linchpin for 'Access Northeast'

Connecticut's energy regulator is in the midst of a major power procurement that could determine the fate of New England's largest proposed natural gas expansion project.
On July 1, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) will accept responses to a recent request for proposals to expand natural gas capacity and storage in the state.
Among the expected bidders will be the $3 billion Access Northeast project, a proposed expansion of Spectra Energy's Algonquin pipeline, which runs from the Marcellus Shale and crosses Connecticut diagonally from the southwest to the northeast, before heading into Massachusetts.
DEEP's selection of Access Northeast — in which Eversource owns a 40 percent stake — would provide a substantial amount of the demand needed to make the project economically viable, particularly since Connecticut is the second-highest power user in New England, according to Morningstar analyst Travis Miller, who covers Eversource.
If Access Northeast doesn't get picked, however, it could threaten the project, leading to the region's second major natural gas expansion hitting a roadblock this year. Competing expansion
A competing $3.3 billion pipeline expansion — targeted largely at natural gas utilities — was shelved by Kinder Morgan in April after the company reported that it couldn't secure enough customer contracts.
"If either Connecticut or Massachusetts decides not to move forward with contracts [for Access Northeast], it would be very challenging to justify constructing the pipeline," Miller said.
Sidebar: Rate recovery controversy
At stake is potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in annual ratepayer savings that developers say Access Northeast could bring to Connecticut, although some are skeptical of those projections. Meantime, environmentalists and others also worry that expanding the region's reliance on natural gas could cause greenhouse gas emissions to rise. Access Northeast will also be competing against clean-energy projects that supporters say would better allow the state to meet its energy needs and achieve environmental goals.
Camilo Serna, Eversource's vice president for strategic planning and policy, said earlier this month that Access Northeast has approximately half of the commitments from New England utilities it feels are needed to make the project viable.
"We continue to look for more commitments in the region and we're in good standing today," Serna said.  $250M annual savings? Serna said Access Northeast could translate to net annual savings of $1 billion to New England ratepayers for 15 years or more. Connecticut's portion of that number would be approximately $250 million. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

DOT Seeks Grant To Study Mileage-Based Tax

HARTFORD — Amid criticism from Republican legislators, the Department of Transportation said there are no plans to implement a mileage-based tax on motorists, even after the state signed on to a grant application with four other states to investigate that model of transportation funding.
Connecticut joined New Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania and Delaware to apply for $2.1 million in federal money to study so-called "mileage-based user fees," which would tax drivers based on the number of highway miles they drive.

Advocates say new transportation revenue is needed because gasoline taxes have remained relatively flat while cars become more fuel efficient and electric vehicles are introduced.

"This means vehicles are traveling farther for the same amount of gas (and the associated fuel tax), with some vehicles (e.g., EVs) not paying anything for their use of the roadway," the five states wrote in a grant application submitted on behalf of the "I-95 Corridor Coalition."

Republicans in the state legislature were quick to criticize the proposal, which was floated last year as a possible way to pay for Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's $100 billion transportation plan.

"If you thought the idea of tolls was unpopular, just wait until you try to tax Connecticut residents for every single mile they drive," said Sen. Toni Boucher, R-Wilton, ranking member of the General Assembly's transportation committee. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Avon Water Co. Replacing Line On West Avon Road

AVON — The Avon Water Co. has resumed a water main replacement project on West Avon Road that began last fall, and work is expected to go through mid-August, the company has announced.
Crews replaced a section of the water line near Avon High School in the fall. The project went on hiatus during the winter but started up again earlier this month. A new water line is being put in between Devonshire and Country Club Road.

Some disruption to traffic is expected while the work is going on, including closing the southbound lane of West Avon Road. The water company said construction work will take place from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Water company officials said the water line is being put in grassy areas that abut the roadway, but some disruption to traffic will still occur.

"AWC is aware of the inconvenience posed by this project and requests residents and motorists to be mindful and patient of the construction activities," water company officials said in a statement announcing the work. "AWC further requests that any particular concerns be brought to its attention promptly so that necessary adjustments can be made to accommodate them."

Water company President Robert Wesneski said in an interview that the company delayed getting started until the week of June 21, after town schools were done for the academic year. The work area is near Avon High School and Avon Middle School.
"The last time we did a water line project, schools were in session, and that creates a lot more issues than when they are not in session," Wesneski said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Newington Parks And Rec. Proposes $19 Million Makeover Of Churchill Park

NEWINGTON — The parks and recreation department is proposing a $19 million makeover of Churchill Park, but leaders of both parties on the town council say fiscal constraints will likely require the project to be downsized.
"Nineteen million dollars is a lot of money," GOP Mayor Roy Zartarian said. "I don't foresee the entire project happening. If it does, it will not happen all at once."

Democratic Minority Leader Carol Anest called the proposal "marvelous," but said she didn't think the voters would approve such a large expenditure at this time.

"I think to make it palatable to the taxpayers, the project would have to be scaled back," Anest said. The proposal, which includes a new pool, a new synthetic turf playing field and additional picnic pavilions, comes as the town faces a wave of major building projects. Topping the list is a projected $25 million town hall renovation. Also on the agenda are the expansion and modernization of the Lucy Robbins Welles Library and renovation of Anna Reynolds Elementary School.
All the projects would be funded primarily through bonding, which spreads out the cost over decades. Voters would have to approve the bonds at referendum.
Zartarian and Anest said they expect the council to talk about which projects to prioritize during a discussion of the capital improvement budget at Tuesday's council meeting. Both listed the town hall project, which has been pending for nearly a decade, as their top priority.
Parks and recreation Superintendent Bill DeMaio said that he was asked shortly after assuming his position last July to prepare a redesign of the park, the first major renovation of the facility in about 50 years. The parks and recreation commission has approved the resulting plan, he said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Waterbury dorm plan needs zoning approval

WATERBURY — City leaders will approach the Zoning Commission on Thursday seeking changes to zoning rules to allow student dormitories in the downtown business district. A pair of New York investors plan a $7 million project to put 90 college students in 28 new dormitory style suites in the Brown Building, at 20 East Main St. It's just a short walk to the University of Connecticut branch campus. Current rules prohibiting group living would stop any project in which a building owner would assign strangers to live together in units with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities. It's meant to prevent rooming and boarding houses. A change proposed by city Economic Development Director Joseph McGrath would carve out an exception for housing of "post-secondary" students.
City Planner James Sequin said the rule would allow housing for any post-high school student, be they attending UConn, Naugatuck Valley Community College, Post University or some form of formal vocational training. The rule change would open the door for the proposed redevelopment of the Brown Building, but its impact would be felt beyond that address. It would apply to the entire downtown business district.
Joseph Gramando — one-half of Green Hub Development — said he expects to rent exclusively to UConn students, but hasn't ruled out students from other local higher learning institutions.
Sequin said the proposed change would require proof of enrollment for all tenants. The city would also be able to inspect the housing with notice of three business days. No more than two students could be housed in any one room, and no more than eight per dwelling unit, or suite. Landlords would have to provide local contacts who are reachable at all hours. The city could demand updated confirmation for any resident student within 10 days. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Study says Connecticut's traffic is among the worst in the nation Malloy office says $100 billion plan needed 

 HARTFORD — Connecticut motorists probably did not need another study to confirm they travel on some of the busiest and most congested stretches of interstate highway in the United States. A new national report released Monday ranks the state's interstate highways the third busiest and the eighth most congested in the country, and it rates bridges on interstate highways as the fifth most structurally deficient in the nation. The governor's office says the findings underscore the urgent need to move on the 30-year, $100 billion transportation modernization plan that Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has laid out. "This report is yet another reminder of exactly why we must transform our transportation systems and take action," said Chris Collibee, a Malloy spokesman. The Connecticut Construction Industries Association also highlighted the findings. The association supports Malloy's transportation plan. The national study was released by TRIP, a think tank sponsored by insurance companies, construction equipment companies, highway construction and engineering businesses, and labor unions and organizations Only the states of California and Maryland had higher rates of vehicle travel per lane mile than Connecticut, the report said. The state's interstate highways carried on average 15,391 vehicles per day. This compares to a nation-leading 19,424 vehicles per day for California and 18,425 for Maryland.
At 15,281 vehicles, the neighboring state of Rhode Island ranked fourth behind Connecticut. Massachusetts was the only other New England state to rank among the 10 most busiest. At 14,496, the Bay State was 10th. At 60 percent, Connecticut ranked eighth among the 10 states with the greatest share of congested interstates. With 63 percent each, Rhode Island and Delaware tied for third. After them, it was Massachusetts with 62 percent. Connecticut tied for fifth among the 10 states with the greatest share of Interstate bridges that are structurally deficient with the states of Michigan and Illinois. The report said 7 percent of the bridges in each state fell in that category. At 15 percent, Rhode Island led the country. The New England states of Massachusetts and Maine ranked 9th and 10th, with 6 percent and 5 percent respectively.

CT Construction Digest June 27, 2016

New bridges now open on SB Route 8/25

In what is likely the fastest bridge replacement project ever seen in Fairfield County, two new southbound Route 8/25 bridges are now open in Bridgeport.
In less than two weeks, workers demolished the 44-year-old Lindley Street and Capitol Avenue bridges and assembled sections of two, pre-built bridges where the old ones once stood.
Although the state Department of Transportation has used the accelerated bridge construction method — where the bridge is built off-site and then dropped into place with large cranes — a few times, this is the first time the bidder helped design the project.
“The ‘design-build’ is a contract where the DOT draws up only partial plans, and asks bidders to show us how they would accomplish what we need,’’ said Scott Adkins, the project manager. “We would choose the best value for the contract winner.’’
The bridge sections were built off the northbound Boston Avenue Exit 5 ramp and then hauled to the construction site via local streets. After huge cranes lifted and put the bridge sections in place last week, crews worked on connecting rebar to the sections, laying down concrete, filling and grading the approaches and finally on Wednesday and Thursday putting down asphalt.
On Friday morning, southbound drivers no longer had to use a crossover detour that two two lanes of traffic onto the northbound lanes. The crossover has been open since June 11.
About 88,000 vehicles use this stretch of highway every day.
Opening of the bridges was about a day earlier than scheduled. Officials originally had plans to remove the crossover and reopen southbound lanes by early Saturday.
The next step on the $35 million project is to move over to the northbound side of the highway to demolish and replace the Lindley Street and Capitol Avenue bridges. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Land cleared for new auto dealership in Berlin

BERLIN — Site clearing is underway at the future location of a new Acura car dealership on the Berlin Turnpike.
Occupants of the five buildings on the property, including the Berlin Lunchbox restaurant, have vacated, according to James P. Horbal, deputy director of Public Works, while contractors are applying for demolition permits.
Berlin Lunchbox owners Jamie Lovejoy and Ramon Rios have been working with Economic Development Director Chris Edge in recent months to find a new location, but haven’t settled on a space, according to a recent post on the Lunchbox Facebook page.
“Within the next few weeks the buildings will be demolished,” the couple wrote in the most recent post. “We have been working on clearing out and looking for a new location that will better suit all of our needs. At this point in time we ask you to please be patient during this process, and appreciate all of the kind words and suggestions. We promise we will keep all of our Lunchboxers updated.”
The restaurant celebrated its grand opening in January 2014. In 2015, it was named Berlin’s Small Business of the Year.
The Bakery, which was formerly next door at 226 Berlin Turnpike, moved to Farmington Avenue in December after learning the land was set to be sold, according to bakery owner Enzo Formica.
Acura of Berlin, operated by Executive Auto Group owner John L. Orsini, in March purchased nearly eight acres between two parcels — 224 Berlin Turnpike and one on Episcopal Road — for $2.3 million through its limited liability corporation, 224 Berlin Turnpike, LLC. The proposal and site plan, approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission in January, calls for the construction of a 29,080-square-foot dealership and a separate 17,254-square-foot retail building. The smaller building will feature a cupola, a masonry veneer exterior and a front courtyard to be used for possible restaurant outdoor seating. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Watching the Meriden Hub become the Meriden Green

MERIDEN — Three years ago, the Hub site contained a bank, a small community garden and the decaying remnants of past commercial developments driven out of the area by flooding problems. Today the site appears as a manicured green space, one designed to keep past flooding problems at bay.

After many years of planning, the highly visible transformation from the former Hub site to the Meriden Green, a flood control basin that doubles as a municipal park, hearkens a new age for downtown Meriden. Officials plan on opening the new Meriden Green early in the fall.

“After many years of planning, engineering, obtaining the multiple regulatory permits and the funding necessary for the project to proceed, it has been very gratifying to see the work actually start and the property transformed from an abandoned shopping mall to a beautiful park that will help protect downtown Meriden from future flooding and provide economic development opportunities,” said City Manager Lawrence Kendzior.

In the late 1960s, city officials decided to enclose a portion of Harbor Brook, which essentially runs from the northeast corner of Meriden through the city center and on to Hanover Pond, to make way for economic development. The Meriden Mall, a few ancillary buildings and a huge, paved parking area stood atop the brook by the early 1970s. The current project uncovered the brook while creating a park and economic development opportunities.

The area around the downtown stretch of Harbor Brook essentially takes the shape of a large bowl with the Hub and train station area at some of the lowest points. Think of going down the hill from City Hall on East Main Street and then back uphill, though not as pronounced, on West Main Street. This makes the area prone to flooding. In 1992 and 1996, major floods caused about $30 million in damage to the downtown area. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

 

City officials say developers interested in former Meriden-Wallingford hospital

 

MERIDEN — City officials say there’s been recent interest in the former Meriden-Wallingford hospital site.

City Economic Development Director Juliet Burdelski said they’ve had “three developers express interest,” and planned to solicit proposals this summer.

The names of the developers were not released. During a tour of downtown development sites earlier this year, Mayor Kevin Scarpati said two of them specialize in developing old hospital sites.

The massive eyesore at 1 King St. has been abandoned for years. The vacant building is full of debris and destruction and has attracted vandals and squatters.

It garnered some interest from Stamford-based developer JHM Group in 2014, when the city opened up several downtown sites for redevelopment. The group never returned information for the city’s request for proposals, however.

Burdelski said during a recent joint Planning Commission and Economic Development, Housing, and Zoning Committee meeting that the site contains “lots of contamination.”

“It will be an interesting challenge,” she said.

The city utilized a cleanup loan and environmental assessment grant from the state to clear debris from a portion of the building, though there’s still a lot of work to do, as any passerby would likely notice.

Deputy Council Majority Leader David Lowell, who chairs the EDHZ committee, said finding a developer for the former hospital building is “one of our planning priorities going forward.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

 

Investors' UConn dorm plan just the start to revitalize Waterbury center 

 

WATERBURY — A pair of deep-pocketed New York investors planning to build a privately run college dormitory downtown have big aspirations for Waterbury's city center. Louis J. Forster, a successful investment executive, and his brother-in-law Joseph Gramando, an experienced builder, plan to buy the upper two floors of the Brown Building at 20 East Main St. in early July. It's a large downtown building in a prime location that has been the focus of repeated failed redevelopment schemes. Most recently, a Massachusetts development group backed out of a plan to build a mix of affordable and market-rate apartments with millions of dollars in state backing. After that fell through, city officials courted Gramando and Forster's interest. The two men plan to retrofit the top two floors of the 63,388-square-foot building into 28 suites serving 90 students. The units, including furniture, are modeled on dormitories at UConn's main campus at Storrs. Gramando and Forster plan to get to work in July. They also plan to buy and demolish the neighboring Lerner Building at 52 East Main St. to create a 28-space parking lot. Gramando said the partners don't have to borrow a nickel for the $7 million project, allowing them to move quickly. They expect to begin renting in August 2017. "The faster we can get this together, the faster we can get something else going, like an eatery or something," Gramando said during a recent tour of the Brown Building. Gramando said he and his partner hope to purchase additional downtown buildings, including the former Howland Hughes department store on Bank Street. Gramando and Forster had a brewing deal to buy the 113,995-square-foot building and retrofit it for use by hundreds of Post University workers. The deal fell apart last year, but the hope hasn't been entirely extinguished. Gramando said he still wants to buy Howland Hughes, but would need a tenant lined up. Mayor Neil O'Leary said negotiations with Post and other potential tenants are ongoing. Post CEO John Hopkins, in a statement sent via email, would only say that his institution intends to expand and is "at the very preliminary stage of exploring options for additional space, both downtown and throughout the area." Post has also taken a look at draft plans for the Gramando-Forster project and expressed interest. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

 

Second bridge project starts in Naugatuck 

 

 NAUGATUCK — Renovations to a more than 100-year-old bridge downtown are scheduled to start this morning. The $6 million plan to renovate the Whittemore Bridge on Maple Street has been in the works for several years. Repairs will be completed by Mohawk Northeast of Southington, the company that was the lowest of two bidders for the work. Naugatuck officials say the project is slated to be completed by Nov. 30, 2017. Many commuters are already dealing with weekend closures of the bridge in the Union City section of Naugatuck over Route 68, which is under repair, and narrow passageways during the week. They will now have to deal with another major bridge construction project. During renovation of the Whittemore Bridge, which connects the east and west sides of the borough over the Naugatuck River, a one-way road heading west from the Route 8 offramp to the center of Naugatuck will be open. Traffic heading east toward Route 8 will be diverted. Construction crews plan to install a traffic light to allow for emergency vehicles to travel in either direction, Department of Public Works Director Jim Stewart said. Plans call for removing the wrought iron railing along both sides of the bridge and replacing it with parapet walls made of the same cement and stone that will be used on the sides of the bridge. The bridge will also have benches and old-fashioned light poles. The center of the bridge will have brick pavers with an appearance similar to that of Hillside Avenue, the only brick road remaining in Naugatuck.
The intent is to make the bridge look similar to the way it did 100 years ago. The original bridge was constructed in 1912. It was built to honor businessman and philanthropist John H. Whittemore, one of Naugatuck's most famous residents, who died in 1910. He was head of one of the borough's largest industries, the Naugatuck Malleable Iron Co. Plans were drawn by architect Henry Bacon of McKim, Mead & White of New York, one of the most famous firms of the era. Bacon is most well known for his final project, designing the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The website of the Public Archaeology Survey Team, a private nonprofit organization that specializes in archaeological and historical research and public education in the Northeast, states that Bacon's design for the Naugatuck bridge was lauded as "a monument to the memory of Naugatuck's most public spirited benefactor" and "a fitting tribute to who has made our abiding place 'a city beautiful.'"

 

 

CT Construction Digest June 24, 2016

Not all at table for Walk Bridge gathering

NORWALK — Some of the people who stand to be most affected by the Walk Bridge replacement weren’t at the table when the state Department of Transportation held a “partnering session” in New Haven on Thursday.
Tony D’Andrea, owner of Select Plastics at 217 Liberty Square, didn’t find himself among the partners invited to the meeting, despite the fact that his property and business stand to be taken to replace the bridge.
“I have not been invited to any of them. If they are public meetings, I will attend,” D’Andrea said. “Hopefully, the people that attend will come back and disseminate the information to the people affected. Everybody affected in South Norwalk and East Norwalk should know the outcome of this meeting: what was discussed, what was agreed and if there’s any changes made we should know what the changes are.”
DOT spokesman Judd Everhart described the meeting as a “partnering session” and “team building exercise between the various entities involved in the program.” He said the meeting was held in New Haven because the majority of the project’s team are located in close proximity to the city.
“The team selected a central location for the meeting,” Everhart wrote in email response to The Hour. “Contractor (Cianbro/Middlesex), DOT and Parsons-Brinckerhoff (project consultant), as well as other stakeholders from Norwalk (city reps, aquarium, harbor commission), and Metro-North.”
He said DOT is researching whether the meetings need to be open to the public and press.
“These meetings are considered business meetings,” Everhart said.
About a dozen Norwalk officials, including Mayor Harry W. Rilling, Maritime Aquarium President Brian Davis and representatives of city departments, were invited to attend, based on an email invitation sent by the DOT.
Rilling said he was unable to attend, but sent Director of Public Works Bruce J. Chimento and Director of Economic Development Elizabeth B. Stocker in his place.
“We have asked to be at the table at every meeting,” Rilling said.
In addition to Chimento and Stocker, Norwalk Redevelopment Agency Senior Project Manager Susan Sweitzer and Administrative Services Manager Kathryn R. Hebert. Representatives of the Norwalk Harbor Management Commission also went to New Haven. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Replacement of Farmington Avenue Bridge is underway

BERLIN — The replacement of the Farmington Avenue Bridge is now underway.
Crews have blocked off the section of Farmington Avenue where the bridge is located over the Mattabasset River. A detour has been set up on Seymour Road, adjacent to Central Pizza on 96 Mill St.
The bridge, which dates to 1928, according to Deputy Director of Public Works James P. Horbal, will be torn down by contractors Mastrobattisto, Inc. of Bristol, and replaced at a cost of $2.5 million.
Eighty percent of the project is federally funded, while 10 percent is covered by state funds, with the other 10 percent funded by the town, said Horbal.
Around 4,500 cars travel over the bridge each day, he said. The project is expected to be completed by the end of the construction season Dec. 1.
Additional bridge improvements to structures on Burnham Street, High Road and Spruce Brook Road are in the preliminary planning stages, said Horbal. The work on each bridge is expected to cost more than $1 million, he said, with 47 percent of the cost covered by the state and the other 53 percent covered by the town.
The Town Council in April approved $1 million in bonds for the improvement projects.

Portland commissions study of major road, sidewalk repairs

PORTLAND >> The Board of Selectmen has given the go-ahead to conduct an economic study of two major — and potentially costly — infrastructure repair projects.
The board voted last week to have Director of Public Works Richard D. Kelsey work with town engineer Jeff Jacobson to develop cost estimates for a sidewalk repair project and the reconstruction of Brownstone Avenue.During last week’s selectmen’s meeting, preliminary cost estimates were mentioned: $2 million to $3 million for a limited sidewalk repair project and between $3 million and $4 million for the reconstruction of perhaps 3,500 linear feet of Brownstone Avenue.Jacobson will be tasked with developing firmer figures for both projects. Brownstone Avenue is an economically important road that services several industries dotted along the shore of the Connecticut River as well as the Brownstone Exploration and Discovery Park. The popular and successful water park occupies an abandoned brownstone quarry.
The street is also one of two access roads to the town’s new Riverfront Park. However, it was built atop “spoil” from the quarry, which is defined as “waste material brought up during the course of an excavation or a dredging or mining operation.”Because large blocks of brownstone were used to create the underpinning of the roadway, voids were created in the spaces between and among the blocks. Those voids can open up without warning, creating sinkholes. There is also a major water main under the roadway and on occasion it has leaked, creating similar problems. “These holes suddenly appear,” Kelsey told the selectmen. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

 Glastonbury's Gemma wraps work on two Penn. power plants

Glastonbury-based Gemma Power Systems said it has finished work on two natural gas-fired power plants in Pennsylvania and turned them over to their owner to begin operation.
The two 829-megawatt plants - named Panda Liberty and Panda Patriot - are located in neighboring counties in northeastern Pennsylvania. They are owned by Panda Power Funds, which did not disclose their exact price tag.
Panda said in 2013 that it had raised debt capital for the two plants totaling $1.28 billion.
Gemma, a subsidiary of Maryland's Argan Inc., acted as the engineering, procurement and construction contractors for the plants through a joint venture with Lane Construction Corp. Its work began in 2014.
The plants are designed and sited to capitalize on fracked natural gas from the Marcellus Shale, Gemma said.
The company said the two plants include the first installation of Siemens' H-class turbines in a single-shaft configuration, which it said makes the plants more efficient and flexible.

Middletown Receives Single Bid, From Centerplan, To Redevelop Parking Garage Site

MIDDLETOWN — The city received one bid, from locally based Centerplan Cos., in its request for proposals to redevelop the parking garage site between Court Street and Dingwall Drive.
Bids were due Wednesday afternoon. Planning Director Michiel Wackers said the city's staff has not fully reviewed Centerplan's submission, so he could not comment on its components. The common council's economic development committee is likely to interview Centerplan at its meeting July 12.
The city has grappled for a few years with the timing of building a new parking garage. Public parking is generally recognized as a necessity to support new development, but without a project attached to it, the city could not adequately plan its location or justify the estimated $25 million expense.

Mayor Daniel Drew said that price tag was far too high for parking alone, so he and city staff opted to broaden the potential uses for the property.

"This could be a huge project," Drew said. "That's one of the most valuable pieces of property in the downtown, so why would we build a big hulking garage there when we could look for something better?"
The "parking arcade," as the garage structure is known, is more than 60 years old and has been repaired a few times in recent years. The upper level is accessed from Court Street; the lower level, mostly closed now due to eroding concrete, has an access from Dingwall Drive.
Officials have been hoping that a developer would see an opportunity to bring in commercial, entertainment or residential projects on the 1.5-acre site half a block from Main Street. The city's request for proposals identified the project as a "Public/Private Partnership" that "shall be designed to generate property taxes and be mixed-use with a minimum of three stories."

Drew said one idea the city identified is to sell the property to a developer for a low purchase price with conditions that must be met. With that approach, the city would get the parking it wants along with a project that adds to the tax base and improves the city's economic core. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

 

Hill developer in New Haven rips process, says he’s out unless zone change approved

NEW HAVEN >> Developer Randy Salvatore has made his position clear. In an email to a city official, he said he will consider going forward with his proposed $100 million plan for housing and commercial development in the Hill only if he gets the zone change he requested and the document is not amended further.
“I was entirely betrayed by the Board of Alders from the top down,” he wrote in an early Thursday morning communication with Serena Neal-Sanjurjo, the executive director of the Livable City Initiative.“I am not spending any more time or money on this project or attending any more of these ridiculous hearings, and I have told (attorney) Carolyn Kone that she is not authorized to spend any more time (or my money) speaking to anyone going forward,” Salvatore wrote. In a phone conversation Thursday, he predicted there will be “long-term consequences” for New Haven. He said developers already think it is a hard place in which to do business and that this won’t help that perception. “It is all about the process. This was not a fair process. It was not a transparent process,” Salvatore said. He said he had no problem dealing with the city staff over the past year.
“City staff was fine, but they don’t make these decisions,” Salvatore said. The developer offered that some of the people involved in project approvals “do not have the best interests of the city at heart.”The developer said he has been talking and meeting with people for months. “I am not doing it anymore. I have talked to every constituency,” Salvatore said. A joint aldermanic committee reviewing his plan Wednesday for 140 units of housing, retail outlets and possible commercial development on 11.6 acres in the Hill eliminated one of the parcels he was piecing together for a zone change from BA to BD-3, which allows for taller and denser development. The parcels in question cover an area that has been essentially a sea of parking lots and deteriorating former school buildings for 26 years, tied up in an arrangement signed off by the city in 1989, when it had few development suitors. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

CT Construction Digest June 23, 2016

Fairfield assisted-living facility gets the go-ahead

FAIRFIELD — An assisted-living facility on Mill Hill Terrace, though hotly opposed by neighbors, was approved recently by the Town Plan and Zoning Commission.
The commission gave unanimous approval to a special permit for Maplewood of Fairfield, a three-story, 98-unit facility for seniors on 27 acres adjacent to Mill Hill School. The developer will set aside 13 acres of the property as open space in perpetuity, with public access.
During three nights of hearings on the application, the majority of residents voiced their opposition to the proposal, citing concerns about vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
“I think this is the best option available for developing this site,” said Chairman Matthew Wagner. He said while neighbors cited objections to a commercial concern being in a residential neighborhood, Wagner pointed out the property is adjacent to Interstate 95, commercial properties, including a restaurant, a nursing home and a school.
Wagner said, however, that the building was “beautiful” and would fit into the residential character of the community.
New sidewalks will be installed by the developer on Mill Hill and Pease Avenue, and access to the open space area provided from a point on the Mill Hill sidewalk, and from the assisted living property. Under conditions approved by the TPZ, signs will be installed marking those access points, and parking will be allowed on the Maplewood property for visitors to the open space. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Hearing set on proposed Berlin police HQ

BERLIN — A $16.28 million proposal for a new police station on Farmington Avenue will be the subject of a public hearing next month.
The hearing, on July 19, will mark another step in the nearly decade-long journey toward a new headquarters for the police, according to Chief Paul Fitzgerald. Berlin police have been housed on the lower level of the town municipal complex since 1974 and have been looking to relocate since 2003
In 2011, the Town Council approved the bonding of $2 million to acquire the former Kensington Furniture site at 903 and 913 Farmington Ave. for a new 34,000-square-foot headquarters. A $21 million proposal was rejected by voters at referendum three years later.
The new proposal is from A/Z Corp. of North Stonington, along with Tecton Architects Inc., Fuss & O’Neill Inc., and Consulting Engineering Services.
“We looked at the results of the referendum and reduced the size of our request,” said Fitzgerald. “I’m not happy about what I had to give up, but I understand it’s what we needed to do to move forward. That’s why we’re hopeful that the town will find the willpower and the money to get the job done.”
Fitzgerald said he eliminated an outbuilding and other features he previously requested, while also reducing the size of every room in the proposed station.
Meanwhile, the chief said, conditions at the overcrowded police station, which houses 42 officers, nine dispatchers and four support personnel in about 10,000 square feet, continue to deteriorate. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Ledyard Town Council votes to keep school construction projects on schedule

Ledyard — Following the legislature's decision to postpone reimbursement of the town's school building projects, leaving the town to either sign contracts for the $65 million project without obligated state money or delay the construction schedule, potentially costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, the Town Council voted unanimously Wednesday to continue the schedule.
"This is the least risk we're at right now, proceeding at risk," Councilor Kevin Malone said, explaining that delays or ceasing the project could cost the town much more in the long run.
The projects were left off a combined bonding and school building construction bill that saw close to a billion dollars in debt removed and left town officials shocked that their project had been dropped from the list so late.
The town's Permanent Municipal Building Committee had been planning to send out the bid package in January 2017, accept bids and enter into contracts. In the spring, construction would begin and be ramped up during the summer when the students were gone, replacing heating and cooling systems and conducting asbestos abatement.
If the council chose to wait until July, when the reimbursement commitment from the state comes in, building committee Chairman Steven Juskiewicz estimated that costs would escalate about $120,000 per month, not including the additional costs of continuing to keep Ledyard Center School open.
State Sen. Cathy Osten arranged a meeting between members of Ledyard's building committee and members of the Department of Administrative Services, which oversees school construction grants.
Based on the opinions from state Reps. Mike France and John Scott, Finance Committee Chairman Fred Allyn III noted that the chance of the state not approving the money was very low. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Cheshire bridge project over $3 million 

CHESHIRE — A bridge on East Johnson Avenue which spans the Quinnipiac River will remain closed for repairs until later this fall. Town Council member Tom Ruocco said the more than 40-year-old structure had been on the town's list of repairs and the work could not have come at a better time.
"The bridge is worn out, it probably would not have collapsed but the repairs are due now," Ruocco said. The work began in early June and will last until sometime in December. It will cost more than the $3 million which was approved at referendum late last year. A state grant will reimburse the town 80 percent of the project's cost. "This is a very big project, one of the biggest I've seen in a while," Ruocco said. The bridge closures are between McClausland Crescent and Cheshire Street where access is restricted to all vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists. Construction is being done by Hemlock Construction Co. of Torrington. Town Engineer Walter Gancarz said the new span will be about 10 feet longer and will eliminate the center pier, so the opening will be completely without obstructions.
Gancarz said the east side of the bridge, the Cheshire Street side, will be about 5 feet higher than it currently is to allow for a 100-year flood to pass without overtopping the bridge. "Lastly, the roadway will be slightly realigned to eliminate that minor jog it currently has — where when you are going down to the bridge, the road turns slightly right and then back to the left," Gancarz said. The southern detour is on Blacks Road out to Route 10 and Cheshire Street, and the northern alternative is Route 322 out to Route 10. Signs indicating bridge closure and alternate routes are placed on surrounding streets.

Gold Street Relocated Again

HARTFORD — For the fourth time since the 1800s, there is a new Gold Street downtown.
The first vehicles took a spin on the street Tuesday afternoon, after construction crews finished paving and painting lane stripes. But traffic only will be able travel eastbound until the rest of the street relocation project — the centerpiece of iQuilt — is finished. Completion is expected in early fall. "The realignment of Gold Street takes iQuilt to a whole new level," Jackie Mandyck, iQuilt's managing director, said Wednesday.
This summer, Gold Street — as it existed since the 1970s — will be largely torn up and replaced with grass, trees, walkways, park benches and a public gathering space. The area, known as "Bushnell Gardens," also will better showcase Carl Andre's "Stone Field Sculpture," which now appears to be squeezed in the area, Mandyck said. The relocation, its supporters say, will create a continous green space on the north side of the street, essentially expanding Bushnell Park to Main Street. The new space, they say, is crucial to the milelong GreenWalk, stretching from the state Capitol to the riverfront.
Michael Looney, director of projects for the city, said he is optimistic that the work on Gold Street will meet expected completion dates.
"Things are moving along pretty quick," Looney said. "I'd say we're looking at the early end of the fall."
The relocation of Gold Street is the first component of iQuilt that required a major redesign of a portion of downtown. Adopted by the city council in 2010, iQuilt is a vision for tying together downtown cultural attractions and creating more walkable access to Bushnell Park, the riverfront and Union Station. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Construction of Naugatuck River Greenway celebrated with groundbreaking ceremony

TORRINGTON >> Officials and local stakeholders gathered to break ground on the Naugatuck River Greenway Wednesday morning. The groundbreaking was held in the sunny fields of the John Toro Sports Complex, with the banks of the river just off to the side. The group celebrated the next step in an ongoing effort to connect the city with its neighbors to the north and south. The greenway will eventually connect Torrington to Derby — traversing approximately 44 miles. The portion of this trail celebrated Tuesday will run along the river from Franklin Street to Bogue Road in Harwinton.
Shovels sent earth flying Wednesday as construction began on this leg of the trail, and an effort of some months by local officials and residents came to fruition. “To see that’s it’s actually going to become a reality is such a — I want to say rewarding, but it’s more than that,” said city Zoning and Inland Wetlands Officer Rista Malanca. “I’m just so happy for the city of Torrington as a whole, and the residents that live here, and the opportunity that this is going to provide to everybody.” Malanca mentioned a series of prospective positive effects — providing recreational opportunities for residents and local seniors, promoting healthy living, adding to the existing park, increasing the worth of homes in the area, driving business to local merchants — as potential outcomes of the trail. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Accidents Spur Comprehensive List of Crane Safety Recommendations

The Crane Technical Working Group released an interim report on June 10 that includes 23 recommendations in regard to crane safety.
The group was established by New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Buildings Commission Rick Chandler following a crane collapse on Feb. 5. The accident involved a Liebherr LR1300 crawler crane at 60 Worth Street, Manhattan. One person died and another was seriously injured. The crane was set up to install a new generator and cooling tower on a building. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.
The introduction to the report notes that the recommendations reflect the Working Group's “independent expertise in engineering and government; a thorough assessment of crane regulations in cities around the world that, like New York, have dense urban cores; and input from the city's construction industry, who also have a great stake in ensuring that our cranes are the safest in the world.”
The executive summary states that construction in a vertical city requires cranes.
“New York City's crane regulations are among the most comprehensive in the world,” it goes on to say. “They cover all phases of a crane's life cycle — from design and manufacturing at the factory; to maintenance, repair, and inspection in the crane yard; to installation and operation at a construction site.”
Further, the summary notes that the city's crane regulations were last comprehensively revised in 2008, with provisions specific to tower cranes added in 2008. Then in 2015, the Department of Buildings launched a new effort to update the city's crane regulations. The report notes that this ongoing effort, along with the recommendations made, represents an opportunity for crane safety improvement.
“These forward-looking recommendations could make New York's crane regulations — already the strongest in the country — even more effective,” Chandler said. “I thank the Working Group for offering their time and expertise to make our city safer. In the coming days, my team and I will fully evaluate this report. The group's recommendations are solid, sensible, and doable.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

CT Construction Digest June 22, 2016

$53 million renovation project to be accepted

NEW BRITAIN — The renovation and expansion proposal for Smalley Academy will take a large step to becoming reality tonight. The Common Council will hold a special meeting at 6:45 p.m. to advance a $53 million appropriation and bond authorization to renovate and enlarge the West Street school.
The only agenda items for the meeting are to accept the report of the Administration, Finance and Law Committee’s standing bond subcommittee report on the funding and act upon a related resolution.
The subcommittee will meet at 6:30 p.m. According to Mayor Erin Stewart’s office, the public may speak during both sessions, though only on the bonding issue.
The school district ordered a feasibility study to consider Smalley’s future based on a checklist of concerns – from foundation issues in a 20-year-old addition to mold and perpetual roof leaks.
Before the completion of the feasibility study and specific costs related to construction plans, New Britain state Rep. Bobby Sanchez earlier this year estimated a renovation and expansion at the school at $40 million.
Sanchez and members of the city’s delegation committed in January to pursuing state funding for at least 80 percent of the construction price tag. Gov. Dannel Malloy last year had publicly signed on to bonding the Smalley work, Sanchez said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Malloy’s plan would remove traffic lights from Route 9 in Middletown

MIDDLETOWN >> The governor revealed plans Tuesday to remove traffic signals from the stretch of Route 9 that runs through the city, something he calls “a design flaw from the 1950s.”
 At a noon press conference at the Arcade parking lot along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way with the Connecticut River in the background, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy detailed a $75 million project to reconfigure the highway to improve traffic flow and lessen motor vehicle crashes along the one-mile area between exits 13 and 15.“There will be fewer accidents on the highway and we’ll see less deflection to other road systems because this road system will actually work as opposed to becoming a roadblock on a daily basis,” Malloy said.Engineering mock-ups supplied by the state Department of Transportation include the creation of the long-talked-about pedestrian walkway that would connect the city’s Downtown Business District to the riverfront. That pedestrian bridge over Route 9 and deKoven Drive will connect to the Riverview Plaza walkway near the police station, allowing direct access to Main Street from the riverfront.
The project, still in the conceptual stage, calls for Route 9 south to be raised to cross the Hartford Avenue/St. John’s Square and Washington Street intersections via two new bridges, according to a statement from the governor’s office. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

 Application filed that would allow mixed-use project on Perkins Farm

 Mystic — Developer David Lattizori of Groton has taken the first official step toward developing a potential $60 million medical, research and residential campus on 70 acres of the Perkins Farm property off Jerry Browne Road.
Lattizori has filed an application with the Stonington Planning and Zoning Commission seeking to amend the zoning regulations to create a new floating zone that could be located on the property.
The commission will now set a public hearing on the application in July.
According to the application, the Greenway Development District is designed to provide an alternative to a housing subdivision, while encouraging preservation of a significant amount of open space (more than 50 percent) and promoting “smart” economic development by allowing a mix of uses.
“We really want to promote conservation through development,” said Lattizori, who has approval to build 36 homes on the site while preserving 15 percent of the land as open space.
Many of the homes would line Jerry Browne Road across from the Stone Ridge retirement community.
He said the proposed development would cluster development along Interstate 95 and not be seen from Jerry Browne Road.
It would leave the wooded area and meadow that front Jerry Browne Road from Coogan Boulevard to Pequotsepos Road intact.
The uses include housing for people age 55 and older, workforce apartments, research and development, medical and professional offices, museums, wellness centers, academic facilities, out patient and urgent care facilities along with technology and light manufacturing operations. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Norwich considers razing Reid & Hughes building

NORWICH — Already on a shaky foundation for the future, the landmark Reid & Hughes building on Main Street is being eyed by city leaders for demolition.
The City Council has asked City Manager John Salomone to prepare a report on the building's status for the council's August meeting. In September, a two-year option agreement between the city and the Norwich Community Development Corporation to seek development of the site is set to expire.
Salomone toured the property at 193-201 Main St. as one of his initial tasks as manager. "It's not a secret the building has deteriorated over the years to a point where it may develop into a dangerous situation," he said. "At the same time there have been attempts to market the building for a redevelopment project." Salomone said the city had been unable to negotiate an agreement with potential developers. And with another winter approaching, he said the building needs a "hard look." Last winter, city building officials monitored the structure for any potential collapsing under the weight of snow. But it was a mild winter.  Salomone said the probability of another potential developer with interest in the structure "is not on the horizon." Alderwoman Joanne Philbrick said she doesn’t want another study. "I'm looking for as of Sept. 14 a sign that would appear on the door of the building saying it's been cited for demolition," she said. "I think we have spent way too much time and way too much money on this." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Malloy Asking DOT To Fast-Track Removal Of Route 9 Traffic Lights

MIDDLETOWN — Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said he will push the state Department of Transportation to fast-track a new concept to finally remove the endlessly frustrating traffic lights on Route 9.
Malloy announced the state's newest plans at a press conference Tuesday. At an estimated $75 million, the latest proposal is much simpler and much cheaper than past ideas. It would eliminate crossing traffic by elevating two sections of the southbound lanes.

Drivers have been complaining about the lights on Route 9 since they were installed in the 1950s because they frequently cause miles-long backups during rush hour and during the busy summer travel season.

Beyond being an annoyance, the lights have been a danger to drivers. Malloy said with 70,000 cars a day driving on Route 9, there are is an average of 60 serious crashes each year directly related to the traffic lights. "It is outrageous, quite frankly, that the state has tolerated this for such a long period of time without coming up with an appropriate design to fix it," Malloy said. "We're proud to say today that we're doing this."
With two bridges to be designed, engineering work could take until 2020 and construction could be over in 2023. Malloy said he has made the Route 9 work a top priority and is pushing for that timeline to be cut as much as possible.
"It's going to make our citizenry safer. We'll see fewer accidents on the highway, we'll see less deflection to other road systems because this road system will actually work as opposed to becoming a roadblock on a daily basis," Malloy said. "I am asking the commissioner to fast-track this particular project because it is that important. We need to move this along as rapidly as humanly possible." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE