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.
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
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.