Charles Paullin
BERLIN - Two town bridges are expected to be completed during this year’s construction season.
High Road will be closed to through traffic between Glen Street and Winchell Drive from April 15 to Oct. 1 for completion of the replacement of a bridge over the Mattabesset River that was suspended last year.
“We suspended the project last year due to a material supply issue,” Deputy Public Works Director Jim Horbal said. “We didn’t want the project to get started midseason last year and end up with a closure through the winter. So we spoke to the contractor, extended the time frame to get started, so that on or about April 1, they’ll commence with the construction.”
The contract, which stipulates that the work be completed within 180 calendar days, was awarded to Martin Laviero Contractor Inc. last year with a price tag just over $1 million. Half of the project will be funded by the state, half locally.
The bridge, built in 1958, was inspected by the state DOT earlier in the decade and classified in poor condition with minor deficiencies that have now reached the point at which the bridge needs to be replaced, Horbal said.
The Farmington Avenue bridge over the Mattabesset River near Mill Street is expected be fully finished this year, Horbal added. Major work was done last year and the bridge was reopened at the end of 2017. Only minor items, including landscaping, remain to be done.
The project, which began in the summer of 2016 after a delay caused by contamination found on the site is expected to finish with a cost of $2.9 million, about $450,000 more than what was expected. The contamination was traced to a nearby gas station, town officials said.
The Farmington Avenue project is being funded 80 percent by the Federal Highway Administration, 10 percent by the state Department of Transportation and 10 percent by the town.
Planned bridge projects on Spruce Brook Road, over Spruce Brook, and Burnham Street, over the Mattabesset Riverm are waiting for funding, Horbal said. The projects, priced at $578,886 and just over $1 million respectively, lost their state funding earlier in the year when Gov. Dannel Malloy stripped $4.3 million from the Special Transportation Fund.
Horbal said the Spruce Brook Road project was recently discussed with the state DOT, the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection Marine’s Fisheries Divisions and the Army Corps of Engineers. It should get final approval to go to bid in the near future, in anticipation of receiving the necessary money, Horbal said.
Burnham Street Bridge went to bid and has a contractor lined up to begin work once the funds become available.
Plans for federally funded bridge repairs on Worthington Ridge and Berlin Street over the Mattabesset River, Wildermere Road over Belcher Brook and Heritage Drive over Stockings Brook are also progressing.
Horbal said the town recently interviewed consultants about design plans for minor, aesthetic improvements. The project probably won’t go out to bid until spring 2019, he added.
The town is also looking to get started with its annual 5 1/2 miles of road repair and sidewalk replacement in mid- to late April. The list of roads to be paved this year should be finalized within the next week or so.
Construction on housing units at 11 Crown St. expected to start in fall
Ellen Godin
MERIDEN — Construction on 81 apartment units at 11 Crown Street is now expected to start in the fall.
Michaels Development of New Jersey, the developer on the project, is waiting on $6 million in state funding that was approved, but not released by the state Bond Commission, said city Economic Development Director Juliet Burdelski.
Michaels had hoped to have the financial closing in April, but now expects to close in June.
“We were thinking April,” Burdelski said. “They are waiting on funding from the state Department of Housing. It’s another piece of funding.”
The state Department of Housing awarded $6 million in tax credits for the $30 million project. An additional $1.6 million will come from the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority. Private equity investment in the project equals about $18.6 million.
Michaels originally planned to build 37 affordable apartments for those below 60 percent of the area-wide median income and 20 units for displaced residents of the Mills Memorial Apartments, considered low income. Twenty four units would have been market-rate, under the plan.
But the City Council agreed to increase the number of affordable and low-income units to 80 percent of the project, or 64 units, with 16 units priced at market rates. The city owns the property.
City officials urged the the council to accept the additional affordable and low-income units to secure needed funding. Some councilors voiced opposition, saying a lack of tenants with disposable income would make the project a greater burden to the city.
The city bought the former Record-Journal property in 2015 for $450,000. The new apartments will consist of ranch-style apartments on four floors and town houses along South Colony Street.
A Michael’s spokeswoman said the financial closing is expected June 15, with construction to start in the fall. Work is expected to be completed by October 2019.
The Michaels project will complete the city’s obligation to replace the 144 low-income units that will be eliminated when the Mills Memorial Apartments is razed this summer. Other new apartment developments, at 24 Colony St., Meriden Commons I and II, also provided low-income units.
Offshore wind backers push New London area as potential hub
Benjamin Kail
Groton — Chris Bachant, of the New England Regional Council of Carpenters, says installing the Block Island Wind Farm's five turbines created more than 180,000 hours of labor in the region.
With Connecticut recently opening the door to projects that could see at least 40 wind turbines installed in federal waters in the next couple of years, Bachant says it's an exciting time not only for renewable energy but for state and local jobs.
"I'm not a mathematician, but that's a hell of a lot of man-hours," Bachant told a group of regional players in labor, industry and environmental advocacy gathered for a discussion on offshore wind's potential Thursday evening in Groton. "If we don't capitalize on this, we have nobody to blame but ourselves."
Hosted by MDA-UAW Local 571, which represents almost 2,400 Electric Boat workers, the discussion comes as regulators and grid operators are highlighting advancements among wind, solar and other renewable sources of power. Wind projects proposed for connections to the regional grid exceeded natural gas proposals for the first time in 2017.
In January, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection issued a request for proposals for offshore wind, fuel cell and anaerobic digestion projects.
Speakers from the Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs, Acadia Center and the Connecticut Port Authority all said offshore wind soon would play a larger role in New England's energy grid.
As the only port between Boston and Norfolk, Va., without height or width restrictions in its main channel, New London could be ideal for everything from receiving shipments of wind turbine parts to manufacturing components, according to state and local leaders.
"The phone has started ringing," said Evan Matthews, executive director of the Connecticut Port Authority. "There's a lot of interest in New London."
Matthews and John Humphries, of Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs, said New London could prove to be a hub for offshore wind, potentially carving out a new manufacturing market locally and statewide, saving developers money they'd otherwise spend shipping massive turbine components overseas.
"The gold mine here would be that we get some supply chain manufacturing," Humphries said. "It's an exciting time."
Many described the local workforce as well prepared to take advantage of offshore wind opportunities, considering the strong supply of technicians and engineers and the industrial base here.
By state law, Connecticut can seek project proposals only for a maximum of 240 megawatts of offshore wind power. Humphries and Emily Lewis of the Acadia Center are pushing lawmakers to ramp up that maximum as soon as possible.
Lewis noted Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Maryland each are seeking proposals from private developers for offshore wind farms producing between 400 and 1,100 megawatts of power in the next few years.
In Europe, 10 countries have constructed 81 combined offshore wind farms — almost 3,600 turbines injecting 12,600 megawatts into the grid.
The Block Island Wind Farm is the first of its kind in the U.S., generating up to 30 megawatts and powering about 17,000 homes.
Lewis said Acadia Center and others pushed DEEP to accept upcoming bids that create jobs, boost local ports, revitalize depressed communities, include ocean management plans, minimize the impact on birds and fish and take advantage of a skilled labor force.
Fishing and seafood industry representatives, who have expressed concerns about previous offshore wind proposals in the Northeast, said they were eager to be involved in the discussion.
"We'd like to have a say," area fisherman Mike Theiler said. "We don't want to be the guys tied to the train tracks. We can be a real asset to this."
State Reps. Chris Soto, D-New London, and Christine Conley, D-Groton, and state Sen. Paul Formica, R-East Lyme, urged offshore wind advocates to make clear to lawmakers that the entire state could benefit from an increase in direct and indirect jobs.
"We lined up the delegation behind Millstone. I'm sure we can do it for these jobs," Conley said.
Humphries said he hopes Millstone Power Station's Units 2 and 3 will keep providing their combined 2,000-plus megawatts through their respective 2035 and 2045 licensing.
But he said a key question for Connecticut is: "How do we replace that power with renewables?"
Offshore wind, he said, could "provide jobs and an economic pipeline for communities that might be hit when Millstone closes."
DEEP spokesman Chris Collibee said he could not discuss proposals the agency may or may not have received since the process began. But he noted a conference for potential bidders on Feb. 20 went well, with private developers expressing interest.
"Wind and other renewables are a key element of the Comprehensive Energy Strategy," Collibee said, referencing DEEP's set of environmental goals and policy frameworks to improve efficiency, grow renewable and zero-carbon generation and boost grid reliability.
Private companies must submit their bids by April 2, and DEEP will select bidders by June.
New Developer Raises Hopes For Renewal At Key Corner Of Park And Main In Hartford
The Hartford-based nonprofit that recently converted the old Capewell factory into apartments has been selected to redevelop two vacant lots at the key intersection of Park and Main streets just south of downtown, the city announced Wednesday.
CIL, or the Corporation for Independent Living, submitted one of two proposals to the city last fall for a mixed-use development at the intersection. The corner is increasingly seen as a crucial connection to Colt Park, Bushnell Park and downtown.
CIL, which focuses on providing housing, and its partner, Hartford architectural design firm Amenta Emma, envision a $31 million development for the 2.3 acres on both sides of Park near Main.
This is the latest in a series of attempts to redevelop the city-owned land, long an eyesore that contributes to the desolate image of the area.
“We look forward to working with CIL and Amenta Emma to refine their proposal and determine whether we can move forward with a viable project on this strategically located land,” Jamie Brätt, the city’s director of economic planning and development, said Wednesday. “We are encouraged by their commitment to involve the community as we move forward.”
Initially, CIL has envisioned 100 mixed-income apartments, possibly 10 townhouses along John Street and 17,000 square feet of street-level retail space. Buildings would likely be four stories high, keeping to the scale of the surrounding neighborhood.
Kent Schwendy, CIL’s president and chief executive, said Wednesday the plans could now evolve after discussions that are planned with the neighborhood, the broader community and city leaders.
“We put our cards on the table for what we think is reasonable,” Schwendy said. “Now, let’s talk.”
CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Democrats Release Infrastructure Plan
While the White House has outlined its plans to fund infrastructure projects across the country, Senate Democrats have other ideas, including a proposal to pull back on the newly passed tax plan, The Washington Post reported.
The Details
Democratic leaders revealed details of their plan on March 7, outlining a way to get more than $1 trillion to fund various infrastructure projects, including:
“We believe overwhelmingly the American people will prefer building infrastructure and creating close to 15 million middle-class jobs than giving tax breaks for the wealthy,” said Schumer. “Now that Republicans are realizing that the president's plan is a nonstarter, and some of them have voiced that, we hope that this will importune them to move in our direction. I think as they get closer to the election, and they need some real program, something big and significant to get done this year . . . they may move in our direction or at the very minimum propose a real plan with real dollars on their own.”
Trump's Plan
In February, President Trump outlined his $1.5 infrastructure plan that relies on a combination of incentives, expanding federal loan programs and block grants along with contributions from state and local governments to pay for significant infrastructure improvements throughout the country. In addition, the White House's plan supports a better, more streamlined process for permitting and regulations, which would allow these projects to get off the ground much faster than they have in the past.
“We suspended the project last year due to a material supply issue,” Deputy Public Works Director Jim Horbal said. “We didn’t want the project to get started midseason last year and end up with a closure through the winter. So we spoke to the contractor, extended the time frame to get started, so that on or about April 1, they’ll commence with the construction.”
The contract, which stipulates that the work be completed within 180 calendar days, was awarded to Martin Laviero Contractor Inc. last year with a price tag just over $1 million. Half of the project will be funded by the state, half locally.
The bridge, built in 1958, was inspected by the state DOT earlier in the decade and classified in poor condition with minor deficiencies that have now reached the point at which the bridge needs to be replaced, Horbal said.
The Farmington Avenue bridge over the Mattabesset River near Mill Street is expected be fully finished this year, Horbal added. Major work was done last year and the bridge was reopened at the end of 2017. Only minor items, including landscaping, remain to be done.
The project, which began in the summer of 2016 after a delay caused by contamination found on the site is expected to finish with a cost of $2.9 million, about $450,000 more than what was expected. The contamination was traced to a nearby gas station, town officials said.
The Farmington Avenue project is being funded 80 percent by the Federal Highway Administration, 10 percent by the state Department of Transportation and 10 percent by the town.
Planned bridge projects on Spruce Brook Road, over Spruce Brook, and Burnham Street, over the Mattabesset Riverm are waiting for funding, Horbal said. The projects, priced at $578,886 and just over $1 million respectively, lost their state funding earlier in the year when Gov. Dannel Malloy stripped $4.3 million from the Special Transportation Fund.
Horbal said the Spruce Brook Road project was recently discussed with the state DOT, the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection Marine’s Fisheries Divisions and the Army Corps of Engineers. It should get final approval to go to bid in the near future, in anticipation of receiving the necessary money, Horbal said.
Burnham Street Bridge went to bid and has a contractor lined up to begin work once the funds become available.
Plans for federally funded bridge repairs on Worthington Ridge and Berlin Street over the Mattabesset River, Wildermere Road over Belcher Brook and Heritage Drive over Stockings Brook are also progressing.
Horbal said the town recently interviewed consultants about design plans for minor, aesthetic improvements. The project probably won’t go out to bid until spring 2019, he added.
The town is also looking to get started with its annual 5 1/2 miles of road repair and sidewalk replacement in mid- to late April. The list of roads to be paved this year should be finalized within the next week or so.
Construction on housing units at 11 Crown St. expected to start in fall
Ellen Godin
MERIDEN — Construction on 81 apartment units at 11 Crown Street is now expected to start in the fall.
Michaels Development of New Jersey, the developer on the project, is waiting on $6 million in state funding that was approved, but not released by the state Bond Commission, said city Economic Development Director Juliet Burdelski.
Michaels had hoped to have the financial closing in April, but now expects to close in June.
“We were thinking April,” Burdelski said. “They are waiting on funding from the state Department of Housing. It’s another piece of funding.”
The state Department of Housing awarded $6 million in tax credits for the $30 million project. An additional $1.6 million will come from the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority. Private equity investment in the project equals about $18.6 million.
Michaels originally planned to build 37 affordable apartments for those below 60 percent of the area-wide median income and 20 units for displaced residents of the Mills Memorial Apartments, considered low income. Twenty four units would have been market-rate, under the plan.
But the City Council agreed to increase the number of affordable and low-income units to 80 percent of the project, or 64 units, with 16 units priced at market rates. The city owns the property.
City officials urged the the council to accept the additional affordable and low-income units to secure needed funding. Some councilors voiced opposition, saying a lack of tenants with disposable income would make the project a greater burden to the city.
The city bought the former Record-Journal property in 2015 for $450,000. The new apartments will consist of ranch-style apartments on four floors and town houses along South Colony Street.
A Michael’s spokeswoman said the financial closing is expected June 15, with construction to start in the fall. Work is expected to be completed by October 2019.
The Michaels project will complete the city’s obligation to replace the 144 low-income units that will be eliminated when the Mills Memorial Apartments is razed this summer. Other new apartment developments, at 24 Colony St., Meriden Commons I and II, also provided low-income units.
Offshore wind backers push New London area as potential hub
Benjamin Kail
Groton — Chris Bachant, of the New England Regional Council of Carpenters, says installing the Block Island Wind Farm's five turbines created more than 180,000 hours of labor in the region.
With Connecticut recently opening the door to projects that could see at least 40 wind turbines installed in federal waters in the next couple of years, Bachant says it's an exciting time not only for renewable energy but for state and local jobs.
"I'm not a mathematician, but that's a hell of a lot of man-hours," Bachant told a group of regional players in labor, industry and environmental advocacy gathered for a discussion on offshore wind's potential Thursday evening in Groton. "If we don't capitalize on this, we have nobody to blame but ourselves."
Hosted by MDA-UAW Local 571, which represents almost 2,400 Electric Boat workers, the discussion comes as regulators and grid operators are highlighting advancements among wind, solar and other renewable sources of power. Wind projects proposed for connections to the regional grid exceeded natural gas proposals for the first time in 2017.
In January, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection issued a request for proposals for offshore wind, fuel cell and anaerobic digestion projects.
Speakers from the Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs, Acadia Center and the Connecticut Port Authority all said offshore wind soon would play a larger role in New England's energy grid.
As the only port between Boston and Norfolk, Va., without height or width restrictions in its main channel, New London could be ideal for everything from receiving shipments of wind turbine parts to manufacturing components, according to state and local leaders.
"The phone has started ringing," said Evan Matthews, executive director of the Connecticut Port Authority. "There's a lot of interest in New London."
Matthews and John Humphries, of Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs, said New London could prove to be a hub for offshore wind, potentially carving out a new manufacturing market locally and statewide, saving developers money they'd otherwise spend shipping massive turbine components overseas.
"The gold mine here would be that we get some supply chain manufacturing," Humphries said. "It's an exciting time."
Many described the local workforce as well prepared to take advantage of offshore wind opportunities, considering the strong supply of technicians and engineers and the industrial base here.
By state law, Connecticut can seek project proposals only for a maximum of 240 megawatts of offshore wind power. Humphries and Emily Lewis of the Acadia Center are pushing lawmakers to ramp up that maximum as soon as possible.
Lewis noted Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Maryland each are seeking proposals from private developers for offshore wind farms producing between 400 and 1,100 megawatts of power in the next few years.
In Europe, 10 countries have constructed 81 combined offshore wind farms — almost 3,600 turbines injecting 12,600 megawatts into the grid.
The Block Island Wind Farm is the first of its kind in the U.S., generating up to 30 megawatts and powering about 17,000 homes.
Lewis said Acadia Center and others pushed DEEP to accept upcoming bids that create jobs, boost local ports, revitalize depressed communities, include ocean management plans, minimize the impact on birds and fish and take advantage of a skilled labor force.
Fishing and seafood industry representatives, who have expressed concerns about previous offshore wind proposals in the Northeast, said they were eager to be involved in the discussion.
"We'd like to have a say," area fisherman Mike Theiler said. "We don't want to be the guys tied to the train tracks. We can be a real asset to this."
State Reps. Chris Soto, D-New London, and Christine Conley, D-Groton, and state Sen. Paul Formica, R-East Lyme, urged offshore wind advocates to make clear to lawmakers that the entire state could benefit from an increase in direct and indirect jobs.
"We lined up the delegation behind Millstone. I'm sure we can do it for these jobs," Conley said.
Humphries said he hopes Millstone Power Station's Units 2 and 3 will keep providing their combined 2,000-plus megawatts through their respective 2035 and 2045 licensing.
But he said a key question for Connecticut is: "How do we replace that power with renewables?"
Offshore wind, he said, could "provide jobs and an economic pipeline for communities that might be hit when Millstone closes."
DEEP spokesman Chris Collibee said he could not discuss proposals the agency may or may not have received since the process began. But he noted a conference for potential bidders on Feb. 20 went well, with private developers expressing interest.
"Wind and other renewables are a key element of the Comprehensive Energy Strategy," Collibee said, referencing DEEP's set of environmental goals and policy frameworks to improve efficiency, grow renewable and zero-carbon generation and boost grid reliability.
Private companies must submit their bids by April 2, and DEEP will select bidders by June.
New Developer Raises Hopes For Renewal At Key Corner Of Park And Main In Hartford
The Hartford-based nonprofit that recently converted the old Capewell factory into apartments has been selected to redevelop two vacant lots at the key intersection of Park and Main streets just south of downtown, the city announced Wednesday.
CIL, or the Corporation for Independent Living, submitted one of two proposals to the city last fall for a mixed-use development at the intersection. The corner is increasingly seen as a crucial connection to Colt Park, Bushnell Park and downtown.
CIL, which focuses on providing housing, and its partner, Hartford architectural design firm Amenta Emma, envision a $31 million development for the 2.3 acres on both sides of Park near Main.
This is the latest in a series of attempts to redevelop the city-owned land, long an eyesore that contributes to the desolate image of the area.
“We look forward to working with CIL and Amenta Emma to refine their proposal and determine whether we can move forward with a viable project on this strategically located land,” Jamie Brätt, the city’s director of economic planning and development, said Wednesday. “We are encouraged by their commitment to involve the community as we move forward.”
Initially, CIL has envisioned 100 mixed-income apartments, possibly 10 townhouses along John Street and 17,000 square feet of street-level retail space. Buildings would likely be four stories high, keeping to the scale of the surrounding neighborhood.
Kent Schwendy, CIL’s president and chief executive, said Wednesday the plans could now evolve after discussions that are planned with the neighborhood, the broader community and city leaders.
“We put our cards on the table for what we think is reasonable,” Schwendy said. “Now, let’s talk.”
CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Democrats Release Infrastructure Plan
While the White House has outlined its plans to fund infrastructure projects across the country, Senate Democrats have other ideas, including a proposal to pull back on the newly passed tax plan, The Washington Post reported.
The Details
Democratic leaders revealed details of their plan on March 7, outlining a way to get more than $1 trillion to fund various infrastructure projects, including:
- $140 billion for road and bridge improvements;
- $115 billion for water and sewer improvements; and
- $50 billion for rebuilding the nation's schools, The Washington Post reported.
- restoring a top income tax rate of 39.6 percent;
- reinstating the individual alternative minimum tax;
- repealing estate tax cuts; and
- raising the corporate income tax to 25 percent from 21 percent, The Washington Post reported.
“We believe overwhelmingly the American people will prefer building infrastructure and creating close to 15 million middle-class jobs than giving tax breaks for the wealthy,” said Schumer. “Now that Republicans are realizing that the president's plan is a nonstarter, and some of them have voiced that, we hope that this will importune them to move in our direction. I think as they get closer to the election, and they need some real program, something big and significant to get done this year . . . they may move in our direction or at the very minimum propose a real plan with real dollars on their own.”
Trump's Plan
In February, President Trump outlined his $1.5 infrastructure plan that relies on a combination of incentives, expanding federal loan programs and block grants along with contributions from state and local governments to pay for significant infrastructure improvements throughout the country. In addition, the White House's plan supports a better, more streamlined process for permitting and regulations, which would allow these projects to get off the ground much faster than they have in the past.