Strong Industry
Attendance is Needed at an Infrastructure Press Conference
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) will be releasing their Connecticut Infrastructure Report Card on:
Roads, Bridges, Rail,Clean Water, and Waste Water.
This is our last opportunity to show
support for infrastructure investments before Election Day. Please join us as
we make a strong showing that infrastructure investments mean jobs and a better
Connecticut!
Mary Biekert
East Lyme — Despite a delay in the groundbreaking, town officials and developers said proposed plans for a Costco big-box store at Gateway Commons near Interstate 95’s Exit 74 are moving forward.
The Costco store would serve as the initial phase of the retail component proposed for the Gateway Commons development, a 200-acre site between exits 73 and 74. Gateway developers have built 280 apartments near Exit 73, as part of that development, and recently proposed an additional 120 rental units to be built out over upcoming years.
The proposed 158,684-square-foot Costco store, which would include an on-site gas station, was approved by both zoning and inland wetland commissions earlier this year. The store is expected to break ground in 2019, according to Newton Brainard, vice president of development and acquisition for The Simon Konover Co. of West Hartford, which is developing the Gateway site with KGI Properties of Providence.
Though earlier projections had detailed a September groundbreaking for the Costco building, a lengthier-than-expected permitting process delayed the process, Brainard said Monday.
Town officials, as well as Brainard, could not state an exact start date for the project, though plans are still steadily underway, they said.
“Once we have all our permits in hand, we will have a better ability to pinpoint when exactly we are going to begin,” said Brainard. “We are ready to go, we just need to get through these permits and we will move forward.”
Zoning official Bill Mulholland said developers overseeing the Costco project recently submitted a building permit application with the town. The application is yet to be approved by both the town’s building and zoning departments but will be reviewed by Nov. 1, building official Steven Way said.
How fast officials can grant that permit depends on whether the application adheres to the state's building code stipulations, many of which were recently changed, Way said. After an approval, however, developers must then wait through an additional 30-day appeal period before moving forward.
The building permit application submitted earlier this month required a non-refundable payment of around $200,000, Mulholland said.
“Costco wouldn’t spend that sort of money if they weren’t serious about moving forward,” Mulholland said. “At this point, the developers are getting their ducks in a row and getting through additional permits before moving forward.”
Brainard agreed Monday, saying, “It doesn’t appear that the project will fall through at this point. The tenants, or Costco, have written a very large check for the building permit, so I think that is a very good sign.”
Additionally, developers must obtain a sewer permit from the town’s Water and Sewer Commission, Brainard said. A hearing for that permit is scheduled for Nov. 6.
On a state level, Brainard said developers are also waiting for encroachment permits from The Office of the State Traffic Administration and the Department of Transportation. Developers, as well as town officials, met with the state's District 2 DOT to discuss the finer details of that permit last week — another positive sign, according to Mulholland, who was at that meeting.
The permits are one of the final remaining steps to allow for developers to build out the temporary roadway infrastructure planned by Exit 74 — changes that are being deemed necessary to open the store.
Brainard said plans for that roadway include extending the I-95 southbound on- and off-ramps at Exit 74 to a frontage road that will run by Pools Etc. That road will allow drivers coming off the interstate to either turn left towards Costco, or right towards Route 161, after hitting a stop light, he said.
The state approved a permit for those changes in August. Those adjustments would be the first in a long line of changes set to take place beginning in 2021, as the state also plans a long-term project to fix and redesign the Exit 74 interchange.
Brainard could not say Monday when the Exit 74 off-ramp construction is likely to begin, stating that developers must obtain the encroachment permit before dates could be established. He also said that, based on discussions held with DOT about the off-ramp changes, he is not expecting a major disruption in traffic flow during and after construction.
He said the plan is to build the interior road leading up to Costco first, and then, "over a night or two," extend the on- and off-ramps to that road.
“The big disruption won’t be until the state redesigns that part of the highway. That will be a big disruption,” Brainard said. “Our disruption won’t be very big. Most of what we are doing is on-site, so for the public it won’t be a big disruption.”
Plans to construct the Costco store are still expected to take place over 90 days next summer, Brainard said, with a grand opening scheduled for November 2019.
First Selectman Mark Nickerson was not available for comment before deadline, though he has stated to The Day in the past that the town has been planning for the Gateway district for about 20 years. It is the only remaining area in town identified for a major commercial development, he said.
He called Costco a "natural fit" and a "premier anchor store" for the Gateway parcel. He also said he believes Costco will serve as an economic driver to the town, adding stability to the town's tax base, creating jobs, and bringing people into town, who then will visit the boardwalk, downtown, other shops and restaurants. Costco also will serve as a catalyst for stores to locate to Gateway and for improvements to the nearby road infrastructure, he said.
KGI Properties and Simon Konover had received initial approval from the Zoning Commission in 2008 for their master plan for 425,000 square feet of retail space that would include one big-box store (now Costco) and five smaller "junior anchor stores," near Exit 74, and a residential area by Exit 73 on a total 200 acres of land.
The plans stalled for several years after the 2008 recession, but the developers began to build 280 apartments for the residential phase of the development near Exit 73. Those units opened in 2015.
Gaming execs say third CT casino still viable
Norm Bell
Obituaries for Connecticut's third casino in East Windsor are in error, according to Rodney Butler, chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot tribe and interim CEO of Foxwoods.
In an interview at the recent Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas, Butler said the adverse ruling by a federal judge in the tribe's suit against the federal Department of the Interior simply closes one avenue to getting the casino's doors open.
The tribe had sued seeking to force the Interior Department to act on its request to sanction the arrangement by which Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun would collaborate in opening a casino in East Windsor. The third casino is conceived as a way to counteract the opening of MGM Springfield and keep more gaming dollars in Connecticut.
The state Attorney General's Office sought reassurance that nothing in the new deal would jeopardize the existing compact under which 25 percent of slot revenues flow into the state's coffers. The East Windsor casino would be built on land that is not on either tribes' reservation.
To reassure the state, the Mashantucket Pequot tribe, owner of Foxwoods, requested the Department of the Interior to approve the third casino but the request went unanswered for months.
U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras in Washington, D.C., declined to force federal action, but the tribes aren't giving up. In fact, the Mashantucket tribe and state of Connecticut are asking a federal court to revive their lawsuit, charging that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke refused to sign off on the deal due to political pressure.
Meantime, Butler said the tribes' position is that no federal approval is necessary for the third casino and that the gaming compact with the state applies. Under the compact, the tribal casinos sent about $270 million to the state last year. That figure has been declining since a high of $430 million more than a decade ago. And the opening of MGM Springfield in September and Wynn Resort near Boston in 2019 threaten further erosion.
Early reports suggest the negative impact of MGM Springfield is less than predicted, but it remains a concern, Butler said. And the East Windsor casino is part of the strategy to hold gaming dollars within Connecticut.
MGM Springfield recorded almost $27 million in gaming revenue in its first month, generating more than $6.7 million in taxes for the Bay State.
Meantime, Connecticut's tribal casino operators saw their slot revenues decline for a third consecutive month in September.
Both tribes remain fully committed to East Windsor, said Butler and Ray Pineault, president of Mohegan Sun.
Over the past few months, the tribes have been meeting with candidates to "educate" them on the issues, according to both Butler and Pineault.
Butler said he expects quick action after the new governor, legislature and attorney general take office on the third casino and on sports betting. Both are key elements in maintaining the competitive position of Connecticut's gaming industry, he explained.
Protecting the industry is a win-win for the state and the tribes, he added.
The third casino is being built through MMCT Venture, a joint company of the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes. Demolition of the former Showcase Cinema building has been completed. The site, about 12 miles south of MGM Springfield near Exit 45 off Interstate 91, is ready for construction.
MDC: New Sewer Liner Installation On Linbrook Road Begins Thursday
Mikaela Porter
Installation of new sewer liner to Linbrook Roads is expected to begin Thursday, the Metropolitan District said Tuesday, roughly three weeks after a portion of recently-installed liner collapsed and caused significant flooding to the neighborhood road and some homes.
Replacement of the new liner is scheduled to begin at 3 a.m. Thursday, MDC spokesperson Kerry E. Martin said in an email Tuesday evening. “The installation of the new liner, including post lining inspection, is expected to take approximately 18 hours, at which time the new liner will be put into service,” Martin said. “Once all lining work is complete, crews will begin the removal of by-pass pumping equipment, ramps in front of driveways and related materials and begin clean-up and lawn restoration efforts, weather permitting.”
The same contractor who installed the previous lining, Precision Trenchless, will install the new liner, according to a flyer the MDC is circulating to Linbrook Road residents.
Some driveway ramps may be removed Friday or Saturday, hindering residents’ access to their driveways, Martin said.
Anyone with questions regarding the Oct. 3 back-up is asked to contact MDC Construction Manager John Whitcomb, 860-948-8320 or jwhitcomb@themdc.com. Additional information is available on the MDC’s website, www.themdc.org.
New Harding springs a leak, lacks outdoor sound system
Linda Conner Lambeck
The city’s brand new $107 million Harding High School has sprung a leak.
Sometime on the morning of Oct. 10, water poured down from a pipe in the ceiling in the principal’s office, onto his desk, computer, family photos and carpet.
Schools Superintendent Aresta Johnson described it to the Board of Education as “no small leak,” but a shower of Freon that rained down from the ceiling, that pretty much ruined everything in the office and required Harding Principal Dane Brown to move to a conference room for a few days.
School board members were less than thrilled.
“For the amount of money we are spending, it is not unreasonable to ask for good construction practices and a solid building that is water tight,” said board member Chris Taylor.
The new school was designed by Antinozzi Associates. Epic Management of Connecticut is the construction manager. That the contractor was responsible for the clean up and repairs did not appease Taylor. “This is a building that hasn’t been occupied for two months yet,” Taylor said. “What is in store three years from now?”
Technically, the school is still under construction, as the work continues in the auditorium, auxiliary gym and other areas. The work is not expected to be completed for another month.
Larry Schilling, a program manager for the city, said the leak is really not that unusual in a building with complex systems. A soldering joint on a heating line developed a leak over the desk, he said.
“The line was shut down and the leak fixed,” Schilling said, adding that the heating subcontractor on the project paid for new ceiling tile, carpeting and a new chair.
Board member Maria Pereira said when she raised the issue before the start of the city’s last School Construction meeting, the matter was downplayed.
“There was no concern whatsoever,” she said.
Pereira said that since the new school open, it was also learned that the school’s brand new football field was built without a sound system. “So they can’t call the game,” Pereira said.
Installing a public address system now will mean spending an additional $73,000 “What else have we been cheated out of?” Taylor asked.
The board authorized the superintendent to send a letter to the city’s school building committee saying they expect better. Pereira suggested in addition, the board authorize the district’s technology director to sit on the committee to offer his expertise.
From Factory Restorations To Hundreds Of New Apartments, These Hartford Developments Have The Power To Reshape The City
Hartford’s last real estate boom changed the city’s skyline, with the Hartford 21 tower reaching new heights and a massive convention center rising up beside the river.
The recent boom is less dramatic to the naked eye. Many of the projects underway slip more seamlessly into the existing cityscape.
But it would be a mistake to confuse drama with impact. There are more than two dozen developments underway in the city — from restorations of historic factories to the rethinking of downtown neighborhoods, the addition of hundreds of apartments and a new regional campus for UConn. Collectively, they have the power to reshape Hartford in a way that promises to position it for growth in an era when cities nationwide are flourishing.
Bolstered by hefty public subsidy, the spate of current development is capitalizing on a movement fueled by millennials and retiring Baby Boomers who don’t want to devote the time and money to maintaining a home in the suburbs.
The Courant has launched an interactive feature that includes dozens of developments with the potential to change the city, moving it closer to the elusive revitalization sought for decades. The database will be updated and expanded as new projects arise.Developers initially targeted vacant downtown structures, from the modest, historic buildings along Elm Street to soaring edifices, such as the former bank tower on Main Street that made an undesirable statement when cloaked in darkness.
“Getting all these empty buildings back in service makes the street feel better,” said Brian Kohn, part of a partnership that bought the Goodwin Square office tower in 2015 and renovated it. “The recovery is still nascent, but it is happening.”
The building-by-building approach has given way to more long-term and expansive efforts in areas like the one around The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, the downtown gateway at Park and Main streets and perhaps the most prominent, a new neighborhood at the northern tip of downtown.
In a city that threatened to seek bankruptcy protection before a state bailout came through, Kohn also pointed to increases in real estate assessments that have burdened commercial property owners with even higher tax rates.
“You have to be careful ... you really want to keep attracting businesses because they will bring more people into the city,” Kohn said. “It will help housing and everything will flow from that.”
“Getting all these empty buildings back in service makes the street feel better,” said Brian Kohn, part of a partnership that bought the Goodwin Square office tower in 2015 and renovated it. “The recovery is still nascent, but it is happening.”
The building-by-building approach has given way to more long-term and expansive efforts in areas like the one around The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, the downtown gateway at Park and Main streets and perhaps the most prominent, a new neighborhood at the northern tip of downtown.
Kohn, who is considering other investments in the city, said the decision to keep health insurer Aetna Inc. headquartered in Hartford for at least another decade is a big plus for the city.
“All signs are positive, but I wouldn’t be exuberant at this point,” Kohn said. “The city and the state need to get and keep their financial house in order.”In a city that threatened to seek bankruptcy protection before a state bailout came through, Kohn also pointed to increases in real estate assessments that have burdened commercial property owners with even higher tax rates.
“You have to be careful ... you really want to keep attracting businesses because they will bring more people into the city,” Kohn said. “It will help housing and everything will flow from that.”