The
Governor’s Office and ConnDOT have invited us to join them at a press
conference at 11am, on Monday, August 20th, on the New Harpers Ferry
Road Bridge - I-84 project in Waterbury. The press conference
is to acknowledge the project being substantially complete more than a year
ahead of schedule.
Monday, August 20, 201811am (please arrive early to park)
I-84 project – Waterbury
New Harpers Ferry Road Bridge
Meriden preparing to pave multiple roads next month
Matthew Zabierek
MERIDEN — The city is preparing to pave several roads next month as part of its annual paving program.
The roads scheduled for paving include: Liberty Street from Cottage Street to Gravel Street; Murdock Avenue from the Wallingford town line to Paddock Avenue; Murray Street from East Main Street to Wall Street; Wall Street from Murray Street to Gravel Street; Pomeroy Avenue from the intersection of East Main Street to Ives Avenue; and West Main Street from Sylvan Avenue to the Southington town line.
Associate City Engineer Howard Weissberg said milling work started last month and will finish this week with the milling of the section of West Main Street. Paving is expected to start in early September, Weissberg said.
The milling work on West Main Street will take place through Friday, the city said in a press release. Crews will be working from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Detours will be in place throughout the project, with some periodic short-term closures, the release said.
Weissberg said the paving will cost about $800,000.
Construction progressing on Hartford HealthCare building in Cheshire
Jeniece Roman
CHESHIRE — Construction is progressing on the new Hartford HealthCare medical building on Route 10.
The foundation has been completed and workers are currently building the steel structure, according to Hartford HealthCare spokeswoman Susan McDonald. Construction is expected to be completed by June 2019.
McDonald said the building will be a three-floor, 50,000 square-foot facility.
Town Economic Development Coordinator Jerry Sitko said the project will cost $15 million. He said the facility will be run by Hartford HealthCare, but the property belongs to Cheshire Medical Associates.
“The property has been vacant for a long period of time and is a prime location in the middle of town,” Sitko said. “It’s an attractive addition to the town of Cheshire.”
Sitko said the medical facility will benefit the town’s economy. Hartford HealthCare will employ 80 workers.
Sitko also said the town will receive just over $1 million in tax revenue over seven years.
McDonald said the 254 S. Main St. location is geographically convenient and will bring quality healthcare closer to people in the area.
Hartford HealthCare anticipates a staggered opening. Primary care, special care and radiology are some of the services that will be provided.
“It’s part of [Hartford Healthcare] system’s plan to provide care close to home,” McDonald said. “That’s important for us.”
Plainville To Consider Land Offer In Exchange For Back Tax Bill
Bill Leukhardt
The estate of the owner of a long-defunct construction company wants to give Plainville 33.9 acres of undeveloped land to settle a back-tax bill.
The offer is on the town council’s Aug. 20 agenda for action, Town Manager Robert Lee said.
The estate of Roger Toffolon wants to give the town the land to settle its tax bill of $21,231 for the property owned by the now-defunct Connecticut Sand & Stone Corporation. The land is valued at $61,000.
The offer is separate from another proposal under review to acquire Toffolon’s now-closed White Oak Construction complex and 14 acres downtown, next to town hall.
The town received a $200,000 state grant in December to have soil checked for contamination in the downtown parcel before agreeing to acquire that property in lieu of back taxes. In December, the taxes owed on the property totaled $660,000.
The Connecticut Sand & Stone property is north of downtown, near the Pequabuck River. It is prone to flooding and fits into the town’s policy of buying flood-prone property to use as open space. That policy is intended to block construction on land where flooding occurs, according to Town Planner Mark Devoe.
“The land is worthy of protection and acceptance of the land will remove, beyond doubt, any ability to develop the land,” Devoe said in a letter to Lee. “In addition, the value of the land as open habitat for wildlife is beyond our ability to measure.”
If the council accepts the proposal, the town will legally own the Connecticut Sand & Stone land “within 30 days after approval,” Lee said.
The other property — the downtown White Oak complex — was for decades where White Oak kept and worked on its fleet of heavy construction equipment. For years, White Oak was one of the biggest bridge and highway construction and repair contractors in the region. The company once had its own tugboat to work on marine bridge projects.
Lee said that property “is the key parcel in town center.” Devoe, also the town economic development director, called it “a cornerstone parcel.”