January 11, 2017

CT Construction Digest Wednesday January 11, 2017

7 billion-dollar mega-projects that will transform New York City by 2035

New York City has a number of ambitious development and infrastructure projects underway.
Manhattan's most recent transportation upgrade came in the form of the glistening, $4.5 billion Second Avenue subway line, which opened on January 1.
On the other side of the island, Hudson Yards — the most expensive real estate development in American history — is under construction. And on an island in the East River, Cornell University is building a glassy tech campus with classrooms, a hotel, restaurants, and shops for future graduate students. By the middle of this century, the city will look different, and will likely attract even more new residents and tourists than today.
From Manhattan to Brooklyn, here is a look at some of the most substantial projects set to be completed in the next two decades.
Since the September 11 attacks, New York City has been working to redevelop the 16-acre Manhattan site where the Twin Towers and surrounding buildings stood.
As of January, 2017, 1 World Trade Center (also known as the Freedom Tower, the tallest skyscraper in the city), 4 World Trade Center, 7 World Trade Center, a new transit hub, the 9/11 memorial and museum, a mall, and a park are all complete. Two more towers, a small church, and a performing arts center are still in the works. Construction is set to be finished by 2020.
Located on Manhattan's Lower East Side, Essex Crossing will feature 1,000 apartments available to low-, moderate-, and middle-income residents.
The $1.1 billion development will also include a Regal movie theater, a new street market, a bowling alley, and a cultural space.
The once-abandoned site, which features many parking lots today, is the result of a failed 1960s urban renewal scheme by mid-century developer Robert Moses. Construction of Essex Crossing began in 2015 and is set to be complete by 2024. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Connecticut delivers $30,300 in civil penalties to FedEx project

MIDDLETOWN >> A 10-foot inflatable “corporate fat cat” stood tall Monday while local union ironworkers picketed the FedEx construction site on Middle Road.
“That about says it all,” said iron workers warming their hands at a fire burning in an oil drum. The workers, who gestured toward the caricature of a boss with a big diamond ring on one pinkie and his other hand gripping the neck of a construction worker, stood in 20-degree temps while “exercising our First Amendment rights,” they said.Through 2 p.m., five men carried neon yellow signs with messages such as “shame on steel workers,” “shame on BlueScope” and “BlueScope undermines the area standard of wages and benefits” Monday afternoon. Steelworx LLC, a Fedex subcontractor, was issued a $30,300 civil penalty after the state’s labor department issued a stop-work order at the local site because the Florida-based company failed to produce proof of state Worker’s Compensation insurance to labor officials. The penalty came as the weeks-long picket continues by unemployed residents who belong to Ironworkers Local 15. The workers are demonstrating against the hiring practices of Bluescope Construction, which hired Steelworx, in a process that excluded local union workers and hurt state taxpayers, a union official said. “This is a multibillion-dollar, multinational corporation and they put their hand out to squeeze everyone they can get,” charged Joseph Toner, business manager for Ironworkers Local 15, which is based in Hartford.
On Dec. 12, investigators from the state Department of Labor visited the worksite, where the department says Steelworx was unable to produce Connecticut Workers Compensation insurance for its workers. The state issued a stop-work order from Dec. 12 to 16, when the company provided proof of coverage, according to Nancy Steffens, labor department spokesperson. In its investigation, the state learned that Steelworx was not registered to do business in Connecticut. Therefore, it was not paying taxes to the state, Steffens added. In response, the state issued $30,300 in civil penalties, citing a $300-per-day fine for 101 workers counted on the worksite during the six-week period of operation.  The $30,300 penalty is currently pending, Steffens said. “BlueScope undertakes strict selection of qualified subcontractors and is committed to full legal compliance,” Director of Construction Jennifer Morrison said by email. Steelworx was contacted by phone and email Monday and Tuesday for a response to the civil penalties issued, the lack of state business registration by Steelworx and the picket line. On Tuesday, a man answered the phone and identified the business as Steelworx. After a request for comment, the man claimed to be in the middle of a meeting before asking for a call the next day and hanging up. “As with all FedEx Ground facility construction projects, including the new hub in Middletown, we select vendors who are solely responsible for the selection of qualified workers and subcontractors,” David Westrick, FedEx Ground Media Relations, said in an email.  “In all aspects of FedEx Ground operations, we are committed to complying with law and regulations applicable to our business and we expect the same from our vendors.” The 525,000-square-foot FedEx Ground distribution hub is being built on a 260-acre property purchased in March from Aetna for $18 million. The FedEx site is under the supervision of Chicago-based developer Barton Malow, who hired general contractor BlueScope Construction, of Missouri.  “We have some great employers out there and others who don’t understand the rules,” said Steffens. “Other employers think it’s easier, cheaper to operate that way.” Jobs offered by Steelworx might pay as little as $12 an hour without benefits while a union worker might earn up to $65 an hour in wages and benefits, explained Toner. A worker’s comp insurance policy is very expensive for the company, with policies for ironworkers costing as much as $300,000, he added. For any worker hurt on the job who seeks treatment at Middlesex Hospital without insurance, ultimately, it’s the local taxpayers who pick up the tab, Toner said.  “If workers get hurt, there’s no money to pay for health care,” agreed Steffens. “Taxpayers would have to take it on.”FedEx, a company valued at $44 billion by Forbes, applied for a state tax incentive program to abate 80 percent of its tax bill for five years, with the state responsible to reimburse the city for half of the abatement amount.  CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Report: Solar installations eating up Connecticut farmland

 HARTFORD >> A new report both documents and warns about the surge in proposals to use farmland and forest for the construction of large solar electricity-generating facilities in Connecticut. The Council on Environmental Quality published a draft report aimed at finding ways to stimulate solar energy facilities in Connecticut in places other than farms and forests. It suggested the state develop policies that will guide solar photovoltaic power facilities toward brownfields, industrial lands and other disturbed areas.
“As a state working hard toward a sustainable economy, we should not be pitting solar energy against agriculture and forests,” CEQ Council Chairman Susan Merrow said. “We can have green power and green farms and forests, but we need to find ways to steer the power facilities toward industrial properties and other previously-developed land.” Some of the draft report’s conclusions include:
-  In an average year, the state preserves about 1,700 acres of farmland and forest land. In 2016, the area of farmland and forest selected by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and/or approved by the Connecticut Siting Council for development of solar facilities nearly equaled that amount.
- Connecticut is unprepared to guide the placement of solar facilities to minimize their environmental damage.
- There are two decision points where state agencies influence the location of utility-scale solar facilities: DEEP’s selection of facilities to supply Eversource and United Illuminating with electricity from renewable sources, and the Connecticut Siting Council’s approval of the facilities. The draft report calls the Siting Council’s approval “nearly automatic” because of outdated statutes.
Karl Wagener, CEQ executive director, said there has been a “surge in utility-scale solar energy facilities,” as a result of state laws encouraging renewable energy. 
“However, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has been selecting projects based almost entirely on price, which leads developers to propose the facilities on farmland and forest avoiding, as most developers do, the costs and uncertainties of building on brownfields or other previously-developed properties,” Wagener said.
“Regulatory approval of the facilities is nearly automatic and does not take into account the impact to farmland or forests, because of the language of the outdated laws. Connecticut can do better, but currently is not prepared to guide these energy facilities toward appropriate sites,” Wagener said.
The report asks the question: “Could Connecticut identify non-conservation state properties that might be suitable for solar photovoltaic facilities and lease them to bidders?’’ CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Demolition of fire ravaged Berlin train station begins today

BERLIN — Crews will demolish what remains of the historic Berlin train station Tuesday morning, nearly three weeks after a fire destroyed the building.
“They don’t want to take anymore chances,” Town Fire Marshal Steve Waznia said Monday.
  Waznia said because the remnants of the station are “extremely unstable” trains have been slowed in the area. Several days of sub-freezing temperatures increase the risk that the remaining walls could crumble, he said.
The building was deemed a total loss after the early-morning Dec. 21 fire. Only pieces made of metal and stone survived.

The cause of the fire has not been determined. Waznia said he is hoping for a more definitive answer Tuesday about where the fire originated.
Previously, investigators said the fire started on the first floor in the north end of the station. There were no security cameras at the station, so officials are relying on video taken from surrounding areas.
Waznia said construction was taking place at the former train station on Dec. 20 until 3:30 p.m. The work was part of renovations that were started a year ago by the state Department of Transportation, which is leasing the building from Amtrak.
Normal train activity will continue once the station is fully demolished.
A petition, with more than 100 signatures, has been circulating to rebuild the former station using the salvaged pieces
Groton — On the heels of the Navy's call for 18 more attack submarines, Electric Boat President Jeffrey Geiger said Monday the submarine builder is poised to meet the Navy's demand provided it has the time to build up its workforce, supplier base and facilities.
In a mid-December report, the Navy outlined its need to boost its number of ships to 355 compared to the 272 it has now, including an increase in attack submarines from 48 to 66.
"That sends a signal about the kind of utility of the submarines, what the Navy needs in terms of the missions it's trying to execute, and overall forecasts a pretty positive future for submarines," Geiger said Monday morning in delivering his annual update to the usual crowded room of local government and business officials at the Mystic Marriott.
In recent weeks, the Navy has talked to EB about its capacity to simultaneously build two or even three Virginia-class attack submarines and a Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine.
To get to 66 attack submarines, there would need to be a dramatic uptick in construction, Geiger said.
EB is already preparing to spend $1.5 billion to expand its facilities in Groton and Quonset Point, R.I. In Groton, EB envisions expanding its already large, green building on the Groton waterfront where assembly and delivery of the Virginia submarines occurs. Geiger also pointed to the possibility of in-water development such as piers, and building a floating dry dock on the south end of its Groton campus to be able to deliver the Columbia-class submarines.
Current plans call for building one Virginia-class submarine each year that a Columbia-class submarine is built, which could happen as early as the fall of 2020, Geiger said. Meanwhile, federal lawmakers have asked the Navy to report on the possibility of adding an additional Virginia submarine during that time.
The Navy buys submarines in blocks, and the additional Virginia-class submarine would be added to the Block V contract that is expected to be awarded in late 2018.
U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, who has advocated for the additional submarine, said he was "very confident" it would be added to help mitigate the anticipated drop in attack submarines.
The Navy currently has 52 attack submarines, which is slightly above the requirement set in 2004 of 48. Under current plans, the number of attack submarines will drop to a low of 41 in the late 2020s.
If the current two-a-year production rate of Virginia-class attack submarines continued, the Navy would reach the 66 boat requirement in the 2040s, according to Geiger. If the Virginia submarines were built at a faster rate of three per year, the Navy would reach 66 boats in the 2030s, he said.
"Based on the needs of the country, there's a much stronger probability of an opportunity for increased construction rates of submarines in the future than a decrease," Geiger said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Killingly officials sketching tentative contracts with power plant company

KILLINGLY - As a state agency continues to discuss whether to approve permitting for a controversial power plant in Killingly, town officials are crafting contracts aimed at ensuring the town will reap the proper financial benefits if the project moves forward.
The Town Council as early as this month could be presented with a proposed tax revenue agreement with NTE Energy - the Florida-based company proposing to build a 550-megawatt power plant in the Dayville section of town - that, if approved, would mean up to $90 million in revenue being funneled into town coffers.
"That number is based on conversations with the town assessor and on the predicted value of the property the plant is being proposed for," Town Manager Sean Hendricks said.
If that figure remains unchanged, NTE would become the town's largest taxpayer, officials said.
In October, NTE representatives proposed a 22-year, $80.8 million tax agreement for Killingly with an annual tax payment equal to more than 10 percent of the town's annual budget.
Hendricks said he's also finalizing a Community Environmental Benefits Agreement with NTE that will likely require the energy company to provide roughly $5 million in cash to the town. NTE previously said they were prepared to offer $2 million.
The use of that money must carry some sort of environmental benefit, though town officials have wide leeway in defining its use. At a November meeting, residents' suggestions for the use of the money included replacement of community center windows, upgrading recreational infrastructure at Owen Bell Park and replenishing the town's Open Space Acquisition Fund.
"These agreements are things we have to have in place early, whether the plant's permits get approved or not," Hendricks said.
In addition to the two agreements, Hendricks said he wants a formal document providing property value protection for homeowners living near the proposed plant site on Lake Road.
"In Burrillville, R.I., a similar agreement included a real estate protection clause that called for developers to pay for property appraisals in the area near the proposed plant and to pay the difference if values dropped after a period of time," he said.
The Connecticut Siting Council, the agency responsible for issuing permits for power plants in the state, is expected to rule on NTE's application by the spring. The project has drawn criticism from residents concerned about air quality and water use issues. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

New Country BMW's $5M expansion

Germany's BMW automobiles is behind a $5 million expansion of the marque's showroom – and eventually staffing -- in the city's North Meadows.
Construction is underway on the eastern face of New Country Motor Cars Inc.'s BMW new-used car showroom-service center at 1 Weston St., directly across the road from the $3 million New Country Mini showroom that bowed in 2014.
Tim Parker, New Country vice president in charge of its three BMW, Mini and Mercedes-Benz/Sprinter Van showrooms clustered together in the meadows, said completion is set for later this summer.
"We've kind of outgrown our space over the last 10 years,'' Parker said. "All three of our facilities will now be modern and updated.''
New Country BMW's service center previously underwent an extensive renovation/expansion, and the showroom upgrade -- totaling several thousand square feet -- is the final piece of the project, he said.
Among the enhancements to the BMW facility, elements of which reflect parent BMW's "future retail program,'' Parker said, will be installation of a three-lane driveway leading to the service department. He said that will help accommodate the 80 to 100 vehicles arriving daily for service.
Inside, BMW showroom and service customers will have access to more well-appointed waiting areas, as well as canteen space to be known as the Isetta Coffee Bar – a tribute to BMW's iconic, three-wheeled "bubble-car'' of the 1950s.
Florida-based Autobuilders General Contractors Inc. is the builder. Penney Design Group, of Bethesda, Md., is architect. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Officials Plan To Replace Two Local Bridges

Town residents can expect to spend 2017 continuing to detour around the closed Sheldon Road bridge while officials work on planning its replacement, slated for sometime in 2018.
The Sheldon Road bridge will be replaced concurrently with a bridge on Norman Road, said Griswold Public Works Supervisor Todd Babbitt.
"Both of them are the same type of construction," he said.
By putting the projects out to bid together, town officials hope to employ one contractor and lower overall construction costs, he said.
The Sheldon Road bridge was closed last February after erosion from a heavy rainstorm severely undermined its foundation. The foundation had been exposed since the previous autumn, when the lake was dramatically drawn down to allow repairs on the Glasgo Dam downstream.
The closure has complicated life for neighbors and necessitated a detour to Camputaro Memorial Athletic Field, where local youth soccer teams practice and play. Pedestrians and cyclists are also prohibited from using the bridge in the interim due to the bridge's compromised state.
Even though the pond will remain low through this winter, the design won't be completed and the necessary permits obtained until after it has been refilled, said Babbitt. That will both complicate the new construction and make it more expensive, he said. The lake is expected to be refilled beginning next January, in time for summer recreation.
The jury is still out on whether the pond can be partially drawn down again to facilitate construction of the new bridge. David Schain, a spokesperson for the DEEP, said that although the usual draw-down schedule for dock repairs is every two to three years, it's not out of the question to do it sooner.
"If there were a request for us to consider that, we would review it," he said.
Schain said that the DEEP will begin allowing Glasgo Pond to naturally refill by the end of January. Refilling the pond will allow for the re-establishment of fish and other wildlife and for recreational use of the pond this summer, he said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Spurned Developer Vows To Fight For East Hartford Casino

Spurned casino developer Anthony W. Ravosa Jr. vowed Tuesday to fight in the legislature for East Hartford as the best location for the state's possible third casino, even though it has been eliminated from contention.
"The state has a rightful place at the table as a major stakeholder in this decision and there should be no capitulation at this time," Ravosa said at a news conference. "The General Assembly should not simply abdicate to MMCT's wishes based purely on their say so."On Friday, MMCT, a joint venture of the operators of Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos, eliminated Hartford, East Hartford and South Windsor as potential locations, leaving Windsor Locks and East Windsor as finalists.
A Hartford-area satellite casino has been pushed as a strategy for preserving state revenue and jobs tied to gaming as MGM Resorts International builds a $950 million gambling and entertainment complex in Springfield. The satellite casino would cost $200 million to  $300 million. Ravosa blasted the Mashantucket Pequots and Mohegans for choosing options that would not impact their flagship casinos in southeastern Connecticut but also would not generate the most revenue for the state of Connecticut.
"I've dealt with this long-standing philosophical approach that they've got to get up [I-91] because somehow, some way, being 10 or 12 or 13 miles farther north is going to be less impactful to their existing operations," Ravosa said.
He added: "Why is anyone going to drive up 91, stop at an MMCT casino as opposed to driving on to a close to billion dollar enterprise that's located in the heart of downtown Springfield?"
Andrew Doba, an MMCT spokesman, dismissed Ravosa's comments.
"Mr. Ravosa can say whatever he likes," Doba said. "But the facts on this issue are simple – if MGM wins, Connecticut loses. Comments from a developer whose site was not selected don't change that equation." Ravosa has been the most vocal of potential casino developers. He secured an option on the long-vacant Showcase Cinemas along I-84 in East Hartford, and later expanded the size of his proposed casino. He also added the potential element of a convention host hotel at the Radisson in downtown Hartford, where he held Tuesday's news conference. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Mini-Crawler Cranes – ConExpo-Con/AGG 2017

Maeda USA and Maeda is preparing to make a big splash at CONEXPO 2017, March 7- 11 in Las Vegas, with the introduction of its newest Mini-Crawler Crane
At its exhibit in Gold Lot # G-4017, Maeda will introduce the new CC1485, the only small Telescopic Boom Crawler Crane marketed in North America. The CC1485 will replace the LC785 and will be available in North America in 2017. CC1485 features include:
•6.6 ton capacity telescopic boom crawler on a heavy duty steel undercarriage
•No-outrigger design offers a 72.2' maximum hook height and near zero tail swing
•CC model is similar in size and design to the popular mini-excavators, except equipped with a telescopic boom and hook
•Will display at ConExpo with an Offset Swing Away Fly-Jib attachment for optimal height
Maeda will also exhibit three current MC series models with various attachments. All models are outrigger based, small and narrow Mini-Crane design for access to tight work spaces and limited access job sites.
The 3.1 ton MC285-2 has a 31.5' maximum tip height and a 30" machine width for access through any doorway. It is the most useful for the tightest spots. Versions of the MC285-2 being exhibited will include the Dual Powered Diesel & Electric model, as well as the Dual Powered Gasoline & LPG model. Attachments for the MC285-2 being exhibited include Searcher Hook boom tip extensions, and long reach Auxiliary Winch assembly with 340' of wire rope capacity for work well below the machine.
The MC305-2 has a 3.3-ton capacity with a 47' maximum tip height, with capacity throughout the lift chart double the MC285-2. The Dual Powered Diesel & Electric model will be exhibited with the optional Maeda Single Person Man Basket for lifting of personnel.
The 4.2-ton rated MC405 offers a maximum tip height of 67' off the optional Fly Jib attachment which will be exhibited. The dual powered Diesel & Electric model will be on display, with the single line Overhaul Ball. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE