CALL TO ACTION
PLEASE TAKE A MINUTE AND SEND AN EMAIL TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVE IN THE STATE HOUSE
TIME IS RUNNING OUT AND THE LEGISLATURE HAS TO ACT SOON!
$4.3 BILLION OF PROJECTS ARE AT STAKE!...
USE THIS LINK
PLEASE TAKE A MINUTE AND SEND AN EMAIL TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVE IN THE STATE HOUSE
TIME IS RUNNING OUT AND THE LEGISLATURE HAS TO ACT SOON!
$4.3 BILLION OF PROJECTS ARE AT STAKE!...
USE THIS LINK
Transportation Campaign Links
Bethel approves additional police station funding
Julia Perkins
BETHEL — Voters quickly approved Thursday evening almost $889,000 in funding to finish the police station project, which went over its $13.5 million budget. About 50 residents voted nearly unanimously in support of the funding at the special town meeting, after only one comment from a resident.“This needs to be done,” resident Bob Legnard said. “We’re not here to find out tonight why it happened or how we can correct it the next time. That’s for a different meeting. We need to approve the money, move the project forward and get the job done.”
Legnard then moved for residents to vote immediately. Residents applauded him and approved his motion, and then the funding.
The project went over its $13.5 million budget in part because HVAC and plumbing work was more costly than expected. Officials have blamed the poor estimates on a tight construction market and the high quality of materials the town sought to ensure the station will last longer.
Jon Menti, chairman of the Public Site and Building Committee, called the construction manager immediately after the vote. Menti said crews Friday will continue work to complete the firing range. Work had been halted until funding was approved.
Officials will also order the station’s furniture and fixtures, which was also on hold until funding was granted.
The funding needed to be approved before May 15, otherwise the project would fall behind schedule and staffing costs would increase, officials had said. The project is 70 percent complete and is expected to be finished by the end of July.
“We need to move along quickly to avoid additional costs,” Menti said after the meeting.
Among the residents who voted in favor was Tom Mason, the former head of the Police Commission who pushed the department in 1999 to explore expanding its station.“We needed the building,” he said after the meeting. “We need to think about our town, not for today, but for the future. This building is a sign of what Bethel’s future will be.”First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker said he was relieved by the vote. But he said he plans to look into restructuring the building process to ensure overruns do not happen on future Bethel projects.
He said he wants to meet with the building committee and other officials to get a deeper understanding of what caused the overruns.
“The Board of Selectmen is going to have to conduct a thorough inquiry,” Knickerbocker said after the meeting.
Cynthia McCorkindale, a Board of Finance member, said she was frustrated no official has taken ownership for the mistakes that led to the overruns.“I’m voting for this because we have to finish [the station],” she said after the meeting. “But I would feel more comfortable if I had a commitment from anybody who was sitting up on the table.”
She was irked that residents had moved the question so quickly before more public comment.“It was an absolute disregard for the democratic process,” McCorkindale said.
Officials had discussed asking the town for about $1.5 million to cover the cost to complete the project, in addition to outfitting the firing range with equipment. A fully-functioning firing range was not part of the referendum voters approved in December 2015, but officials had hoped to complete the range if the project was under budget.
Police Chief Jeff Finch said he plans to ask sometime after the station is complete for a special appropriation from the town to pay for the range’s equipment. This has been estimated to cost around $600,000, but that number could change.
SoNo Collection construction workers thanked for blood, sweat and tears
Robert Koch
NORWALK — Construction workers took a break from The SoNo Collection midday Thursday and grabbed a bite to eat as part of an employee appreciation lunch thrown by general contractor VCC/KBE.
Jeffery Britton, who lives in Wethersfield and works for United Steel, reflected upon his contribution thus far to the nearly million-square-foot upscale regional shopping center slated to open late next year.
“We started over there, started putting in 130,000-pound beams on the lower level and that’s what e’ll be carrying over the road, too,” Britton said. “I’m from a whole history of ironworkers. It’s just another project but it’s a big one. I think there’s nine cranes here.”
Approximately 300 workers from various construction trades filled plates with chicken, pulled pork, baked beans, potato salad and macaroni and cheese catered by Bobby Q’s Cue & Co. of Norwalk. Dozens of tables set up made the future first-retail level look like a dining hall.
VCC/KBE gave away insulated water mugs, gift certificates and other prizes during a raffle.
Chicago-based mall developer General Growth Partners broke ground last summer on the shopping center, which will be anchored by a Bloomingdale’s on the south side of North Water Street, a Nordstrom store to the north, and 80 to 100 smaller retailers and public realm space in between on the dozen-acre site off West Avenue and Interstate 95.
Nearly a year later, the foundations, steel framework and floors are largely in place in many portions of the future mall. Thursday seemed the ideal time to celebrate that progress and say thank you to the workers.
“We are thankful for the effort you guys have put in on this project thus far and hope to see it through to the end,” said John Edminson, general superintendent with VCC/KBE.
Several elected officials, including Mayor Harry Rilling, attended the appreciation event.
“We all know that we’re here, at this juncture, at this part of the project, because of all the hard-working men and women in the room,” Rilling said. “You come here every day and you put your blood, sweat and tears into this job. And as you pass through Norwalk in the future, you can proudly look at this mall and say, ‘You know what? I helped build that mall,’ so thank you all.”
Vendors set up tables at the edge of the lunch area to showcase power tools, flashlights, safety items and other construction-related products.
GGP anticipates the project will generate 2,220 full-time construction jobs with an average salary of $76,400.
Douglas Adams, senior director with the Chicago-based mall development company, said contractors typically hold a “topping-off party” when construction reaches full height.
“This is a little different because it’s been built in stages, so they felt it had gotten to a point where we crossed over the road, and it was important to take a breath and thank all the subcontractors thahave been working to get it to this point so far,” Adams said. “So it’s just sort of a natural let’s take a minute to appreciate the men and women who are building it.”
The thank you comes a month after workers began placing above North Water Street massive steel beams that will support the overpass connecting the north and south sections of The SoNo Collection.
Britton said he’ll be employed with the project until about September when work turns to the interior. But he’ll be back after the mall opens.
“I’m going to come down here,” Britton said. “I go to the city a lot, anyway.”
Bridgeport casino gets some House debate before postponement
Emilie Munson
HARTFORD — A bill that could bring a new casino to Bridgeport saw the House floor Thursday night, but never got a vote before House leaders abruptly ended the session shortly before midnight.
“It just got late,” said House Majority Leader Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, who made the unusual move to stop the debate. “Our plan was always to have a vote, just tonight wasn’t the right night.”
Rep. Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport, who brought the bill to the floor around 10:30 p.m. Thursday, did not realize members’ questions would be as “attenuated” as they were, he said.
“It became clear the debate was going to go significantly longer than we thought,” he said.
Agreeing to end the debate Thursday night does not mean the measure can not pass. Multiple sources said the bill does have the votes to be approved.
Ritter expects the House will call the bill again Friday, he said. And Stafstrom promised to fight off a possible filibuster if one arises.“I’ll stand here all day if I have to,” he said.
The controversial bill directs the commissioners of the state Departments of Consumer Protection and Economic and Community Development to issue a request for proposals for a new casino in Connecticut, possibly in Bridgeport.
The commissioners would select one casino plan of those submitted that is best. Then, the General Assembly could take action to authorize the new casino’s operation — if it so chose.
MGM Grand has already announced plans for a $700 million seaside resort in Bridgeport and a job training center in New Haven. They have promised to create 2,000 permanent jobs.
“MGM has been unwavering in our commitment to build a destination resort in Connecticut,” said Uri Clinton, senior vice president and legal counsel for the Las Vegas-based company. “We remain ready and willing to participate in an open, transparent, competitive process.”
And, critically, MGM says it can generate enough tax revenue for Connecticut to replace money now paid to the state from the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot Tribes — who run Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods — in exchange for their exclusive right to operate slot machine in the state. The bill would require the new casino pay at least 25 percent of its gross gaming revenue and 10 percent of its slots revenue to the state.“This is a jobs bill. This is an economic development bill,” said Stafstrom, speaking on the floor“This is also a tax relief bill.”The bill got a bumpy start Thursday night. First, through an amendment, Stafstrom proposed replacing the language of a different economic development bill with this casino RFP language.
When some House members began to doubt whether the casino language was “germane” to the underlying bill, Stafstrom pivoted and House Democrats called to the floor a version of the casino bill that barely passed the Public Safety Committee after overcoming stiff opposition.
Rep. Christopher Davis, R-Ellington, was questioning Stafstrom when Ritter adjourned the session. He will use the extra time to try to sway House members, he said“I am definitely going to continue to reach out to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle,” he said. “The state of Connecticut has made an agreement with MMCT (a joint tribe venture), and a bill that either implicitly or explicitly undermines that agreement is one that I will not support and will encourage my colleagues to not support.”
On the way out, Stafstrom stopped to shake hands and quickly embrace Davis. Nothing personal, they agreed. We’re friends, they both said.
As recently as Wednesday afternoon, the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot Tribes spoke out repeatedly against the state issuing an RFP. They said a new casino would only steal business and jobs. It would only violate the exclusivity compact the state has with the tribes, they said.
Attorney General George Jepsen issued an opinion in March that passage of the bill would not break the compacts between the state and the tribes.
Although fiercely championed by the Bridgeport delegation, the RFP casino bill received little support from top House and Senate leadership in recent weeks. Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, repeatedly advocated for developing a statewide “comprehensive gaming strategy” instead of the issuing the RFP.
Walking out of the chamber Thursday night, House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby, said she would vote against the RFP.
But the idea does have some Republican support.
Last year, the General Assembly authorized the tribes to operate a joint third casino in East Windsor, off tribal lands. That casino is tied up in approvals from the federal Department of the Interior.
Rep. J.P. Sredzinski, R-Monroe, voted against that proposal, but expressed willingness Thursday to approve this year’s RFP.
This is an RFP that literally just solicits information,” he said. “It is worth taking a look.”
Southington gives final approval for 40 apartment units off Wonx Spring Road
Jesse Buchanan
SOUTHINGTON — After a lawsuit, a host of meetings and heated votes over the past few months, the town gave final approval for 40 apartment units off Wonx Spring Road this week.
The Planning and Zoning Commission had narrowly denied local developer Carl Verderame a special permit for the apartment complex in February after many neighbors urged the commission to deny the plan.
Wonx Road Partnership LLC, in which Verderame is listed as a member, sued the town over the denial, saying it violated a previous court agreement between the development company and neighbors that prevented industrial development but allowed residential.
The PZC approved a settlement last month with the developer and awarded him a special permit. Commission Chairman Michael DelSanto, who had warned fellow commission members about the likelihood of a lawsuit following the February denial, said the settlement saved taxpayers “tens of thousands” of dollars in legal fees.
Town Planner Rob Philips said the company now only needs building permits and other administrative approvals to begin construction. The issue won’t go back to the commission unless developers want to modify their plans, Philips said.
Neighbors had consistently opposed the apartment plan, saying it would increase traffic, drive down property values and conflict with the character of the predominantly single-family home neighborhood.
Commission member Jennifer Clock, a Republican, was the lone vote against the site plan. She took issue with the number of units planned for the 24-acre property.
“That was the factor for me,” she said. “The density wasn’t appropriate.”
Developers faced legal opposition from neighbors in 2014 when they tried to build an industrial park on the former site of Allied Controls, a company that moved to Waterbury three decades ago. Developers agreed to abandon the industrial plan, rezone the land, and limit it to residential uses. The land at 37 and 43 Hunters Lane was contaminated by factory use. Most of it is subject to building restrictions.
On Tuesday, the commission voted 6 to 1 in favor of a site plan for 40 age-restricted rental units spread among several buildings.
Asylum Hill parcels set for cleanup
Gregory Seay
Building demolition took place Thursday morning to prepare four abandoned and blighted industrial parcels along Homestead Avenue for environmental cleanup and eventual development in the shadow of The Hartford's Asylum Hill neighborhood headquarters, the city says.
Mayor Luke Bronin joined other city and civic officials for the 9 a.m. start of demolition of the first structure on four city-owned parcels totaling 3.5 acres at 111, 367, 393 and 424 Homestead Ave., a spokesman said.
According to the state Department of Economic and Community Development, it provided the city $2.4 million in grants for the parcels' environmental assessment, abatement, and demolition.
Abandoned and mostly vacant for more than a decade, 111 Homestead was once a gas station; 367 and 393 Homestead are the site of the former Philbrick-Booth & Spencer Foundry. 424 Homestead was the Hartford Tech Auto Body Facility.
The nearly 90-year-old foundry building was the first one razed, the city said.