BROOKFIELD - After waiting a month for state approval, the town is finally ready to put the Four Corners streetscape project out for bid.
First Selectman Steve Dunn said the state signed off on the project Monday, and the town expects to advertise the bid package to contractors beginning Tuesday.
“We’re ready to go,” he said.
Dunn had worried that a delay would mean the $3.5 million project’s completion would be pushed until next year, increasing construction costs. But he no longer anticipates this being a problem, as long as the weather is not unusually poor in the fall.
“If we get [the bid package] out and really stick to our deadline, we’re going to be fine,” he said.
In February, voters authorized the town to borrow up to $1.7 million for the first phase of the project to beautify the Four Corners. The project includes sidewalks, planters and other amenities at the intersection of Federal and Station roads. Grants will cover the rest of the $3.5 million.
The town had hoped to send out the bid package shortly after voter approval. But the Department of Transportation asked the town to make a few adjustments to the package, and then took a month to sign off on the project, Dunn said.
That was much longer than the town had anticipated, Dunn said. After all, the town has been working closely with the state on the project to ensure it meets all requirements, he said.
“The Department of Transportation has been intimately involved in this since we started,” he said.
“It [was] frustrating, especially given our previous experience with the DOT is nothing but wonderful,” he said. “Really, this is the way a state department should run, in my opinion. They’re responsive, they’re cooperative they’re helpful.”
But after a call and a letter to Commissioner James Redeker, Dunn was told Monday to expect confirmation of the approval that afternoon.
The town expects to award bids in four weeks, with construction beginning in May.
Dunn said the town can still fulfill its promise to Brookfield Village to finish the sidewalks in front of the complex by the fall. The 72-unit complex cannot open until this is complete.
City begins final stages of Capital Improvement Project
BRISTOL - The replacement of sanitary sewers, updates to the drainage system and reconstruction of roadway surfaces on Munchausen Avenue and Bartholomew Street began Monday, as part of the final stages of Bristol’s Capital Improvement Project.
“The work is expected to be more manageable than previous projects, because we don’t have to dig as deep. We only have to go eight feet instead of 15. Typically, we would provide an alternate route, but the area is ultimately a cul-de-sac,” said Raymond Rogozinski, the City of Bristol’s engineer. “We have provisions to maintain access for busses, mail delivery and emergency vehicles, but there is going to be a time that there will be a gravel road.”
The work is expected to take four weeks and focuses on replacing the roadways and curbs because of deteriorating condition. The pavement between the edge of the road and front of the walkways will also be replaced.
The roadway is expected to remain passable and will be lowered eight inches to install a roadway base of reclaimed pavement or new process stone. This will temporarily reduce access to driveways during daytime hours, complete access will be provided outside of construction hours.
Mailboxes will be temporarily disturbed then reset to ensure mail delivery. Residents who do not receive their mail are urged to contact the city immediately.
Residents with sprinkler heads between the curb and front of the concrete are advised to remove them from the area, or contact the City Engineering division to ensure they are not disturbed. Lawns will be repaired if they face damages.
Although it is rare, those who reside close to the construction are advised to relocate valuable items that may fall within their homes from the vibrations the pulverizing equipment creates.
Killingly council talks energy deal behind closed doors
KILLINGLY — After a lengthy public back-and-forth conversation late last month by the Killingly Town Council on two proposed benefit agreements with a power plant company, the issue is now being discussed behind closed doors.
On the recommendation of Town Attorney William St. Onge, the council this week headed into executive session to discuss Community Environmental Benefit and tax stabilization agreements being hammered out between the town and NTE Energy, the company hoping to build a 550-megawatt power plant in Dayville.
Council Chairman David Griffiths said St. Onge suggested making the discussions private after a March 21 council meeting during which members made several specific suggestions on what kind of remuneration they expect NTE to provide Killingly if the state allows the company to build in town.
“We shouldn’t be laying all our cards out on the table,” he said. “The idea is the council comes up with changes to the proposal and (Town Manager) Sean Hendricks takes that back to NTE. It’s a question on how far the company is willing to meet us, or maybe they won’t.”
The first version of a Community Environmental Benefit Agreement called for the company to provide the town with $4 million in “unrestricted funds,” as well as another $540,000 — to be paid in 20 yearly installments — for a host of environmentally oriented projects, including a scholarship fund, for water testing at Alexander’s Lake and to plant trees around town. Several council members in March asked for a stronger plant decommissioning plan and that the cash payment be raised to $5 million. Other council members requested language be included that explicitly prohibits the taking of any easements for the power plant project by municipal order. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Big plans in the works for North Haven Shopping Center
NORTH HAVEN >> The North Haven Shopping Center has seen better days, but soon those “better days” will be back.
Cheshire developer Joseph Mourizzi purchased the Washington Avenue plaza last week, and work to renovate the stores will begin within a month.The Luciani family built the shopping center more than 60 years ago, when shopping centers were rising in popularity. For decades, it was the go-to place in town to shop, boasting stores such as Woolworths. The Stop & Shop Plaza was built next door in 1992, but in recent years many of the center’s storefronts sat empty and its condition deteriorated.But now all of the storefront facades will get a makeover, as well as the parking lot and the landscaping, and stores reportedly are lining up to move in. Arnold’s Jewelers has operated in the center for a half-century. “We are very excited about this new beginning. We call it the Renaissance of the North Haven Shopping Center,” said Larry Lazaroff, Arnold’s Jewelers owner and president of the North Haven Shopping Center Merchants Association. “They are going to be doing a revitalization of the plaza itself — a new roof, a new facade, a redesign of the parking lot, new storefronts for all of us, bringing in new tenants. It’s going to go back to the days when the shopping center was fully occupied and thriving.” While the Universal Drive area has grown to a major shopping destination, the North Haven Shopping Center holds a place in the heart of town residents, he said.
“We are the epicenter of North Haven here in the center of town and we are looking forward to this,” he said. About half of the stores there are empty right now, he said, but the owners of the stores that are operating were confident that this transformation would come. “We have been very patient and always been optimistic so we are very, very excited about all of this. It’s a very good time for us,” he said. Real estate agent Lou Proto represented the Luciani family in the transaction. The property has been under contract since late fall and the deal closed Wednesday, he said.“We had multiple offers on the property but we thought Mr. Mourizzi was the most qualified person to complete the sale,” he said.Proto said he is in conversations with three or four tenants interested in moving to the center, but wanted the deal to close before fully marketing the property. “It’s going to undergo a major remodel there,” he said, adding that the stores already there will continue to stay open during the work.“We have been talking to a national health club, we have been approached by several dollar stores, an auto parts chain and a bakery, a small specialty food provider and a pizza place, but we have really waited on trying to entertain those tenants until Mr Mourizzi closed so we could show them a finished product,” Proto said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE Construction Dominates As Fastest-Growing Industry in U.S. Seven of the top 10 industries with the highest sales growth rates are related to construction, which is another area of the economy that has been showing strength in recent years. Among construction-related industries with the fastest sales growth: building finishing contractors, residential and nonresidential builders, contractors that work on foundations and building exteriors, and contractors that install or service mechanical systems such as electricity, water, elevators and heating and cooling. Each of these industries experienced sales growth last year of at least 13%. Companies that provide civil engineering construction such as dredging also made the list, while highway and bridge construction companies narrowly missed the top 10. Construction spending in February was at a seasonally adjusted rate of $1.19 billion, or 3% above the year-ago rate and on pace to notch the sixth year in a row of increased construction spending, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Other government data also show an increase in employment of workers in the construction sector, as well as average hours worked and earnings, Noe pointed out. “That, coupled with the fact that we have all of these subindustries in the construction sector in our top 10 list is just a testament to how the construction industry has recovered from the recession in 2008 and 2009,” Noe said.
And while construction strength was concentrated in specific sectors earlier in the economic recovery, growth is currently spread across nearly all sub-industries in construction that are tracked by Sageworks, he added.
Are these industries nearing a peak? “'I don't know' is the answer, but right now, given these upward trends of the construction industry, it bodes well for that industry and the economy as a whole,” Noe said.
For more information, visit forbes.com
Board OK’s upgrades Waterbury school lots to be replaced, parks improved
WATERBURY – Aldermen quickly and unanimously approved $1.6 million in contracts for upgrades to city schools and parks Monday night.
Discussion and votes on these items took about 10 minutes, which might have been helped by the fact that little to no local taxpayer dollars will be involved.
Aldermen approved a $1.2 million contract with B&W Paving & Landscaping, of Waterford, to replace parking lots at the Crosby High-Wallace Middle schools complex, the Wilby High-North End Middle schools complex and Chase Elementary. Tennis courts at the complexes will also be repaired.
These school improvements will be paid for out of the state Alliance District grant, according to School Inspector Shannon Sullivan.
Sullivan, answering a question from the board, said the work shouldn’t impact summer activities, as it will be performed at night and on weekends.
Aldermen also approved a $488,781 contract with John L. Simpson Co. Inc., to demolish old restrooms and build new ones at City Mills and Waterville parks. The new bathrooms will be made of pre-cast concrete. The contract also provides for relocation and replacement of ball field lighting at the two parks.
The contract is to be completed within 150 days and will be paid for through a U.S. Community Development Block Grant.
Simpson, of Bridgeport, was the lowest of four bidders for the parks work. Other bids ranged from $490,700 to $598,075.
Aldermen were urged to support the parks upgrades by Martin Spring, of the Waterville Community Club, and Thomas Pelletier, a member of the Board of Parks Commissioners.
Spring thanked aldermen for recent upgrades to Waterville Park, but said he’d heard plenty about the need for functioning bathrooms.
Pelletier additionally spoke of the need to repair the parking lots.
“It’s a pretty bumpy ride at some of our complexes,” Pelletier said.
The work is expected to take four weeks and focuses on replacing the roadways and curbs because of deteriorating condition. The pavement between the edge of the road and front of the walkways will also be replaced.
The roadway is expected to remain passable and will be lowered eight inches to install a roadway base of reclaimed pavement or new process stone. This will temporarily reduce access to driveways during daytime hours, complete access will be provided outside of construction hours.
Mailboxes will be temporarily disturbed then reset to ensure mail delivery. Residents who do not receive their mail are urged to contact the city immediately.
Residents with sprinkler heads between the curb and front of the concrete are advised to remove them from the area, or contact the City Engineering division to ensure they are not disturbed. Lawns will be repaired if they face damages.
Although it is rare, those who reside close to the construction are advised to relocate valuable items that may fall within their homes from the vibrations the pulverizing equipment creates.
Killingly council talks energy deal behind closed doors
KILLINGLY — After a lengthy public back-and-forth conversation late last month by the Killingly Town Council on two proposed benefit agreements with a power plant company, the issue is now being discussed behind closed doors.
On the recommendation of Town Attorney William St. Onge, the council this week headed into executive session to discuss Community Environmental Benefit and tax stabilization agreements being hammered out between the town and NTE Energy, the company hoping to build a 550-megawatt power plant in Dayville.
Council Chairman David Griffiths said St. Onge suggested making the discussions private after a March 21 council meeting during which members made several specific suggestions on what kind of remuneration they expect NTE to provide Killingly if the state allows the company to build in town.
“We shouldn’t be laying all our cards out on the table,” he said. “The idea is the council comes up with changes to the proposal and (Town Manager) Sean Hendricks takes that back to NTE. It’s a question on how far the company is willing to meet us, or maybe they won’t.”
The first version of a Community Environmental Benefit Agreement called for the company to provide the town with $4 million in “unrestricted funds,” as well as another $540,000 — to be paid in 20 yearly installments — for a host of environmentally oriented projects, including a scholarship fund, for water testing at Alexander’s Lake and to plant trees around town. Several council members in March asked for a stronger plant decommissioning plan and that the cash payment be raised to $5 million. Other council members requested language be included that explicitly prohibits the taking of any easements for the power plant project by municipal order. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Big plans in the works for North Haven Shopping Center
NORTH HAVEN >> The North Haven Shopping Center has seen better days, but soon those “better days” will be back.
Cheshire developer Joseph Mourizzi purchased the Washington Avenue plaza last week, and work to renovate the stores will begin within a month.The Luciani family built the shopping center more than 60 years ago, when shopping centers were rising in popularity. For decades, it was the go-to place in town to shop, boasting stores such as Woolworths. The Stop & Shop Plaza was built next door in 1992, but in recent years many of the center’s storefronts sat empty and its condition deteriorated.But now all of the storefront facades will get a makeover, as well as the parking lot and the landscaping, and stores reportedly are lining up to move in. Arnold’s Jewelers has operated in the center for a half-century. “We are very excited about this new beginning. We call it the Renaissance of the North Haven Shopping Center,” said Larry Lazaroff, Arnold’s Jewelers owner and president of the North Haven Shopping Center Merchants Association. “They are going to be doing a revitalization of the plaza itself — a new roof, a new facade, a redesign of the parking lot, new storefronts for all of us, bringing in new tenants. It’s going to go back to the days when the shopping center was fully occupied and thriving.” While the Universal Drive area has grown to a major shopping destination, the North Haven Shopping Center holds a place in the heart of town residents, he said.
“We are the epicenter of North Haven here in the center of town and we are looking forward to this,” he said. About half of the stores there are empty right now, he said, but the owners of the stores that are operating were confident that this transformation would come. “We have been very patient and always been optimistic so we are very, very excited about all of this. It’s a very good time for us,” he said. Real estate agent Lou Proto represented the Luciani family in the transaction. The property has been under contract since late fall and the deal closed Wednesday, he said.“We had multiple offers on the property but we thought Mr. Mourizzi was the most qualified person to complete the sale,” he said.Proto said he is in conversations with three or four tenants interested in moving to the center, but wanted the deal to close before fully marketing the property. “It’s going to undergo a major remodel there,” he said, adding that the stores already there will continue to stay open during the work.“We have been talking to a national health club, we have been approached by several dollar stores, an auto parts chain and a bakery, a small specialty food provider and a pizza place, but we have really waited on trying to entertain those tenants until Mr Mourizzi closed so we could show them a finished product,” Proto said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE Construction Dominates As Fastest-Growing Industry in U.S. Seven of the top 10 industries with the highest sales growth rates are related to construction, which is another area of the economy that has been showing strength in recent years. Among construction-related industries with the fastest sales growth: building finishing contractors, residential and nonresidential builders, contractors that work on foundations and building exteriors, and contractors that install or service mechanical systems such as electricity, water, elevators and heating and cooling. Each of these industries experienced sales growth last year of at least 13%. Companies that provide civil engineering construction such as dredging also made the list, while highway and bridge construction companies narrowly missed the top 10. Construction spending in February was at a seasonally adjusted rate of $1.19 billion, or 3% above the year-ago rate and on pace to notch the sixth year in a row of increased construction spending, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Other government data also show an increase in employment of workers in the construction sector, as well as average hours worked and earnings, Noe pointed out. “That, coupled with the fact that we have all of these subindustries in the construction sector in our top 10 list is just a testament to how the construction industry has recovered from the recession in 2008 and 2009,” Noe said.
And while construction strength was concentrated in specific sectors earlier in the economic recovery, growth is currently spread across nearly all sub-industries in construction that are tracked by Sageworks, he added.
Are these industries nearing a peak? “'I don't know' is the answer, but right now, given these upward trends of the construction industry, it bodes well for that industry and the economy as a whole,” Noe said.
For more information, visit forbes.com
Board OK’s upgrades Waterbury school lots to be replaced, parks improved
WATERBURY – Aldermen quickly and unanimously approved $1.6 million in contracts for upgrades to city schools and parks Monday night.
Discussion and votes on these items took about 10 minutes, which might have been helped by the fact that little to no local taxpayer dollars will be involved.
Aldermen approved a $1.2 million contract with B&W Paving & Landscaping, of Waterford, to replace parking lots at the Crosby High-Wallace Middle schools complex, the Wilby High-North End Middle schools complex and Chase Elementary. Tennis courts at the complexes will also be repaired.
These school improvements will be paid for out of the state Alliance District grant, according to School Inspector Shannon Sullivan.
Sullivan, answering a question from the board, said the work shouldn’t impact summer activities, as it will be performed at night and on weekends.
Aldermen also approved a $488,781 contract with John L. Simpson Co. Inc., to demolish old restrooms and build new ones at City Mills and Waterville parks. The new bathrooms will be made of pre-cast concrete. The contract also provides for relocation and replacement of ball field lighting at the two parks.
The contract is to be completed within 150 days and will be paid for through a U.S. Community Development Block Grant.
Simpson, of Bridgeport, was the lowest of four bidders for the parks work. Other bids ranged from $490,700 to $598,075.
Aldermen were urged to support the parks upgrades by Martin Spring, of the Waterville Community Club, and Thomas Pelletier, a member of the Board of Parks Commissioners.
Spring thanked aldermen for recent upgrades to Waterville Park, but said he’d heard plenty about the need for functioning bathrooms.
Pelletier additionally spoke of the need to repair the parking lots.
“It’s a pretty bumpy ride at some of our complexes,” Pelletier said.