Meriden Markham Airport closed for runway resurfacing
Michael Gagne
MERIDEN — A $1.88 million project to replace Meriden
Markham Airport’s aging runway and taxiway began earlier this week.
That work will continue on the municipal airport until Oct.
21, according to a notice regarding the project.
Meanwhile, two large lighted “X” signs have been installed
along both ends of the runway, indicating it is closed to departing and
arriving aircraft. According to construction bid documents, other construction
barriers are to be installed while the project is underway.
Constance Castillo, the airport’s manager, said the work,
which is being completed by Tilcon Connecticut, Inc., began
on-time — at 7 a.m. last Monday.
It had been 16 years since the 3,100-by-75-foot asphalt
runway had been repaved.
In addition to the installation of a new surface, the runway
is also being regraded. The project also includes LED lighting upgrades and
replacing some of the drainage along the west side of the runway.
When the project is complete the Evansville Avenue airport
will have “an entirely new runway and taxiway,” Castillo said. Stantec, an
international construction design firm with offices in Connecticut, is the
project’s supervisor, along with Meriden Markham officials.
The entire cost of the project is covered by a Federal
Aviation Administration Airport Improvement Program grant. Typically those
projects require a local match of at least 10%. That local obligation, about
$188,000, has been waived for this project.
Once the paving work is complete, the runway will be
“restriped” with new reflective markings, Castillo said.
Castillo said most of the airport’s 68 tenants have
temporarily relocated to other hangars at neighboring airports. About a dozen
or so tenants have stayed behind, she said.
“The hangars are still accessible for tenants in the
building,” Castillo.
The airport’s administrative staff, including Castillo, and
its engineers will remain on site while the project is underway. Meanwhile, the
airport gate is closed to the public.
Other airport improvement projects are in the pipeline over
the next few years. Those projects include updates to the airport’s two main
gates and the repaving of ramps and other services and the expansion of motor
vehicle parking lots.
City Councilor Sonya Jelks, the council’s representative on
the Aviation Commission, described the airport as a “viable resource” for the
city. She said the runway upgrades “are certainly needed.”
Officials have discussed the potential for other
improvements to the airport down the line. Jelks said those discussions have
included talk about recruiting food vendors and the possible addition of a
restaurant at the airport.
“The airport is one of those amenities we have that a lot of
municipalities don’t have. It’s a huge asset for us,” Jelks said.
“I’m very excited that we continue to see good things
happening like this in Meriden. We want to be as supportive as we can in these
efforts.”
Industry Awaits Its Trillion-Dollar Infrastructure Plan
The $1.2 trillion bipartisan Infrastructure Investment
and Jobs Act opens the federal wallet to massive road, bridge, water,
utility and broadband projects for years to come. But is the construction
industry as a whole prepared to solve the country's infrastructure challenges
in the turmoil of longtime labor shortages, gouging materials prices and the
scarcity of heavy machinery?
"The interesting thing about the construction workforce
is that they're transient," David Martin, president of the Arizona Chapter
of the AGC told a local radio station. "They go where there's opportunity.
I have absolute confidence in the workforce system."
He's confident recent worries about labor shortages will
have no impact on Arizona's ability to complete federally-funded projects.
President Joe Biden will work with contractors to alleviate supply chain
issues, he said.
Contractor John Walton told CNBC he believes the bill will
not only bring a boom to the economy but much needed improvement to dilapidated
structures nationwide.
Walton's Mobile, Ala., asphalt and highway construction
company John G. Walton Construction plans to "cash in" on federal
projects once funds travel down to state governments.
There's a lag, of course, between when a bill is signed into
law and when federal dollars are allocated — and when local businesses like
Walton's can bid on these projects.
With some 20 percent of the bill, or $110 billion, dedicated
for the construction of roads and bridges, he told CNBC he's hoping for a
long-term boom in business.
"If states have the money come in, they can plan those
projects out," Walton said. "Sometimes it takes two or three years
from design to actual construction, so that really helps contractors because
they know what's coming down the pipe."
What May Be Coming
The bipartisan infrastructure bill contains $550 billion in
new spending.
"The $1.2 trillion figure comes from funding normally
allocated each year for highways and other infrastructure projects," wrote
John Probasco for Investopedia. "Following passage, the proposed
legislation was sent to the House of Representatives where further adjustments
are expected. Should the bill pass, the House and Senate will need to
consolidate their respective versions for a final bill to go to President Biden
for his signature."
The AGC breaks the funding down, noting the package
incorporates the AGC-endorsed Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
passed Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act.
A $311 billion bill, it would reauthorize federal-aid road
and bridge programs for five years. "This bill represents a 30 percent
increase in road funding over current levels," noted AGC.
The package also includes:
an additional $110 billion of new spending on top of
reauthorization for highways, roads and bridges, including $55.48 billion in
additional contract authority and $55.52 billion in additional funding for a
host of programs, such as the Bridge Investment Program, USDOT RAISE and INFRA
grants, and Private Activity Bonds.
an extension of currently authorized federal transit policy
and funding levels.
an additional $39.15 billion for transit programs on top of
the extension; $19.15 billion in additional contract authority; $4.75 billion
of additional funding for State of Good Repair Grants; $8 billion of additional
funding for Capital Investment Grants; and $7.25 billion for other programs.
the Surface Transportation Investment Act, a $78 billion
reauthorization of federal freight and passenger rail programs.
an additional $66 billion in new spending on top of the
reauthorization, including $6 billion for Northeast Corridor grants; $36
billion for Federal-State Partnership Intercity Passenger Rail; $16 billion for
Amtrak; $5 billion for Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement
program; and $53 billion in other related spending.
Other Relevant Funding:
Ports and Waterways: $17.3 billion
Airports: $25 billion in new spending for airport
infrastructure, including $20 billion for runway, taxiway and terminal
projects; and $5 billion for air traffic control infrastructure.
The $550 billion in new spending is paid for through a host
of sources, according to AGC, including repurposed COVID-relief funding,
refunded and fraudulently paid unemployment benefits and other extended or
reinstated governmental fees.
Good News for Construction
Stephen Sandherr, CEO of the AGC, said the new
infrastructure measure provides much-needed new federal investments in a wide
range of infrastructure projects.
"These investments will help generate new demand for
construction services, equipment and materials," he said. "More
important, the new investments will create high-paying construction career
opportunities and help make our economy more efficient and competitive."
ARTBA President & CEO Dave Bauer also heralded the
infrastructure bill as a testimony to the strong bipartisan spirit demonstrated
in the Senate, which he believes sets the bar high.
"The U.S. economy and transportation system users stand
to benefit most from enactment of an infrastructure bill that combines historic
investment levels with pragmatic policy reforms," said Bauer.
He added a caution, though, saying the vote is "a
much-needed step but not the finish line."
Bauer said ARTBA will "continue to work with the House,
Senate and the Biden administration to help achieve an outcome that addresses
America's transportation infrastructure needs today and in the future."
Associated Builders and Contractors echoed much of the
construction industry's positive comments.
Michael Bellaman, ABC president and CEO, said the
infrastructure package contains the most significant investment in the nation's
infrastructure in a generation.
It "could yield crucial wins for the American people
and construction industry," said Bellaman, adding that it is promising to
see progress made toward transportation modernization.
"This bipartisan accomplishment is something that has
eluded Congress for decades and is proof of the possibilities when lawmakers
choose compromise over conflict."
He believes "common sense" provisions in the bill
will cut down on unnecessary delays in federal construction projects and help
address the workforce shortage in the construction industry.
"Importantly, the bill is paid for without raising
job-killing taxes on our nation's small construction businesses."
ABC has concerns about the bill's expansion of prevailing
wage and support for misleading "buy American" and "local
hire" requirements, which could impact the ultimate success of the
legislation, said Bellaman.
Every sector mentioned in the bill's breakdown has "a
significant boots-on-the-ground need" for construction in order to
facilitate projects, said Ben Johnston, chief operating officer of construction
lending firm Kapitus.
"One thought is the infrastructure bill encourages the
procurement of supplies that will go into projects through domestic sources,
domestic manufacturing and materials," he said. "While not all this
work will be shovel-ready for the next year or two, the procurement of
materials will start sooner than that."
That procurement head start, coupled with the repatriation
of manufacturing to U.S. soil, will be a boost to the construction industry
overall in a shorter timeframe that the launch of construction projects
themselves, Johnston added.
"We would encourage contractors to make sure they are
approved to participate in government contracts and look into ways they can
participate from an eligibility approval standpoint."
Contractors should also "think deeply" about where
the money is going and whether there is a business opportunity for expansion in
their anticipation of work.
"I don't mean they need to go hire people today — let's
not get too far ahead — but to start thinking where the market is likely to
go," said Johnston. "With the dollars earmarked, contractors will
want to do research now to be ready to participate when the money comes
down." CEG
Just How Dire Are the Straits?
The biggest threat to President Joe Biden's vision of
energizing the U.S. economy may not be its challenging path through Congress
but a dire shortage of everything from workers to cement mills, points out
Bloomberg News.
"Republicans and Democrats are united in their support
for hundreds of billions of dollars in new spending on infrastructure in coming
years. Yet, the companies that will be relied on to pave the roads, build the
bridges, lay the water pipes and assemble the trains aren't yet planning to
meet those needs," wrote Bloomberg. "And that's even as they face
immediate shortages — from steel and cement to the supply of labor — stemming
from the unprecedented difficulties of a sudden reopening of the economy after
last year's shutdowns."
There's already a labor shortage in construction, "so
you can't throw a trillion-dollar nuclear bomb of money into the industry,"
said Bassem Hamdy, CEO of Briq, a company that runs cost estimates for
construction firms. "If you don't have workers, how will this ever
happen?"
Construction firms are excited for more business, but aren't
yet taking steps to boost hiring or move workers, Hamdy told Bloomberg.
U.S. steelmakers aren't boosting supply enough to meet
expected demand. And tariffs on items including aluminum and lumber are
hampering affordability.
President Biden has said his administration will combat
supply pressures, starting with the construction materials and transportation
bottlenecks.
But, "for all the ‘Made in America' push by both Biden
and his predecessor, Donald Trump, American manufacturers are confronted with a
legacy of historically mediocre growth over the past decade, and a future
colored by lackluster U.S. demographic trends," wrote Bloomberg.
These factors alone discourage companies from ramping up
capacity, even amid dizzying prices, the news service noted.
"Certainly, contractors are dealing with tremendous
opportunity on the one hand and operational difficulties on the other,"
said Ben Johnston of Kapitus. "Disruption in the supply chain as a result
of COVID-19 and the procurement of goods from overseas as well as domestic
production backed up quite significantly."
The huge hurdle top of mind for contractors is labor
shortages, and the scarcity of quality skilled labor, he added.
In the light of a continued strong housing market coupled
with the additional funds the infrastructure bill lays out, some problems are
likely to be exacerbated for the construction industry, he said.
"The ability to hire skilled employees is a huge issue.
Given the current dynamics, I wouldn't be surprised to see wage inflation as a
result," Johnston said.
"Hopefully, as the economy continues to repair itself,
we'll see an increase in the overall labor pool. Some people who have chosen
not to participate may come back into the market and be able to take those
critical jobs."
Tom Conway, president of United Steelworkers, the largest
industrial union in North America, told Bloomberg he's concerned that the
supply crunch means the industry — and contractors — will have to source
materials abroad, benefiting other countries with employment gains, instead of
the United States.
"Here's what I think the administration has to be
concerned about," Conway said. "They're going to press and press and
press trying to get an infrastructure bill and all these manufacturers will
say, ‘We're not ready. We need more runway to get ready. So, in the meantime,
get it offshore and do the projects and we'll get started on ours.'"
The housing industry now is worried about the competition
from infrastructure projects. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)
said the United States will need to lift tariffs on lumber and import more key
metals to ensure there's enough aluminum for appliances, copper for wiring and
cement for foundations.
Domestic U.S. saw mills haven't kept up with construction,
and the housing industry imports about 30 percent of its lumber from Canada,
reported Bloomberg. Lumber prices are up an estimated 400 percent since the
start of the 2020 recession.
The infrastructure bill "will place a huge demand for
steel and concrete that will impede our ability to build out multifamily and
other types of housing," said Jerry Howard, CEO of NAHB.
"You've got to increase output. And where that's going
to come from? Lord only knows. It'll be difficult to enact because of the lack
of supplies, labor, everything."
The infrastructure bill increases the demand for trained
workers, which the United States doesn't have enough of. The manufacturing
industry remains down more than 500,000 positions from February 2020.
Immigration could help, but that's politically challenging, maintained
Bloomberg.
"By the time we get to infrastructure hitting the
ground, there will be a labor shortage and to some extent the government is
going to have to compete with private businesses for people," said Aneta
Markowska, chief U.S. economist of Jefferies.
Delays in passing the infrastructure bill may end up being
beneficial, Michael Gapen, chief U.S. economist of Barclays Plc, told
Bloomberg. Constraints on supply chains could ease over time, he said.
"If you pass infrastructure too soon and we're trying
to source all these goods, we're just going to ramp up existing frictions in
markets," Gapen said. "But most people believe an infrastructure bill
won't go into effect until next year."
On the flip side, Johnston of Kapitus pointed out that of
all the verticals his firm finances, construction has bounced back from an
application standpoint faster than any other.
"There is tremendous demand in the housing market and
growth in home sales amid a scarcity of real estate. The fact that so many
people have been working from home and reconsidering how they want to live
their lives and what kind of home they want is leading to considerable demand
for construction."
In fact, Johnston is glad to see the infrastructure bill
specifically target domestic manufacturing and procurement. He believes that
should drive additional manufacturing growth here and demand for domestic
construction business.
All of that, said Johnston, is quite positive for the firm's
client base. "We believe it's positive for the overall economy as
well," he added. CEG
Lamont says funding for Anna Reynolds Schools in Newington was 'not a tough decision' during tour
NEWINGTON – Deciding to fund the renovation of Anna Reynolds
was “not a tough decision” Governor Ned Lamont told town officials during a
visit to the elementary school on Reservoir Road Monday morning.
The state is providing over $20 million toward the $35.5
million project, approved by nearly 70% of voters in a Nov. 2020 referendum.
“We’re making an investment for the kids,” Lamont said. “I
want them to know why we’re here and how important they are to us.”
State Rep. Gary Turco of the 27th House District organized
the tour of Anna Reynolds for town, school and state officials, which also
included Sen. Matt Lesser and State Rep. Kerry Wood.
“I can’t thank the governor enough for coming here to
Newington today and supporting this renovation project, which is so important
for the health and safety all of our students, teachers and staff,” Turco said.
The group visited several classrooms on their walk-through
of the facility, built in 1954 as Northwest School. One of the places they
visited was Mrs. Tracy Modon’s first grade class. Students were enthusiastic to
have the opportunity to share what they did over the summer with the governor.
Ice cream and travelling were two of the activities
mentioned.
“It’s great to be back together in person full time again,”
Modon said.
Anna Reynolds parents, students and school staff led a
grassroots effort over the last few years to move forward the long overdue
project. Some of the building’s problems include regular flooding, a bad roof,
handicapped inaccessibility and outdated plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems.
The parking lots as well as the drop-off and pickup areas
will also be addressed, Principal Jason Smith told officials.
“All we endured, with leaks and worms in our hallways and
the poor conditions of the school, while still providing our students a high
quality education, I’m so excited to be breaking ground on a brand new building
this spring and summer,” Smith said.
Construction is expected to begin in spring or summer of
2022 and be completed by late 2024.
“This project was next in line when I first started here and
we’ve been guns blazing ever since,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Maureen
Brummett said.
The governor called Connecticut’s workforce the state’s
greatest natural resource, adding that good citizenry all begins with the
education system. Connecticut schools rank second in the nation.
“I think the state is making historic investments in
education and there are a lot of really good reasons,” Lamont said. “Reason
number one is those kids walking by. This last year was not a lost year of
education. We are doing everything we can do for these kids. You can’t do it if
you’re not in the classroom; you can’t be in the classroom unless you’re in the
classroom safely and that’s what I say when I go around Anna Reynolds.”
HARTFORD – Downes Construction Company hosted a Book Drive
Thursday in honor of the completion of the new Park Street Library @ the Lyric.
The books collected, both in English and Spanish, were given
to children of all ages in the Frog Hollow community. Children, teens and
adults gathered on the library’s terrace to enjoy free books and complimentary
ice cream as well.
“Downes Construction is a wonderful partner. Our new Park
Street Library @ the Lyric is just weeks away from opening its doors on the
corner of Park and Broad,” said Bridget E. Quinn, Hartford Public Library
president and CEO. “This thoughtful and generous neighborhood event exemplifies
the community-driven nature of this company.”
Downes President David Patrick and several Downes employees
joined in celebrating this new space for the community.
“Downes has always had a great partnership with the City of
Hartford, and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to give back to the Frog
Hollow community by providing books for all ages,” said Patrick as he enjoyed a
complimentary ice cream treat.
Downes Construction Company provided construction management
services for the recently completed Park Street Library @ the Lyric. The new
branch will provide a community resource to the retail and residential
neighborhood. The new building includes a 150-seat community room, smaller
meeting rooms, learning lab, a café, exhibit space and designated adult, teen
and children’s areas and a protected courtyard.
Located at 200 Stanley Street in New Britain, Downes
Construction Company provides a full range of construction-related services,
from project planning to construction.
On the Move: Work on Arrigoni, East Haddam swing bridges will have impact
Larry McHugh
MIDDLETOWN — Another busy week is on tap for the chamber team as we come up on Labor Day here in Middlesex County.
On the chamber calendar front, this week features the return of the chamber divisions after a brief summer hiatus. We will kick off the division year on Wednesday morning with an important meeting of the Portland and East Hampton division on Zoom.
The September meeting of the chamber’s Central Business Bureau, which covers issues of importance to the business community in downtown Middletown, will be held Thursday morning.
The Chester, Deep River and Essex Division will get together Friday for the first time since June. These meetings will feature reports from local and state officials, business leaders in each town, and other important stakeholders.
While our staff plays a key role in these meetings, I want to take a moment to thank our division chairs, and all members that support these important meetings on a monthly basis. Our grassroots divisions help us keep a close eye on the issues that directly impact or have the potential to impact our members in each of our towns.
We look forward to a productive week of meetings.
On the infrastructure front, the chamber continues to do its best to play a constructive role in the important river crossing projects happening in Middlesex County.
Bridge construction
The rehabilitation of Arrigoni Bridge approach spans and operational improvements at St. John’s Square / Main Street intersection in Middletown and Portland are moving right along and expected to wrap up in the early part of 2022.
The work group that we established in 2020 has been meeting regularly, and has done a great job of ensuring access to the bridge for emergency management and other critical vehicles, all while doing its best to minimize the economic impact of the construction on local businesses.
This committee features municipal and state leaders from both sides of the bridge, district and project leaders from the state Department of Transportation, project manager from the contractor, Mohawk Northeast, first responders from both sides, Middlesex Health, and of course, businesspeople of all stripes.
After the project on the Arrigoni wraps up, our attention will turn toward the East Haddam Swing Bridge Rehabilitation Project, scheduled to begin in the spring. There is no way around the fact that this project will have a major impact on the towns of Haddam and East Haddam, and the whole central part of Middlesex County over the course of three construction seasons.
The bridge needs to be closed for significant stretches in order for the work to get done. The chamber hosted a special meeting of our East Haddam and Haddam Division Thursday, which featured a presentation from DOT on the current plan for the project and over 50 of our member businesses.
The chamber will be launching a new committee that will work to minimize the impact of this project as well, using the Arrigoni Bridge work group as a model. We look forward to playing an important role throughout this project, and I would like to thank DOT, our elected leaders, and everyone who is working together to manage this in an effective and efficient way.
Business development
I look forward to joining Cromwell Mayor Enzo Faienza, Town Manager Tony Salvatore, Chamber Cromwell Division Chairman Rodney Bitgood, and other local leaders for the grand opening celebration for Café Fiore Cromwell at 134 Berlin Road on Thursday afternoon.
Conveniently located off Interstate 91 and close to Route 9, Cafe Fiore Cromwell offers an outstanding menu, a cocktail lounge, indoor and outdoor dining, banquet rooms, and much more. We wish Executive Chef Rusty Cecunjanin and the entire Café Fiore Cromwell team nothing but the best as they embark on this delicious new venture.
Closing out the week on Friday, I look forward to joining chamber Vice President Jeff Pugliese for a trip down to Essex to meet with the new President and CEO of Essex Savings Bank, Diane Arnold. Diane recently took over for longtime president Greg Shook, who did a great job in this important role.
Essex Savings Bank is a very important member of our chamber and lower county stakeholder here in our region. We look forward to a great discussion, and to continuing a strong working relationship.
Tropical storm response
In closing, I want to take a moment to thank all of our local and state leaders, Eversource President Joe Nolan and his team, and the emergency management teams in Connecticut who were ready to respond in a big way to Tropical Storm Henri. While the storm tracked east and spared Connecticut a direct hit, the infrastructure for a strong response was in place, and we here at the chamber are grateful for everyone’s efforts.
This will not be the last storm that will hit our state, and every time we are faced with this situation, we learn a little bit more. The chamber looks forward to supporting these efforts moving forward, and we will continue to stress the importance of having an emergency plan and business continuing plan in place and ready to go, because, as we have learned, it is not if — but when — another storm will hit.
Despite this fact, the sun always shines in Middlesex County!
Larry McHugh is president of the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce in Middletown.
Affordable units may be part of downtown Shelton development
Brian Gioiele
SHELTON - Affordable housing could be part of the proposed development for land on Canal Street tucked between the railroad tracks and Veterans Memorial Park.
Developer John Guedes, a Shelton resident and owner of Primrose Companies, tweaked his plans for construction of a five-story structure, dubbed Riverview Park Royal, with 11,000 square feet of retail or commercial space and 92 apartments at property listed as 113-123 Canal St.
The modified plans, presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission Tuesday in what was the second public hearing on this application, call for eight studio units designated as affordable under state statute 8-30g, the state’s affordable housing law. He also added five parking spaces, bringing the total to 184 on site.
Overall, there would be 24 studio apartments, along with 20 one-bedrooms, 44 two-bedrooms and four three-bedroom apartments.
The commission continued the hearing, as Guedes awaits a final decision from the Inland Wetlands Commission. He must also submit building elevation renderings. No date has been set yet for the continued public hearing.
Commissioners asked Guedes if the eight affordable units needed to be studios, to which he replied that only the studios would be available under that designation.
“I’m making an accommodation,” Guedes said. “All the affordable units are the studios, or I will remove those (affordable units) from the plans.”
Guedes increased the parking total, making it two spaces for each unit after commissioners voiced concern about the amount of parking allocated for 92 units.
The site, as proposed, would have outside parking and more spots in a lower-level parking garage. Attorney Dominick Thomas, representing Guedes, said there would be 92 spots designated for tenants - the remainder for the general uses at the property. Thomas added that there are plenty of nearby city parking areas to accommodate the commercial or retail uses too, if renters are using more than one space.
The city has owned the 2.57-acre property for years after seizing it following the previous owner’s failure to pay back taxes. Guedes and his partner, Biaggio Barone, have a contract to purchase the land from the city.
The deal also includes Guedes covering the cost of extending the River Walk from Veterans Memorial Park, along the river and ending at Canal Street East.
The application asks for a special exception for the property, which sits on the Housatonic River in a River Front District.
Proposed $8.8 million Main Street project would be first to receive Norwich grant money
Norwich — An $8.8 million redevelopment of two long-vacant Main Street buildings stands to become the first recipient of city grant and loan money through a revived economic development program if approved by the City Council.
Norwich Luxury Apartments LLC purchased the two-building complex at 77-91 Main St. in early August for $1.8 million and is proposing an $8.8 million makeover of the 19th century buildings into 42 market-rate apartments and eight street-level commercial spaces. The buildings had been proposed as a Norwich heritage museum in the 1990s, a project that eventually fell through after it had received grant money from the state to stabilize the decaying buildings.
The project on Thursday received unanimous support from the Norwich Community Development Corp. board of directors for a $400,000 matching grant for building code corrections and a separate $400,000 loan. But the action is contingent upon the City Council’s approval of a plan to use $2 million of the city’s $14.4 million in American Rescue Plan grants to revive the former downtown revitalization program and expand it citywide.
The council is scheduled to vote on City Manager John Salomone’s spending plan for the ARP grant money on Sept. 7.
But NCDC President Kevin Brown said the board wanted to show its support with a contingency vote Thursday to allow the developers to continue their planning and design for the project.
“This project is an $8.8 million project in downtown Norwich,” Brown said. “That’s a 10 to 1 return on the public dollars put into this thing if we get the approval to move forward and use the ARP for this.”
Even if the council approves the ARP spending plan Monday, NCDC has a few more steps to go through before it can allocate the proposed $2 million. The expanded economic development revitalization program must be designed, and NCDC must sign an agreement with the city for use of the funds. Brown said the former downtown program will be used as the basis, with funding to be divided into a building code correction program, a lease rebate to assist new businesses and a revolving loan, with the proceeds remaining in the program to assist future developers.
The grant to the Main Street project would come under the code correction and the revolving loan, Brown said.
Project attorney Stanley Schutzman said in an email to The Day describing the project that the city’s funds would be vital in allowing the project to move forward. But he said the city’s money would not be drawn down until the project renovations receive a certificate of occupancy from city inspectors.
“It is enabling the development to occur,” Schutzman said in the email. “This development satisfies the criteria and intent of the funds both in terms of spurring downtown redevelopment and economic activity as well as bringing the properties to current code compliance.”
The proposed project calls for 42 loft-style apartments with a fitness center for tenants, recreation room, “clean and green” appliances, high-speed communications infrastructure and other amenities. The developers hope to negotiate leased parking spaces in the city’s two nearby parking garages for tenants.
The two buildings would undergo a full façade restoration to their original historical appearance, retaining the “beautiful masonry exterior, arches and fine architectural details,” Schutzman wrote. A glass display case in the lobby will feature artifacts specific to the buildings’ history.
Schutzman said the developers expect to submit plans, designed by local architect Stefan Nousiopoulos, to the city within the next few weeks and would start construction following approval. The project is expected to take 12 to 16 months to complete.
Brown said the Main Street project is exactly the type of development NCDC hopes to support in downtown and other sections of the city. He said bringing 42 market-rate apartments to Main Street would mean customers for nearby restaurants and pubs, downtown shops and city functions.
He said NCDC staff, including former President Jason Vincent, who died in December, and interim transition specialist Fawn Walker had been working with the developers through the planning stages of the project. Given the “high potential” that NCDC would receive the ARP dollars, the agency staff brought it to the board for approval on Thursday.
“We would not be this committal if we weren’t confident that project financing is imminent,” Brown said.
