This Friday April 16 State Bond Commission Agenda CLICK HERE
The roads, bridges, projects CT hopes Biden infrastructure plan funds
Emilie Munson
WASHINGTON — Connecticut’s Department of Transportation has
already drawn up a list of priority projects they hope will secure funding from
President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure package that he proposed two
weeks ago.
State officials want to nab a bit of the $621 billion
earmarked for transportation projects to reduce congestion on I-84 in Danbury,
build new bus systems in New Haven, Bridgeport and Stamford, replace three
bridges on the New Haven rail line, and upgrade the Stamford Transportation
Center, according to a list obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media.
DOT will also prioritize converting all 700 CTTransit buses
around the state from diesel to electric over the next 15 years, improve
outdated traffic signal technology such as those along the Berlin Turnpike, and
upgrading sidewalks, bike lanes and pedestrian signals to reduce traffic
deaths.
The state also wants to create a statewide electric vehicle
charging network, including faster chargers in heavily trafficked areas. They
also hope the money will allow them to reintegrate Hartford and East Hartford,
cities divided by I-91 and I-84, a project long championed by U.S. Rep. John
Larson, D-1.
Broadly, these projects reflect the state’s goals of
reducing congestion, reconnecting neighborhoods, making rail more reliable and
improving urban transit systems. These represent long-standing priorities for
DOT that it can’t afford to fund today, said Garret Eucalito, deputy
commissioner for CT DOT.
The American Jobs Plan — the massive infrastructure package
that could fund these projects — is just starting to move its way through
Congress and Democrats hope it might be passed over the summer. Many of the
priority projects announced DOT align with the objectives of the federal plan
including incentivizing electric vehicles, repairing roads and bridges and
improving public transportation, especially rail speeds.
“The jobs plan is going to allow states and local government
to move forward with long overdue projects to fix roads and bridges, to expand
and modernize transit — by the way transit not only in big cities, but in small
communities — and connect more of our communities,” said Transportation
Secretary Pete Buttigieg Monday. “Any individual community and any state stands
to benefit in a big way.”
DOT Commissioner Joseph Giulietti has met with several Biden
transportation administrators to highlight Connecticut’s transportation
priorities and need for federal partnership, Eucalito said.
As the administration works to build support for the plan,
the White House released report cards for every state’s infrastructure Monday,
grading Connecticut’s at a C-. The vast majority of states received C or C-
grades based on how the conditions of their roads and bridges, public transportation,
resilient infrastructure, drinking water, housing, broadband, caregiving, child
care, manufacturing, home energy, clean energy jobs and veterans health
facilities.
“In Connecticut there are 248 bridges and over 2,100 miles
of highway in poor condition,” the White House wrote in its state infrastructure
fact sheet. “Since 2011, commute times have increased by 10.9 percent in
Connecticut and on average, each driver pays $711 per year in costs due to
driving on roads in need of repair.”
The infrastructure package goes well beyond just
transportation investments, including billions of dollars for affordable
housing, clean energy technology, manufacturing investments and money to
support caregivers for seniors and the disabled. State and local governments
will be able to access the $2 trillion in investments through some existing
formulas and by applying for competitive grants.
The Biden administration has proposed paying for the
investment through corporate tax increases.
Republicans in Congress object to these increases and are
quick to point out that the package strays from more traditional definitions of
infrastructure and mixes in items from Democrats’ climate agenda and other wish
lists. One Republican who met with Biden Monday said his party could not
support legislation that wiped away part of their 2017 tax law with corporate
tax increases.
Buttigieg dismissed the question of what is infrastructure
as a “semantic debate” Monday and insisted their plan had plenty of bipartisan
support.
Connecticut had a hefty backlog of maintenance projects and
transportation improvements slated for state investment, but not enough money
to make them. That problem has fueled a controversial debate over establishing
highway tolls in Connecticut, something Gov. Ned Lamont and other Democrats
pushed for, but eventually failed to pass the legislature.
Now state Democrats are advocating for a new user fee
assessed on tractor trailer trucks that pass through the state to fund more
transportation improvements. That could generate $90 million a year in revenue,
said Transportation Committee chairman state Sen. Will Haskell, D-Westport.
Residents can watch Brookfield school construction in real-time
Currie Engel
BROOKFIELD — Thanks to an online livestream, residents can
now watch the district’s newest school take shape.
As Candlewood Lake Elementary School is built over the next
year and a half, viewers can log on to the website created for the project
to see
what’s going on in real-time. On Monday, several yellow diggers worked
diligently against the backdrop of a vast gray sky and piles of earth.
The new school, which has been discussed for decades, is
being built on the Huckleberry Hill Elementary School campus and is set to open
in the fall of 2022. Huckleberry Hill Elementary will eventually be demolished
and Center Elementary will bring its students over the Candlewood Lake
Elementary.
In March of 2019, the town approved a
$78.1 million plan for the new school. They’ve also been given a $16.7
million state grant to cover some of the cost.
Other documents, plans, and press releases are complied on
the website for
the new school project.
The school is set to break ground on May 1 at 8:30 a.m., and
officials are planning a special event to mark the occasion.
Developers of Cedar Pointe project in Newington awarded nearly $2 million in tax credits
Ciara Hooke
NEWINGTON – Dakota Partners, a real estate developer and builder, has been awarded $1,982,271 in tax credits for its Cedar Pointe project in Newington.
Cedar Pointe will bring 108 units of multifamily housing to town. The project will see the construction of 72 units within two, three-story garden style buildings and a community building. There will be a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments and the units will be built to Passive House standards. Passive House standards can result in monthly utility bills savings from reduced energy use, high indoor air quality due to excellent ventilation, and a sound-proof home due to air tightness and heavy insulation.
The property is listed on the Connecticut Brownfields and previously contained an auto dealership, which created an environmental situation that will be mitigated before the apartments are built. All of the original buildings have been demolished and the site is currently vacant and ready for development.
Construction for the project is scheduled to start in early fall 2021.
This transit-oriented apartment development is located near a newly constructed CTfastrack station and helps fulfill the town’s desire to create more mixed use and affordable housing in the surrounding area. Newington currently has less than 10% affordable housing, so this community will fill a void for residents who might otherwise be priced out of the area.
White House grades states’ infrastructure as it pushes bill; C-minus for Conn.
Josh Boak
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden wants Congress to know he's sincere about cutting a deal on infrastructure, but the White House is also highlighting needed repairs and upgrades state-by-state that cost far more than what Republicans are willing to spend.
Biden met Monday afternoon with a bipartisan group of lawmakers and tried to assure them that the Oval Office gathering was not “window dressing.” One of the core disputes is what counts as infrastructure in his $2.3 trillion proposal that would also raise corporate taxes.
“I’m prepared to negotiate as to the extent of my infrastructure project, as well as how we pay for it,” Biden said. “It’s going to get down to what we call ‘infrastructure.'”
The meeting came as the White House released state-by-state breakdowns Monday that show the dire shape of roads, bridges, the power grid and housing affordability, among other issues. Biden's team is making a direct argument for lawmakers to put their constituents ahead of their ideologies. An appeal to the broader public is unlikely to resonate much with Republican lawmakers who have already blasted the plan.
The figures in the state summaries paint a decidedly bleak outlook for the world's largest economy after years of repairs being deferred and delayed. They suggest that too much infrastructure is unsafe for vehicles at any speed, while highlighting the costs of extreme weather events that have become more frequent with climate change as well as dead spots for broadband and a dearth of child care options.
Among the four Republicans on the White House guest list Monday were Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Sen. Deb Fischer of Nebraska and Reps. Garret Graves of Louisiana and Don Young of Alaska. Democrats on the list were Sens. Maria Cantwell of Washington and Alex Padilla of California and Reps. Donald Payne Jr. of New Jersey and David Price of North Carolina.
Drawn from an array of private and public data, the state reports show there are 7,300 miles of highway in Michigan alone that are in poor condition. Damaged streets in North Carolina impose an average yearly cost of $500 on motorists. Iowa has 4,571 bridges in need of repair. There is a roughly 4-in-10 chance that a public transit vehicle in Indiana might be ready for the scrap yard. Pennsylvania's schools are short $1.4 billion for maintenance and upgrades.
Most states received a letter grade on their infrastructure. West Virginia earned a D. So did Biden's home state of Delaware. Of the states rated, the highest grade went to Georgia and Utah, which each notched a C-plus. The lowest grade, D-minus, went to the territory of Puerto Rico.
Connecticut received a grade of C-minus.
The administration is banking that the data will confirm the everyday experiences of Americans as they bump over potholes, get trapped in traffic jams and wait for buses that almost never correspond to published schedules. There is already a receptive audience to the sales pitch, and the strategy is that public support can overcome any congressional misgivings.
“We don’t have a lot of work to do to persuade the American people that U.S. infrastructure needs major improvement,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on Fox News Channel's “Fox News Sunday” ahead of the reports' release. “The American people already know it.”
Republican lawmakers have been quick to reject the infrastructure proposal from Biden. They say just a fraction of the spending goes to traditional infrastructure, as $400 billion would expand Medicaid support for caregivers and substantial portions would fund electric vehicle charging stations and address the racial injustice of highways that were built in ways that destroyed Black neighborhoods.
The reports give some data to back up their argument that more money should be spent on roads and bridges. Biden's plan would modernize 20,000 miles worth of roadways, but California by itself has 14,220 miles of highway in poor condition.
Republican lawmakers also object to funding the package by increasing the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28% and increasing the global minimum tax, among other tax changes including stepped-up IRS enforcement being proposed by the Biden administration.
Wicker indicated a willingness to negotiate with Biden after the meeting and called it a “good discussion.” But a more fundamental disagreement also emerged about whether the United States is in decline because of its deteriorating infrastructure.
“He says that we’re a declining superpower, the United States is no longer number one,” Wicker said afterward. “I just fundamentally disagree with that. But he says that our allies and our adversaries tell us that.”
Yet the state-by-state reports make clear that many of the people Wicker represents could benefit from the package, an aspect of the Biden effort to engender the backing of voters across party lines.
Mississippi needs $4.8 billion for drinking water and $289 million for schools. Nearly a quarter of households lack an internet subscription, and a similar percentage lives in areas without broadband. Mississippians who use public transportation have to devote an extra 87.7% of their time to commuting.
Mississippi's infrastructure received a grade of D-plus.
Cantwell, a Democrat, said Biden plans to have his team revisit with the lawmakers who assembled at the White House and their colleagues in hopes of driving a consensus.
“The president said he would send his team up to the Hill to talk to anybody about how to get this done," Cantwell said.
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Online:
White House's state-by-state infrastructure reports: Fact sheets by state.
Matt Pilon
In its first meeting of 2021, the state Bond Commission later this week will vote on millions of dollars worth of loans and grants that would help spur the redevelopment of 460 new apartment units in Hartford.
The funding on the commission’s Friday agenda would shepherd a $100 million Pratt Street redevelopment into its next phase, kickstart the repurposing of a former state office building fronting Bushnell Park and stake a mixed-income apartment redevelopment project near the Colt Armory.
The largest Hartford economic development item the agenda is $13.5 million in loans to help Spinnaker Real Estate Partners redevelop the 55 Elm St. office building into 164 apartments with co-working space and a restaurant.
The Norwalk-based developer acquired the 300,000-square-foot building more than a year ago for $6.8 million and plans to spend approximately $63 million on the project, it revealed recently.
The quasi-public Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) is the public funding conduit for both Pratt Street and 55 Elm.
CRDA is also on deck to receive $1.5 million from the bond commission to complete a replacement of a waterproofing system, pavers and a protection membrane at the plaza and esplanade that connects the Connecticut Convention Center to the CT Science Center.
The Pratt Street project, developed by a partnership that includes Marty Kenny of Lexington Partners, Shelbourne Global Solutions and Alan Lazowski, of LAZ Parking, is well into its first phase, which includes conversion of 99 Pratt St. and 196 Trumbull St. into 129 units of new housing. The apartments at 196 Trumbull debuted last fall, and Shelbourne Chief Operating Officer Michael Seidenfeld told city councilors last week that work on 99 Pratt is about to begin, with pre-leasing activity anticipated to begin in the next six or seven months.
The Bond Commission this week will consider a $2 million loan for the Pratt Street Initiative Partnership to assist with the upcoming second phase.
With an estimated total cost of $32.2 million, the bulk of the work slated for the so-called “Sage Allen Apartments and Townhomes” phase will involve converting 42 student townhomes on Temple Street into 88 conventional rental units, which would join 77 existing units at the nearby Lofts at Main and Temple.
Seidenfeld said that Shelbourne is funding a marketing and branding campaign for Pratt Street that’s set to launch in a few weeks and run into the fall, including social media, email and paid search marketing, radio and other advertising outlets. He declined to disclose the cost of the campaign, but said it comes at a crucial time, with COVID-19 vaccines rolling out widely and warm weather setting in.
”Timing is really crucial because we’re climbing out of COVID, and things are starting to ease up, thank God,” Seindenfeld said. ”Now’s the time people are taking a fresh new look and asking ‘what’s new in hartford?'"
Also on the Bond Commission itinerary this week is a $4 million loan for nonprofit housing developer Sheldon Oak to assist with redeveloping the Martin Luther King Apartments at 79 Van Block Ave. in Hartford into 150 new units across several buildings intended for a mix of incomes. The total project cost is estimated to be more than $51 million.
Further details weren’t immediately available.
Finally, the commission will vote on a $3.9 million loan for the fourth redevelopment phase of the former Westbrook Village on Granby Street, a Pennrose-led development known as the Village at Park River.
There are 400 townhouse-style units in total planned for the former public housing site, which is being built over six construction phases.
Luxury apartments proposed for South Windsor's Sullivan Avenue Plaza
Olivia Regen
he first major plan of development, which includes 125 luxury apartments known as Sullivan Avenue Plaza, has been filed for the Geissler’s supermarket area in South Windsor and if approved could bring $601,238 in additional tax revenue to the town, officials say.
The Planning and Zoning Commission will consider the proposal and a request for a zone change from commercial to mixed-use development on April 13.
Along with the apartments, the $30 million project includes renovation of 60,740 square feet of commercial space at the nearly deserted plaza where Geissler’s supermarket is located at 959 Sullivan Ave. to make room for restaurants, a coffee shop, a salon, or a brew pub, said Greg Nanni, general manager of Prospect Enterprises, the management and development agent for the plaza owner.
In January 2020, the PZC voted 5-2 to add language to zoning regulations clearing the way for Design Professionals representing REESG Newco South Windsor LLC to submit the project to the PZC.
This was the first of three steps to approve the project. If the PZC approves the zone change and the developer’s plan of development, the final step would include bringing forward a site plan for approval.
“We are really looking forward to a mixed-use development, which creates synergy between the residential and apartment uses where one helps to invigorate the other,” Nanni said. “It will bring a lot of economic vitality to the area of Sullivan Avenue and hopefully will serve as an impetus for renovations of other development projects in the area of town.”
The existing Hot Leathers store at the end of the plaza would be demolished to make way for the construction of four three-story buildings to house the 125 apartments which include the following: 17 studios, 66 one-bedroom, and 42 two-bedroom units.
Regulations require that 10% of those units are affordable, which REESG Newco intends to meet and provide information at the site plan stage, according to Town Planner Michele Lipe’s report on the project.
The proposed plan also includes renovating the former gas station at the northwest corner of the site and converting it into a convenience store.
Mayor Andrew Paterna said the proposed development at Geissler’s Plaza would bring “new life to an area that has needed some help for a long time.”
Paterna said he hopes the project would also help stimulate economic development in the Sullivan Avenue business zone.
“This project will be a welcome addition to South Windsor,” he said.
Town Manager Michael Maniscalco agreed.
“The redevelopment of Geissler’s Plaza is an important first step for the Sullivan Avenue trade zone,” he said. “Our hope is that this is the first of many investments in that part of town.”
A fiscal analysis of the plan prepared by Donald J. Poland of Goman and York, the developer’s planning and design firm, found that the proposed mixed-use development wouild have a positive impact on area property values.
The analysis also said the development would create 101 construction and 20 permanent jobs.
Kwesi Brown of SLR International Corporation conducted a traffic analysis of the area, which found that it would be able to accommodate traffic that would be generated by the proposed development.
Deputy Mayor Elizabeth Pendleton said the proposed development is a “beautiful and welcome addition” that is going to fit a need. She also emphasized it is critical to support family-owned businesses such as Geissler’s.