NEW BRITAIN — A Superior Court judge has issued a temporary injunction delaying the start of the Smalley Academy school renovation project after an unsuccessful bidder sued the city.
Longtime local contractor Kaestle Boos bid $1,710,000 to do the consulting and architectural services for the proposed project. That work would include site improvement, site acquisitions and retrofitting the now-vacant St. John Paul II School — formerly Pope John Paul II School — which would serve as “swing space” for displaced students from Smalley while construction was occurring at the school.
The city’s School Building Committee recently awarded the contract to the low bidder: Bridgeport-based Fletcher-Thompson Inc. Fletcher-Thompson bid $1,610,000. Its total bid, though, was $1,695,000, when taking into account work at St. John Paul II School.
In its lawsuit, Kaestle Boos cited the city’s Code of Ordinances, which says that a New Britain-based bidder shall be considered the “lowest responsible bidder” if its bid is not more than 2 percent higher than the lowest bid on a project involving a total contract price of over $5 million.
The total Smalley renovation project is estimated to cost about $53 million.
In its lawsuit, Kaestle Boos claims the 2 percent threshold was not met because “the city has not included the $85,000 proposal to retrofit Pope John Paul II School in Fletcher’s bid. Retrofitting Pope John Paul II School is an essential and integral part of the project.”
In its subsequent motion to dismiss the lawsuit, the city wrote, “The defendants dispute that the local ordinances applies to a bid for architectural services and contend that, even if it did apply, the plaintiff’s bid does not qualify under its provisions because of material differences between plaintiff’s bid and that of the successful bidder, Fletcher Thompson Inc.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Upcoming roadwork to affect some Bristol streets
BRISTOL — An upcoming roadway construction project is expected to cause some minor traffic delays.
The public works department this week said the annual roadwork will affect the following streets:
- Morningside Drive East
- Morningside Drive West
- Roberge Road
- Short Street
- Pine Court
- Curry Court
- Pre Dem Road
- Taillon Street
- Concord Street
- Fairlawn Street
- Nancy Road
- Shrub Road
- Willis Street (from South Street to East Road)
- Memorial Boulevard (from Main Street to the median)
- Bel-Air Drive
There may be minor traffic delays as a result of the roadwork, but the streets will remain open during the process. Some “no parking” signs will be posted as needed during construction.
Former medical building in Meriden prepped for redevelopment
MERIDEN — Stepping inside the blighted building at 116 Cook Ave., Juliet Burdelski said it’s easy for her to imagine the recently gutted second floor as spacious modern apartments, flooded with light from the large windows reminiscent of New York-style warehouse lofts.
“This could really be an open floor plan, because of the steel beams and the wood floors,” said Burdelski, the city’s economic development specialist. “With the arched brick you can see the redevelopment potential. It has a lot of historic character,” she said during a tour of the building Wednesday.
The city has selected POKO Partners to draft a plan to redevelop the site. Company officials say they are probably six months away from entering into an agreement with the city.
Rehabilitating the historic Cook Avenue medical building into a 64-unit complex is the first phase of POKO’s plan, “Meriden Mews,” which encompasses the abutting Factory H site and entails the construction of six new apartment buildings for a total of 184 units. Of the 64 units proposed in the Cook Avenue building, 51 will be market rate with the remaining 13 affordable. The project is expected to cost $54 million.
The city has removed 250 tons of debris using about $500,000 in grants. The city plans to apply for additional state funding to cover the $750,000 removal of the remaining 400 tons of debris, Burdelski said. The environmental engineering firm Tighe & Bond was hired to oversee the cleanup.
“This building was completely loaded with fallen building debris and various trash brought in by vagrants,” said Harley Langford, a senior environmental specialist with Tighe & Bond. “There was asbestos-containing materials, including floor tiles, pipe installation; there was also PCB-containing paints that were applied to sheetrock and other building components.”
Built in the 1800s, the 72,000-square-foot building was originally a silverware and cutlery manufacturing plant for the International Silver Co. It was used as gun manufacturing facility in the early 1900s before being converted into medical offices. The city purchased the building for just under $700,000 in 2006.
Some evidence of the building’s past remains, including a door with the name “Harold S. Wilkes M.D.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
The day after an inquiry from his office, Courtney received a letter from HUD on Aug. 18. It explains that funds from the Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Program as well as the Home Investment Partnerships Program could be used to assist homeowners with failing foundations.
The programs, both administered by the state Department of Housing, received a total of nearly $19 million last year — $12.2 million in Small Cities CDBG funds and $6.5 million in HOME funds not otherwise allocated to larger cities.
The funds are typically used for a variety of housing and development projects throughout the state, with the distribution determined by the state Department of Housing and the Office of Policy and Management in consultation with the General Assembly.
In June some local leaders brainstormed ideas for financial relief, which HUD officials said in the August letter could be assisted by CDBG and HOME funds.
"I am committed to investigating every possible source of federal assistance that could be available to homeowners in northeastern Connecticut with crumbling foundations," Courtney said. "As more and more residents are discovering that their homes may be impacted by this problem, we are going to need an all-hands-on-deck response in order to make these homeowners whole again."
Kristine Foye, HUD's deputy regional administrator, cautioned that while it is possible to use the funds for foundation replacements, there are many limits on how the funds can be used.
"The HUD-funded Small Cities CDBG Program may be used to repair an individual resident's foundation; however, there are several limitations and requirements on these funds," she said. "The HOME program may also be used to repair an individual's foundation; but, this program has even more stringent terms."
The funds are generally awarded to smaller communities throughout the state, Foye said, and the Department of Housing determines the priorities. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Apartments Proposed For Route 44 Parcel In Canton
A local developer has proposed 144 apartments for a vacant, wooded 7-acre parcel on Route 44.
Those plans were presented to the planning and zoning commission on Wednesday by Arthur Godbout. He met with the commission in a pre-application review, which lets the commission give informal and non-binding comments on what a builder has in mind. No decision was made at the meeting.
The parcel Godbout wants to develop is on the north side of Route 44 between Daynard Drive and East Hill Road.
It is on a stretch of Route 44 that has limited access to water, sewers and other utilities and a mix of retail stores and other businesses.
Godbout told the commission he does not see any potential for more commercial development there. Town Planner Neil Pade said another developer's proposal several years ago for 30,000 square feet of retail on the parcel went nowhere.
"I asked 'What does Canton potentially need?' And I came back with the fact that there might be a market for upscale apartments," Godbout told the commission.What's next is unclear. Godbout has not filed a formal development application with the town, and he told the commission he does not have the means to complete the project. He said he wants to sell the land and an approved building plan to a larger developer.
Godbout told the commission he wanted some assurances that it would approve the apartment complex he outlined on Wednesday. Commission members were generally receptive to his proposal but said they could not give a definite answer until Godbout files an application. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
New Haven planners approve Yale’s Gibbs lab replacement project
NEW HAVEN >> The next step is a demolition permit. Five months after it was first sent to the City Plan Commission, the $70 million Yale Biology building, which will replace Gibbs Laboratory and upgrade other portions of Yale University’s Science Hill, was unanimously approved by that body.
“We are good to go,” said Lauren Zucker, associate vice president for New Haven Affairs and university properties, after the vote Wednesday night. “It is nice to see that the project is finally proceeding. It is great for Yale, great for science, great for jobs, great for New Haven,” Zucker said. Also Wednesday, the commission approved a one-year extension on construction of the university’s two new residential colleges, which are being built on the block bound by Sachem Street, Prospect Street and the Farmington Canal and cost some $500 million. Yale, in a letter, told the commission construction is approximately 70 percent complete on the colleges and it anticipated getting a certificate of occupancy in August 2017. As far as the biology building is concerned, Yale can now go to the city’s Building Department for a permit to raze the current Gibbs biology laboratory on Whitney Avenue and begin site preparation for construction. While the delays were many and caused tension between the Board of Alders and the university, Gibbs essentially was guaranteed smooth sailing after an aldermanic vote in early September. At that point, the board put in place a process for dealing with future parking issues and found that Gibbs would not generate the need for an amendment to the university’s Overall Central/Science Parking Plan. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE