Brian Lockhart
BRIDGEPORT — The news Tuesday that MGM Resorts International is buying the Empire City Casino in Yonkers was no surprise to state Rep. Christopher Rosario.
“I saw this coming a mile away,” said Rosario, D-Bridgeport.
In this case, a mile is the equivalent of six months ago, when the White Plains-based Westfaironline business news site reported that Empire City was eyeing “strategic partnerships.”
“I tweeted that article as a warning — if the Connecticut General Assembly doesn’t do something about gaming in Bridgeport this is what’s going to happen,” Rosario said.
So what now for MGM’s big push to build a casino, hotel and entertainment complex in Bridgeport?
Uri Clinton, the company’s vice president, is working hard to reassure local supporters that MGM remains committed to the city.
Rosario said Clinton is meeting with him tomorrow. And Clinton also reached out to Mayor Joe Ganim and his legislative liaison, Av Harris, on Monday to give them a heads up about the Empire City deal. “They see potential in this market — and Bridgeport is definitely part of that,” Harris said: “If you look at Bridgeport and Yonkers, the two could work very well together. They’ve got horse racing. They don’t have the coastline or resort capabilities Bridgeport does.”
Rosario agreed, but acknowledged the news will “of course” generate concern that MGM has given up on Bridgeport: “I personally am going to be meeting with Uri and will ask directly how serious he is.”
Rosario and the rest of Bridgeport’s delegation in the state House of Representatives this month successfully got a controversial bill establishing a competitive bidding process for a new Connecticut casino passed. But the legislation died in the state Senate.
“If anything this (Yonkers deal) highlights the fact the legislature should have passed our bill,” said state Rep. Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport. “It would not have authorized construction of a casino. It would have said, ‘Tell us what you’re proposing and why that makes sense’? ... If MGM is interested in submitting, that proposal — in order to be persuasive — would have to set out how it is a Bridgeport casino is viable.”
Rosario said Tuesday’s announcement should incentivize state lawmakers to include the casino legislation in a possible special session on sports betting. He noted MGM’s purchase of Empire City, coupled with the near completion of the entertainment giant’s Springfield, Mass. casino, could lure more competition for a Bridgeport casino.
“Now MGM has a footprint in the Northeast in Springfield and New York state, other companies will want to really buy into Bridgeport,” Rosario said.
Stamford residents find quiet in Mill River Park as construction work continues outside
STAMFORD - When Jorge Chiluisa first came to Stamford to work in 1990, his boss at GE Capital told him and his colleagues not to walk through Mill River Park.
“He said it was dangerous,” Chiluisa said. “We were all young and liked to go downtown to the bars after work, and he wanted us to be safe.” Mill River then was stagnant, with car tires and shopping carts visible in the mud. The park was rundown, a home for drug dealers. “My boss told us to stay on the sidewalk when we were walking to the train, and don’t go in that park,” Chiluisa said.
Twenty-eight years later, Chiluisa, a Milford resident who now works as a finance executive with Siena Lending Group on West Broad Street, makes it a point to walk through the park on his way to and from the train station It goes much farther than that. On nice days Chiluisa takes a break from work and heads across the street to the park.
“I take a half-hour nap,” he said, laying a beach towel on the grass one sunny afternoon last week. “I have a love and a passion for nature, and this park is beautiful. Being here is good for your mental health.”Chiluisa said he appreciates the attention to detail in Mill River, now in the middle of a renovation first planned in the 1920s, when city officials envisioned a New York-style “central park” for downtown. Work didn’t begin, however, until 2009 “I like how they created highlights with the gardens and the pathways and the bird feeders. I like how they used granite and didn’t skimp on materials,” Chiluisa said. “They really thought the design through.” He likes it so much that he introduced himself to the landscaping contractor he saw working in the park a couple of years ago.
“I asked if I could hire her to come and do my house, and she did,” he said.
He’s become a champion of Mill River Park, urging his co-workers to visit. “I say to them, ‘How can you be so close to it and not take advantage?’” Chiluisa said.
Not digging the dirt
It may require an adventurous spirit, because the park is still a work in progress. On the Washington Boulevard side, large mounds of dirt are piled beside a chain-link fence. They’ve been there since work began last year on the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Ice Skating Center and Fountain.
The fountain is set to open July 1, and the ice rink the weekend after Thanksgiving, said Dudley Williams, president and CEO of the Mill River Collaborative, the public-private partnership that was charged 15 years ago with creating a world-class park downtown. “Unless you get out of your car and walk, you won’t see the beauty of the park flying down Washington Boulevard,” Williams said. “So people might think the whole thing is still under construction.”
The city was supposed to remove the mounds by the end of June, but weather and other complications will delay it, Williams said. The deadline now is Aug. 1.
“That will be a big step for us,” he said. “After years of what may have looked like moving dirt around, we are in a period where we are making significant progress in things people can see — the carousel, the fountain, the rink. The park now is a lot more accessible and there’s a lot more activity.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Priming New London State Pier for growth
The Day Editorial Board
A couple of weeks ago, our editorial opined, “State and city officials must work closely together to assure this is not an opportunity missed.”
The opportunity at issue is a pending boom in offshore wind projects over the next decade. State Pier in New London has the geographical location to play a role in supplying some of these projects if the state and the city play it smart.
Well, that was fast.
On Tuesday, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy visited New London and flanked by politicians of both political stripes announced that the state will make a $15 million investment to improve its ability to deploy equipment and workers to offshore wind projects. The State Bond Commission is expected to authorize the bonding when it meets Friday.
Malloy won’t be in charge to see the investment carried out. He has about seven months left in office. But this kind of smart investment deserves support regardless of which party the next governor aligns with. This is how the state should use its authority to borrow — investing in infrastructure that can help create jobs, grow the economy, and generate tax revenues that more than cover the investment.
In the spirit of bipartisanship, attending the event with Malloy were state Sen. Paul Formica, R-East Lyme, whose senatorial district includes New London; state Rep. Chris Soto, D-New London; and New London Mayor Michael Passero, a Democrat.
Site plans include demolition work, improving storm water and drainage, providing more robust mooring pilings, and construction of a heavy lift pad, along with other upgrades to assure the pier property can handle massive wind turbine components.
Of note was the characterization by the governor’s office of this as a “first step” in revitalization. While it will be the next administration deciding on additional steps, the point is a correct one; Connecticut officials must remain willing to collaborate with the private sector in realizing the full potential of the New London port.
Which raises another issue, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s pending decision on who gets the winning bids to feed 200-megawatts into the state power grid from offshore wind farms, enough to power about 65,000 homes. Three companies are competing for the project that is expected to begin in the early 2020s and take two to three years to complete.
In making its selection, DEEP needs to look beyond just the lowest power price and consider the potential overall impact of the competing bids on the city, region and state economy.
For example, Deepwater Wind, the company that developed the first offshore wind farm in the United States — the five-turbine Block Island Wind Farm — has committed to make at least $15 million in structural investment in State Pier to prepare the property for helping supply its offshore wind construction. That, of course, would match and significantly augment the state investment announced by Malloy.
Deepwater would also open a downtown New London office; negotiate a Host Community Agreement with funding to support local economic development efforts; and build its crew vessel locally, said Matthew A. Morrissey, vice president of Deepwater Wind in a Tuesday meeting with the editorial board.
In any event, in making its choice DEEP needs to give due consideration to proposals assuring investment in and use of the New London port and investment in the state’s economy.
Connecticut must be proactive in assuring that State Pier can be utilized for multiple uses and is not left with an infrastructure only purposed to support wind-farm construction, which is a finite undertaking. At Tuesday’s news conference, Scott Bates, chairman of the Connecticut Port Authority, was cognizant of this in stating the authority will work to make sure the investments not only support offshore wind development, but also spur the revitalization of the shipping industry and other marine businesses.
This fall the port authority will make another critical decision when it selects who will operate the port. The authority will soon seek proposals and likely issue a decision in the fall, Bates said. Logistec has run operations for the last two decades.
The arrival of wind power could be a great break for New London and the region by enlarging and diversifying our local economy.
Investment in New London key in Deepwater Wind offshore wind pitch
New London — Block Island Wind Farm developer Deepwater Wind says its proposal to inject offshore wind power to the state includes a $15 million investment in the Connecticut Port Authority to help create a manufacturing and deployment hub in the region.
A week after winning Rhode Island's offshore wind bid but losing one in Massachusetts to New Bedford-based Vineyard Wind, Deepwater Wind Vice President Matthew Morrissey said Tuesday in an interview with The Day's Editorial Board that the firm has shifted its strategy to heavily focus on Rhode Island and Connecticut.
As developers compete to deliver thousands of megawatts of offshore wind power to a half-dozen states on the East Coast, Morrissey echoed port, city, environmental and labor leaders who've cited New London's prime location, skilled workforce and lack of height restrictions as assets that could drive jobs and development in the region.
Deepwater Wind's proposed $15 million investment would help "the state and New London punch above its weight in future offshore wind deployment," Morrissey said. "The supply chain at a certain point in Europe will reach an economic threshold where it just makes sense to start manufacturing in the U.S."
Deepwater Wind's proposed port investment matches an influx of $15 million for New London State Pier upgrades announced by Gov. Dannel Malloy on Tuesday. Morrissey on Tuesday said he had heard of potential state investments in the pier, but that he was unaware of the governor's proposal.
If selected, Deepwater Wind plans a host city agreement with New London, which Morrissey described as "a very significant number" to fund economic and workforce development.
"The overall objective is to see industrial development, project after project over several years," he said.
Substation assembly, steel fabrication possible for New London
The Block Island Wind Farm included many parts made in Germany and France barged to Rhode Island for post-fabrication work in the Port of Providence and the Port of Davisville in Quonset, R.I.
Morrissey said Deepwater Wind could assemble the wind farm's substation and perform secondary steel fabrication, such as welding ladders and rails, in New London. Components shipped into New London for assembly or fabrication could end up in wind farms in federal waters off other states.
The company plans to start construction in 2021 and deliver power by 2023. The 25-turbine wind farm would be in federal waters about 15 miles south of Martha's Vineyard. Morrissey said Deepwater Wind is considering newer designs such as 8-, 10- or 12-megawatt turbines compared to Block Island Wind Farm's 6-megawatt turbines.
The wind farm interconnection is planned for the industrial park in Davisville, R.I., where Deepwater Wind also proposes storing wind power in two 50-megawatt hour Tesla Powerpack battery systems "to firm up our delivery during peak periods," Morrissey said.
Deepwater Wind would lease space at the 22-acre State Pier terminal from a yet-to-be-named operator. The Connecticut Port Authority expects to issue a request for proposals to run the port "very soon," according to port board Chairman Scott Bates.
Morrissey said Deepwater Wind wants to partner with the University of Connecticut at Avery Point to let maritime science students participate in the project.
Asked about pricing in potential 20-year contracts with utilities, Morrissey said he could not provide details as Deepwater Wind remained in competition in Connecticut with Vineyard Wind and Bay State Wind.
Morrissey said costs have declined globally due to increased competition and an uptick in projects as states look to ramp up renewable energy production. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Glastonbury’s Gemma builds 475MW Ohio energy plant
Joe Cooper
Glastonbury's Gemma Power Systems has completed its construction of a 475-megawatt natural gas power plant in Ohio.
Gemma provided engineering, procurement and construction services for the Middletown, Ohio plant under a contract with an affiliate of NTE Energy. The Middletown Energy Center was certified for commercial operations and was dispatched to the grid last week.
The Ohio plant is a sister project to the Kings Mountain Energy Center.
"NTE Energy was a new customer for us and we appreciate the opportunity and confidence they showed in us," said Gemma CEO William F. Griffin Jr.
Construction crews broke ground at the Ohio plant less than three years ago under a contract valued at $300 million, the company has said.
Meanwhile, the Glastonbury company was also recently hired to oversee the building of a 475-megawatt natural-gas-fired plant in Reidsville, N.C. The project will cost $450 million, Greensboro.com reported last year.
NTE has hired Gemma to oversee three plants, under an engineering, procurement and construction contract.
The other project is located in Kings Mountain, N.C., which is scheduled for completion later this year.
Gemma is owned by Argan Inc., a publicly traded company headquartered in Maryland.
Bristol Begins Its Springtime Road Repaving
The city advises motorists that it has begun springtime road repaving, a job that will affect more than two dozen streets.
On the schedule for resurfacing are Lovers Lane, Buff Road, Marion Street, Northmont Road Extension, Pleasant View Avenue, May Street (Pleasant View Avenue to Greystone Avenue), Crestwood Drive, South Street (George Street to Down Street), Prospect Street, Haviland Street, Terry Street, Winthrop Street and Federal Street;
Also Mercier Avenue (Route 6 to Case Street), Warner Street, Glendale Drive (Oehler Drive to Woodcrest Drive), Battle Street (James P. Casey Road to Old Cider Road), Old Cider Mill Road, Neuman Place (Mano Lane to Summer Glen), Summer Glen, Mandy Lane, Boulder Drive, Walter Place, Lorenzo Place, Grand Street, Mano Lane (at Neuman Place intersection)
There may be minor traffic delays during construction, but roads will remain open for mail delivery, emergency vehicles, and local traffic, the city saidConnecticut Dealer Uses New Technology in Old Industry
Northeast Edition
Ace Equipment Sales Inc. of Willington, Conn., has embraced drone technology in a big way. Information gathered from drones is being used in new plant design, plant remodeling, reclamation projects, stockpile reviews, purchase decisions and permitting applications for customers in New England and New York.
Like other people, Ace Equipment initially used drones for taking interesting photographs and video of equipment, sites and blasts. There is a lot to be gained from aerial photographs and videos. Operators know the value of photographic information when going before a zoning board or other regulatory bodies. Drones also are excellent tools for videotaping crushing and sorting operations to solve problems such as issues with transfer points.
Ace Equipment has used Autodesk's Inventor Software Environment to design equipment and crushing plants for years. Flying a drone for photographs is just the first step in gathering valuable information to help with crushing plant design and installations.
Finding a way to merge the virtual equipment from their Inventor Software Environment with a 3D point cloud of a specific customer site would be a game changer.
Robert Campbell, Ace Equipment's project manager and designer, figured that information gained from drone photography could be the answer they were looking for.
“Sites are never perfectly flat, perfectly square, and without obstructions,” said Campbell. “When designing a custom crushing and screening plant, the correct work area and site topography are so critical to designing a true to life workable plant.”
Real Magic Happens After Drone Flight
Using a technique known as photogrammetry, the drone's photographs are used to create topographic surveys of job sites. CJ Knight, who is head of sales, said, “Rather than relying on expensive aerial LiDAR or time consuming terrestrial surveys, flying a drone over your site allows us to rapidly and inexpensively build accurate digital elevation models or point clouds.”
Going one step further, Ace Equipment uses a RTK-GPS (Real Time Kinematics–Global Positioning Satellite) Unit. This RTK-GPS unit provides a precisely fixed ground reference station to reduce and remove common positioning errors. Once everything is merged together, the result is a three-dimensional virtual representation of the mine site property where all sorts of information can be generated and utilized
Knight was enthusiastic about how drones help operators.
“We use drones to generate 3D models of construction sites, quarries and structures. These maps help obtain the 'big picture' and assist in strategic decision making. We can model your site and equipment layout for future upgrades or changes. We can even show you the finished project before you start.”
From this information, one can see how the new plant, including stockpiles, haul roads, generators, control booths are going to fit on your site.From there, the software can generate a scaled three-dimensional visual proof of concept of the site. Questions like “Is it going to fit? How much material can I store? What size conveyors? How much site work do I need to do?” can be answered quickly, efficiently and correctly. And customers get to see their plants and study them in a virtual site before making a large investment in plant and site development.
Virtual, Accurate Information with Real World Coordinates
Quarry landscapes are ever-changing so scanning these sites quickly and efficiently gives better, more timely information, for planning, management and reporting purposes. The collected data can be used to plan operations such as the positioning of mining equipment, blast surveying, stockpile inspection and the re-routing of access roads
Quarry owners also are concerned about the quantity of the material being blasted and the stockpile volumes. Most quarries also are required to perform a reclamation of the property after the gravel or stone has been removed. Drone flight photography linked to the proper software can create day of flight information and comparative information from flight to flight for in-house documentation and regulatory reports. The operator can verify how much stone is going out and how much fill is coming in.
In today's world, the thirst for more information is endless. Ace Equipment Sales has taken the next step to create a virtual environment, which can provide that information needed to make better decisions for a more profitable company.