BRIDGEPORT — By this time next summer, the few metal beams pointing skyward off of Pembroke Street, along the harbor, like an avant-garde sculpture garden, should be part of a seafood restaurant, offices, lighthouse and a marina that can host “mega yachts.”
Or, as Mark Summers called the building and docks, “Our showpiece for the waterfront.”
There have been setbacks and changes in plans, but Summers and his bosses, Miami-based developers Robert Christoph and Robert Christoph Jr. — a.k.a. Bridgeport Landing Development LLC — continue the progress at the once long-dormant site along Interstate 95 nearly two years after anchor tenant Bass Pro Shops opened.
That was the message Summers, Bridgeport Landing’s vice president of development, had for City Council members Tuesday as they gathered at the tip of Pembroke Street for a 40-minute progress report. It became clear that Steel Point remains a project in flux, with some tenants announced, but not materializing, and the overall vision changing to adapt to the economy.
“Initially we foresaw a bigger retail component,” Summers told the council. “The retail market is no longer deciding how many stores to build this year. They’re deciding how many stores to shut down.”
So Steel Point will have more apartments, with modest “lifestyle” businesses — small restaurants, small apparel shops, salons.Summers confirmed that the Christophs recently lost a high-profile retail tenant — Dave & Buster’s, a restaurant that caters to sports enthusiasts and arcade gamers — to the Connecticut Post mall in Milford. He said the latter space was available sooner.
Bridgeport Landing is redeveloping three interlinked sites: The section of Steel Point just below I-95 where Bass Pro, Starbucks, Chipotle and T-Mobile opened in 2015; waterfront property across Stratford Avenue, off Pembroke Street, where the seafood restaurant/offices, marina and two other buildings with retail, apartments and, possibly, a hotel will be built; and CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
WALLINGFORD — A Hall Avenue company is working with an engineering firm to control soil contamination around abandoned underground oil tanks.
Connecticut is one of three states in which debt service expenditures are at high levels, making it a challenge to fund transportation improvements that can lead to economic growth, according to a new report by S&P Global Ratings.
New Jersey and Illinois are the other two states struggling to fund transportation infrastructure with high debt levels, according to the report's author, Chicago-based primary credit analyst Carol H. Spain.
Across the U.S., but particularly in these three states, "restrained debt growth combined with slow revenue growth and rising expenditures has served to limit funds available for infrastructure investment," wrote Spain. "Although delaying or underfunding capital programs can provide short-term budgetary relief, it is not sustainable."
Connecticut's debt exceeded $22.2 billion in fiscal year 2016, or about 3 percent of general spending, the report states. Unlike New Jersey, however, since 2012, neither Connecticut nor Illinois have enacted transportation fee increases to counteract limited investment in transportation infrastructure.
Again referring to most U.S. states, Spain, says given existing budgetary deficits heading into fiscal 2018, "we expect state officials will continue to find it difficult to balance infrastructure funding against other spending priorities in an overall environment of fiscal restraint."
Hartford Unveils Plans For New Frog Hollow Library
Residents of the city's Frog Hollow neighborhood were given a glimpse Tuesday into what their library branch will soon become.
Representatives from the Hartford Public Library joined architects from TSKP Studio in unveiling the design of the new Park Street branch, which will be raised on the property currently occupied by the Lyric Theatre.
The city received tentative approval from the State Historic Preservation Office to demolish the Lyric, a property listed on the National Register of Historic Places, according to Bridget Quinn-Carey, the chief executive of the city's library system.
In January, Mayor Luke Bronin announced plans to raze the crumbling theater to make room for a larger, more modern library branch. Bronin's proposal is buoyed by $10.7 million in state funding. Currently, the Park Street branch is housed in a rented building on the corner of Babcock Street, about two blocks away from the Lyric.
That 13,000-square-foot design, as described by TSKP architect T. Whitcomb Igleheart, will include large, dedicated reading spaces for children and adults on its first floor, a light, airy space with multiple windows. Several design elements, including high-quality photo reproductions of the hand-painted murals currently decorating the Lyric, will adorn the reading space. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Decision delayed on I-84 soil storage
WATERBURY — Some residents applauded late Tuesday as the Zoning Commission delayed a decision on an unpopular proposal to store dirt and rock from the Interstate 84 widening project in a quarry off Pearl Lake Road.
Opponents were happy the commission decided to take time to investigate their claims there are better spots nearby for those highway spoils.
“I don’t think the contractors took it seriously to look at other spots,” Commission Chairman John Egan said.
Egan said the commission would take up the results of that investigation during its next meeting on Aug. 23.
The state is pursing a $330 million reconstruction and widening of 2.7 miles of Interstate 84 through a portion of Waterbury. The partnership contracted to lead that effort – I-84 Constructors – is seeking a permit to temporarily store spoils at a quarry at 622 Pearl Lake Road.
Project manager Steve Francois said this would involve an average of 40 trucks per day coming in and out of the site, and only on those days material is moved. The 25,000 cubic yards of material expected could be deposited entirely before Christmas, he said. Later, trucks would return to return the soil and rocks for use elsewhere in the project, he said.
Francois said the partners have tried to be accommodating and “good neighbors.”
A number of residents spoke out against that proposal Tuesday night, complaining of traffic hazards, possible road damage and increased danger to children walking in the area.
State Sen. Joan V. Hartley, D-15th District, and State Rep. Stephanie Cummings, R-15th District, were among the opponents. Cummings is also a city alderman.
Hartley spoke of how the city recently rebuilt Gilmartin Elementary School with a eye toward having neighborhood children walk to school. She’s concerned that more trucks on the road could pose a risk to those children.
Independent Party head Lawrence V. De Pillo, a former city aldermen, told commission members the city owns undeveloped property along Interstate Lane, near the highway, that would be far better suited for storing spoils. It’s not a residential area, he noted.
“I think the resolution is a fair one,” Cummings said. “I think the public outcry about this shows when people get involved and they speak up, they can make a difference.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Backhoe split wooden board covering gas line in Waterbury
WATERBURY — Residents on Gayfield Road say they are concerned about safety in their neighborhood after rain storms came through Thursday night, pelting wooden boards used to temporarily cover gas lines.
One of those rain soaked boards split under the weight of a backhoe whose tire was parked atop it. The heavy machinery went through the board.
“This is a definite safety issue,” Gayfield Road resident Nick Coscia said.
Coscia said he had contacted utility provider Eversource and the city fire department, calling 911. Coscia and neighbor Jeannette Tapper said metal plates should have been used to cover the exposed pipes. Similar boards were seen on Gayfield Road and nearby Rockledge Drive, covering what also appeared to be ongoing utility work. Officials said the gas line was not breached in the incident.
Eversource spokesman Dan Moore said the projects are service replacement projects where older pipes are being replaced by newer pipes. Moore said when Eversource learned of the concerns, a mechanic was sent out to reposition the backhoe. Moore said the gas line was due to be repaired today, “but because of the storms wasn’t repaired.”
“The concerns are certainly appropriate,” Moore said.
A 2009 environmental assessment conducted at Times Microwave Systems, a division of Amphenol Corporation, found excessive amounts of petroleum hydrocarbons in soil on the property at 358 Hall Ave. Petroleum hydrocarbon refers to any chemical compound that originates from crude oil.
The contamination was produced by two abandoned 10,000 gallon underground oil tanks installed in 1947 and 1951, prior to the company’s arrival. It was detected during an assessment performed after Amphenol purchased Times Microwave Systems and moved its headquarters to the Hall Avenue building.
Times Microwave Systems has contracted with engineering firm Arcadis to install a geomembrane cap over the oil tanks to prevent the pollutants from spreading and mitigate the “potential exposure to and infiltration of rainwater through the contaminated soil,” a legal notice for the project stated. The firm filed an application with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection earlier this summer to install the cap, which would cover the petroleum-impacted soil and “render it environmentally isolated,” the application states.
A water supply survey conducted in 2009 showed “there does not appear to be a significant risk to drinking water supply wells,” Arcadis said in its application to DEEP. A spokesman for DEEP did not return a request for comment Tuesday. A representative for Times Microwave Systems could not be reached for comment.
The property is located adjacent to the Quinnipiac River. The proposed area for the geomembrane cap is separated from the river and “the risk to these ecological receptors is judged to be minimal,” the application states.
According to the application, the soil contamination may have also been caused by oil spills during fuel deliveries. From 1892 to 1955, the facility manufactured silverware and then bomb casings during WWII.
“There is anecdotal information from employees and past reports that indicates that spills occurred during fuel deliveries,” the application states. “These spills were apparently to the ground surface and were cleaned up, but no specific information regarding the number, nature or volume of these spills was found during our research.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
WALLINGFORD — Traffic lights were recently installed at the intersection of Hall and Masonic Avenue in conjunction with the completion of the new Route 15 entrance ramp.
The traffic lights were added to allow motorists to take left turns from Masonic Avenue onto Hall Avenue when traffic may back up from the new, dedicated left-turn lane leading up to the ramp.
“If traffic were to queue back to the Route 150 and Masonic Avenue intersection, there is a sight line concern for those trying to take a left onto Hall Avenue from Masonic Avenue,” said Travis Woodward, a representative from the state Department of Transportation’s construction office. “The traffic signal will allow all motorists to safely navigate this section of roadway.”
The new Route 15 on-ramp is expected to open in mid-August, Woodward said. A stop sign currently stands at the Masonic Avenue entrance to Route 150. Town Engineer Rob Baltramaitis said it is difficult for drivers to turn left from Masonic Avenue onto Route 150 during peak hours, and that the installation of the signal will alleviate the issue.
DOT spokesman Kevin Nursick said the traffic lights will be controlled by camera detection systems instead of loop detectors. The cameras are more reliable and are less prone to damage or malfunction, he said.
New traffic and crosswalk signals are also being installed at the Hall Avenue and River Road intersection.
The on-ramp, north of the Hall Avenue overpass, has been built to improve driver safety. Motorists will be able to accelerate and merge onto Route 15 north on a long ramp rather than enter the highway from a stop sign off River Road.
The $4.3 million, 10-phase project began in April 2016. Work is 90 percent federally funded and 10 percent state funded.
New Jersey and Illinois are the other two states struggling to fund transportation infrastructure with high debt levels, according to the report's author, Chicago-based primary credit analyst Carol H. Spain.
Across the U.S., but particularly in these three states, "restrained debt growth combined with slow revenue growth and rising expenditures has served to limit funds available for infrastructure investment," wrote Spain. "Although delaying or underfunding capital programs can provide short-term budgetary relief, it is not sustainable."
Connecticut's debt exceeded $22.2 billion in fiscal year 2016, or about 3 percent of general spending, the report states. Unlike New Jersey, however, since 2012, neither Connecticut nor Illinois have enacted transportation fee increases to counteract limited investment in transportation infrastructure.
Again referring to most U.S. states, Spain, says given existing budgetary deficits heading into fiscal 2018, "we expect state officials will continue to find it difficult to balance infrastructure funding against other spending priorities in an overall environment of fiscal restraint."
Hartford Unveils Plans For New Frog Hollow Library
Residents of the city's Frog Hollow neighborhood were given a glimpse Tuesday into what their library branch will soon become.
Representatives from the Hartford Public Library joined architects from TSKP Studio in unveiling the design of the new Park Street branch, which will be raised on the property currently occupied by the Lyric Theatre.
The city received tentative approval from the State Historic Preservation Office to demolish the Lyric, a property listed on the National Register of Historic Places, according to Bridget Quinn-Carey, the chief executive of the city's library system.
In January, Mayor Luke Bronin announced plans to raze the crumbling theater to make room for a larger, more modern library branch. Bronin's proposal is buoyed by $10.7 million in state funding. Currently, the Park Street branch is housed in a rented building on the corner of Babcock Street, about two blocks away from the Lyric.
Residents had been clamoring for an expanded library for nearly 30 years, and the Neighborhood Revitalization Zone's board voted unanimously in March to approve the city's plan.
"Part of our objective is to make sure we honor and document the history of the Lyric Theatre," Quinn-Carey said in announcing the design Tuesday.That 13,000-square-foot design, as described by TSKP architect T. Whitcomb Igleheart, will include large, dedicated reading spaces for children and adults on its first floor, a light, airy space with multiple windows. Several design elements, including high-quality photo reproductions of the hand-painted murals currently decorating the Lyric, will adorn the reading space. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Decision delayed on I-84 soil storage
WATERBURY — Some residents applauded late Tuesday as the Zoning Commission delayed a decision on an unpopular proposal to store dirt and rock from the Interstate 84 widening project in a quarry off Pearl Lake Road.
Opponents were happy the commission decided to take time to investigate their claims there are better spots nearby for those highway spoils.
“I don’t think the contractors took it seriously to look at other spots,” Commission Chairman John Egan said.
Egan said the commission would take up the results of that investigation during its next meeting on Aug. 23.
The state is pursing a $330 million reconstruction and widening of 2.7 miles of Interstate 84 through a portion of Waterbury. The partnership contracted to lead that effort – I-84 Constructors – is seeking a permit to temporarily store spoils at a quarry at 622 Pearl Lake Road.
Project manager Steve Francois said this would involve an average of 40 trucks per day coming in and out of the site, and only on those days material is moved. The 25,000 cubic yards of material expected could be deposited entirely before Christmas, he said. Later, trucks would return to return the soil and rocks for use elsewhere in the project, he said.
Francois said the partners have tried to be accommodating and “good neighbors.”
A number of residents spoke out against that proposal Tuesday night, complaining of traffic hazards, possible road damage and increased danger to children walking in the area.
State Sen. Joan V. Hartley, D-15th District, and State Rep. Stephanie Cummings, R-15th District, were among the opponents. Cummings is also a city alderman.
Hartley spoke of how the city recently rebuilt Gilmartin Elementary School with a eye toward having neighborhood children walk to school. She’s concerned that more trucks on the road could pose a risk to those children.
Independent Party head Lawrence V. De Pillo, a former city aldermen, told commission members the city owns undeveloped property along Interstate Lane, near the highway, that would be far better suited for storing spoils. It’s not a residential area, he noted.
“I think the resolution is a fair one,” Cummings said. “I think the public outcry about this shows when people get involved and they speak up, they can make a difference.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Backhoe split wooden board covering gas line in Waterbury
WATERBURY — Residents on Gayfield Road say they are concerned about safety in their neighborhood after rain storms came through Thursday night, pelting wooden boards used to temporarily cover gas lines.
One of those rain soaked boards split under the weight of a backhoe whose tire was parked atop it. The heavy machinery went through the board.
“This is a definite safety issue,” Gayfield Road resident Nick Coscia said.
Coscia said he had contacted utility provider Eversource and the city fire department, calling 911. Coscia and neighbor Jeannette Tapper said metal plates should have been used to cover the exposed pipes. Similar boards were seen on Gayfield Road and nearby Rockledge Drive, covering what also appeared to be ongoing utility work. Officials said the gas line was not breached in the incident.
Eversource spokesman Dan Moore said the projects are service replacement projects where older pipes are being replaced by newer pipes. Moore said when Eversource learned of the concerns, a mechanic was sent out to reposition the backhoe. Moore said the gas line was due to be repaired today, “but because of the storms wasn’t repaired.”
“The concerns are certainly appropriate,” Moore said.