NEW BRITAIN — Mayor Erin Stewart’s State of the City address wasn’t the only item on Wednesday night’s Common Council agenda.
Columbus Commons — the $55 million, two-building development that is to be built on the site of the old police headquarters — is one step closer to fruition. The project is a mixed-use site combining retail and residential units in 230,000 square feet of space.
The council voted to approve a resolution that gives developer Xenolith Partners, LLC, a residential tax abatement that limits taxes to $900 per unit for the initial 80 apartments, with increases of 3 percent annually for up to 30 years. The resolution also gives Xenolith a commercial assessment deferral for up to seven years beginning on either the first assessment date of partial construction or the first assessment date after the issuing of a certificate of occupancy.
The company will see a 100 percent deferral of the increase related to the commercial portion of construction in the first two assessment years, followed by gradual decreased deferrals beginning in the third year.
In other business, the council took up a resolution for an increase in annual licensing fees for fixed food establishments in the city.
"This is a small increase and we are still well below comparable towns in our area," Alderman Jamie Giantonio said in support of the resolution.
Under the resolution, annual fees for all "classes" of fixed food establishments would go up — each by different amounts.
Health Director Sergio Lupo went into more detail about the increases and the differences between food establishments.
"It’s based on the frequency of the inspection annually," Lupo said of the different classes. "Class II (is inspected) two times a year, Class III three times a year and Class IV four times a year." CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
A fierce debate over casino expansion in Connecticut spilled over into the legislature Thursday during a hearing on two bills that would take the state in different directions in establishing a third casino.
On the one side, supporters of a vision by the Mashantucket Pequots and Mohegans for a satellite casino in East Windsor. They stressed the tribes' deep roots in Connecticut and their longtime partnership with the state that has brought $7 billion in slot revenue to the state coffers from Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun. But on the other side, there was an equally strong push for a new approach: cast a wider net for proposals and operators that might benefit Connecticut even more. Those proposals could be compared with what the Mashantucket Pequots and Mohegans — the operators of Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun — are offering.Dozens packed a room at the Legislative Office Building for a hearing before the public safety and security committee, and each side came ready with a battery of experts. The consultants covered everything from where a third casino would generate the most revenue and jobs for the state to how the tribes' agreements with the state that provide a 25 percent cut of slot revenues would be affected by expansion.
So many numbers were thrown around Thursday that at one point state Rep. Daniel S. Rovero, D-Killingly, suggested the committee hire its own consultant for advice.
"We have no expert in the gaming industry to assist us," Rovero said. "None of us are experts in the gaming industry."
The committee also heard from another Native American tribe in addition to East Windsor officials and residents, and opponents to casino gambling.
The leaders of the tribes urged the committee to support its plan for East Windsor, a strategy to compete with the $950 million casino and entertainment complex now under construction in Springfield by MGM Resorts International Inc. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
New Haven officials unveil finalized plans for new Fort Nathan Hale Park pier
NEW HAVEN >> Edward Bednar doesn’t fish much these days.
It’s mostly due to Superstorm Sandy, the furious storm that leveled one of his favorite fishing spots, the Fort Nathan Hale Park pier, in October 2012. Since then he’s fished with friends on boats occasionally, but he’s longing for a chance to carry his bait and tackle on a wooden pier where he usually reeled in striped bass. He prefers the stability over the rocking on a boat and the sense of community these structures often harbor.On Thursday, Bednar and the rest of the East Shore community got some good news. Parks Department Director Rebecca Bombero and City Engineer Giovanni Zinn led Thursday’s meeting at Nathan Hale School to update residents like Bednar about the city’s plans to rebuild the pier, plans which have been finalized and may go out to bid as early as next month. The city wants the pier to be completely rebuilt and opened by this year. The new pier is designed by Race Coastal Engineering.Bednar and several other residents gave favorable reviews of the new designs during a public meeting held by the city Thursday. The new pier will be about 10 feet longer and include a hammerhead walkway at its end that will include a single 40-foot octagonal space.“I’m 72 years old,” Bendar said prior to the meeting’s start. “I didn’t think I’d live to see it repaired.” The city received $1.8 million from the state Bonding Commission in July 2015 to repair the structure, thanks in part to state Senate Pro Tempore Martin Looney, D-New Haven, who attended the meeting Thursday and received applause for his work in securing funding.“This is something we did work on, secure the $1.8 million state grant,” Looney said. “Alders were of course supportive as well.”The plans were influenced heavily by public input. Zinn said the state previously owned the pier, but after some discussion, the city obtained the structure. Zinn said the pier was nearing the end of its lifespan when it was destroyed. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Construction cuts offered
WATERBURY – Faced with Republican reluctance to pump another $29 million into a pair of linked city construction projects, Mayor Neil M. O’Leary has offered options for trimming costs by up to $4 million.
But some of the proposed cuts do away with funding for indispensable items, like moving expenses and furniture. Officials acknowledge that money would have to be found elsewhere.
Last month, O’Leary asked the Board of Aldermen to increase to $89.4 million the budget for a pair of linked and ongoing construction projects – construction of a Department of Public Works facility and redevelopment of the former Chase Brass and Copper Co. metalworks off Thomaston Avenue.
In 2010, the administration of former Mayor Michael J. Jarjura sought and received authorization to borrow $60.4 million for the projects. Since then, according to O’Leary administration officials, construction costs have escalated, there have been environmental surprises and the city has piled on additional rehab work at the Chase Brass site, now known as Waterbury Industrial Commons.
Republicans initially balked at the increase but have indicated they are willing to compromise. O’Leary, on Monday, met with Republicans behind closed doors during their caucus to present two options cutting costs by either $3 million or $4 million.
The $4 million reduction option scales back spending on the DPW facility, which is being built out of a former MacDermid chemical plant off Huntingdon Avenue. It cuts back heavily on “critical” add-ons, including: additional workshops, an extra bay for vehicle maintenance, a storage garage, a vehicle storage canopy, an automated vehicle wash bay and reconstruction of the floor of another vehicle storage area.
City Finance Director Michael LeBlanc said this option leaves enough money for concrete and site work that will make it easier to restore some of these amenities in the future.
Both versions cut $119,376 that was to go to the Waterbury Development Corp. to help manage the project.
Option No. 2 keeps the workshops, extra vehicle bay and garage storage area, and attempts savings elsewhere. It cuts $500,000 from a project at Waterbury Industrial Commons to provide Luvata – one of the manufacturers leasing from the city – with additional space. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE