September 29, 2017

CT Construction Digest Friday September 29, 2017

Preston voters send capital projects to referendum

Preston — Residents sent a proposed $3.84 million five-year capital spending plan for town and school vehicles and projects to an Oct. 10 referendum Thursday after discussing the package at a town meeting.
About 30 residents at the town meeting voted overwhelmingly to set the hours of the Oct. 10 referendum from noon to 8 p.m. at Town Hall, 389 Route 2. Absentee ballots will be available starting Tuesday.
The spending proposals total $3.757 million, with an additional $82,201 added to cover financing and legal costs of the bonding, bringing the total to $3.84 million.
Board of Finance Chairman Norman Gauthier said two current big bonds the town now is carrying, including one for construction of the Preston Veterans’ Memorial School, will be paid off in 2020. The new capital bond would start in 2019 at $107,000 for the first two years, jumping to $402,000 in 2021, after the other bonds are retired.
Gauthier said the new capital bond would have a “very, very minor” impact on annual town taxes. But because the town is in revaluation now, Gauthier said he could not estimate the tax rate on the bond cost.
The capital plan includes $1.9 million for the schools, including the purchase of 11 school buses, two 9-passenger school vans and a wheelchair lift vehicle, spread out over the five years to ensure the school system would have buses of varying ages. Gauthier called the purchases essential, since the Board of Education decided to keep its own school bus service.
“It has to be done,” he said of the school bus purchases, "We need to have reliable, safe buses for our children.”
Three school buses at an estimated $84,500 each would be purchased in the current fiscal year, three more at $87,900 each in 2018-19, three in 2019-20 and two in fiscal year 2020-21. The wheelchair lift vehicle, costing an estimated $77,000 would be purchased this year, and one van would be purchased next year and one in the fifth year of the capital plan.
The capital plan also includes repaving the school bus garage lot and the parking area at Preston Plains Middle School, replacing 175 student lockers at the middle school, upgrading science labs and repairing the middle school roof. The gym floor would be replaced at Preston Veterans’ Memorial School and the playground would be resurfaced.
A new pumper firetruck, estimated at $600,000, would be purchased in 2020-21 and a tanker truck, costing an estimated $400,000 in 2018-19. This year $40,000 will be spent to replace a fire service truck and an additional $40,000 will be used to purchase self-contained breathing apparatus. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

DOT to delay detour of Route 1 in Old Saybrook

The state Department of Transportation has announced that it is postponing a detour and closure of Route 1 in Old Saybrook. A new date has not yet been announced.
The detour originally was scheduled to take place from 7 p.m. Sept. 29 to 5 a.m. Oct. 4 as DOT works to replace the Route 1 bridge over Center Brook.
The construction project calls for the "replacement of the bridge with a precast box culvert and precast wingwalls," according to the news release. The project will begin with the relocation of existing utilities and the reconstruction of the east and west approaches to the bridge. It will include drainage and roadway improvements, as well as improvements to signalization at the intersection of Route 1 and Center Road.
The project was awarded to LaRosa Earth Group LLC for $1,079,219.40.

MGM Springfield On Track To Open In Year, Details Emerging

he MGM casino and entertainment complex now under construction in Springfield is on track to open in a year and details are now emerging on just what attractions will be offered to visitors.
MGM Springfield officials told the Massachusetts Gaming Commission Thursday the development will now include more table games than first planned, a jewelry store, a six-screen theater with the latest amenities and a high-profile candle store.
MGM Springfield said the casino’s poker room will now have 23 tables, increased from 16.
“There’s unquestionable data that table games is making a bit of a comeback in terms of the mix with slots,” Michael Mathis, president of MGM Springfield, said.
Mathis said market research and MGM’s observations at the opening of its casino at Washington D.C.’s National Harbor show that millennials are increasingly gravitating to table games.
“The younger demographic is skewing away from the traditional slot product and towards and interactive, communal table game experience,” Mathis said. “And I think we sort of laid the groundwork for a potential change in our mix and this is the first reflection of this.” The testimony before the gaming commission comes two weeks after MGM Resorts International made a splashy announcement for a $675 million gambling and entertainment venue in Bridgeport. The plan would require the approval of state lawmakers.
MGM Springfield is expected to place more competitive pressure on Connecticut’s two tribal gaming venues: Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun. The legislature this year backed a joint venture of Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun to establish a “satellite” casino in East Windsor to help prevent gaming dollars in Connecticut from migrating to Springfield. Construction has yet to begin in East Windsor, but the tribes have said they intended to start this year.
The cost of MGM Springfield, set to open in September 2018, is now pegged at $960 million, up slightly from earlier estimates of about $950 million. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Collapsed Sewer Closes Homestead Avenue; Repairs Expected To Take 10 Days

A sewer collapse on Homestead Avenue will cause a commuting nightmare for people in the western suburbs who work in Hartford.
Metropolitan District Commission workers found a massive void between the roadway and it is expected to take as long as 10 days to make repairs.
The city said the void beneath the heavily-traveled roadway is about 20 feet long and 14 feet deep.
Homestead Avenue will be closed between Albany Avenue and Woodland Street, and detours will be in place, although police urged motorists to seek alternate routes. “We are taking this action as a necessary precaution, as we believe there is some risk that the void underneath the road on Homestead Avenue could have caused the road surface to collapse under extreme weight,” said interim Public Works Director Reginald Freeman. “The City and MDC are working closely together to determine the scope of the problem and we will update the public as we learn more.
The MDC said the construction work is expected to take place 24 hours a day, seven days a week until it is complete. The regional water agency said it expects the work to take 10 days.
West-bound drivers on Homestead will be redirected either north or south on Woodland Street and drivers on Albany Avenue will not be able to turn onto Homestead Avenue, the city said.
Residents of Baltimore Street will be able to enter and exit the street from Albany Avenue because it’s a two-way street, officials said. Kent, Adams, and Milford streets will remain one-way streets but police will allow residents to use Homestead Avenue to enter or exit their street as needed.

AGC Numbers Are In: Did Your Area Add Construction Jobs?

Construction employment increased in 274 out of 358 metro areas between August 2016 and August 2017, declined in 52 and stagnated in 32, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released Sept. 27, by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).
Association officials noted that the construction job gains come even as 70 percent of responding firms reported having a hard time finding qualified craft workers to hire.
Take a look at where your area fit in: CLICK T ITLE TO CONTINUE

CTDOT Selects Contractor for $237M Norwalk Projects

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) has awarded the contract for the CP243 Interlocking and Danbury Branch Dockyard projects in Norwalk to Cianbro-Middlesex Joint Venture (JV) on Aug. 2, 2017. These projects are part of the Walk Bridge Program.
The $237 million contract is the first that CTDOT has awarded under the construction manager/general contractor (CM/GC) alternative contracting method. In CM/GC, the contractor is selected based on technical ability and works as part of the team during design development. This process encourages innovation, leads to schedule certainty, and reduces risk during the construction phase. Further, the contract value is a negotiated price which is verified against an independent cost estimate prepared by a professional estimating firm.
The contract was awarded to the joint venture on Aug. 2 and the contractor was given a “notice to proceed” on Aug. 9, 2017. The team is now establishing work areas located close to the railroad tracks at the end of Goldstein Place and in the parking lot of 10 Norden Place. Construction is expected to begin in late September and continue for three years.
The CP243 Interlocking Project will construct a new four-track interlocking, a powered switch and signal system that allows trains to move from one track to another. The project is located approximately 1.5 mi. east of the Walk Bridge on the New Haven Line between the East Norwalk and Westport stations. Overhead catenary and signal work extends west to South Norwalk Station.
The Danbury Branch Dockyard Project will improve and electrify the southern portion of the Danbury branch line, from where it splits from the main line to approximately one mile north, at an area commonly referred to as the Dockyard. The Dockyard is where trains are stored and staged when not in use on the main line, near Science Road and Interstate 95. These improvements will allow commuter trains that begin or end in Norwalk to turn, or switch direction.
These projects are independent of the replacement of the 121-year old Walk Railroad Bridge over the Norwalk River, and are designed to improve the dependability of operations on the main line during construction of the new bridge. The sequencing of the work will allow for continuous use of two of the four tracks running through that section of the New Haven Line.
The Walk Bridge Program team will hold a public meeting on the construction details of the CP243 Interlocking and Danbury Branch Dockyard projects at Norwalk City Hall in September.

September 28, 2017

CT Construction Digest Thursday September 28, 2017

In Meeting With Trump, Larson Pitches Hartford Highway Tunnel

Instead of a wall along the Mexican border, Rep. John Larson pitched another massive infrastructure project to President Donald Trump Tuesday: A tunnel system to carry I-84 and I-91 underground through Hartford.
Larson was among the members of the House Ways and Means Committee who met with Trump to discuss tax reform. But during the meeting, Larson said he raised the tunnel prospect, a proposal he’s been pushing since last fall.
“I spoke with the president about a robust infrastructure package citing the conditions of the Hartford and East Hartford levees and the need to replace the I-84/I-91 interchange in Hartford with a tunnel system, which would ease congestion and be a boon for commerce along the Hartford riverfront,” Larson said in a written statement after the meeting. “The president agreed there would be a robust infrastructure package as he has long said that the nation’s infrastructure is a priority for his office.”
Under Larson’s plan, motorists on I-84 would travel in a tunnel from East Hartford to near Flatbush Avenue in Hartford. And I-91 would be buried as it travels along the Hartford riverfront, opening up that area for investment. The project has an estimated $10 billion price tag.
Earlier in September, Larson brought the top Republican and Democrat on the House Transportation Committee to endorse his tunnel proposal as part of a broader infrastructure package.
Larson has proposed a new carbon tax to finance a $1 trillion infrastructure bill.

September 27, 2017

CT Construction Digest Wedneday September 27, 2017

Groundbreaking scheduled at Stamford’s ‘hole in the ground’

STAMFORD — The city’s infamous “hole in the ground” will finally see a groundbreaking next week.
A housing development, known as Urby Stamford, will get underway with a ceremony at 11 a.m. Oct. 3 — more than three years after co-developers F.D. Rich Co. and Ironstate Development Co. received approval from the Zoning Board.
The site plan approved in 2014 included a 672-unit residential complex — including including 272 studios, 273 one-bedroom and 127 two-bedroom apartments — split up into 11 buildings.
The site as approved in 2014 would also feature a 5,090-square-foot public cafe at the street corner and an 83,000-square-foot outdoor area equipped with a pool and some green space among other amenities.
It was not immediately clear on Tuesday the extent to which these plans have changed, but Ironstate spokesman George Cahn said “updated information on the project” will be shared at the groundbreaking next week
The project will be built in two phases with 648 units total, according to Cahn. The first phase will include a bulk of the units, including 464 units. Another 184 units will come in phase two. All 11 buildings will be connected, he said.
A 2,800-square-foot cafe is also planned for the site, he said.
The development replaces one of the city’s most infamous eyesores, a 4.3-acre pit that earned the nickname “the hole in the ground.” The empty plot of land at the corner of Tresser Boulevard and Greyrock Place eluded development for more than two decades
“We have been contacted by countless people with hopes that something positive would happen at this location,” Mayor David Martin said in an emailed statement Tuesday. “We are excited that the Urby concept is coming to Stamford as it has been a key addition to other vibrant communities like ours. My administration has worked hard to move this project along and we are happy that we are finally filling the infamous ‘hole in the ground.’”
 
 
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump told lawmakers Tuesday he was abandoning a key element of his planned $1 trillion infrastructure package, complaining that certain partnerships between the private sector and federal government simply don't work.
Trump's comments, described by a House Democrat who met with Trump and confirmed by a White House official, reveal an infrastructure plan that appears to be up in the air, as White House officials have struggled to decide how to finance many of the projects they envision to rebuild America's roads, bridges and tunnels.
Now, the administration wants to force states and localities to foot most of the bill. The previous strategy - a push that has taken a back seat to other Republican priorities in Washington - was aimed at luring private investors with promises of federal backing. Some of that thinking appears to be changing.
The president acknowledged the new approach during a Tuesday meeting with Democrats from the House Ways and Means Committee, who came to the White House to discuss the administration's tax code rewrite set to be unveiled on Wednesday,
During the meeting, Trump "emphatically rejected what everybody assumed was his position relative to financing infrastructure," said Rep. Brian Higgins, D-N.Y., who attended and asked Trump about the proposal. "He dismissed it categorically and said it doesn't work."
A White House official said there are "legitimate questions" about a public-private approach to revamping the nation's infrastructure. The official said that while the administration has researched such approaches, "they are certainly not the silver bullet for all of our nation's infrastructure problems and we will continue to consider all viable options."
Trump campaigned on a pledge to lead a massive rebuilding effort that would rely on private-sector funding to overhaul the nation's crumbling infrastructure. His administration talked up the concept - in which private investors would underwrite projects in exchange for a share in future profits - in the budget it rolled out in May. "Working with states, local governments and private industry, we will ensure that these new federal funds are matched by significant additional dollars for maximum efficiency and accountability," he said in a June speech on infrastructure.
But the effort has floundered as Republicans in Washington have turned to other priorities, including the drive to overhaul Obamacare - which met another defeat on Tuesday - and spearheading a tax code rewrite, which they have been working on for several months. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Luxury apartments proposed for Cromwell’s old Nike site heads to public hearing

CROMWELL — The developers of a proposed luxury apartment complex on the former Nike site have submitted a revised application for the project.
The previous application was ruled incomplete by a Superior Court judge in a court challenge brought by near-neighbors of the proposed development. The Hamden-based Belfont Companies proposes constructing 160 high-end luxury apartments in seven buildings on the 8.74-acre parcel located at the end of Country Squire Road.
The revised application submitted to Town Planner Stuart Popper earlier this month said the project would “provide a type of housing the community currently is lacking: luxury rental.” Belfonti described the proposed development as being akin to the Century Hills development in Rocky Hill.
Immediately, the project would result in clearing the site, which contains derelict buildings now beset by “graffiti, drug use and loitering,” and which has also been the scene of “several fires as recently as June 2016,” the application said.
Although it is known as “the Nike site,” the property did not contain Nike anti-aircraft missiles as a number of other sites in central and western Connecticut did in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Rather, the Cromwell site was a radar installation linked to and coordinated with the rocket batteries.
In all, there were a dozen sites in Connecticut, part of ring of interceptor rocket bases that totaled 265 facilities in the northern and Northeastern United States. Because it was not a missile base, the site does not contain residual liquid fuel contamination, an earlier assessment of the property found.
Several near-neighbors of the site who live in the Fox Meadows housing complex had sued, charging the project would negatively impact the value of their properties and block their views. The judge hearing the case determined the developers had not presented a comprehensive impact statement, Popper said.
The revised report does contain such a report, he said. It concludes the cost of the project to the town — including education of the children of tenants — would amount to $488,000. However, the tax revenues paid to the town would amount to $685,000, or a gain of $197,000 per year in revenues, the report concluded. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Gypsy Lane in Meriden to close for three weeks next month

MERIDEN — Gypsy Lane will be closed to traffic for about three weeks starting next week for the installation of a guardrail underneath the railroad bridge and drainage improvements.
The road, which connects Route 5 and Route 71, is scheduled to close from Oct. 2 to Oct. 20, according to a CTrail Hartford line statement. Detours will be posted prior to the closure.
Last year, Gypsy Lane was closed for five months to accommodate bridge and track upgrades.

Paving in downtown Niantic to begin Monday

East Lyme — The town's Public Works Department will be winding down the final grading on the streets scheduled for repaving in downtown Niantic and is hoping to be done with grading on Wednesday, according to a message from Public Works Director Joe Bragaw. Liquid calcium chloride will be applied on Tuesday and Wednesday to all of the gravel roads to keep the dust down.
Paving is planned to begin on Monday, Oct. 2.
"Once we start paving, the (2-inch) binder course should take approximately 4-5 days to complete," Bragaw wrote in his message. "At that point, the contractor will be leaving for 2 weeks so that we can put in some stormwater tree filters and adjust some structures in the middle of the road as needed. Then the pavers are scheduled to come back starting around October 23rd weather dependent to install the top (1½ inches) of asphalt. The top course should take 4-5 days as well to install. While paving, we will do our best to minimize disturbance to the residents but please expect some minor delays."
"Once we finish installing the top course of pavement we will need to wait a week or so for the asphalt to completely cure before we come back to install asphalt curbing where needed and to fix driveways and aprons as necessary," Bragaw wrote. "At that time, we will also be going around the neighborhood spreading loam and applying grass seed to finish off the project."

Mohegan Sun expo center adds jobs as project advances

The Mohegan tribe on Monday celebrated progress made on its $80 million Exposition Center at Mohegan Sun, a project that has created 400 temporary and permanent jobs so far.
The meeting and convention center project is responsible for 300 construction jobs, 50 permanent full-time positions and about 50 permanent part-time posts, with more hiring expected for a summer 2018 opening, a spokesperson for Mohegan Sun said Tuesday.
Leaders of the casino and the tribe led a "topping-off" ceremony for the 240,000-square-foot facility, which will include a 20,000 square-foot ballroom, expansive pre-function space, a 132,000 square-foot Expo Center, 15 meeting rooms, 3,600 square feet of outdoor gathering space with a wrap-around terrace, a 1,260-square-foot executive boardroom with its own outdoor area and 20,000 square feet of entertainment tenant space.
First announced in March, the project is due to be completed next summer.

Mohegan chairman says BIA’s letters constitute approval of third casino

Mohegan — Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman alluded to three letters of the alphabet that likely were on a lot of minds Monday during a "topping-off" ceremony that marked a milestone in construction of the Mohegan Tribe's $80 million Mohegan Sun Exposition Center.
But she wasn't about to utter them.
"They're three letters we don't want to talk about," Wyman said, addressing a hard-hatted gathering of officials and guests. "Let them stay out of our state."
Clearly, she was referring to M-G-M, as in MGM Resorts International, the Las Vegas-based behemoth that's threatening to hem in southeastern Connecticut's gaming tribes. It's building a nearly $1 billion resort casino in Springfield, Mass., and last week said it's eager to erect a more than $600 million casino on the Bridgeport waterfront.
MGM's also sought to sow doubt about the U.S. Department of the Interior's Sept. 15 response to amended state-tribal gaming agreements the Mohegans and the Mashantucket Pequots submitted for approval in August. The casino-owning tribes formed a partnership, MMCT Venture, to develop Connecticut's third casino, in East Windsor.
Brown, however, said the tribes are confident that under federal regulations, any response short of a definitive disapproval is considered to be an approval, or "deemed approved." Before that approval takes effect, Brown said, it must be published in the Federal Register, the daily journal of the U.S. government.
Federal regulations require that approvals of state-tribal gaming agreements — so-called compacts and amended compacts — be published within 90 days from the date the Interior Department receives them. In the letters, an Interior official indicates the department received the tribes' amended agreements on Aug. 2.
Brown said the 90-day period ends by Nov. 2. Attempts to obtain comment from BIA officials were unsuccessful.
In the meantime, MMCT is proceeding "aggressively" in East Windsor, where it has purchased the necessary land for the third Connecticut casino, and has chosen an architect and construction officials, according to MMCT officials. The casino is to be built on the site of an abandoned Showcase Cinemas building off Exit 45 of Interstate 91. The site is less than 20 miles from where MGM Springfield is scheduled to open next September. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

 

September 25, 2017

CT Construction Digest Monday September 25, 2017

Stamford road paving goes into overdrive

STAMFORD - If you think the city hasn’t kept up with road paving, you’re right.
And if you think it’s finally happening, right again.
Mayor David Martin explains it this way: before he took office in 2013, the city was spending about $3 million a year to fix the streets, but the need was for twice that amount.
In the first year of his term, Martin said he increased the amount to $5 million. In the second year, the city had to devote tens of millions of dollars to construction of a new school on Strawberry Hill Avenue and a new police headquarters on Bedford Street, so Martin said he reduced the road-repair budget to $2 million.
In his third year, he raised it slightly to $2.5 million. “This year, we put $3.5 million in the budget, and we got an appropriation for another $2.5 million, for a total of $6 million,” said the mayor, who will run for a second term in the Nov. 7 election.
So this is the first year in a long time that the city will spend what it should on repairing and repaving roads.Crews hit the streets with the start of the fiscal year on July 1, and the money probably will run out by Dec. 1, Martin said.
Road work comes with the thorny question of which ones to do, and in what order. Martin said he found that to be a problem.
“I was unhappy with our strategy for road paving. Basically, there was no strategy,” he said. “It was a list of whoever complained the loudest. The roads that got paved needed it, but it was not based on surface condition and traffic volume.”
Summer Street, for example, was “in terrible condition but wasn’t getting paved,” the mayor said. “We weren’t getting complaints about Summer Street. We were getting complaints about the little side streets where people live, and those would get paved.”
His solution was to hire a company to develop a paving plan. In 2015, the city signed a $144,000 contract with Infrastructure Management Services, which began work last year.
The company sent out trucks trailering weighted equipment that measured how much the road surface moved as the heavy load passed over it. They used lasers to measure bumpiness, and made note of pavement cracks. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

New Southington senior center seen on track for March opening

SOUTHINGTON - Construction of the town’s new senior center is on schedule, with completion expected by March, says Town Councilor Paul Champagne, amember of the Calendar House Building Committee.
The project is on budget, said Champagne of the new $9.4 million building that will replace the current senior center.
“It is looking like it will open before March 20,” he said. “We are now starting the roofing and the mechanicals inside and the sprinkler system is almost complete. The partition work is done.”
Champagne said the next phase of the project is going to be installing the plumbing and electrical systems, then the sheetrock.
Within a month of the new building’s completion, demolition of the current senior center will begin.
“I would think by April we will have ripped it down and we’ll have more parking space,” he said.
Overall, Champagne said, the construction is going “very well” and the committee is pleased with the work of the KBE Building Corp., the contractor.
“Right now we still have not cut anything out of the original plan,” said Champagne, who noted that senior center users had given the committee a list of features they would like to see in their new building.
“Unless we run into any major problems it doesn’t look like we’re going to have to do any value engineering,” Champagne said.
Champagne said efforts were taken to blend the color scheme of the builing with the rest of the neighborhood so it would not stick out.  CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

Driver shortage forces haulers to lift pay, perks to woo workers

Ansonia trucking-company operator John Pruchnicki uses nearly every tool in his kit to recruit and retain some of Connecticut's 57,000 or so commercially licensed truck drivers to his payroll.
Many of the semis in Pruchnicki's Coastal Carriers of Connecticut fleet are equipped with the same safety features and ergonomics found in today's cars — automatic transmissions, power steering, stability and adaptive cruise controls, and anti-lock brakes. His drivers also collect good pay, benefits, even performance incentives, as well as the opportunity to finish their workday and sleep in their own beds — something coveted among haulers forced to drive nights and weekends.
Yet, despite relatively good pay and working conditions, finding and keeping truck drivers is back to being as difficult as it has ever been, Pruchnicki and other truck-industry observers say. Tightened state and federal compliance obligations on trucking companies and drivers, plus increased competition in a revived economy for talent and consumers' mounting appetites for speedy delivery of goods ordered online, have exacerbated the trend. Trucker demographics, too, are a factor.
"The truck-driver shortage is real,'' said Joe Sculley, president of the Motor Transport Association of Connecticut (MTAC). "Trucking companies just cannot find candidates.''
Ask any trucking-company operator or driver-training school, and they'll tell you that, even with 3.5 million licensed truckers on U.S. roads, drivers always are in short supply. But the intensity of the shortage oscillates, particularly in tune with the economy, said Robert Costello, economist with the American Trucking Associations (ATA), to which MTAC belongs.
Currently the shortages appear to be the worst ever, experts say.
"We're short about 50,000 drivers today,'' Costello said, mostly for long-haul, interstate routes that keep them on the road for days, weeks at a time. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

OSHA's Silica Rule Compliance Deadline Looms — Is Your Company Ready?

Reminder: OSHA will begin enforcement on its crystalline silica standard Saturday, Sept. 23.
The agency said it plans to offer compliance assistance in the first 30 days to employers who are making a “good faith effort” to comply with the new rule, with a particular emphasis on helping employers use the new Table 1 way of measuring exposure levels. OSHA said that if, during an inspection, it finds that an employer is not attempting to comply with the rule, the agency's inspection will then include both:
  • a collection of exposure air monitoring, and
  • the possibility of a citation, which will be reviewed by OSHA's national office if it is from this inspection period.
  • For your convenience, Construction Equipment Guide has compiled a list of the silica standard's requirements, including an overview of Table 1 here.

     

    September 22, 2017

    CT Construction Digest Friday September 22, 2017

    Tolls would be required for Larson’s ‘big dig’

    Connecticut abolished tollbooths more than 30 years ago, and every attempt to reinstate them since has been blown out of the water. But that would have to change, says U.S. Rep. John B. Larson, D-1st District, should his proposed underground highway system in Hartford become reality.
    For the last eight months Larson has talked to nearly every civic group, news editorial board, local business, municipal government, state agency, and federal office, trying to drum up support for his proposed $10 billion “big dig” project.
    So far, support has been hit or miss for the plan that would sink interstates 84 and 91 under the capitol city and the Connecticut River — creating tunnels east to west from Roberts Street in East Hartford to Flatbush Avenue in Hartford’s west end, and north to south from the Meadows to Frog Hollow, with a cloverleaf interchange somewhere underneath Coltsville National Historical Park in Hartford.
    Federal funding is highly questionable, even from a presidential administration that campaigned on rebuilding the country’s failing infrastructure. Another fiscal hurdle is a combative state legislature that can’t adopt its own budget on time.
    Still, Larson, who is one of the lead Democrats on the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, says he’s confident he can wrangle 90 percent of the funds out of the federal government, leaving Connecticut to finance the remaining 10 percent.
    Last month Larson introduced legislation that would allocate $1 trillion for infrastructure projects throughout the country, which he hopes will include his own pet project, without affecting the national debt. The proposed bill would raise the funds by imposing a carbon tax on fossil fuels, including coal, oil, and natural gas. The revenue would be placed in a designated fund to be used solely for infrastructure projects.
    But tolls will have to be part of the Hartford project, Larson said Wednesday during a meeting with the Journal Inquirer.
    “I think that would be inevitable,” the East Hartford native said, adding that if nothing else, tolls would be needed to pay for ongoing maintenance of the ambitious and colossal construction. Besides, every surrounding state with the exception of Vermont uses the much safer electronic transponder tolls to their advantage, while Connecticut gives every motorist and trucker passing through the state a free ride, he said.
    “We subsidize every other state’s roads — it just doesn’t seem fair,” he added.
    But the real irony is that the Connecticut River’s levees and viaduct systems need to be redone anyway, he notes.
    Designed in response to the floods of 1936 and 1938, the existing system of embankments is prone to “underseepage,” according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It’s unlikely water would crest over the elevated mounds, but much like the levee failure in the New Orleans 9th Ward during Hurricane Katrina, the Connecticut hills meant to hold back rising waters are built atop alluvial sand deposits that can allow the rushing river to percolate through the bottom and breach the embankment from underneath. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

    Bristol submits application for $3.9M state grant for Centre Square

    BRISTOL - The city officially submitted a grant application to the state Department of Economic and Community Develop-ment for a $3.9 million grant this week, which would be used for the second phase of Centre Square development.
    This was announced at the downtown committee of the Bristol Development Authority meeting by Justin Malley, executive director of the development authority.
    “Essentially we applied for $3.9 million in state funds to help build out the second phase of Centre Square,” he said. “That would be one or more additional roadways on the site, the interior parking area on the site, streetscape work. Hopefully, if we are successful, it will cover additional infrastructure that’s not already essentially being planned.”
    “Obviously it’s a competitive environment, particularly now with the state’s budget situation, but you don’t get what you don’t apply for,” Malley said. He added that the grant application was approved by the City Council this month.
    An update of the new Bristol Hospital Ambulatory Care Center was given at the meeting.
    “The site plan for the hospital has received conditional approval from the land use boards,” Malley said. “The only outstanding issues are staff comments, sort of housekeeping things that the land-use and engineering staff had gone through. So the plan is approved pending the resolution of those issues.”
    A loading space for the hospital on Riverside Avenue and decreasing the slope in the parking area are aspects that were approved, Malley explained. He added, “At this point, they are still shooting to begin construction towards the end of this year.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

    Assisted living facility approved for Clintonville Road

    The North Haven Planning & Zoning Commission overcame concerns from residents and approved the application of the North Haven Senior Living facility on Clintonville Road at the Clintonville Manor site. A zone change and site plan application by the Wegman Companies, a real estate development company in Rochester, NY was approved by the P&Z Commission Sept. 18
    The zone change allows the company to construct more than 90 units on a property in an Elderly Housing District. The site plan application approved the construction of 109 residences, 87 assisted living suites in the main two floor building and 22 Memory Care suites in a separate one story building.
    Elliot Croll, a Clintonville Road resident, said, “Adding 133 people to the area is like adding 45 houses, the building is much bigger than the area allows.”
    Vern Carlson, the P&Z chairman, said, “That’s not true. It’s a sizable 11 ½ acre property that will fit the number of units. It doesn’t change the character of the neighborhood and it’s not on a secluded street but a state road.”Karen Berrios, a resident of Margo Street, which is in back of the property, said light from the suites would be seen at her house, but the commission ruled that a buffer of evergreens will be planted across the back of the property so the light won’t reach back and a fence will be built to shield neighboring houses from the property.
    James Giulietti, a P&Z member, didn’t think the installation of 69 parking spaces would be sufficient but Greg Elmore, executive manager at Lenity Architecture, the Salem, OR firm that will design the buildings said most residents don’t drive and there will be more than enough spaces for the staff and visitors. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
     
     
    SOUTHINGTON — State and national environmental officials celebrated the cleanup of a Superfund site and the opening of the newest section of the linear trail Thursday.
    The section of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail runs north from Curtiss Street, cuts through the site of the now-defunct Solvents Recovery Service, and ends at Lazy Lane. It was formally opened during a ceremony Thursday and named after Martin Beskind, a late employee of the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
    “He couldn’t get enough of the outdoors, how that blended into his scientific mind and his work. This is a beautiful example of that,” said Martin’s son, David Beskind.
    When Solvents Recovery Service was in operation, its distilling process produced clean solvents and fuels but also created unusable solvent that was dumped in unlined lagoons located on the property. The company operated from 1957 until 1991.“You can well imagine the impact on the environment from those activities,” Environmental Protection Agency regional administrator Deborah Szaro said. “That leaves an impact here on the site.”
    “It takes a long time to remediate sites and to get them into productive reuse,” she added. “This is a celebration here today because we’ve done that.”
    The process included the dismantling and disposal of building facilities, as well as the removal and treatment of contaminated soil and groundwater.
    Remaining soil has been consolidated and capped to eliminate the risk of exposure.
    “The work done here is a shining example of how EPA can and should strive to create an asset out of a liability for the communities, by leaving the site in a condition that is almost immediately reusable,” said Veronica Darwin, EPA senior advisor to the administrator for Superfund programs.
    Patrick Bowe, DEEP’s director of remediation, worked with Martin Beskind on the project.
    “This is a wonderful outcome from what was a very terrible situation,” Bowe said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
     
     
    New London —The Planning and Zoning Commission on Thursday unanimously approved plans for a 72-unit, mixed-income housing development at the site of the long-vacant former Edgerton School property.
    The approval comes nearly a year and a half after the property owners first announced plans to build a 124-unit affordable housing complex as replacement housing for the tenants at the federally subsidized Thames River Apartments. That project faced strong opposition from neighbors and ultimately was rejected by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
    The rejection, however, was appealed to Superior Court by attorney Mathew Greene and a stipulated agreement was reached with the commission that opened the door for the scaled-back version of the plan.
    Nearby resident Dan McSparran has filed an appeal of the judge’s decision, though the city attorney has discounted the legitimacy of the appeal.
    The project, which could start as early as next year, is being developed and will be managed by the team of Peabody Properties and Affordable Housing and Services Collaborative Inc.
    The Edgerton will be located off of Cedar Grove Avenue and contain 10 buildings with a mix of two- three- and four-bedroom units, along with a community center. The community center would accommodate outside entities such as the Boys and Girls Club of Southeastern Connecticut and TVCCA. CLICK TITLE CONTINUE

    17 CT proposals in mix to be state's pick for Amazon site

    The state is reviewing 17 proposals from municipalities around the state interested in playing host to Amazon's new second headquarters location, state officials said.
    The state Department of Economic and Community Development set a Sept. 19 deadline for the proposals before the state chooses what it thinks may be the best options and forwards one or more to the online retail giant for consideration, according to James Watson, a DECD spokesman.
    Watson declined to identify the municipalities that are pitching themselves with three-page summaries, or elaborate on the review process.
    According to multiple published reports, some of the cities and towns pitching themselves include Hartford; Bridgeport, Fairfield, New Haven and Stratford, which submitted a joint proposal; Enfield, Stamford and Danbury.
    On Sept. 7, Amazon announced plans to open a second North American headquarters that will employ as many as 50,000 workers and cost at least $5 billion to build and operate. The facility would complement Seattle as "a full equal," Amazon said. It's looking for a community that "thinks big" and a location that will attract technical talent.

    Waterbury waiting on $6.3M to renovate vacant Begg public housing

    WATERBURY – City officials expect to know shortly if the state will provide $6.3 million needed to renovate an empty public housing complex in the Brooklyn Neighborhood.
    City officials closed the William Begg Apartments in 2010, worried about lawlessness that had driven away tenants and endangered those that remained.
    Now, the Waterbury Housing Authority is seeking to piece together funding for a $14.7 million renovation to create 50 affordable apartments. Five will be two-bedroom units. The rest will have a single bedroom, according to the authority’s plans.
    “The original problem with that building was the conditions in Brooklyn got bad, but with Duggan School the conditions have gotten better,” said James Lawlor, chair of the Waterbury Housing Authority board.
    The city rebuilt the shuttered Duggan Elementary School at a cost of $39.7 mil The city rebuilt the shuttered Duggan Elementary School at a cost of $39.7 million, reopening the building for a new generation of students in the fall of 2011. The city tore down a number of properties and rebuilt sidewalks in the area as part of the project. Officials say the neighborhood has become a lot more attractive to residents due to the new school.
    Lawlor said the building is a good resource, if managed correctly.
    “Tearing it down would cost I think $3 million, so it’s not cost-effective,” Lawlor said. “The building is still basically sound. It’s got a 10-year-old roof, and concrete walls that are sound.”
    Lawlor has advocated for setting aside apartments for seniors raising grandchildren, a common arrangement in Waterbury. But the housing authority pledged non-aged restricted housing in its grant application to the state, understanding that would make funding more likely.
    Housing Authority Executive Director Maureen Voghel noted that seniors will still be able to apply. Voghel would like to get started in the spring on a yearlong restoration project. But that’s all contingent on the Connecticut Department of Housing approving the grant application, she noted.
    “Nothing will happen with the Begg Building until we know if state money is going to be available for the restoration,” Voghel said.
    CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

     

    September 21, 2017

    CT Construction Digest Thursday September 21, 2017

    Officials anticipate opening of downtown Meriden parking garage will create economic growth

    MERIDEN — City and state officials say the opening of the new parking garage on Colony Street over the weekend could spur future downtown economic growth.
    “It’s a very significant opening for a lot of reasons,” City Manager Guy Scaife said Monday. “Certainly, one more step in the direction of us having significant mass transportation with the opening of the rail station.”
    Scaife said the garage will provide optimal parking for commuters that will use the new train station, which is expected to open next month. Parking costs $7 a day and $40 a month. Parking is free on weekends and federal holidays.
    “It’s going to be economical,” he said. “It is safe, secure, and so close. It just brings a lot more people downtown, that creates demand for business.”The 96,275-square-foot, $8.8 million garage has 273 parking spaces, 48 of which are designated for residents of apartments at 24 Colony St. While tenants have been able to park in the garage since December, it opened to the public on Saturday, according to the state Department of Transportation.  
    The garage has three electric vehicle charging spaces, seven handicapped spaces and two elevators, and it is equipped with a video surveillance system and emergency intercoms. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
     
     
    East Lyme — The developers of Gateway Commons said that with demand for housing remaining strong, they plan to go ahead with adding 120 apartments to the 280 units they have built.
    The developers told the Zoning Commission last week that the 280 apartments are 95 percent occupied and the developers are ready to move to the second residential phase of the project.
    Attorney Theodore Harris, who represents the developers, said Gateway is bringing many people to town who hadn't lived here before. He said many of the development's residents are millennials who want something nice and affordable but don't want to commit to a house at this stage of their life. He gave as an example Electric Boat engineers who don't know how long they will be in the area.
    Gateway has become the top taxpayer in town, he said.
    When asked by a commission member how many schoolchildren live at Gateway, Harris estimated about 30 to 35 children live there, but said they are not all new to the East Lyme school system.
    Simon Konover of West Hartford and KGI Properties of Providence received approval in 2008 for their master development plan for Gateway Commons, a planned development on approximately 200 acres by Interstate 95 south, with a residential and a commercial phase. The plan allowed a residential phase near Exit 73, and 425,000 square feet of retail, including one big-box anchor store and five smaller “junior anchor stores,” for the commercial phase near Exit 74.
    While the project didn’t move forward during the recession, the developers several years ago noticed a demand for housing in the market, Harris said.
    The developers have built 280 units for the residential phase, after first gaining approval in 2013 from the Zoning Commission for a site plan. The developers also received approval to revise the master development plan to allow for a total of 400 units, instead of just 280.
    They said they are planning to ask for a change to the master development plan and, if it is approved, then will submit a site plan for the 120 units.
    The developers would need approval from both the Inland Wetlands Agency and the Zoning Commission for the site plan, according to Zoning Official Bill Mulholland.
    The developers plan to prepare an application to the Zoning Commission, likely for November, in which they are seeking to eliminate the text amendment to the master development plan that requires them to build a portion of East Society Road, east of the development's second roundabout through a bridge over the Pattagansett River, as a condition of the town granting certificates of occupancy for the 120 apartments, Newton C. Brainard, vice president at Simon Konover, said by email. The building of that portion of the road would instead be part of a later phase of the development. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

    West Hartford Officials Detail I-84, Park Road Construction Plans

    During an hourlong informational meeting at West Hartford Town Hall Monday night, town officials provided a more detailed outline of work to be done on the I-84 off-ramp at the Park Road intersection.
    The 15-month project is expected to begin in October and completed by spring 2019, Town Engineer Duane J. Martin and civil engineer Greg Sommer said to about 100 people at Monday night’s meeting.
    Noting the importance of the project for addressing congestion and improving safety, Martin said the Park Road and I-84 intersection is “the busiest interchange in West Hartford” and averages 30,000 vehicles a day.
    The project will relocate the I-84 off-ramp so it is next to the existing on-ramp and will be re-graded and widened to include an additional left-turn lane. Park Road will also be widened on the south side to create an additional travel lane and left-turn lanes. Left-turn lanes will be added to Overbook Road, Raymond Road and Trout Brook Drive. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

    Construction begins on specialty housing in Hamden

    HAMDEN — Two affordable housing apartment buildings now under construction will accommodate residents with disabilities and veterans in need of housing.
    Hamden Specialty Housing at 415 Mather St. will have 77 units of affordable housing, with at least 12 units specially designed for people with physical or cognitive disabilities who need supportive services, in addition to seven units which have been set aside for renters who are veterans .
    Developers and town officials celebrated the start of construction during a ceremony Monday. Regan Development has partnered with the town, the state, Columbus House and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to bring the housing complex to the area.
    “Affordable housing is playing a major role in the state’s economic recovery,” Connecticut Department of Housing Commissioner Eovonne Kline said during the ceremony. “Together we’re building in Connecticut a place where everyone can call home.”
    The apartments will rent for below market prices, said Regan Development Corp. Vice President Ken Regan. Rents will range from $765 to $932 for a one-bedroom unit and $912 to $1,113 for a two-bedroom unit and $1,283 for a three-bedroom unit. Some of the special needs units also come with rental assistance for qualified renters.
    The 12 specialty units are designed with features to foster long-term independence. The units will have automatic door openers, oversized door frames, hard surface flooring, specialized showers and bathroom fixtures. Of these 12 specialized apartments, eight will be secured by people living in nursing facilities, according to Regan. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

    Feds Gather to Discuss Infrastructure Improvement Strategies

    Government officials gathered at Texas A&M Sept. 18 to discuss the nation's infrastructure, including the need for new building methods and better, cost-conscious solutions, The Eagle reported.
    Keynote Speaker and Chair of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) said that with $1 trillion in spending required to update the country's aging infrastructure, the government must explore all options. Shuster reassured attendees that his committee are committed to moving forward and that infrastructure is one of a short list of truly bipartisan issues.
    “One of the few things in Congress that I think we can come together on is on infrastructure,” Shuster said. “We work very closely with our Democratic colleagues to get a place where they can support these [initiatives],” The Eagle reported.
    At the meeting, academic, industry and government transportation and infrastructure experts spoke of different ways to handle the nation's infrastructure problems, including:
  • simplifying the environmental regulations and testing process
  • increasing the gas tax to offset fuel-efficient vehicles
  • permitting greater experimentation with alternate methods, and
  • appointing a leader to coordinate progress.
  • Both Schuster and Finch Fulton, deputy assistant secretary for policy in the U.S. Department of Transportation suggested the option of public-private partnerships in a greater capacity to help pay for infrastructure spending, instead of relying solely on public funds.Fulton went on to say that the Trump Administration might be interested in allowing for more of private industry to get involved with public infrastructure projects through public-private partnerships “when it makes sense,” The Eagle reported. Fulton also said that Energy Secretary Rick Perry has been looking into the benefits of public-private partnerships for the issue at hand, and has spoken to the group about it. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
     
     
    Fifteen municipalities in Connecticut are competing for the new $5 billion North American headquarters of Amazon Inc., state economic development officials said Wednesday.The Department of Economic and Community Development did not identify which towns and cities submitted their proposals or provide details of how the municipalities promoted themselves.
    “A lot of folks are going to chase this,” said Bryan R. H. Chodkowski, Enfield’s town manager. “This is the whale. Everyone wants to catch the whale and feast on the whale.”
    Enfield is among the municipalities vying for the Amazon headquarters. The town cited the Enfield Square Mall with a nearby industrial park as a potential site. The town also promoted other available areas that Amazon may need, Chodkowski said.
    In addition, Enfield’s strengths include easy access to I-91, proximity to Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks and a passenger rail station expected in a few years, he said.
    DECD will submit a Connecticut proposal by Amazon’s Oct. 19 deadline. With scores of other states, towns, cities and provinces in the U.S. and Canada, Connecticut will be vying for the prize that includes a $5 billion building complex that eventually will employ 50,000 employees in finance, technology and other high-skill jobs.
    Several towns are banding together to woo the Seattle-based Amazon. Bridgeport, Fairfield, New Haven and Stratford submitted a joint proposal to DECD.
    Enfield’s Chodkowski said he’ll be meeting soon with his counterpart in Longmeadow, Mass., to discuss an interstate arrangement. “This kind of catch we can’t do alone,” he said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

     

    September 18, 2017

    CT Construction Digest Monday September 18, 2017

    MGM to unveil plans for waterfront casino in Bridgeport

    BRIDGEPORT — The stakes have been raised in the competition to build Connecticut’s first new casino in 20 years, with MGM unveiling plans for a $675 million privately financed waterfront resort in the state’s largest city that the gaming giant is touting as an economic and jobs boon.
    The developers of MGM Bridgeport are promising to create at least 2,000 permanent jobs and an annual tax revenue stream of $316 million for the cash-strapped state upon completion of the hotel, casino, shopping center, boardwalk and marina. An economic impact study commissioned by MGM anticipates the creation of another 5,779 ancillary jobs in construction and local business.
    The political ramifications of MGM’s overture are enormous, reaching from Gov. Dannel P. Malloy to a legacy-minded Bridgeport politician with ambitions of succeeding him in next year’s election, Mayor Joe Ganim.
    Not since Donald Trump competed for casino development rights here in the early 1990s have casino moguls placed such a huge bet on the city.
    “The easy analysis here is Bridgeport has 7.3 percent unemployment,” said Uri Clinton, senior vice president and legal counsel for MGM Resorts International. “Bridgeport doesn’t have any private investors knocking on its door asking to be here. The state of Connecticut doesn’t. The state of Connecticut is in a budget battle. So in a state that is having these issues, a development project like this should be easy.”
    A 2021 opening date is being eyed by MGM, but for that to happen the Legislature and governor must re-open the approval process for a new casino and likely go back on their deal with the Mohegan Tribe and Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation for a casino north of Hartford. The two federally recognized tribes, which operate Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods, have exclusive casino development rights in the state.
    MGM , represented by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, unsuccessfully sued the state over what it claims is an unfair monopoly. It has vowed further litigation after its most recent challenge was denied by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City.
    “We think that process was unconstitutional,” Clinton said. “We’ll put this project against any other project. This project wins.”
    A ground-breaking on the project, planned for a 28-acre spit of land across Steelpointe, home of Bass Pro Shops, is scheduled for Monday with Murren attending. MGM signed a contract with the RCI Group, Steelpointe’s developer, to build the resort.
    “This is a real win for everyone in Bridgeport,” said Robert W. Christoph Jr., a principal of RCI Group. “This will be a marquee waterfront development in the Northeast like no other.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
    Bocce And Buried Highways At Larson's Lovefest

    Rep. John B. Larson, D-1st District, always brings in heavy hitters for his annual charity bocce tournament in his hometown of East Hartford, which was Friday night.
    This year, some of them also stopped off at the state Capitol early in the day to back Larson’s massive Hartford highway tunnel plan. It was a bipartisan lovefest all around. Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Penn., made it clear he’s all for big spending when it comes to infrastructure. Shuster, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee — a post his father also held — called the Larson plan is a big deal, though one among many. The plan, at least as ambitious as Boston’s Big Dig, would bury Hartford and East Hartford sections of I-84 and I-91 in tunnels, with the main interchange under Colt Park and both highways crossing under the Connecticut River. All of this whis would open up the river and other prime urban property and make way for vast, pedestrian-friendly boulevards.
    As Larson sees it, the plan would supersede a $4 billion to $5 billion plan the state Department of Transportation is working on, to rebuild the aging, so-called Aetna Viaduct section of I-84.
    There’s no price tag on Larson’s plan. He says everyone is for it -- and in vacuum, there’s nothing not to love. The question is, if it costs, let’s say, $20 billion or more, can a small, broke state persuade a Republican-dominated federal government to pay for it?
    “This is an important project but there’s important projects all over the country,” Shuster said, stressing that the northeast coastal corridor accounts for 22 percent of the nation’s economy, and must be decongested. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE


    Deal struck on stabilizing profits of Millstone

    New Mohegan Park water tank being erected piece by piece

    Budget Plan Includes $115 Million for Hartford's XL Center Renovations

    Thursday September 14, 2017

    Construction industry: Transportation cuts would damage CT economy

    Riverfront Recapture Will Use Grant to Extend Riverwalk to Windsor

    New Canaan high school football field comes in $1 million over budget...


    Wednesday September 13, 2017

    Bristol City Council OKs state grant application for Memorial Boulevard magnet school

    Employee assistance programs offer a bridge to addiction recovery

    Wallingford council approves adding $600,000 for sewer facility plan

     
    Tuesday September 12, 2017

    Judd Road to be closed for Norwich Public Utilities water tank replacement

    Waterbury aldermen agree to borrow $9.5 million for greenway

    Monday September 11, 2017

    Wallingford Sewer Division seeking $600,000 budget amendment for wastewater treatment plant analysis

    Owner of Norwich portion of former Norwich Hospital owes nearly $82,000 in back taxes
     
    Construction of new school underway at Grasso Tech

    Friday September 8, 2017

    City releases increased hiring of minorities, women, residents on school construction projects

    Huge construction cranes loom over Miami as Irma threatens

    Amazon wants to open a $5 billion second HQ in North America

    Temporary repairs to Pawcatuck bridge could begin this fall

    Future New London magnet schools undergo new changes

    Stonington approves another $88,000 to fix Bayview Avenue drainage problem

    What’s delaying the demolition of the Mills apartments in Meriden?

    East Hampton’s renovated $51.7 million high school to be dedicated Friday

    September 15, 2017

    CT Construction Digest Friday September 15, 2017

    Congressman Larson is hosting Chairman Bill Shuster and Ranking Member DeFazio in the district on Friday. Both members will be joining Congressman Larson for a press conference at 10:30 AM on the tunnel proposal and other transportation related projects. We hope that you will be able to join us for this.
    LARSON TO HOST HOUSE TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP TO DISCUSS THE I-84/I-91 TUNNEL PROPOSAL Hartford, CT – On Friday, September 15th at 10:30 am, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) will host the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (PA-09) and Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (OR-04) to discuss the I-84 and I-91 Tunnel proposal.
    The three Members will discuss the future of infrastructure in America and how bold projects, like the I-84 and I-91 Tunnel proposal, are needed nationwide.
    Who:  Rep. John Larson, Chairman Bill Shuster, Ranking Member Peter DeFazio
    What: Press Conference on I-84/I-91 Tunnel Proposal
    Where/When: Friday, September 15, 2017 10:30 AM  Hearing Room 1A Legislative Office Building  300 Capitol Avenue Hartford, CT

    Deal struck on stabilizing profits of Millstone

    The Connecticut General Assembly and the administration of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy have agreed in principle on bipartisan legislation authorizing state energy officials to take measures to stabilize the profitability of New England's largest power plant, the Millstone nuclear station in Waterford.
    Passage of the measure would resolve what has been one of the most heavily lobbied issues at the State Capitol over two years and underscore the reluctance of lawmakers to risk the political fallout that would come in the swing districts of southeastern Connecticut next year if Dominion Energy acted on threats to close the plant.
    Aside from generating enough carbon-free power to meet half of the state's energy needs and keep it on track to lower greenhouse gases, Millstone is an economic powerhouse with a workforce of well-paid technical staff in a corner of the state with a soft economy and an electorate that often feels neglected by Hartford.
    "It's very important that we stand up for the folks who work there every day," Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, told CT Mirror. "They're good jobs. They've been there for a long time. And I think we respect the people who work there, and we want to make sure we are fighting for them as well as all of eastern Connecticut."
    It was unclear Thursday night if the measure would come before the legislature, which is meeting in special session to adopt a budget, as a stand-alone bill or as an attachment to the budget.
    Sen. Paul Formica, R-East Lyme, whose district includes Waterford and has strongly advocated helping Millstone as co-chair of the Energy and Technology Committee, said he was awaiting final legislative language, but was encouraged by the bipartisan consensus.
    "I'm waiting for the language," Formica said. "It seems to be my understanding that everybody's clear on where we're going, and the plant gets saved. That's the most important issue."
    The measure is similar to a bill passed by the Senate at the end of the regular 2017 session, only to die from inaction in the House.
    It would allow — not require — the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to change energy procurement rules, if deemed in the best interest of the state and ratepayers.
    It does not include the imposition of any fees on Dominion, a possibility considered as the legislature has struggled to pass a balanced budget. But Malloy said unequivocally this week he would oppose any such fees as a hidden tax on electric ratepayers.
    "I am not in favor of plugging money in, because quite frankly it's ratepayer money," Malloy said. "If you're going to raise somebody's taxes, be honest about it — you're raising their taxes."
    On the orders of Malloy, DEEP and PURA already are performing an assessment of the financial stability of Millstone and the nuclear energy market. Profits have been squeezed by competition with power plants fueled by relatively cheap natural gas.
    It is unclear if Dominion, a publicly traded company that already discloses significant financial information, would provide additional data sought by PURA and DEEP to make the case that it needs new rules for selling the electricity generated at Millstone.
    CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

    New Mohegan Park water tank being erected piece by piece

    Norwich — If you want to see a live Tetris game going on, check out the construction of the new $3.1 million, 2.5-million-gallon water tank on Judd Road in Mohegan Park.
    The new concrete water tank is replacing the massive steel 5-million-gallon, 140-foot-diameter tank that sat at the edge of Judd Road since 1971. The old tank was disassembled in July. The project is designed to improve water quality and circulation for customers on the Norwich Public Utilities water system. The smaller new ground-level tank will stand 86 feet tall, but only 73 feet in diameter.
    The smaller, modern design of the tank allows water to circulate more frequently, improving quality, NPU officials said. The concrete tank also will require less maintenance, NPU spokesman Chris Riley said.

    Budget Plan Includes $115 Million for Hartford's XL Center Renovations

    The city’s aging XL Center arena would get $115 million over two years as part of a budget plan that will be debated tonight and early tomorrow by the state House and Senate.
    Sen. John W. Fonfara, D-Hartford and co-chairman of the legislature’s finance revenue and bonding committee, said the capital plan includes $40 million for the current fiscal year and $75 million for 2019.
    The allocation is just shy of the $125 million sought by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, but higher than the $75 million approved earlier this year by the finance committee.
    The amount included in the budget plan is close to half of the $250 million needed for a recommended, top-to-bottom makeover of the arena. The project has been envisioned as spreading over three or four years.
    “The administration feels that...while they continue to look for a public-private partnership and examine options on how to make this work, this level of investment is needed now, and I agree with them,” Fonfara said.
    Fonfara said he confident the funding will survive legislative debate.
    If the legislature backs the plan as part of the much broader budget plan, the State Bond Commission would still have to approve borrowing the money.
    The project has been controversial with opponents in the legislature arguing the state can’t afford to keep borrowing such huge sums when the state faces a spiraling deficit.
    Supporters say a renovated arena is an amenity crucial to the revitalization of downtown Hartford and keeping the XL Center viable amid intensifying competition from the state’s two casinos and a new casino and entertainment complex that will open in Springfield next year.
    This spring, the Capital Region Development Authority sought “expressions of interest” from private investors who might be willing to take on a portion of the costs, easing the burden on taxpayers.
    The authority drew just one response, from an investor group led by Washington, D.C.-based Savage Funding, a firm that specializes in assembling groups to pursue public-private partnerships.
    “I think they understand there has to be a different approach to this to get the kind of resources that we may need,” Fonfara said. “Even with a private partner, we’re still going to need public money.”
    Michael W. Freimuth, the authority’s executive director, said the $115 million is close to the $125 million initially sought. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE

    Thursday September 14, 2017

    Construction industry: Transportation cuts would damage CT economy

    Riverfront Recapture Will Use Grant to Extend Riverwalk to Windsor

    New Canaan high school football field comes in $1 million over budget...


    Wednesday September 13, 2017

    Bristol City Council OKs state grant application for Memorial Boulevard magnet school

    Employee assistance programs offer a bridge to addiction recovery

    Wallingford council approves adding $600,000 for sewer facility plan

     
    Tuesday September 12, 2017

    Judd Road to be closed for Norwich Public Utilities water tank replacement

    Waterbury aldermen agree to borrow $9.5 million for greenway

    Monday September 11, 2017

    Wallingford Sewer Division seeking $600,000 budget amendment for wastewater treatment plant analysis

    Owner of Norwich portion of former Norwich Hospital owes nearly $82,000 in back taxes
     
    Construction of new school underway at Grasso Tech

    Friday September 8, 2017

    City releases increased hiring of minorities, women, residents on school construction projects

    Huge construction cranes loom over Miami as Irma threatens

    Amazon wants to open a $5 billion second HQ in North America

    Temporary repairs to Pawcatuck bridge could begin this fall

    Future New London magnet schools undergo new changes

    Stonington approves another $88,000 to fix Bayview Avenue drainage problem

    What’s delaying the demolition of the Mills apartments in Meriden?

    East Hampton’s renovated $51.7 million high school to be dedicated Friday

    Thursday September 7, 2017
                                                                 
     
     
    Budget Plan Includes $115 Million for Hartford's XL Center Renovations