STOP TRANSPORTATION CUTS
The state legislators are considering budget proposals that will gut Connecticut's transportation funding.
If passed these proposals will cut transit services and road repairs. This will cripple our economy, impede mobility, increase delays, and make travel less safe.
Tell your legislators to oppose transportation cuts!
Take 2 minutes and use this link to send the message.
Press conference with Congressman John Larson
Time – 12:00 (please arrive early)
Great River Park
301 East River Drive
East Hartford
This bill will invest $1 trillion in revenue generated by a carbon tax in the nation’s infrastructure over the next decade. It will invest in all types of infrastructure, including:
§ Highway facilities, including bridges and tunnels.
§ Intercity rail
§ Intercity bus facilities or equipment.
§ Public transportation
§ Airports and air traffic control systems.
§ Port or marine terminal facilities
§ Transmission or distribution pipelines.
§ Inland waterways.
§ Intermodal facilities
§ Water treatment and solid waste disposal facilities.
§ Storm water management systems.
§ Drinking water systems
§ Dams and levees.
§ Facilities or equipment for energy transmission, distribution or storage.
The bill leaves the specifics of infrastructure programs to the committees of cognizance but this is an illustrative example of how the investment could be apportioned:
$550 billion towards existing federal highway and transit programs
$50 billion for sewer systems and safe drinking water
$30 billion for airports and our aviation system
$60 billion for levees, dams, ports, and waterways
$50 billion for rail infrastructure
$30 billion for broadband deployment
$30 billion towards energy infrastructure and the electric grid
$200 billion for a new Vital Infrastructure Program, focused on transformative projects that have great benefit but are simply too big for the scope of any one agency.
$30 billion for airports and our aviation system
$60 billion for levees, dams, ports, and waterways
$50 billion for rail infrastructure
$30 billion for broadband deployment
$30 billion towards energy infrastructure and the electric grid
$200 billion for a new Vital Infrastructure Program, focused on transformative projects that have great benefit but are simply too big for the scope of any one agency.
Construction spending slows, but still up over last year
A recent analysis of new government data found that construction spending in June declined from May, but increased from a year ago, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.
Association officials said this is due to public investment decreasing.
“Construction spending is still increasing overall but growth has become much more uneven across categories in recent months,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “There has been a steep decline in public investment in nearly all types of construction over the past year.”
In June, construction spending in the country totaled $1.206 trillion at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, down 1.3 percent from May and up 1.6 percent from last year.
Simonson said every public spending category recorded a decrease for the month, and almost all were lower than a year ago.
Public construction spending decreased 5.4 percent from the previous month and 9.5 percent from June 2016 to June 2017. The spending rate in June was the lowest seasonally adjusted rate since February 2014.
Highway and street construction decreased 8.1 percent.
However, private nonresidential spending increased by 0.1 percent for the month and 1.1 percent for the year.
Power construction faced a drop of 5.4 percent, while commercial increased 13.8 percent.
Manufacturing construction declined 7.7 percent for the year, and private office construction increased by 12.6.
Private residential construction spending decreased slightly by 0.2 percent between May and June 2017, but overall gained 9.2 percent within the last year.
Association officials urge Congress and the Trump administration to pass legislation to fund and finance needed upgrades to the nation’s aging infrastructure. They said these investments are needed to protect against further deterioration and would aid in increasing the need for construction..
Condos poised to be first development in Fort Trumbull area
New London — A proposed Howard Street condominium complex is poised to become the first new construction in the Fort Trumbull Municipal Development area.
A shovel could be in the ground by spring.
The City Council on Monday approved a development agreement between the Renaissance City Development Association and New London County Realty, the developers of Shipway 221, which is a phased project that could eventually bring 180 units to land that has sat vacant and not generated any tax revenue for more than 15 years.
“It’s literally taken 15 years to get to a point where these parcels are ready for development,” said RCDA Executive Director Peter Davis.
Following months of negotiations, the contract waiting to be signed by Mayor Michael Passero represents a give-and-take between the developer and the RCDA. It includes arrangements for a land swap between the developers and Lawrence + Memorial Hospital.
The project manager for the project is Anthony Silvestri, with financing from the Tagliatela family, who have worked together on both the City Flats initiative and Harbour Towers project.
Silvestri said the development will stand out because of the number of amenities and will be an attractive option to the increasing number of Electric Boat employees in the area. The first planned four-story building would house 70 units with a mix of condominium sizes and an average price of slightly more than $200,000.
New London County Realty will pay the RCDA $208,000 for the land, which has an assessed value of $644,000.
Davis said that as part of the negotiated agreement, the RCDA agreed to drop the sales price in exchange for the developers picking up $515,000 of the environmental cleanup fees needed to develop the land, which used to be home to a solid waste landfill.
The balance of the assessed value, $129,000, coupled with $79,000 in development fees, leads to a total of $208,000.
Davis said the RCDA has already used a $400,000 federal grant to partially clean up the site and would have had to pay for additional environmental costs.
“We’d have to put that investment into the property one way or the other. Why not be fair about it?” Davis said.
The condominium proposal is be located on parcels 5C-1 and 5C-2, which total about 5.4 acres. A portion of the property used to be home to Hughie's Restaurant, a New London institution at 221 Howard St. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Middletown Residents Complain Of Noise, Dust From FedEx Project
Complaints from residents near the FedEx Ground construction site on Middle Street have prompted the city to request later start times and dust-control methods.
Residents said construction and truck traffic has been consistently starting earlier than 6 a.m., and that a huge amount of dust from the project has been caked on to houses and cars all summer.
"As early as May, I have documentation that the town was aware of the problem and working to resolve it," said Westfield Residents Association President Jennifer Mahr. "It wasn't until about this last week that it seems like they've finally gotten charge of the contractors."
Mahr said it's been clear the city has been trying to resolve the noise and dust complaints through the planning department's assigned liaison, Economic Development Specialist Thomas Marano, but said the city was not successful until recently.
FedEx Ground purchased the 220-acre property from Aetna in March 2016 for $18 million, and Aetna is retaining a 22-acre parcel for its existing data center there. Once it's operational, the regional distribution hub will receive large shipments of packages which will then be sent to smaller distribution centers for home delivery.
Planning Director Joseph Samolis said FedEx didn't initially think soil would need to be removed from the site, but found the material wasn't suitable for the type of fill needed on the project. He said the number of trucks in and out of the site on a daily basis has been the cause of most of the complaints from neighbors.
“Construction spending is still increasing overall but growth has become much more uneven across categories in recent months,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “There has been a steep decline in public investment in nearly all types of construction over the past year.”
In June, construction spending in the country totaled $1.206 trillion at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, down 1.3 percent from May and up 1.6 percent from last year.
Simonson said every public spending category recorded a decrease for the month, and almost all were lower than a year ago.
Public construction spending decreased 5.4 percent from the previous month and 9.5 percent from June 2016 to June 2017. The spending rate in June was the lowest seasonally adjusted rate since February 2014.
Highway and street construction decreased 8.1 percent.
However, private nonresidential spending increased by 0.1 percent for the month and 1.1 percent for the year.
Power construction faced a drop of 5.4 percent, while commercial increased 13.8 percent.
Manufacturing construction declined 7.7 percent for the year, and private office construction increased by 12.6.
Private residential construction spending decreased slightly by 0.2 percent between May and June 2017, but overall gained 9.2 percent within the last year.
Association officials urge Congress and the Trump administration to pass legislation to fund and finance needed upgrades to the nation’s aging infrastructure. They said these investments are needed to protect against further deterioration and would aid in increasing the need for construction..
Condos poised to be first development in Fort Trumbull area
New London — A proposed Howard Street condominium complex is poised to become the first new construction in the Fort Trumbull Municipal Development area.
A shovel could be in the ground by spring.
The City Council on Monday approved a development agreement between the Renaissance City Development Association and New London County Realty, the developers of Shipway 221, which is a phased project that could eventually bring 180 units to land that has sat vacant and not generated any tax revenue for more than 15 years.
“It’s literally taken 15 years to get to a point where these parcels are ready for development,” said RCDA Executive Director Peter Davis.
Following months of negotiations, the contract waiting to be signed by Mayor Michael Passero represents a give-and-take between the developer and the RCDA. It includes arrangements for a land swap between the developers and Lawrence + Memorial Hospital.
The project manager for the project is Anthony Silvestri, with financing from the Tagliatela family, who have worked together on both the City Flats initiative and Harbour Towers project.
Silvestri said the development will stand out because of the number of amenities and will be an attractive option to the increasing number of Electric Boat employees in the area. The first planned four-story building would house 70 units with a mix of condominium sizes and an average price of slightly more than $200,000.
New London County Realty will pay the RCDA $208,000 for the land, which has an assessed value of $644,000.
Davis said that as part of the negotiated agreement, the RCDA agreed to drop the sales price in exchange for the developers picking up $515,000 of the environmental cleanup fees needed to develop the land, which used to be home to a solid waste landfill.
The balance of the assessed value, $129,000, coupled with $79,000 in development fees, leads to a total of $208,000.
“We’d have to put that investment into the property one way or the other. Why not be fair about it?” Davis said.
The condominium proposal is be located on parcels 5C-1 and 5C-2, which total about 5.4 acres. A portion of the property used to be home to Hughie's Restaurant, a New London institution at 221 Howard St. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Middletown Residents Complain Of Noise, Dust From FedEx Project
Complaints from residents near the FedEx Ground construction site on Middle Street have prompted the city to request later start times and dust-control methods.
Residents said construction and truck traffic has been consistently starting earlier than 6 a.m., and that a huge amount of dust from the project has been caked on to houses and cars all summer.
"As early as May, I have documentation that the town was aware of the problem and working to resolve it," said Westfield Residents Association President Jennifer Mahr. "It wasn't until about this last week that it seems like they've finally gotten charge of the contractors."
Mahr said it's been clear the city has been trying to resolve the noise and dust complaints through the planning department's assigned liaison, Economic Development Specialist Thomas Marano, but said the city was not successful until recently.
"For right now, there has been a temporary paying attention, but it has not been fully resolved," Mahr said.
FedEx Ground is building a 525,000-square-foot distribution hub on the site of the former Aetna campus. Construction began last year. The facility is part of an expansion in the company's distribution network and will employ at least 400 people.FedEx Ground purchased the 220-acre property from Aetna in March 2016 for $18 million, and Aetna is retaining a 22-acre parcel for its existing data center there. Once it's operational, the regional distribution hub will receive large shipments of packages which will then be sent to smaller distribution centers for home delivery.
Planning Director Joseph Samolis said FedEx didn't initially think soil would need to be removed from the site, but found the material wasn't suitable for the type of fill needed on the project. He said the number of trucks in and out of the site on a daily basis has been the cause of most of the complaints from neighbors.
"The residents on Middle Street specifically have been very patient with FedEx, and we have as a city been working with the Westfield Residents Association on clearing any issues that have come up," Samolis said Monday. "We've made some headway with addressing the constituent issues but there's still some work that needs to be done and we're actively working with FedEx and [construction manager] Barton Malow."
Samolis said a site entrance from Industrial Park Road is under construction, and once completed, it will become the primary construction access for the site. Within the next month, truck traffic disturbing Middle Street residents should be substantially reduced, he said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE