ABC announces new campaign to fight PLA legislation
Joe Bousquin
Associated Builders and Contractors has amassed a six-figure
war chest to fight the use of mandated project labor agreements on federally funded
infrastructure jobs.
Through Build
America Local, a coalition of construction industry and business
organizations led by ABC, the trade group has produced a 30-second commercial
as part of an advocacy campaign aimed at the public and members of the U.S.
Senate on PLAs, which it claims reduce competition and increase costs on
projects.
"As Congress works to craft infrastructure legislation,
it is critical for the U.S. Senate to oppose government-mandated PLAs so all
qualified contractors and construction workers have the ability to fairly
compete and build America's infrastructure," said Ben Brubeck, ABC
vice president of regulatory, labor and state affairs, in
a statement. "Ensuring fair and open competition on taxpayer-funded
construction projects will ultimately result in savings to taxpayers, more
opportunities for all qualified small businesses, minorities and women in the
construction industry and the construction of more quality infrastructure
projects so America can build back better and faster."
Project labor agreements are collective bargaining
agreements that apply to a specific construction project, and only last for as
long as the project does. In general, they virtually guarantee that a project
uses union labor.
Some government contracts already require the use of PLAs;
but private firms can too. For example, Toyota and Walmart have
used them in the past.
Proponents of PLAs, such as the AFL-CIO trade union, argue
that PLAs protect taxpayers by eliminating costly delays due to labor conflicts
or shortages of skilled workers, because unions can quickly supply the labor
needed. The group also claims that PLAs help improve the terms and conditions
of employment for all craft workers — union and nonunion.
For example, the Massachusetts Building Trades Council, a
coalition of 62 union groups representing more than 75,000 working men and
women across the state, recently
touted the signing of a PLA with Vineyard Wind, an 800-megawatt
wind project located 15 miles off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, the first
commercial-scale offshore project of its kind in the United States.
"We can build back better with renewable energy and
create union jobs at the same time," said Frank Callahan, president
of MBTC, in a statement.
A non-partisan analysis by the Office of Legislative
Research for the Connecticut General Assembly found that benefits of PLAs
included:
Providing uniform wages, benefits, overtime pay, hours,
working conditions and rules for work on major construction projects.
Providing contractors with a reliable and uninterrupted
supply of qualified workers at predictable costs.
Ensuring that projects are completed on time and on budget
due to the supply of qualified labor and relative ease of project management.
Ensuring no labor strife by prohibiting strikes and
lockouts.
Making large projects easier to manage by placing unions
under one contract.
As part of its American
Jobs Plan, President Joe Biden's administration has proposed using
PLAs on federally funded infrastructure jobs. Biden has also voiced
support for the pro-union Protect
the Right to Organize (PRO Act) and has called himself a friend of
unions.
But ABC, as well as the Associated
General Contractors of America, both of which are funded by construction
employers, have voiced strong opposition to the PRO Act and PLAs, especially in
the context of the infrastructure debate currently playing out in Washington,
D.C.
ABC's announcement of its education campaign listed elements
of PLAs that it characterized as discouraging competition via a "rigged
bidding process" that forces contractors to:
Use union hiring halls to obtain most or all workers instead
of their existing workforce.
Obtain apprentices exclusively from union apprenticeship
programs.
Follow "inefficient" union work rules.
Pay into union benefit and multi-employer pension plans that
any limited number of nonunion employees permitted on the project will be
unlikely to access unless they join a union and vest in these plans.
Require their existing workforce to accept union
representation, pay union dues and/or join a union as a condition of employment
on a PLA jobsite and receiving benefits, resulting in an estimated 20% hit
to the paychecks of local craft professionals.
As the negotiating over a bipartisan
infrastructure deal continues in Washington, whether PLAs are included
is sure to remain a key issue, as Democrats push to include them and
construction employer organizations like ABC fight to make sure they aren't.
Work begins on $8 million project to restore a seawall along the Byram River - and remove an eyesore
Robert Merchant
As major construction projects commence in Port Chester,
N.Y., concerns about noise and heavy machinery are rising in the nearby Byram
neighborhood of Greenwich.
A large crane has been moved into place by barge, and
construction equipment is starting to excavate the shoreline along the Byram
River, where a collapsed bulkhead will be restored. Pile driving is expected to
commence in the coming days for the $8 million seawall repair project, which is
expected to run for about three years.
Noise could be a problem in Byram as a result of the work,
which is on the Port Chester side of the river, and First Selectman Fred
Camillo sent an advisory to the neighborhood to warn about the construction
work.
“There may be noisy conditions created by the heavy
machinery and equipment needed for the project as well as ground vibrations
when sheet piling is driven or drilled into the shoreline bedrock. We will
continue to be in contact with the village administration should any concerns
arise with our residents or businesses in the area,” Camillo stated.
Neighbors are getting apprehensive about the increasing
noise and construction activity in the area, said Joseph Kantorski, chairman of
the Byram Neighborhood Association.
“Noise has a way of traveling across water,” he said, “It
could be an issue; we’ll monitor it.”
In addition to the bulkhead repairs, work is also set to
begin soon on a six-story building, called Tarry Lighthouse that will include
209 rental apartment units along with retail and restaurant space at 175 N.
Main St. in Port Chester. Kantorski said the Byram community is bracing for
construction vehicles using local streets to access the construction site.
Port Chester is in the middle of a
building boom that is adding hundreds of new residential units and a
substantial amount of commercial space to the area. In addition to the Tarry
Lighthouse project, a large residential building — nine stories tall with
office space — is planned near the Port Chester railroad station, not far the
Greenwich border.
The bulkhead work is contracted out to Navillus/ Marine
Construction for about $8 million. The bulkhead has been in poor condition, and
it collapsed in separate sections around a decade ago. Along with the repairs,
a riverfront promenade will be installed in the area, as part of a long-term
goal to “reactivate the downtown waterfront,” in the words of Port
Chester Village Manager Stuart Rabin.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Rabin said at a recent
ribbon-cutting ceremony for the project.
The bulkhead lies along an inlet of the Byram River, with
the Greenwich neighborhood of Byram just on the other side. At the recent
ceremony, Port Chester Mayor Luis Marino said the bulkhead repairs would
benefit the Byram community by removing an eyesore along the waterfront.
CT manufacturer working to construct 'one of the greenest buildings in the world'
Alexander Soule
NORWALK — Against the clatter of power equipment and steel
girders in Norwalk, crews frame what is expected to become Connecticut’s
“greenest” commercial building.
HMTX held a “topping off” ceremony Tuesday as it added the
final girders for a
new design center at its Norwalk headquarters, equipped to help
flooring designers come up with new ideas and fabricate speedy prototypes in
advance of big orders.
HMTX sells
luxury vinyl tile and floor planking, which have become a hot
commodity the past decade, in part for allowing designers to recreate the look
of far-more-expensive alternatives or even tile designs in historic edifices.
The company went on a steep growth trajectory several years ago after landing a
supply deal with Home Depot, then kept up with deliveries during the COVID-19
pandemic despite disruptions at U.S. ports and factories
HMTX has in China.
CEO Harlan Stone is counting on the new “house upon the
hill,” as he dubs it, to make HMTX nimbler yet. The facility will include some
of the most advanced 3D printers in the world to crank out flooring samples in
a span of hours. The building will include small apartments for designers to
use on any extended visits.
“Why did we go ahead to build this big, giant building ...
during the COVID pandemic? Why didn’t we just all stay home and do everything
on Zoom?” Stone said Tuesday at the Norwalk construction site. “It’s important
that people are able to connect so that the creative energy flows. ... I think
it’s a classic, post-COVID building.”
Light is a big part of the center’s design, with ample
windows and solar panels supplying all of its electricity needs during the
summer months. Rain gutters will shunt away water into a massive tank for reuse
as well.
Architect Jason McLennan said on Tuesday that the building
is the most significant project he has worked on yet. McLennan is viewed as a
guru in the green building industry via the Living Building Challenge he
created, which runs a certification program.
“This will be ... a landmark for this city as one of the
greenest buildings in the world,” McLennan said. “It will feel like you’re in a
tree house when you are up there.”
Stone said 20 to 40 construction contractors have been on
site each day in Norwalk. He said the building’s outer envelope should be
complete by the time colder weather arrives, leaving only the interior fit-out
in advance of a target grand opening by the start of next summer.
“This is a complex project (and) it’s a difficult site, but
everybody’s enthusiastic about it,” Stone said. “People come here and they see
something that is not a poured (concrete) slab, a regular four-story simple
building. ... It makes me feel like there’s energy and creativity in the
construction business.”
HMTX is squeezing the building onto a small ridge line
between the Route 7 Connector to Interstate 95 and Oakwood Avenue, which has a
run of residential and commercial buildings overlooking the Merritt 7 commuter
rail station of Metro-North.
The company is planting 40 trees to replace those it cleared
away for the new building, starting with a yellowwood which now grows alongside
the steel girders of the project. Some of the oaks are being milled for
surfaces and decorative elements inside the building. HMTX’s general contractor
Shawmut is reusing granite from the site as well, as material for exterior
retaining walls.
While the new Norwalk building will function first and
foremost as a commercial design facility, Stone said he is open to the idea of
offering it up as a space for charitable functions and events, or holding open
houses to kids interested in careers in sustainability, architecture or related
fields.
Mayor Harry Rilling noted Norwalk knows well the impact of
severe weather and climate change. The 2012 Superstorm Sandy destroyed houses
in multiple neighborhoods, and four years later the city’s water supplies
dropped to crisis levels during a prolonged drought that weakened trees
statewide, intensifying damage in later storms including
Tropical Storm Isaias last August.
“We’re always looking for ways we can reduce our carbon
footprint in the city of Norwalk,” Rilling said. “This building is ... a
perfect example of what we should be doing.”
High bond rating helps New Milford secure $9.3 million for projects
Currie Engel
NEW MILFORD — The town received high ratings from a bond
credit rating service Monday that is expected to help finance several
infrastructure projects, according to a press release from the mayor’s office.
The town was able to secure $9.3 million in bond
anticipation notes— smaller, short-term bonds— to go towards construction on
roads, bridges and the library’s renovation. It was also able to convert $9
million in bond anticipation notes to permanent bonds that can be used for
roads, roofs, and the library project, as well.
The borrowing rate for the bond anticipation notes was set
at .149 percent.
The town was also awarded an Aa1 credit rating, the
second-highest rating given by Moody’s Investors Service. It also received the
highest rating, MIG 1, for its bond anticipation notes.
The press release said that Moody’s said the town had
“strong liquidity and reserves, healthy financial profile and strong resident
wealth” which helped New Milford achieve these high ratings.
New Haven property owners propose 7-story apartment building on Crown Street
Mary E. O'Leary
NEW HAVEN — Gaps in the city’s streetscape continue to be
filled in with housing, with the latest plan submitted for Crown Street, where
a seven-story building is proposed.
A total of 106 apartments across two buildings has been
submitted to the City Plan Commission by the owners of 208-216 Crown St., which
include several members of the LoRicco family.
Attorney Ronald LoRicco, one of the owners, said they want
to secure approval for their plans.
He said they are not sure whether they then would undertake
the development themselves or sell it to someone with the approvals in place.
“We haven’t crossed that bridge yet,” he said. LoRicco said
it seemed the most prudent thing to do was get the necessary land-use sign-offs
first.
Apartments have been added to most of the small commercial
buildings on that block of Crown Street.
They have hired architect Ken Boroson and attorney Ben
Trachten.
LoRicco said there will be a total of 106 apartments erected
from 208 to 216 Crown St., which includes a lot now leased to ProPark and a
two-story building that would be razed. The office condominium the family owns
at 216 Crown would be retrofitted for apartments.
The first floor would have a commercial space with six
floors of apartments above.
The proposal for the existing building would have 4 studios,
17 one-bedroom units and 13 2-bedroom apartments — for a total of 34, according
to the plans.
The additional structure would feature 18 studios; 30
one-bedrooms; 6 one-bedrooms with a den; 18 two-bedrooms for a total of 72
apartments.
The plans were to be discussed at the Downtown-Wooster
Square Community Management Team meeting Tuesday night.
Ian Dunn, chairman of the team, said they always are
interested in adding quality affordable housing to projects in New Haven, but
they also recognize the importance to the city of adding new construction to
the tax base.
He said he welcomed developers talking to them to continue a
conversation on how to close the gap on the need for more affordable housing.
The city is reviewing proposed new rules under inclusionary
zoning that would require between 5 percent and 10 percent affordable units in
new construction or major rehabs downtown. The alternative would be a
contribution to an affordable housing fund.
There has been an uptick in construction before the rules go
into place.
Apartment construction in the downtown area has continued
unabated through the pandemic for the bigger complexes in Wooster Square and
are now picking up again for smaller projects.
Along Olive, Union, Fair and Chapel streets, a total of 717
apartments in Wooster Square are being built or proposed by Epimoni and a
separate developer, Hines.
More funding expected for Ansonia Copper and Brass
Eddy Martinez
ANSONIA — Mayor David Cassetti has called his economic
revitalization initiative ‘Ansonia Recharged’ since 2013, when he originally
ran for office.
“That game plan was to work with Ansonia Copper and Brass
and bringing it back to economic prosperity,” Cassetti said. His administration
later on issued a logo for ‘Ansonia Recharged,’ complete with a lightning bolt
over the “o”.
And now the city could be getting another jolt from above in
the form of $2 million in state bonds to renovate the Ansonia Copper and Brass
facility. The State Bond Commission is expected to approve the funding later
this week as part of a bonding package for projects across the state.
State Rep. Kara Rochelle and state Sen. Jorge Cabrera, who
both represent Ansonia and Derby, applied for the funds. The Bond Commission
will make its decision Friday, although once placed on the agenda projects are
rarely turned down.
The funding comes about one week after Gov. Ned Lamont
visited the former Farrel Foundry nearby to announce that the city would get $1
million to demolish that dilapidated facility.
The money for the Ansonia Copper and Brass site would go in
part towards renovating the 175,000-square-foot extrusion mill at the site.
“These would be the first major state funds secured to
renovate and revitalize the Ansonia Copper & Brass site, which has been a
priority of mine for many years,” said Rochelle. “With this needed funding, we
hope to lure developers to the site, grow our grand list, increase property
values, bring jobs to the region and give the city the opportunity to lower
property taxes.”
Cabrera called the funding a “game changer” for the city.
“This is only the beginning of more great things to come for
Ansonia,” he said.
The complex consists of several rusting buildings spanning
more than 40 acres of Naugatuck riverfront property.
Sheila O’Malley, economic development director for Ansonia, said the city previously did a study that showed the site could be salvaged and repurposed for other uses. Companies are eager to set up shop in the city and the site once renovated would be an attractive location for businesses, O’Malley said.
She said cooperation from city and state officials was
essential to getting the funds for renovating the extrusion mill.
“This is a direct request to our state legislators for
authorization for this $2 million. So I have to give credit where credit is
due,” O’Malley said.
In a press release issued by Rochelle’s office, it was noted
that the renovations would consist of repairing the roof, replacing the HVAC
system and demolishing portions of the mill and surrounding buildings in order
to improve access. O’Malley said that an access road would need to be built for
the mill as well.
The city has additional grant applications that are
currently under consideration by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Connecticut
Economic Development Association for the facility.
For Cassetti, the money acts as proof that the city is
indeed recovering.
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the
status of the $2 million, the name of the official in town last week and the
amount awarded for the Farrel property. The $2 million is expected to be
awarded and it was Gov. Ned Lamont who was in town to award $1 million for the
Farrel property.
Southington developer plans 30 houses off West Street
Jesse Buchanan
SOUTHINGTON — A local developer is looking to build
more than 30 homes off West Street and says there’s strong demand for the
$600,000 houses he is planning.
Mark Lovley requested town approval for an open space
preservation subdivision on a 50-acre parcel at 1268 West St. He said the
design, which allows for smaller lots, will allow him to keep 12 acres as open
space. A conventional subdivision layout would only preserve about
two acres of open space.
“It’ll keep a lot of area natural and not developed which is
good,” Lovley said of his proposal.
He’s still finalizing plans for the subdivision but
believes he can fit 34 homes on the property.
Upscale homes
The property is a long stretch parallel to Churchill Street
with a small portion of West Street frontage. The homes would feature four
bedrooms, two-and-a-half bathrooms, two or three car garages and 2,500 to
3,000 square feet.
Lovley said the houses will start at $600,000.
“It’s going to be upscale for sure,” he said.
Lovley has developed a host of other subdivisions in town
and said demand for housing in Southington is very strong. The West Street
project is close to shops and restaurants as well as the highway. He has 10
people already interested in purchasing homes in the proposed development, he
said.
The property is the last piece of a family farm owned by the
estate of Frances Borysewicz. Lovley said there are nine relatives involved
with selling the property.
Supply and demand
Matt Denorfia, a real estate broker and head of sales and
marketing with AA Denorfia Building and Development, said there are plenty of
willing buyers for homes in Southington.
“Most houses are multiple offer situations, over asking
price,” he said. “There’s just a very limited supply.”
The expense and scarcity of building materials has caused
some construction outfits to pause, Denorfia said, leading to fewer new homes.
Excellent mortgage rates also encourage buyers, creating even more demand for
fewer houses.
Denorfia wasn’t surprised to hear about more home building
off West Street.
“There’s just not as many parcels left,” he said. “Where
there’s open land, people will build.”
West Street has a mixture of residential and commercial real
estate. Denorfia is hoping that the commercial side of real estate picks up
after having been shaken during the pandemic.
The Planning and Zoning Commission expects to schedule a
public hearing on Lovley’s request at its meeting tonight. The meeting will
take place at 7 p.m. at the John Weichsel Municipal Center, 200 N. Main St.
Paving work to begin on various New London roads
New London — J.H. Lynch Paving will begin prep work for
paving of various streets in the city on Wednesday.
The work will start at Broad Street and continue to Dow,
Georgiana, Cape Ann Court, Cedar Grove, Elm, Ashcraft and Blackhall streets.
The city's Public Works Department will be posting “No
Parking” signs on the streets where milling is to occur with the proper
notifications as the paving project progresses.
Second building in Taftville mill complex renovation receives nearly $800,000 state grant
Claire Bessette
Norwich — The renovation of the massive Ponemah Mill
complex into more than 450 apartments was cited by state and local officials
Tuesday as the perfect example of how state brownfields cleanup grants
should be used.
Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz highlighted the project during a
news conference Tuesday while standing in front of the second mill to be
renovated. She said the $797,000 brownfields grant was one of $19 million
in grants awarded to 31 projects in 23 Connecticut cities and towns.
“It’s a win for the environment. It’s a win for our
communities. It’s a win for economic development and job creation, and it’s a win
for communities like Norwich, who now get more productive properties on their
tax rolls,” she said.
OneKey Inc. has completed renovations of the giant first
mill in the complex into 237 market and affordable apartments, with 77 new
units from the mill’s rear wing to come online in September, OneKey Director of
Operations Finbar O’Neill said Tuesday.
The second building, which formerly housed Central Sports
and Amazing Furniture, will be renovated into 141 units, with the front former
furniture store planned for a restaurant, food market or other commercial
space, O’Neill said.
Alexandra Daum, deputy commissioner of the state Department
of Economic and Community Development, said the Ponemah application scored high
on the main goals for the highly competitive state brownfields funds, garnering
extra points as a historic mill renovation, for providing needed housing and
for leveraging private investment dollars.
The state’s nearly $800,000 will contribute to a $40 million
planned renovation, Daum said.
“Clearly, we’re looking at a beautiful mill,” Daum said of
the property dubbed by Bysiewicz on Tuesday as the DECD brownfields
czarina. “And the first phases have been done so well, so we’re looking
forward to the next phase going in the same vein.”
The completed
Ponemah units are 99% occupied. Daum, who has a background in real
estate, said a 99% occupancy rate “just doesn’t happen,” calling it an “extreme
demand.” O’Neill said there is a waiting list for new units.
State Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, recounted a bit of
the history of the 1860s mill, with Irish immigrants making up the first
workforce before a labor strike forced them out and brought thousands of French
Canadian families to Taftville. Many of their descendants still live in the
area, she said.
“Many mills get taken down, and we don’t see the value of
them," Osten said. "But the sites here, the apartments here are
beautiful, and they are perfect places for that next generation of workers that
we have here that come from Electric Boat, that come from Pfizer, that come
from the Sub Base. We are building up the workforce here in eastern
Connecticut.”
Osten, chairwoman of the General Assembly Appropriations
Committee, thanked OneKey developers Finbar and Paula O’Neill for “having a
vision that takes a site from dilapidation to beautiful.”
O’Neill said the residents range from empty nesters to young
professionals working in the region. He said he did not have statistics on
where the residents work but said “quite a number” work at EB. Rents start at
$1,005 monthly for a one-bedroom unit, according to the Lofts
at Ponemah Mills website. Two-bedroom units start at $1,195 monthly and
three-bedroom units start at $1,875 per month.
The brownfields money will be used to clean the building of
asbestos and lead paint and to clean out coal ash from the rear of the property
near the Shetucket River. The second mill has two stories in front facing Route
97 and three stories in the rear facing the river.
Work is expected to begin by the end of summer, and the
renovations are expected to be completed and ready for occupancy by the end of
2022.
OneKey also purchased a commercial building across the
street that had been the mill
complex store and social hall. Nutmeg Pharmacy and Hair Do’s salon
occupy spaces in the building, and O’Neill said he hopes to bring sandwich
shops and other food service businesses to the site.
UConn’s $4.2M land purchase draws the ire of Mansfield town officials
Sean Teehan
Mansfield Mayor Antonia Moran on Tuesday accused the
University of Connecticut of "blindsiding" the town by purchasing a
parcel of land on which the town was expecting an affordable housing project
that could have added $2 million per year to the municipality's tax rolls.
"We were counting on this development to reduce taxes
or stabilize taxes, to provide services for Mansfield's community, and to
provide stability to the town," Moran said during a Tuesday morning press
conference. "We'll take any action we can."
Moran's statements came after UConn's Board of Trustees on
June 30 approved the university's $4.2 million purchase of a 19.4-acre parcel
in Mansfield’s Four Corners section, adjacent to the UConn Innovation
Partnership Building — known colloquially as the UConn Tech Park.
Alabama-based developer Capstone Collegiate Communities was
in the advanced design stages on a proposed 358-unit multifamily housing
development on that land, which would have included 30 units for
low-to-moderate income residents, Moran said. UConn last year filed suit
against Capstone and the town, arguing the project would interfere with plans
to fully develop the Tech Park.
However, a UConn spokesman on Tuesday said the university
filed the lawsuit out of concern for the environmental impact on nearby
wetlands in addition to concern the project would stymie the university's
future ability to develop the Tech Park. He said UConn's purchase marked an
amicable settlement between Capstone and UConn.
Moran said in addition to the lawsuit, UConn threatened it
would block the development from access to the new $9 million Four Corners
sewer and water system, $3 million of which was paid through state funds. The
mayor said UConn's actions could have a chilling effect on the town's ability
to attract developers for housing projects.
Town officials also pointed out that, since UConn is a
nonprofit, the most revenue they can get from UConn properties — through a
payment in lieu of tax agreement — is 50% of tax revenues they'd receive from a
private property owner.
"We're angry about this. That's really an understatement,"
Moran said. "We're exploring all our options to fight this decision."