ATTENDANCE IS NEEDED TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR TRANSPORTATION FUNDING
THE TRANSPORTATION FUNDING LEGISLATION TO RESTORE THE $4.3 BILLION IN DEFERRED PROJECTS IS SCHEDULED POTENTIALLY FOR THIS AFTERNOONPlease join us at the State Capitol from 3pm until 7pm as we show support for the measure!
Date: Wednesday, May 2, 2018
Time: 3pm – 7pm
Location: State Capitol (Check in at the Legislative Office Building for t-shirts and post cards) 300 Capitol Avenue, Hartford Please plan time to park and walk across the tunnel to the Capitol***
House aims for Wednesday vote to create highway tolling plan
House Democratic leaders moved forward Tuesday with plans to vote on a watered-down bill that could lead to electronic tolling on the state’s highways.
Caucus leadership released details of the bill, which they hope to bring to a vote Wednesday, including a commitment to provide significant commuter-pass discount rates for Connecticut motorists.
Another major change in the legislation is that, regardless of whether it is enacted this year, it would require a second, affirmative vote of the General Assembly in 2019, or later, before tolls could be established.
“We’re looking at multiple in-state discounts,” said House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, who has repeatedly asserted Connecticut is foolishly failing to capture sufficient revenue from out-of-state drivers who use its highways.
Tolls, the speaker has said, could both stabilize the state’s financially troubled transportation program and force those outside Connecticut to pay a greater share.
The measure specifically would direct the Department of Transportation to develop a detailed plan for legislative consideration next year. Aresimowicz and other advocates have said critics have spread grossly inaccurate rumors about what a tolling system might entail.
“Enough already,” Aresimowic said. “Let’s get some information … Let’s get the facts out there so people can make an evaluation.”
The bill stipulates the tolling plan would have to include toll gantries on Interstates 84, 91 and 95 and the Wilbur Cross and Merritt Parkways though they also could be installed on other limited access highways.
Although details of the bill still could change, Aresimowicz said, plans call for a base rate of 11.8 cents per mile during peak periods and 9.4 cents off-peak.
Any motorist whose license plate is registered with the state tolling system would pay rates of 9.9 cents during peak periods and 7.9 cents off peak.
But Connecticut residents still would pay less.
Those who buy a CT EZPass would get a 30 percent discount, which means rates of 5.5 cents on-peak and 4.4 cents off-peak. And for those who buy a special CT EZPass with a commuter rate, the cost is discounted 20 percent more, or 4.4 cents on-peak and 3.5 cents off-peak.
Aresimowicz declined to speculate whether the bill would pass, but noted that, unlike past legislation, it would not implement any tolling plan without a second vote by lawmakers.
A different bill recommended by the legislature’s Transportation Committee also would have directed the Department of Transportation to develop a tolling plan for legislative review in 2019. But that measure stipulated the plan would be deemed approved if lawmakers failed to act on it.
This new measure includes no such default-approval process.
Rep. Tony Guerrera, D-Rocky Hill, House chair of the Transportation Committee and a leading advocate of tolls, said it was the right compromise to make.
“There are no tolls going up this year” regardless of how legislators vote. “But we have to start the process. We can’t keep kicking the can down the road.”
Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, D-Westport, said, “We have ignored state-of-good-repair investments in transportation for decades. That can’t continue.”
But Rep. Daniel Rovero, D-Killingly, who opposes tolls, said Connecticut squandered receipts from fuel taxes and other levies for years. “Right now people don’t trust government,” he said. “As someone sitting in government, I don’t trust it either.”
Rovero said the state should consider modest increases in the gasoline tax — provided voters ratify a proposed amendment to the state Constitution on this November’s ballot. That amendment would create a “lockbox” provision stipulating that revenues raised for transportation purposes could not be diverted for other state programs.
But Connecticut residents still would pay less.
Those who buy a CT EZPass would get a 30 percent discount, which means rates of 5.5 cents on-peak and 4.4 cents off-peak. And for those who buy a special CT EZPass with a commuter rate, the cost is discounted 20 percent more, or 4.4 cents on-peak and 3.5 cents off-peak.
Aresimowicz declined to speculate whether the bill would pass, but noted that, unlike past legislation, it would not implement any tolling plan without a second vote by lawmakers.
A different bill recommended by the legislature’s Transportation Committee also would have directed the Department of Transportation to develop a tolling plan for legislative review in 2019. But that measure stipulated the plan would be deemed approved if lawmakers failed to act on it.
This new measure includes no such default-approval process.
Rep. Tony Guerrera, D-Rocky Hill, House chair of the Transportation Committee and a leading advocate of tolls, said it was the right compromise to make.
“There are no tolls going up this year” regardless of how legislators vote. “But we have to start the process. We can’t keep kicking the can down the road.”
Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, D-Westport, said, “We have ignored state-of-good-repair investments in transportation for decades. That can’t continue.”
But Rep. Daniel Rovero, D-Killingly, who opposes tolls, said Connecticut squandered receipts from fuel taxes and other levies for years. “Right now people don’t trust government,” he said. “As someone sitting in government, I don’t trust it either.”
Rovero said the state should consider modest increases in the gasoline tax — provided voters ratify a proposed amendment to the state Constitution on this November’s ballot. That amendment would create a “lockbox” provision stipulating that revenues raised for transportation purposes could not be diverted for other state programs.
Site work begins on Ambulatory Care Center at Centre Square
BRISTOL - Site work on Bristol Hospital’s Ambulatory Care Center at Centre Square has begun, reports City Engineer Raymond Rogozinski.
Construction crews were seen taking chainsaws to trees across the street from Main Street at around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. A bulldozer and excavator remained parked in the lot afterward.
A portion of the former parking area near the lot’s original entrance is now enclosed.
“Bristol Hospital has fenced in their property and is beginning the site work,” said Rogozinski. “Now that the fence is established, they can begin excavating, filling and leveling the grounds for their approved site and installing utilities. As part of their plan, the trees will eventually be replaced along the roadside and trees will also be planted on the site itself.”
Rogozinski emphasized that the city still owns a parcel to the north of the planned site of the eventual 60,000-square-foot, three-story building.
A “driveway apron” was constructed to replace the original entrance to the parking lot, which will provide parking for those who wish to visit Main Street businesses including Main Street Pint & Plate, The Bristol Press, Ascension Athletics and Catherine’s Uniforms.
The city is also working on creating a road through the Centre Square lot, which will connect with the Bristol Hospital center.
The 1,000-foot Centre Square access road will begin at the intersection of North Main and Laurel streets and will cut through Centre Square to Riverside Avenue.
Utilities, conduits, a sanitary sewer system and a potable water system along with most of the electrical system are being installed in the road, as is most of the electrical system.
The Bristol Hospital Ambulatory Care Center will houses services for cardiology, endocrinology and diabetes, neurology, orthopedics, rheumatology and urology.
The center is intended to spur development of the downtown area. According to Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu, the city is already reviewing proposals for other parcels.
Electric Boat promises jobs, construction in exchange for state support
Julia Bergman
New London — Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Tuesday announced a "historic," long-term partnership between the state and Electric Boat that involves an $83 million investment by Connecticut, with a commitment from the submarine builder to add jobs and spend hundreds of millions on capital improvements in Groton.
The partnership will "build upon our investments that we've made with other defense contractors and quite frankly be supportive of a supply chain that touches every single portion of our state," Malloy said at a news conference at Fort Trumbull with a view of Electric Boat's construction bay, where a new fleet of attack submarines is being built, in the background.
Under the agreement, EB will grow its workforce in Connecticut by 1,881 jobs, bringing its total number of employees in the state to more than 13,000 by 2034. The company has about 11,000 employees between its facilities in Groton and New London. Last year alone, the company hired nearly 2,000 employees in Connecticut.
The company also will double the $250 million annually it spends with more than 700 in-state suppliers. Increased demand for submarines means EB will need even more suppliers in the state, and across the U.S.
To be able to concurrently build Virginia-class attack submarines, 15 of which have been delivered to the Navy, and a new class of ballistic-missile submarines that will begin being built in a few years, EB will spend more than $850 million on capital improvements at its Groton headquarters, including a new construction bay where the ballistic-missile submarines will be built.
Connecticut's portion of the deal includes $83 million in state funding to EB.
"This investment will allow EB to maintain its position as the highest quality provider of submarines to the United States Navy, thus capturing additional overhaul and repair work while continuing to deliver the Virginia-class submarines and growing jobs in Connecticut," Malloy said.
The state Department of Economic and Community Development will provide a $35 million loan for machinery and equipment with loan forgiveness based on supply chain spending and employment, and up to $20 million in sales and use tax exemptions from Connecticut Innovations for capital and new construction at EB's Groton campus. The department also will provide an $8 million grant for third-party workforce development initiatives to train advanced manufacturing workers for EB and its suppliers.
Finally, the state will provide $20 million for dredging in connection with EB's plans to construct a new dry dock and construction bay on the south side of its Groton campus. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredges the Thames River, but not the area along EB's property line in Groton, according to Malloy.
"This investment provides crucial support for the workforce development and facility expansion that will help Electric Boat grow, increase its economic contribution to the region and continue to deliver the world's most capable submarines to the United States Navy," Geiger said.
Between 2000 and 2016, more than $170 billion in defense contracts were awarded to Connecticut companies, according to Geiger. Nationally, Connecticut ranks second in per capita defense spending, he said.
The deal is a "mixed bag" for state Sen. Paul Formica, R-East Lyme, who said he was concerned about the budget implications for the state, namely that its debt payments would increase.
He added that the state should wait until it's on better financial footing before thinking about spending money on capital improvements at EB. However, Formica agrees with spending money on job training programs, and that Connecticut needs to send a message to the Navy that it's supportive of its submarine program. Formica and state Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, during this legislative session, have pushed for $10 million in state funding for workforce development programs.
"I'm hopeful it will all work out but it's a difficult time for corporate support of this magnitude," Formica said.
State Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, who introduced legislation that would provide up to $100 million for capital improvements at EB and another $50 million for workforce training programs, said she thought the agreement is a good deal. Osten supported the $220 million incentive package the state provided to Sikorsky in 2016, and said the deal announced Tuesday was "in the same vein."
Submarines have regained prominence in the U.S.' national security strategy, as officials worry about advancements made by Russia and China in their respective submarine fleets.
"We can put special operators on the ground. We can do surveillance. We can fire missiles. We can deter a nuclear attack. All of it through submarines, the very submarines that are built at Electric Boat," U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said, noting that about $7 billion was approved by Congress for submarine programs this fiscal year.
And federal lawmakers are poised to continue their support.
U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, noted that his colleagues already are beginning to make decisions about next year's defense spending. A congressional subcommittee with oversight of Navy shipbuilding, of which Courtney is the ranking member, is recommending the Navy build three attack submarines, as opposed to two, in the years 2022 and 2023. That's on top of construction on a ballistic-missile submarine in each of those years.
Jeffrey Geiger, president of EB, said the state's investment will help "improve our competitive position and help us secure additional work in the future."
Ahead Of Vote On Highway Tolls, Lawmakers Push Discounts For State Residents
With a vote on controversial electronic highway tolls coming as early as Wednesday, legislators are pushing for discounts for Connecticut residents that would include breaks for commuters and those buying state-issued transponders.
After those two discounts, a Connecticut driver would pay $1.72 for a trip from the New York state line to New Haven during off-peak hours and $2.16 during peak hours, officials said. Under a proposal being considered by the legislature, all drivers would be required to pay tolls that would be 25 percent higher during rush hour when traffic levels are at their peak.
Even if the measure passes this year, tolls will not be erected on state highways any time soon because the bill calls for a two-step process and two votes by the legislature.
First, the legislature needs to vote for the state transportation department to conduct a study to determine the location of the overhead toll gantries. Second, the legislature would need to vote again next year after the study is completed.
Senate Republican leader Len Fasano of North Haven said state officials have not calculated how many drivers will exit the highways in order to avoid the tolls — cutting deeply into the money that state officials believe they can collect.
“I have a very skeptical belief that tolls are going to produce what everyone is saying,’’ Fasano told The Courant. “This is just absurd. This tolls stuff is a misnomer. It’s a money grab. Enough is enough.’’
Deputy House Republican leader Vincent Candelora of North Branford said the discounts are not enough of an incentive for him to support tolls.
“We can’t lose sight of the fact that Connecticut residents will pay more,’’ he said. “I’m not inclined to support another revenue source for the state of Connecticut.’’
The discounts and rates calculated by the transportation department and released to reporters are only an example of the possible rates. Those could change, depending on the outcome of the study and the decisions by the legislature.
“The federal government allows you to have multiple discounts,’’ Guerrera said. “If we can have these multiple discounts, where the average individual may be paying only 500 bucks a year and then taking off the discounts off their state income tax with all the reduced fees. I think that’s a benefit to the people of the state.’’
Democrats say there are a series of myths surrounding tolls that they want to dispel. Among those is that if the state installs tolls on I-95 it would be required to pay back federal highway funds.
“We don’t have to pay back a dime of any federal funding,’’ Guerrera said.
In addition, federal law states that revenue from tolls must be used for transportation-related expenses, rather than being diverted for other uses.
“The reality is, and the commissioner has said, that if we don’t move forward with a plan that puts money into the [Special Transportation Fund] and allows us to do our projects, we’re going to see train and bus fares go through the roof,’’ Aresimowicz said. “We’re also going to see projects being pulled back … and that affects every community. We all have a stake in this, and we all have to take collective action.”
House Majority Leader Matt Ritter of Hartford cautioned that lawmakers are taking a two-step process.
“There can be no tolls on Connecticut roads when this bill passes without another vote in the Connecticut General Assembly,” Ritter said.
New Haven’s Hill to Downtown project comes to fruition
Mary E. O’Leary
NEW HAVEN — Years in the planning, the city Tuesday celebrated the Hill to Downtown project coming to fruition with the first of multiple parcels of empty lots or abandoned buildings on its way to new apartments. City officials praised Randy Salvatore of RMS Companies for his investment in the city, where in addition to the housing under construction, he is building a hotel on High and George streets and constructed another apartment complex in the Dwight neighborhood, the Novella.
This 110-apartment complex will stretch more than a city block with a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units. A $5 million grant from the state Department of Housing will allow 30 percent of the units to be affordable housing.
The New Haven state House delegation lauded the project in a statement late Tuesday.
“As we move forward with efforts to revitalize, reinvent and restore our urban centers, it is vital that we continue to support projects that unlock our city’s potential through the creation of new job and housing opportunities. This mixed-use building will become a flagship facility that will serve as the centerpiece of our city’s renaissance,” the New Haven House legislative delegation’s statement said. “The collaborative partnership between community stakeholders, city leadership and state officials helped turn residents’ ideas and needs into a reality. This project will be a pillar of the Hill community for generations to come.”
The four-story building designed by Boroson Architects will be on a site next to the Amistad Park in the Hill, close to Union Station. A mixed-use project, there will be space for retail development on the first level.
Located at the corner of Gold Street and Washington Avenue, this is phase one of the Hill to Downtown project which has been led by Livable City Initiative Executive Director Serena Neal Sanjurjo that will transform the Hill neighborhood.
The total Hill to Downtown project will cover 11.6 acres of property that for decades were empty or used only for parking lots.
A portion of the former parking area near the lot’s original entrance is now enclosed.
“Bristol Hospital has fenced in their property and is beginning the site work,” said Rogozinski. “Now that the fence is established, they can begin excavating, filling and leveling the grounds for their approved site and installing utilities. As part of their plan, the trees will eventually be replaced along the roadside and trees will also be planted on the site itself.”
Rogozinski emphasized that the city still owns a parcel to the north of the planned site of the eventual 60,000-square-foot, three-story building.
A “driveway apron” was constructed to replace the original entrance to the parking lot, which will provide parking for those who wish to visit Main Street businesses including Main Street Pint & Plate, The Bristol Press, Ascension Athletics and Catherine’s Uniforms.
The city is also working on creating a road through the Centre Square lot, which will connect with the Bristol Hospital center.
The 1,000-foot Centre Square access road will begin at the intersection of North Main and Laurel streets and will cut through Centre Square to Riverside Avenue.
Utilities, conduits, a sanitary sewer system and a potable water system along with most of the electrical system are being installed in the road, as is most of the electrical system.
The Bristol Hospital Ambulatory Care Center will houses services for cardiology, endocrinology and diabetes, neurology, orthopedics, rheumatology and urology.
The center is intended to spur development of the downtown area. According to Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu, the city is already reviewing proposals for other parcels.
Electric Boat promises jobs, construction in exchange for state support
Julia Bergman
New London — Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Tuesday announced a "historic," long-term partnership between the state and Electric Boat that involves an $83 million investment by Connecticut, with a commitment from the submarine builder to add jobs and spend hundreds of millions on capital improvements in Groton.
The partnership will "build upon our investments that we've made with other defense contractors and quite frankly be supportive of a supply chain that touches every single portion of our state," Malloy said at a news conference at Fort Trumbull with a view of Electric Boat's construction bay, where a new fleet of attack submarines is being built, in the background.
Under the agreement, EB will grow its workforce in Connecticut by 1,881 jobs, bringing its total number of employees in the state to more than 13,000 by 2034. The company has about 11,000 employees between its facilities in Groton and New London. Last year alone, the company hired nearly 2,000 employees in Connecticut.
The company also will double the $250 million annually it spends with more than 700 in-state suppliers. Increased demand for submarines means EB will need even more suppliers in the state, and across the U.S.
To be able to concurrently build Virginia-class attack submarines, 15 of which have been delivered to the Navy, and a new class of ballistic-missile submarines that will begin being built in a few years, EB will spend more than $850 million on capital improvements at its Groton headquarters, including a new construction bay where the ballistic-missile submarines will be built.
Connecticut's portion of the deal includes $83 million in state funding to EB.
"This investment will allow EB to maintain its position as the highest quality provider of submarines to the United States Navy, thus capturing additional overhaul and repair work while continuing to deliver the Virginia-class submarines and growing jobs in Connecticut," Malloy said.
The state Department of Economic and Community Development will provide a $35 million loan for machinery and equipment with loan forgiveness based on supply chain spending and employment, and up to $20 million in sales and use tax exemptions from Connecticut Innovations for capital and new construction at EB's Groton campus. The department also will provide an $8 million grant for third-party workforce development initiatives to train advanced manufacturing workers for EB and its suppliers.
Finally, the state will provide $20 million for dredging in connection with EB's plans to construct a new dry dock and construction bay on the south side of its Groton campus. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredges the Thames River, but not the area along EB's property line in Groton, according to Malloy.
"This investment provides crucial support for the workforce development and facility expansion that will help Electric Boat grow, increase its economic contribution to the region and continue to deliver the world's most capable submarines to the United States Navy," Geiger said.
Between 2000 and 2016, more than $170 billion in defense contracts were awarded to Connecticut companies, according to Geiger. Nationally, Connecticut ranks second in per capita defense spending, he said.
The deal is a "mixed bag" for state Sen. Paul Formica, R-East Lyme, who said he was concerned about the budget implications for the state, namely that its debt payments would increase.
He added that the state should wait until it's on better financial footing before thinking about spending money on capital improvements at EB. However, Formica agrees with spending money on job training programs, and that Connecticut needs to send a message to the Navy that it's supportive of its submarine program. Formica and state Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, during this legislative session, have pushed for $10 million in state funding for workforce development programs.
"I'm hopeful it will all work out but it's a difficult time for corporate support of this magnitude," Formica said.
State Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, who introduced legislation that would provide up to $100 million for capital improvements at EB and another $50 million for workforce training programs, said she thought the agreement is a good deal. Osten supported the $220 million incentive package the state provided to Sikorsky in 2016, and said the deal announced Tuesday was "in the same vein."
Submarines have regained prominence in the U.S.' national security strategy, as officials worry about advancements made by Russia and China in their respective submarine fleets.
"We can put special operators on the ground. We can do surveillance. We can fire missiles. We can deter a nuclear attack. All of it through submarines, the very submarines that are built at Electric Boat," U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said, noting that about $7 billion was approved by Congress for submarine programs this fiscal year.
And federal lawmakers are poised to continue their support.
U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, noted that his colleagues already are beginning to make decisions about next year's defense spending. A congressional subcommittee with oversight of Navy shipbuilding, of which Courtney is the ranking member, is recommending the Navy build three attack submarines, as opposed to two, in the years 2022 and 2023. That's on top of construction on a ballistic-missile submarine in each of those years.
Jeffrey Geiger, president of EB, said the state's investment will help "improve our competitive position and help us secure additional work in the future."
Ahead Of Vote On Highway Tolls, Lawmakers Push Discounts For State Residents
With a vote on controversial electronic highway tolls coming as early as Wednesday, legislators are pushing for discounts for Connecticut residents that would include breaks for commuters and those buying state-issued transponders.
After those two discounts, a Connecticut driver would pay $1.72 for a trip from the New York state line to New Haven during off-peak hours and $2.16 during peak hours, officials said. Under a proposal being considered by the legislature, all drivers would be required to pay tolls that would be 25 percent higher during rush hour when traffic levels are at their peak.
Those buying a Connecticut E-ZPass would receive a 30 percent discount over those with passes purchased in other states. With the discount, they would pay 5.5 cents per mile during rush hour, compared to 7.9 cents per mile for those with an out-of-state E-ZPass. Commuters — defined as drivers who make more than 40 one-way trips per month — would receive an additional 20 percent discount, lowering their rush hour costs to 4.4 cents per mile.
House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz of Berlin has promised a vote this year on tolls — win or lose.
But Rep. Tony Guerrera, the legislature’s top proponent of tolls, said he was still not sure about the outcome on a controversial issue that has been lobbied heavily for years.
“We’ll find out where the votes stand,’’ Guerrera, a Rocky Hill Democrat, said Tuesday.Even if the measure passes this year, tolls will not be erected on state highways any time soon because the bill calls for a two-step process and two votes by the legislature.
First, the legislature needs to vote for the state transportation department to conduct a study to determine the location of the overhead toll gantries. Second, the legislature would need to vote again next year after the study is completed.
While the statistics are preliminary and could change, state officials believe Connecticut could collect $450 million per year from out-of-state drivers and as much as $1.3 billion overall per year, depending on the toll rates. As the toll money starts being collected, the legislature could begin decreasing the 25-cents-per-gallon gasoline tax, lawmakers said.
Even if the measure passes narrowly in the state House of Representatives, some lawmakers are skeptical that tolls can be approved in the Senate, which is evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats. Republican lawmakers have been stridently against tolls.Senate Republican leader Len Fasano of North Haven said state officials have not calculated how many drivers will exit the highways in order to avoid the tolls — cutting deeply into the money that state officials believe they can collect.
“I have a very skeptical belief that tolls are going to produce what everyone is saying,’’ Fasano told The Courant. “This is just absurd. This tolls stuff is a misnomer. It’s a money grab. Enough is enough.’’
Deputy House Republican leader Vincent Candelora of North Branford said the discounts are not enough of an incentive for him to support tolls.
“We can’t lose sight of the fact that Connecticut residents will pay more,’’ he said. “I’m not inclined to support another revenue source for the state of Connecticut.’’
The discounts and rates calculated by the transportation department and released to reporters are only an example of the possible rates. Those could change, depending on the outcome of the study and the decisions by the legislature.
“The federal government allows you to have multiple discounts,’’ Guerrera said. “If we can have these multiple discounts, where the average individual may be paying only 500 bucks a year and then taking off the discounts off their state income tax with all the reduced fees. I think that’s a benefit to the people of the state.’’
Democrats say there are a series of myths surrounding tolls that they want to dispel. Among those is that if the state installs tolls on I-95 it would be required to pay back federal highway funds.
“We don’t have to pay back a dime of any federal funding,’’ Guerrera said.
In addition, federal law states that revenue from tolls must be used for transportation-related expenses, rather than being diverted for other uses.
“The reality is, and the commissioner has said, that if we don’t move forward with a plan that puts money into the [Special Transportation Fund] and allows us to do our projects, we’re going to see train and bus fares go through the roof,’’ Aresimowicz said. “We’re also going to see projects being pulled back … and that affects every community. We all have a stake in this, and we all have to take collective action.”
House Majority Leader Matt Ritter of Hartford cautioned that lawmakers are taking a two-step process.
“There can be no tolls on Connecticut roads when this bill passes without another vote in the Connecticut General Assembly,” Ritter said.
New Haven’s Hill to Downtown project comes to fruition
Mary E. O’Leary
NEW HAVEN — Years in the planning, the city Tuesday celebrated the Hill to Downtown project coming to fruition with the first of multiple parcels of empty lots or abandoned buildings on its way to new apartments. City officials praised Randy Salvatore of RMS Companies for his investment in the city, where in addition to the housing under construction, he is building a hotel on High and George streets and constructed another apartment complex in the Dwight neighborhood, the Novella.
This 110-apartment complex will stretch more than a city block with a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units. A $5 million grant from the state Department of Housing will allow 30 percent of the units to be affordable housing.
The New Haven state House delegation lauded the project in a statement late Tuesday.
“As we move forward with efforts to revitalize, reinvent and restore our urban centers, it is vital that we continue to support projects that unlock our city’s potential through the creation of new job and housing opportunities. This mixed-use building will become a flagship facility that will serve as the centerpiece of our city’s renaissance,” the New Haven House legislative delegation’s statement said. “The collaborative partnership between community stakeholders, city leadership and state officials helped turn residents’ ideas and needs into a reality. This project will be a pillar of the Hill community for generations to come.”
The four-story building designed by Boroson Architects will be on a site next to the Amistad Park in the Hill, close to Union Station. A mixed-use project, there will be space for retail development on the first level.
Located at the corner of Gold Street and Washington Avenue, this is phase one of the Hill to Downtown project which has been led by Livable City Initiative Executive Director Serena Neal Sanjurjo that will transform the Hill neighborhood.
The total Hill to Downtown project will cover 11.6 acres of property that for decades were empty or used only for parking lots.