STAMFORD — Drivers and pedestrians passing by a construction site on Bedford Street may heard some thunderous blasts in recent weeks.
It’s the sound of construction workers blasting a large rock at the site of the city’s new police headquarters, which is adjacent to existing police station.
The new 94,000-square-foot, three-story building and attached four-story parking garage are expected to be completed in February 2019. O&G Industries is leading the $45 million project.
A video shot April 10 by Jeffrey Pardo, of the city’s Engineering Department, shows an eight-second dynamite blast from different angles.
Bridge construction to start in Monroe
MONROE — The Department of Transportation will start construction on a full replacement of a bridge on Route 111 near Ryegate Terrance that carries over an unnamed brook.
The construction will begin on April 24 and is scheduled to finish in November.
It will be a two stage project, with the first stage maintaining the existing bridge while the western part of the roadways, sidewalks, drainage, and the bridge, itself are constructed.
The second stage will focus on the eastern part of the new bridge, with traffic being shifted to the portion of the road constructed in the first stage.
Local detours will also be put in place as Ryegate Terrace will be closed during the second stage.
Cromwell to start road repairs for the season
CROMWELL >> As residents shake free from winter’s lingering grasp, the town is about to embark on a new regimen of road repairs.
Director of Public Works Louis J. Spina has announced that beginning in May, the town will repair and repave the roads on Alexander Drive, Marsal Lane, Sandford Lane, Scott Lane and a portion of Winthrop Boulevard. The roads are located west of Washington Road and south of Court Street.The project is just the latest in a continuing series of road-repair projects conducted by the town that have seen more than 11.5 miles of town roads repaired in one fashion or another from 2014-16.“The proposed construction consists of milling, reclaiming existing asphalt, and applying new hot mix asphalt and replacing asphalt curbs,” Spina said in announcing the project.
The repaving work will be conducted by Tilcon Connecticut, Spina said. The work is “part of a town-wide pavement restoration project” that will also include work on “several other streets,” and which is scheduled to completed this summer,” Spina said.
“Some driveway aprons may be replaced as required,” he said. “Town crews will be removing curbing as weather permits prior to road reconstruction.” Residents are reminded that the town is not responsible for damage during construction to objects located within the town right-of-way such as underground dog fences, irrigation systems, etc. “We would also like to remind residents of the Town of Cromwell mailbox location policy, which can be found at www.cromwellct.com located in the Engineering department page,” Spina said In all, the town is responsible for approximately 56 miles of roads, according to information on the highway department’s page on the town’s website. Sixteen roads, totalling some 2.46 miles in all, were “reconstructed” in that time frame, according to an accounting of road repair projects released Thursday by Town Manager Anthony J. Salvatore. In addition to the reconstruction, other roads (1.43 miles) were overlaid, meaning they had a new coat of asphalt laid down. Another 2.12 miles of roads were milled and then paved.“Cold milling or planing can remove aged or damaged bridge decks, even those composed of tough, latex modified concrete; remove wheel ruts and improve friction coefficients; excavate damaged shoulders quickly and with minimal risk to workers or motorists; refine butt joints; restore road profiles; reveal curbs to improve storm water drainage; remove asphalt pavements full-depth; trim road bases prior to asphalt or concrete placement; and pulverize asphalt pavements,” according to a definition of process contained on the website “Equipment World’s Better Roads.”Another 1.57 miles of road were reclaimed, meaning the existing asphalt roadway was removed, broken up and used as a binder before a new asphalt roadway is installed. Finally, another 3.99 miles of roads were crack sealed, according to the road repair inventory. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Downtown Meriden projects progressing
MERIDEN – Downtown will be buzzing with construction activity next month when the city demolishes the former Record-Journal building and developers break ground on a new apartment building at 117 State St. Developers are also expected to present plans to the City Council next month to convert the abandoned Meriden-Wallingford Hospital to a mixed-use commercial and senior living complex. Here is an update on some of the projects in downtown.
11 Crown St.
Demolition on the former Record-Journal building is slated to begin May 5. The building has been fenced off and interior abatement of the building is currently underway.
The Michael’s Organization plans to spend $27 million constructing a 63-unit apartment building with 18 townhouses. Design and engineering plans are nearly complete and the developer is waiting to hear on the last source of funding for the project , said Economic Development Director Juliet Burdelski. “If they get the last piece of funding they will be ready to start,” Burdelski said. “Construction on the new building could start this year.”
Manafort Brothers has been selected for the demolition, expected to cost $1.36 million. The demolition, funded by a state grant, is expected to take six to eight weeks. After the building is razed, Manafort will doing grading on the site to stabilize the hillside before construction begins.
Traffic will be impacted during demolition in June and July, Burdelski said, but no street closures are anticipated.
A demolition ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. on May 5. Record-Journal President and Publisher Eliot White has been invited to speak along with Mayor Kevin Scarpati.
“We just want the public to know it’s the end of an era at the Record-Journal, but the beginning of a new life for the site,” Burdelski said.
1 King Place (former Meriden-Wallingford Hospital)
City officials met with the developer, 1 King Place LLC, early last week to review plans to convert the abandoned 325,000-square-foot building into a housing and commercial complex.
The estimated $35 million project calls for 100 market rate apartments for senior citizens, medical offices, assisted living services and retail, Burdelski said. Space may also be available to relocate the fire station currently on Pratt Street. That aspect of the plan would have to be “negotiated separately,” by the City Council, Burdelski said.
The city has agreed to work with the developer on securing funds for the $5 million clean up of site. While the city has applied for a $240,000 grant from the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the rest of the funding for the clean up would need to come from the state or bonds.
Burdelski hopes to present the plans to the City Council by May 1. The Council will then vote on whether to enter into an agreement with the developer.
“We’re interested in moving forward with this developer,” Burdelski said. “We’re all very encouraged by the proposal. It’s a different kind of project because it’s a market rate commercial development primarily.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Newington-based Enterprise Builders Inc. submitted the winning $4.2 million bid to serve as the general contractor for the roughly 13,000-square-foot building.
Ryan Burdick, chairman of the Emergency Services Building Committee and a member of the fire company, said it was "a much-needed win for the volunteers in the town."
"We're still holding back our excitement until we see shovels going in the ground," he said. "But it definitely is a positive."
The building committee deliberated on Monday night after conducting a review with Capitol Region Education Council, which has been chosen as the project manager, to ensure that each of the bids reflected the project plans. Ultimately, Burdick said, the committee decided to forward the lowest two bids to the Board of Selectmen.
The lowest bid came from Lawrence Brunoli Inc., a Farmington contractor, which bid $43,000 less than Enterprise Builders. However, the selectmen, after a short executive session, approved the bid from Enterprise Builders.
"We reviewed evaluations of the lowest bidder (and) made determinations to pass over that one," First Selectman Shawn Murphy said
Once a contract is signed, Enterprise said in its bid that it could begin construction immediately and complete the project within 308 days. A representative from Enterprise Builders did not respond to a request for comment.
With the site already cleared, two sets of architectural plans submitted and paid for, and associated administrative costs, Murphy said the total amount left in the budget for construction still needs to be calculated. The town also will be getting short-term financing later than expected, which means with inflation that costs have increased since planning for the project began.
However, he said that the project was "within budget for awarding this contract."
He credited CREC and the building committee, downsized after voters failed to approve $2.24 million to cover higher bids in August 2015, with bringing the project within budget. Members of the committee had been readying the bid package since fall.
Enterprise Builders previously has worked on the $18 million Charter Oak Headquarters project and the expansion and redesign of the Lyme Town Hall and library.
Work on Gold Star Memorial Bridge to start Monday
Construction work on the southbound span of the Gold Star Memorial Bridge is scheduled to begin about 8 p.m. Monday, according to the state Department of Transportation.
Structural steel repairs, concrete deck patching, replacement of expansion joints, upgrades to lights, and re-paving are major components of the rehabilitation project, the DOT said in a news release. The project, which is expected to be completed in Nov. 2018, calls for long-term lane closures.
Work will begin Monday night to adjust line striping and to begin to install the concrete barriers that will seal off the construction zone, said Keith Schoppe, project engineer for DOT. Nighttime work will continue through the week with the goal of installing the barriers by the end of the week.
The DOT is installing the barriers on the left side of the bridge for the initial phase of the project. Traffic will be shifted to the right. The DOT has said it will maintain four lanes on the bridge through the summer months, and three lanes will be open at all other times. The DOT anticipates construction work will mostly be done during the day.
DOT said it will work on the left side of the southbound bridge for the first half of the project, and then move to the right side.
All entrance and exit ramps will remain open during construction, but additional lanes may be closed during off-peak hours, according to the DOT.
The Day will post updates on lane closures as they are announced during the construction project.
Chance to develop Preston property arrives, vote yes
How could a development effort 20 years in the making, one with major implications for a small town, reach what appears to be an anticlimactic ending? Yet that seems to be case in Preston. Townspeople will decide in a referendum Tuesday whether to support a proposal by the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority to redevelop the 388-acre property that once served as the campus for Norwich Hospital.
Maybe it’s because residents are generally satisfied with a Mohegan plan that has generated no controversy or organized opposition. Or perhaps the public has simply grown weary of failed plans and baseless speculation about the property, and so tuned out.
Whatever the reason, Preston residents don’t seem very engaged in a proposal that would dwarf any prior projects in the rural town. Crowds at two informational meetings were relatively small and only 40 people showed up at the town meeting that set Tuesday’s vote. And they had no questions!
The last time the townspeople took a similar vote was in May 2006, when they were asked to approve a massive movie studio/theme park development called Utopia. Seventy percent of eligible voters showed up and approved the measure, a turnout more typical of a presidential election.
It did not end well. After the Utopia developers failed to meet several stipulations in the development deal, the town terminated the agreement. It was an ugly, litigious breakup.
While the turnout Tuesday — voting goes from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Town Hall — is not likely come near that 2006 vote, it is a vitally important decision and voters should take the opportunity to weigh in.
The strategy of the MTGA is clear. Its Mohegan Sun Casino, located across the Thames River from the Preston property, is facing growing casino competition in neighboring states. Its plans for the Preston property, renamed and marketed by the town as Preston Riverwalk, is to diversify its entertainment offerings as Mohegan Sun becomes a resort with attractions that go well beyond gaming.
The tribal authority plan foresees an entertainment and sports complex, with skiing on a synthetic surface, a marina, sports training facilities, an indoor water park, theme park attractions, as many as three hotels, senior housing, and time-share units.
After years of failed attempts to develop the land that the town obtained from the state in 2009, skepticism is understandable. But the Mohegan tribe is motivated to make this development a reality and it has a proven development record.
The Property Disposition and Development Agreement that voters are asked to approve has both incentives to encourage development and safeguards to make sure the town does not walk away empty handed if there is little or no progress.
Projects valued at $45 million or more would be taxed at 60 percent of assessed value for the first five years; projects valued from $10 million to $45 million at 75 percent for those five years; and projects less than that at full assessed value. When it assumes ownership, the gaming authority will start paying taxes on the undeveloped property. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Green light for gas pipeline expansion
Federal regulators on Wednesday issued a key approval for a $93 million expansion of pipeline infrastructure that will bring more natural gas to Connecticut.
Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co.'s so-called Connecticut Expansion Project, first proposed in 2014, involves building nearly 14 miles of pipeline in New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut. The largest portion, 8.3 miles, will be in Suffield and East Granby.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's "notice to proceed" allows TGP, a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan, to begin construction, including the controversial clearing trees of trees in a state forest in Western Massachusetts.
Environmental groups and others had unsuccessfully challenged the project in Massachusetts state court. In December, Kinder Morgan agreed to pay the state $640,000 to compensate for tree removal in Otis State Forest, the Hartford Courant reported.
The project has a scheduled completion date of Nov. 1 and is expected to provide approximately 72,100 dekatherms per day of additional natural gas capacity to subsidiaries of Eversource and Avangrid, according to Kinder Morgan.
The company had previously proposed a much larger $3 billion pipeline project called Northeast Energy Direct, which it shelved last year, blaming a lack of needed customer commitments.
Union Station Planning Meetings Scheduled As Part Of I-84 Viaduct Project
State planners are inviting the public to offer suggestions on what should be done with historic Union Station after a new train station is built as part of the I-84 viaduct replacement.
The transportation department is hosting forums on April 20 in Hartford and April 25 in East Hartford to learn what taxpayers think.
"We'll have brief presentations, but mostly what we want to do is listen to the public and hear ideas," said Richard Armstrong, the DOT's project manager.
The state intends to rebuild a 2-mile stretch of elevated I-84 through the city. Its plan is to construct a new one at ground level or slightly below, and so far public attention has focused mostly on whether the new section of highway could be a tunnel.
But a central part of the plan involves relocating a mile or so of railroad tracks, a change that would essentially strand Union Station because Amtrak's line would go about two blocks to the west.
The DOT envisions a new station for trains and buses, possibly between Garden Street and Asylum Avenue. Planners say it would be a transit hub serving taxis, pedestrians and cyclists as well.That leaves the future of Union Station in limbo, though, and some residents are suggesting it be retained as bus station for Greyhound, Peter Pan and possibly CT Transit services. The DOT has also heard recommendations to make it a museum.
"It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and will remain a protected landmark," the DOT said in its I-84 project newsletter. "However, it's poised for change. Could it become a reinvigorated commercial center, a hub for bus operations, or another idea that has yet to emerge?"
The station was built in 1889 and reconstructed 25 years later because of a major fire. It houses the Greater Hartford Transit District offices, and handles passengers for about a dozen Amtrak trains a day as well as long-haul bus riders.
The frequency of trains is scheduled to rise sharply next winter when the Hartford Line commuter operation begins, and Union Station will be its Hartford stop for at least a few years. The state last year spent about $3 million to improve Union Station's handicapped accessibility and security while installing a 260-foot-long, elevated platform to speed loading and unloading of passengers.
Even under optimistic projections, construction of the I-84 project won't begin for several years.
The DOT is also looking at redesigning the I-84 and I-91 interchange, and seeks the public's ideas about that, too. The April 20 and April 25 sessions will each include time for discussing Union Station as well as the interchange.
The schedule both days includes an open house from 4 to 8 p.m., with a presentation at 5:30 p.m. and separate workshops at 6:15 p.m. to explore the I-91 interchange and Union Station issues. The April 20 session will be at the Hartford Public Library at 500 Main St.; the April 25 session will be at the Raymond Library, 840 Main St., East Hartford. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
General Assembly To Take Up Third Casino Expansion Bill
With legislative support for casino expansion uncertain, the General Assembly's finance committee will dig into revenue implications for the state in the third gambling expansion bill to be considered by state lawmakers this session.
Sen. John W. Fonfara, D-Hartford and co-chairman of the finance, revenue and bonding committee, said Thursday the bill would open up any potential expansion to more operators, in addition to the plan by Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun to establish a "satellite" casino in East Windsor.
The plan by the Mashantucket Pequots and Mohegans is aimed at keeping gambling dollars — and Connecticut's share of that revenue — and jobs tied to the gaming industry from flowing to a $950 million casino complex now under construction in Springfield.
"We don't know if that is the most effective way to protect Connecticut and advance our interests," Fonfara said. He said the committee will take a close look at what other states, particularly Massachusetts, are requiring of casino operators. Fonfara had confirmed a month ago that the finance committee would consider a casino expansion bill and focus on revenue for the state. The bill, now drafted, will be considered at a public hearing Monday at 11 a.m. in room 2E of the legislative office building in Hartford.
The finance bill is the third piece of proposed casino expansion legislation to be considered by state lawmakers this year. Two bills — one supporting the tribes' plan for East Windsor and a competing bill that also would open up the process to more potential operators — both passed out of the public safety and security committee last month, neither with a strong mandate.
A broad cross section of public safety committee members said they were uncomfortable with recommending legislation when there were too many unanswered questions. The questions included the impact on a decades-old, slot revenue-sharing agreement that gives the tribes exclusive right to operate casinos in Connecticut and whether another location in the state might be better. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Route 67 in Seymour closes Monday for construction of greenway trail; Route 8 still accessible
SEYMOUR >> A portion of Route 67 near the southbound Route 8 entrance ramp downtown will be closed starting Monday so ongoing construction to the town’s first scenic greenway trail and linear park can kick into high gear.
Economic Development Director Fred A. Messore said a portion of the right lane of Route 67 east will be temporarily closed, but it won’t prohibit motorists from access to Route 8 south. Instead, drivers will have to move into the left lane temporarily, and then get back into the right lane to merge onto the highway.
Messore said a significant amount of cutting back an abutment near the bridge is necessary to make way for the greenway’s exit and/or entrance, so the partial lane closure is needed to accomplish that.Construction of the greenway is slated to take some 120 days, and the temporary lane closure of Route 67 will be needed on and off for the contractors to do what needs to get done, Messore said. It will have some impact on traffic during construction, especially in high-peak times,” Messore noted. But the end result, with the town getting its first greenway running alongside the Naugatuck River, will be well worth it, Messore added. LaRosa Earth Group LLC of Meriden began clearing trees and brush and prepping the site on April 1. The Board of Selectmen awarded the company the job last year, after it was the lowest bidder at $736,560 out of 11 other companies vying for the project. The town has received more than $750,000 in grant money for the project.This first phase of the project will bring “a wonderful amenity to our downtown,” Messore said. Phase I is slated to feature creation of a 900-foot linear walking trail that will take advantage of the town’s largest natural asset, the Naugatuck River. The first section of the trail will be built near the bridge on Bank Street, go under Route 8, and bring people to the river’s edge to enjoy the natural assets and species. The project has been designed with the safety of pedestrians, bicyclists and other passive recreation users in mind, with various guide rails planned for certain sections of the 12-foot-wide path. There will be some sections featuring wooden rail fencing, and other sections with none, giving a more natural feel to the path, with no disruption to any wetlands or wildlife. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE