SOUTHINGTON — Construction of the new Hartford HealthCare medical building on Queen Street is about 25 percent complete, according to officials.
Work on the $6.5 million, 45,000 square foot building at 462 Queen St. started nearly a year ago and is expected to be completed in spring.
The Knights Inn and two other buildings were demolished to make room for the medical building, which will offer primary care, imaging, physical therapy, behavioral health, endocrinology, and home care services, said Hartford HealthCare spokesperson Shawn Mawhiney.
The space will “better allow us to meet the community’s healthcare needs,” Mawhiney said in an email. “This $6.5-million project is part of Hartford HealthCare’s continued commitment to ensuring that the Southington community has access to the latest and best state-of-the-art healthcare services.”
Town Manager Garry Brumback said the new building will be a “complement to the emergency department” at Bradley Memorial Campus, also part of Hartford HealthCare’s network.
Hartford HealthCare originally planned to use the Queen Street location for a new emergency room, but changed plans after town officials and residents asked for the emergency room to remain at the Bradley campus, formerly Bradley Memorial Hospital. “A lot of the rumors are that they’re trying to close Bradley and move it (to Queen Street)... everything that I’ve been told and led to believe is that it’s not true,” said Brumback.
Brumback mentioned that the new building, located off Exit 32 of Interstate 84, can help service both Southington residents and neighboring communities.
“I think at the end of the day it’s a great thing,” Brumback added. “It’s important for the community, now that Hartford HealthCare is committed to keep Bradley open, that we support Bradley. If there is care that is provided there that meets your needs, use Bradley.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
A monthslong shutdown of construction work at Dunkin' Donuts Park appears to be near an end with the announcement Tuesday of an agreement to finish the ballpark in time for a home opener next April.
Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said the city had reached an agreement in principle with Arch Insurance to have the bonding surety company take over construction of Dunkin' Donuts Park and pay for the cost – a plan that would have the Hartford Yard Goats play their first-ever home game on April 13, 2017. Still to be determined is who finishes the work. The city terminated the ballpark's developers, Centerplan Construction Co. and DoNo Hartford, in June after they failed to meet a May 17 deadline for substantial completion. Arch could choose to rehire them or find another contractor.Bronin said the takeover agreement announced Tuesday was the solution he envisioned when the city fired the original contractors. "I have no doubt it was the right thing to do, but that doesn't mean it was the guaranteed outcome," Bronin said.
The city is still expected to contribute the remaining $4 million-plus it has on hand for the project, but Bronin said no more taxpayer money will be spent.
Bronin said that Arch has been meeting with subcontractors in anticipation of getting back to work and that he expects the company to make progress toward getting back to work in the coming weeks.
When asked about the possibility that Centerplan be brought back to the job, Bronin said that was up to Arch. City officials have said publicly that they don't think Centerplan should be brought back, based on two failed deadlines to complete the project and cost overruns that have seen the construction costs go from $56 million to more than $70 million.
Raymond Garcia, an attorney for Centerplan and DoNo Hartford, declined to comment Tuesday. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE