Biden taking bipartisan infrastructure deal on the road
JOSH BOAK, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will look to sell
voters on the economic benefits of the $973 billion infrastructure package
while in Wisconsin on Tuesday, hoping to boost the bipartisan agreement that is
held together in large part by the promise of millions of new jobs.
Biden will travel to La Crosse, population 52,000, and tour
its public transit center, followed by a speech about the infrastructure
package announced last week.
The president presented his message to Democratic donors on
Monday that the agreement was a way for the United States to assert the
principles of democracy and the economic might that can come from dramatic
investments in the country's economic future.
“This infrastructure bill signals to the world that we can
function, we can deliver," Biden said. "We can do significant things,
show that America is back.”
White House officials issued an internal memo that
highlights how the largest investment in transportation, water systems and
services in nearly a century would boost growth. The memo notes that the total
package is four times the size of the infrastructure investment made a dozen
years ago in response to the Great Recession and the biggest since Franklin D.
Roosevelt's New Deal in the 1930s.
It also emphasizes an analysis suggesting that 90% of the
jobs generated by the spending could go to workers without college degrees, a
key shift as a majority of net job gains before the pandemic went to college
graduates.
“This is a blue-collar blueprint to rebuild America,” the
memo says.
Potential economic gains were a shared incentive for the
group of Democratic and Republican senators who agreed to the deal on Thursday.
But the process briefly fell into disarray late last week as Biden suggested
the deal would be held up until he also received a separate package for
infrastructure, jobs and education that would be determined solely by Democrats
through the budget reconciliation process.
Biden said Saturday that this was not a veto threat, and by
Sunday the package appeared back on track.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday that Biden
is “eager” for both bills to be approved by Congress and that the president is
going to “work his heart out” to make it happen.
“The president intends to sign both pieces of legislation
into law,” Psaki said at her daily briefing.
Approval of both bills by Congress remains a long haul with
this summer's initial votes expected in July. Senate Republican leader Mitch
McConnell questioned the legislative process ahead and mounted fresh obstacles
while speaking Monday in Kentucky.
McConnell said he has not yet decided whether he will
support the bipartisan package, but he wants Biden to pressure House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer to say they will allow
the bipartisan arrangement to pass without mandating that the much larger and
broader follow-up bill be in place.
“I appreciate the president saying that he’s willing to deal
with infrastructure separately, But he doesn’t control the Congress,” McConnell
said at a press conference in Louisville.
The two bills had always been expected to move in tandem,
and that is likely to continue as Biden drops his veto threat but reaches
across the aisle for the nearly $1 trillion bipartisan package as well as his
own broader package. The Democratic leaders are pressing ahead on the broader bill,
which includes Biden's families and climate change proposals, as well as their
own investments in Medicare, swelling to some $6 trillion.
The prospect of additional economic gains might be a way to
garner public support and soothe partisan tensions. Biden also faces pressure
from Democrats such as New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who told NBC's
“Meet the Press” that the spending isn't as huge as it might seem because the
sums are spread out over multiple years.
The eight-page White House memo comes from Brian Deese,
director of the National Economic Council, and senior adviser Anita Dunn. It
indicates that the $110 billion for roads and bridges would help relieve
traffic and congestion that costs the economy over $160 billion annually. The
memo justifies the $48.5 billion planned for public transit by citing studies
that link light rail and buses to increased earnings and employment for
workers. It defends the $66 billion for repairs and upgrades for rail lines by
saying that current delays and disruptions weigh on growth.
The bipartisan agreement also would help nurture the market
for electric vehicles, improve broadband access, repair water lines and create
resilience against damage from extreme weather events.
Meanwhile, the White House and Congress are pushing ahead on
separate infrastructure legislation, a top priority of the administration that
is shared by many lawmakers interested in securing federal funds for
long-sought road, highway, bridge and other construction projects back home.
This week, the House is scheduled to vote on a highway,
transit and water infrastructure bill that would invest up to $715 billion over
five years. It overlaps parts of the bipartisan agreement and could become a
building block toward the Democrats' broader package coming later this summer
or fall.
The bill contains many of the priorities that Biden has set,
including $45 billion to replace lead water service lines throughout the nation
and $4 billion for electric vehicle charging stations, as well as a big boost
in spending for transportation programs focusing on repairing existing roads
and bridges.
It also opens the door to nearly 1,500 requests from
lawmakers that would fund specific projects back in their congressional
districts, moving Congress a step closer toward a return to earmarked spending.
NEW FAIRFIELD — The town’s school building projects are
moving ahead, with construction on the Consolidated Early Learning Academy
breaking ground Monday and work on the high school slated to begin later this
summer.
“It’s very exciting that we’re going to see contractors,
equipment and construction at the (early learning academy) site in just a few
days,” the school district’s business and operations director, Rich Sanzo, said
late last week.
Funding for a $29.2 million early learning academy and $84.2
million new high school were approved by taxpayers back in October
2019, with some being offset by state funding.
The new school facilities will not only address
infrastructure problems, Sanzo said, but enhance education in New Fairfield.
“It creates opportunities for us to introduce new
educational programs, such as robotics and engineering, that we have not had in
the district because our facilities have not allowed us to have the spaces
needed to accommodate those types of programs,” he said.
“With buildings to support such programs, we can introduce
new opportunities for our students that would not be possible without these new
schools.”
Although some came in higher than expected due to supply
chain constraints and construction material impacts resulting from the COVID-19
pandemic, Sanzo said the sum of the construction bids for Consolidated came
back within the total allocated project budget.
Not only that, but the bonding interest rate for the
two-school building project turned out to be significantly lower than the 3.25
percent originally anticipated.
“For the latest bonding the town completed, the rate
received was half that — about 1.6 percent,” he said. “The reduction in the
interest rates from what we originally anticipated when these projects were put
forth for referendum is going to save taxpayers millions of dollars in interest
costs in the long run.”
Sanzo said the Permanent Building Committee has approved all
the early construction packages needed to begin work on the Consolidated Early
Learning Academy, and he expects the remaining packages to be awarded sometime
next month.
Although the high school’s design phase fell about a month
behind schedule, the project is currently out to bid with construction expected
to begin sometime in late August or early September.
“The bids are tentatively due July 8 — although that may get
extended by a few days by our construction manager — but by the middle of July,
our construction manager should be able to report on the results of the bids
for the construction,” Sanzo said.
He said the time frame for the high school construction will
be finalized once the bids are in and the Permanent Building Committee awards
the initial packages needed to start the work.
Whenever construction on the new high school does begin, Sanzo
said it will not be disruptive to students’ in-school experience.
“Since it will essentially be built next door to the
existing building, there will be no disruption to internal school operations,”
he said.
There will, however, be some traffic pattern changes as a
result of the construction work.
“We’ll be communicating with the community, families, and
students about those anticipated traffic pattern changes as we get closer to
the start of construction,” Sanzo said.
The original plan for the high school project changed last
year after the town purchased a 2-acre property at 78
Gillotti Road, which allowed for what Permanent Building Committee member
Anthony Yorio described as an “optimal building design” and more cost-efficient
plan.
The town used $325,000 from its unappropriated capital and
non-recurring account to acquire the property.
“The parcel was bounded by town-owned property on all four
sides, so it was a logical purchase for us,” First Selectman Pat Del Monaco
said. “The new high school will be partially located on that parcel and for
that reason, the Permanent Building Committee reduced the high school
construction budget to offset the purchase of the property.”
With 78 Gillotti Road, the new high school will be
constructed on a total of three parcels — the others being 54 and 74 Gillotti
Road.
The Consolidated Early Learning Academy is expected to be
finished by the start of the 2022-23 school year, and the new high school is
anticipated to open the following year.
'Transformational': Fairfield University breaks ground on new athletics center
Donald Eng
FAIRFIELD — It was a chance encounter in Austin, Texas, that
drove home the vision that Fairfield University President Mark Nemec has for
the school.
“Our commitment to athletics is a commitment to national
prominence,” Nemec said Monday at the ceremonial groundbreaking for Fairfield’s
new Convocation Center. He cited a comment from a passerby while he was in
Texas with the school’s baseball team, which was in the midst of a historic
2021 season.
“I was in Austin, walking down the street, and someone saw
that red “F” and said, ‘Fairfield? You guys are doing well,’” Nemec said.
“That, to me, is invaluable. It speaks to who we are. That is, we are an
institution on the rise, aiming to make a difference in this world, and want
that to be more and more known.”
The Convocation Center will replace Alumni Hall as the home
of the school’s men’s and women’s basketball teams and the women’s volleyball
team, plus the Fairfield Prep basketball team. The $45 million facility will
seat 3,500 and will feature a state-of-the-art broadcast and media center,
luxury seating and lounge areas. The center will also host convocations,
concerts, and gatherings for the university community and the neighboring
community at large, according
to the school.
The building is expected to open in November 2022.
Taj Benning, a member of the men’s basketball team, said the
school’s athletes were excited about the new building. Benning, who has already
graduated and plans to play next season as a graduate student while earning an
M.S. in management, said the building would provide a new home and “vastly
improved” student athlete experience, in addition to creating an unrivaled
sense of school spirit on game days.
Benning’s enthusiasm for the new arena, though, is mostly
excitement for his teammates.
“I know what you all are probably thinking, that I won’t
even be here to utilize this soon-to-be-built arena,” Benning said. “But I
think giving this speech goes to show just how much of an impact Fairfield
University has had on me. Although this campus is already great, I truly
believe it’s getting even better with this new arena on campus. I’m excited for
my younger teammates and student athletes. I’m excited about the direction of
Fairfield University and I can’t wait to come back and visit.”
But the Convocation Center is expected to do more than
simply provide a nicer home court than the 62-year-old Alumni Hall did.
Athletics Director Paul Schlickmann said the new building would be a
“transformational competitive venue” for the school.
“It provides a state-of-the-art facility to attract, retain
and develop our student athletes as we continue our journey to be a premier
Division 1 athletics program,” he said. “This modern facility will be a shining
example of the individual and collective passion and care that all of you share
for our program, for its place in your hearts, and for your recognition of its
value in your community.”
University Provost Christine Siegel said the Fairfield
community extended beyond the campus borders.
“The modern word convocation means to assemble or convene
for a special purpose,” Siegel said. “In the future, this site will house a
center for assemblies of all kinds. One that will call the campus together, and
the local community together to root for our athletic teams. To mark the
opening of the academic year. To be entertained by performing artists, and to
learn from renowned speakers.”
But the most important of all the center’s uses, Nemec said,
was to serve as a facility for learning, noting that learning “takes place
across our students’ experience.”
Nemec, a former collegiate rugby player, said he is always
struck by the connections between himself and his former teammates whenever
they gather.
“What we learned together shaped who we are today,” he said.
“Athletics is not an extracurricular, but in fact is fundamental to the
education of our student athletes. Nothing is more ennobling than pursuing one’s
best against all odds and all challenges.”
Bristol gets a $2 million state grant to remediate J.H. Sessions building
Brian M. Johnson
BRISTOL – A $2 million state grant will enable the city to
remediate the J.H. Sessions building, and convert them into 91 market rate
apartments. Gov. Ned Lamont and Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz along with other state
and city leaders gathered Monday at the building to celebrate.
The funding comes from the Connecticut Department of Economic and
Community Development (DECD)’s Brownfield Remediation Program. It is part of 19
million in state grants to assist with assessment and remediation costs for 31
blighted properties in 23 towns statewide.
The 80,000 square foot J. H. Sessions & Son Co., located at
273 and 296 Riverside Ave., was the site of a trunk hardware manufacturing
business which used heavy metal compounds in the painting and plating
operations. Since the Sessions Company ceased operations in 1984, the building
has remained owned and operated by members of the Sessions family. Some of the
space has been leased to other industrial companies over the years such as
Armaloy and Plymouth Spring.
Bysiewicz said that the renovated building will help to provide
housing for the local and regional workforce. The apartments will be available
for those making 80% to 120% of median income.
“This is an investment that will help the landscape of the city of
Bristol,” she said. “It will have a tremendous impact on people in the
workforce.”
Bysiewicz praised Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu for her leadership in
working with the state to redevelop Bristol’s downtown and other areas. She
also thanked state senators and local legislators for their work to secure
Federal and state funding to assist municipalities with renewal projects.
Zoppo-Sassu said that the restoration of the J.H. Sessions
building has been 15 years in the making. She said that Bristol intends to
become better stewards of its historic buildings than it has been in the past.
“This building will be used to help revitalize our downtown,” said
Zoppo-Sassu.
DECD Deputy Commissioner Alexandra Daum, said that while the DECD
has to say “no” to funding for a lot of projects, this was one that she was
glad to say “yes” to. She praised the public-private partnerships that will
make the new apartments possible.
“It is a huge priority for our program to have private developers
at the table,” she said.
Department of Housing Commissioner Seila Mosquera-Bruno said that
since Gov. Lamont designated construction workers as essential workers at the
start of the pandemic, this allowed the state to leverage $175 million in state
resources into $1 billion in construction projects. Among these, she said, is
the creation of 4,000 total housing units, half of which should be completed by
the end of the year.
“As a developer I can say that this is a beautiful building and I
can’t wait to see it looking even better,” she said.
Lamont said that when Zoppo-Sassu told him about the history of
the J.H. Sessions building, it stood out as “remarkable” to him how specialized
manufacturing was in 1907. The state, he said, was an “industrial center” at
the time.
“They built things to last back then and we now have some
extraordinary work ahead of us to bring this building back to life,” he said.
“These housing units will allow young families to be able to afford to stay
here, which will help to bring Main Street back to life.”
Lamont also spoke about the current status of the state. He said
that, for the first time in decades, tens of thousands of people – mainly young
people, have been moving to the state. The renovation of old, industrial sites
to provide housing for them, he said, is a “big priority” of his
administration.
New Colony plans to buy the building for $1 from J.H. Sessions
& Son, settle tax liens of almost $1 million with the city, and arrange for
relocation of the current occupants, while the city reimburses the costs of the
cleanup. Once the pollution is cleaned up, the property will be transferred to
Vesta/BHA Joint Venture, to begin construction on the apartments. The
construction partner for the project will be D’Amato Construction and the
architect will be Quisenberry, Arcari and Malik of Farmington.
Wind power and renewable energy are big growth opportunities for CT
Peter Denious, David Campbell
As Connecticut emerges from the pandemic, clean technology
can catapult the state’s economy for years to come.
Gov. Ned Lamont seeks to attain 100% zero-carbon power by
2040. He’s proposed a $200 million “Greentech Fund” to jump-start a boom in
areas like battery technology and recycling, which could create 2,000 jobs.
Pivotal to these efforts are the state’s offshore wind
projects, Revolution Wind and Park City Wind, representing 1.2 gigawatts in
currently contracted power, enough juice to light 110 million LEDs or propel
9,000 Nissan Leafs.
Revolution Wind is being developed by Eversource Energy and
Ørsted. Its land base will be State Pier in New London. Through a $235.5
million public-private partnership with Eversource and Ørsted, State Pier is
being transformed into a state-of-the-art hub for wind turbine staging and
assembly.
Park City Wind is being developed by Vineyard Wind LLC in
Bridgeport. The developer is leasing space at Barnum Landing for construction
and staging, and will locate its Connecticut headquarters in Bridgeport, too.
Both projects are spinning forward. Construction in New
London is expected to commence this summer. The U.S. Department of the Interior
recently issued final approval to the Vineyard Wind I project, which is
adjacent to Park City Wind.
With these two projects, Connecticut is off to a great start
to capture a share of the 83,000 new jobs forecast to be created by offshore
wind projects nationally by 2030.
Offshore wind farms generate valuable ancillary jobs, too.
For every $1 spent on manufacturing, another $2.79 is added to the economy. For
every worker in manufacturing, another five employees are hired elsewhere.
Construction workers will erect dockside staging and
assembly facilities. Manufacturers will produce the component parts of the wind
turbines. Technicians will perform ongoing maintenance and repair. Software and
IT experts will engage in the provision of sensors, monitoring systems, and
performance optimization software.
Let’s leverage the state’s skilled workforce and rich
manufacturing base to fill those jobs in-state.
Eversource and United Illuminating have a vital role in
assisting with interconnection, managing the integration of renewable power
into the grid, and mitigating intermittency. Both companies are focused on
bringing the economic benefits that come with building a new industry.
Finally, we have a great opportunity to recast the state’s
deep-water ports as cutting-edge facilities with updated infrastructure and
heavy-lift capabilities.
These enhancements will increase the attractiveness of the
docks, enabling the state to accommodate a wider range of cargo and handle more
vessel calls, and to collect more revenue.
The State Pier upgrade could revitalize the region,
leveraging Southeastern Connecticut’s manufacturing and technology base to spur
business development, coupled with New London’s expanded Foreign-Trade Zone.
A similar renaissance is envisioned for Bridgeport.
Our mission at AdvanceCT is to help Connecticut companies
grow and expand while also recruiting new companies. To support state action on
renewable energy, we are meeting with in-state manufacturers to discuss tapping
into emergent supply chains, recruiting clean technology companies, and
disseminating marketing materials to showcase the state’s strengths.
The state’s offshore wind projects are a win-win
proposition. We stand ready to support their ongoing development.
Peter Denious is the CEO of AdvanceCT and David
Campbell is the vice president of business development of AdvanceCT.