Madison voters to decide on $89 million school renewal project, land buy
MADISON — A resolution for a
$89.2 million project that would build a new elementary school and update two
other schools will be headed to referendum, after it was approved by
the Board of Selectmen this week, following debate over how the project should
be funded.
The Madison School Renewal Plan would allocate $61,150,000
for the construction of a new pre-kindergarten through fifth grade school on
Mungertown Road; $6.5 million for renovations and improvements for the
conversion of Brown Intermediate School into a K-5 school; and $21,550,000 for
improvements and upgrades to Polson Middle School.
The project also would close three current school buildings
— Ryserson
Elementary, Jeffrey
Elementary and Town
Campus Learning Center.
Selectwoman Peggy Lyons read the resolution, which passed
after a long discussion, at Monday’s meeting. The resolution recommended the
town finance the appropriation by issuing town bonds, notes or temporary notes
not to exceed the proposed $89.2 million.
After the resolution was read, Selectman Bruce Wilson spoke
about the other portion of the project that was the next agenda item: a special
appropriation for $1.3 million to purchase property for the new school
building.
Wilson proposed rolling the funds for the property purchase
into the project cost, allowing the town to bond $90.5 million for the entire
project versus keeping the two funds separate.
“I think with the cost of borrowing money at historically
low amounts, it’s a better use of the town’s capital and cash on hand to take
and deploy that money,” Wilson said. “We’ve got a long list of projects that we
need to do that we haven’t otherwise saved up for.”
Selectman Scott Murphy said not bonding the funds would
reduce the burden on taxpayers.
Lyons said that if the referendum to purchase the property
passes and the town has to write a check to the property owners, the town will
have to go into the undesignated fund balance regardless because it will not be
set up to go to market and bond the $1.3 million.
“The fact that we have the capital available and the check’s
not going to be written unless it passes on February 15, we’re not going to be
purchasing the property and we’re going to have to do it anyway,” Lyons said.
“It just saves us a lot of mechanics to do that. So that that was why we
decided this was probably the best path going forward. It was some simple and
the most least complicated.”
Selectwoman Noreen Kokoruda was concerned about the lack of
transparency surrounding the project, citing the two separate funds.
“We have a school project, if this is what it’s gonna cost
and all of a sudden we’re starting to pull something out and pay for it another
way and I just think it’s a perception,” Kokoruda said. “I think that people
also want us to be straightforward with them.”
Lyons said the process has been transparent about the
property purchase and the cost of the school project, which is why it is being
voted on at a public meeting. Both agenda items are headed to the Board of
Finance and will be voted on at a town meeting in December.
Wilson suggested recommending that the Board of Finance take
all of the excess fund balance and put it toward the project to further reduce
interest.
Lyons said they can decide to do that in the future and for now,
they’re just asking the public to vote for an authorization of an amount up to
the $89.2 million for bonding but that does not mean the town has to pay for
the project with bonding.
“The reality is 18 percent of this is going to get paid back
to us, that we’re not going to have to bond for because we’re going to get a
reimbursement from the state for 18.2 percent, almost $10 million,” Lyons
explained. “This is just authorizing a cap of what we can bond for. We can
decide not to bond for any of it.”
Ultimately, the resolution for the $89.2 million school
project passed the board unanimously.
Further discussion regarding the $1.3 million for the
property purchase echoed echoing many of the previously made points, but
Selectman Al Goldberg said he was voting in favor of the special appropriation
to show his support for the project — but also because of something his
grandmother told him.
“She told me that it always costs less to pay cash and it
always is more expensive to borrow money, and I haven’t heard anything here
tonight to change my grandmother’s words of wisdom,” Goldberg said.
The special appropriation passes, with Lyons, Goldberg and
Murphy voting in favor and Wilson and Kokoruda voting against.
The board also approved a special town meeting, with Wilson
abstaining, as he had voted against the appropriation, to discuss and vote on
the special appropriation for the Mungertown Road property. The appropriation
is subject to the approval of an appropriation and bonding resolution to build
the new school by voters at referendum.
The special town meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Dec. 20 in
the auditorium of Walter C. Polson Middle School, 302 Green Hill Road.
Developer seeks sixth floor, 30 more apartments for Derby project
Eddy Martinez
DERBY — A planned apartment building at the former Lifetouch
studio on Main Street may end up larger than expected.
The developer for the Trolley Pointe project in Derby
recently submitted a revised project plan for the site of the former school
photography business at 90 Main St. The project originally included 70 market
rate apartments in a five-story building. But co-developer Joe Salemme said
increased construction costs have led to a revised plan that includes more
units to offset costs.
The new plans call for a six-story building with 105
apartments, according to the city’s zoning enforcement officer. It will now include
39 one-bedroom units, 62 studios and four 2-bedroom units according
to the application sent to the planning and zoning commission on Nov.
11.
Salemme said increasing prices for building materials were a
factor in revising the plan.
“Lumber almost went up 500 percent since COVID. Why exactly,
I don’t know. But the whole building industry suffered from sharp increases in
not only lumber, but other building materials,” Salemme said.
Salemme said he expected the project to cost about $15
million, but that number could increase due to construction costs. More
apartments would offset the higher building costs, he said.
The apartments have been in the works for more than a year.
The
original 70-unit plan was announced to the board in September 2020. The
site had previously been considered for redevelopment as a manufacturing
center.
According to Salemme, the complex will have a contemporary
design. The apartments would be about 500 feet from the Derby-Shelton
Metro-North train station and just a few hundred feet from the Route 8 entrance
ramps.
Salemme is also requesting a change from a center
development design district (CDD) to a planned development district (PDD),
according to Sarah Carey, the zoning enforcement officer.
Currently the entire downtown area is a CDD zone, Carey
said. A change to a PDD would give the project more flexibility, she said.
“This makes it easier for the developer and the Planning and
Zoning Commission to tailor the needs of the development to the zone itself,”
Carey said.
The public will have a chance to comment on the changes at a
commission meeting next month. Salemme said construction could begin in the
spring if the plans receive approval.
“We’re excited to finally get it off the ground. It’s a long
time coming,” he said.
Long-discussed bridge project moves forward
Among the new business discussed at the Nov. 15 Town Council
meeting was an old topic in the community – the replacement of the Tomlinson
Avenue bridge. Town staff recommended the
long-talked-about project be awarded to the low bidder – Dayton
Construction – and the council voted 7-0 to authorize the Town Manager to
execute a Project Authorization Letter with the Department of
Transportation.
Dayton Construction’s proposal was for $1,296,849.50,
which is more than $100,000 less than the engineer’s estimate for the project.
Also, it was pointed out that the Watertown company completed the
replacement of another Plainville bridge – on Stillwell Drive – several years
ago.
The Tomlinson Avenue bridge project involves the
installation of a twin pre-cast concrete box culvert.
According to the meeting minutes from Nov. 15, “Over 10
years ago the town secured a federal grant to pay for 80 percent of the
cost of the replacement. Due to many factors, including bridge re-design and
additional analysis required by the Corps of Engineers, the project was
delayed.”
But things began moving this fall. On Oct. 21, nine bid
proposals were received for the project.
The minutes from the Nov. 15 council meeting state the
remaining cost of the bridge replacement – the town’s share, 20 percent –
to be $308,156.
The current balance of the Tomlinson Avenue Bridge
Fund is said to be $157,000. As stated in the meeting minutes, the remaining
$151,158 needed for the project will be paid from the Town Aid Road account.
In 2016, Town Manager Robert Lee told The Citizen the state
had rated the Tomlinson Avenue bridge as in poor condition since 2005.
The initial bridge replacement design raised concern by the
Department of Energy and Environmental Protection because it did not permit
fish to pass under the structure and into the nearby pond.
According to the DEEP, fish need to have the ability to
travel without isolation from one end of a stream to another.
The new design will support aquatic life.
The current bridge, built in 1967, also has a flooding risk.
Rehabilitation of the bridge will ensure that it doesn’t flood upstream or
downstream.
Joe Courtney reviews ‘shovel ready’ projects at NPU
Norwich — U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney was in Norwich on Tuesday
to review Norwich Public Utilities' list of "shovel-ready" projects
that could be funded by a recently passed federal infrastructure bill.
The $1 trillion infrastructure deal was signed by President
Joe Biden more than a week ago.
NPU spokesman Chris Riley said Courtney discussed available
funding for clean water projects, replacing lead pipe service lines for water
and upgrades to dams, "all of which align with our priorities," Riley
said. NPU gave a tour of its wastewater treatment plant, "which is at the
top of our list, and is scheduled to go out to bid in the early part of 2022,
with the anticipated construction getting underway by next summer," Riley
said.
"We also highlighted for the congressman our commitment
to 'human infrastructure' and provided a summary of the support we've provided
to our customers who have had difficulty in paying their bills as a result of
the pandemic," Riley continued. He outlined more than $750,000 "in
support facilitated by the Thames Valley Council for Community Action,"
more than $150,000 through the state's rental assistance UniteCT program and
$110,000 through the Community Development Block Grant program.
In addition, NPU's Special Payment Arrangement Program,
"which allows eligible customers to pay a portion of their past due
utility bills penalty and interest-free over 20 months," Riley said.
"This program has helped more than 1,200 residential and commercial
customers with collective balances of more than $1.4 million."
A handout from Tuesday's meeting lists 12 NPU priorities,
including the Groton/Norwich Water Interconnect, a joint project with Groton
Public Utilities that connects the Groton and Norwich water systems at the
Preston/Ledyard border and is expected to cost about $1.5 million, replacing
all lead and copper water services, projected to be $6 million, and upgrading
the NPU electrical system, which would connect the three NPU substations and cost
about $10 million, among other projects.
Feds approve another wind farm off Block Island
Associated Press
The Biden administration approved an offshore wind farm off
the coasts of Rhode Island and New York on Wednesday as part of a plan to
deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030.
The U.S. Department of the Interior announced it approved
the construction and operations of the South Fork Wind project, the
department's second approval of a commercial-scale, offshore wind energy
project in the United States. Last week, the department marked the
groundbreaking off the coast of Massachusetts for the first commercial-scale
offshore wind project.
Seven major offshore wind farms would be developed on the
east and west coasts of the U.S. and in the Gulf of Mexico under a plan
announced last month by the Biden administration to build infrastructure,
create jobs and address global warming. Deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind
energy would generate enough electricity to power more than 10 million homes.
The South Fork Wind project will be located about 19
miles southeast of Block Island, R.I., and 35 miles east of Montauk Point,
N.Y. It's expected to provide roughly 130 megawatts, enough power for about
70,000 homes. Its transmission system will connect to the electric grid on Long
Island, N.Y., making it the state's first offshore wind farm and jumpstarting
the offshore wind industry there.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state is “facing the
challenges of climate change head-on” with climate and offshore wind goals that
demand bold action.
“Moving South Fork Wind forward brings us closer to a
cleaner and greener future,” she said in a statement.
The first U.S. offshore wind farm opened off Block Island in
2016. But at five turbines, it's not commercial-scale. Orsted, the Danish
energy company, acquired the developer, Rhode Island-based Deepwater Wind, and
now operates that wind farm.
Orsted is developing the South Fork Wind project with
utility Eversource. The Interior Department approved up to 12 turbines. Leaders
at Orsted and Eversource celebrated the announcement, touting the project's
potential to reduce air pollution, help combat climate change and boost the
economy by creating jobs.
Rhode Island coastal regulators gave the project critical
approval this spring over the objections of the fishing industry and some
environmentalists. Commercial fishing businesses have said planned offshore
wind projects off the East Coast would make it difficult to harvest valuable
seafood species such as scallops and lobsters. Some conservation groups fear that
big turbines will kill birds.
The project off the coast of Massachusetts, Vineyard Wind 1,
is expected to produce about 800 megawatts, enough power for more than 400,000
homes. The first steps of construction will include laying down two
transmission cables that will connect the wind farm to the mainland.
The administration expects to review at least 16
construction and operations plans for commercial offshore wind energy
facilities by 2025.
"We have no time to waste in cultivating and investing
in a clean energy economy that can sustain us for generations,” Secretary of
the Interior Deb Haaland said in a statement. "Just one year ago, there
were no large-scale offshore wind projects approved in the federal waters of
the United States. Today there are two, with several more on the horizon."
Tax breaks, public financing and bargain land sales can
spark $500 million in housing, retail and arts development on 20 acres around
the Bushnell Performing Arts Center.
These and other incentives are included in the “Bushnell
South” master plan, which aims to transform blocks of underused buildings and
surface parking into a vibrant neighborhood of 1,800 residents.
An updated version of the master plan produced by
Boston-based architecture firm Goody Clancy, and first released in June, was
issued this week.
The target development area is bordered by Capitol Avenue,
along with Elm, Trinity and Main streets. The Bushnell Performing Arts Center
anchors the northwestern edge and Bushnell Park to the north.
The Capital Region Development Authority, the Bushnell and
developer Spinnaker Real Estate Partners sponsored the master plan. Spinnaker
is pursuing a $63.3 million redevelopment of a former state office building at
55 Elm St., which sits near the eastern edge of the development zone.
The plan envisions additional private development, with
multifamily residential and retail buildings springing up on land currently
occupied by parking lots, complemented by about $100 million in public spending
to beautify and improve streets, create parklets and bike paths.
Attracting developers will require a mix of public and
private financing, according to the Goody-Clancy study. The study outlines
incentives available to the city and CRDA, including:
· Selling surface lots owned by the CRDA at a “modest”
price
· Use of proceeds from CRDA land sales on infrastructure
upgrades in the target area
· Tax-fixing agreements with the city
· Low-interest loans through the CRDA
· Offer use of public parking for occupants of the new
development
· Use of city, state and federal programs and funding for
upgrading infrastructure, green spaces and parking offerings for the Bushnell
South project.
HARTFORD — More than a century ago, Hartford’s Parkville
neighborhood buzzed with manufacturing turning out bicycles, typewriters and
even automobiles, a Silicon Valley of its day.
The spirit of innovation is again taking wing in Parkville,
with a new push by city leaders and the private sector to foster a 21st-century
hotbed of startups, particularly in advance manufacturing and cost-saving
technology for the insurance industry. This, they say, is a good fit with arts
and culture that have thrived in Parkville for years.
The plans envision a neighborhood of not only early-stage
companies but new apartments, more restaurants, a parking garage and
entertainment venues — all existing together in a campus-like atmosphere a
short walk from Pope Park and West Hartford’s Park Road.
“We could be a Brooklyn, a small Brooklyn,” said Carlos
Mouta, a longtime developer in the neighborhood and the force behind the
thriving Parkville Market. “So when I tell people I want to Brooklyn-ize
Parkville, I’m not ashamed. I don’t mind copying what other successful people
have done.”
Mouta’s $70 million conversion of the sprawling, former
Whitney Manufacturing Co. on the corner of Bartholomew Avenue and Hamilton
Street could be one of the first projects in the new innovation district,
perhaps early next year.
The 290,000-square-foot, 3-story factory — about as much
space as a Walmart Supercenter — would include 80,000 square feet for startups;
short-term, co-living space for start-up visitors; 189 mixed-income apartments;
restaurants and a beer garden.
A significant boost could come to the district if the city
is successful in vying for up to $50 million in grants over five years from the
state’s “Innovation Corridor” program, launched in October. The program is part
of Gov. Ned Lamont’s broader, “economic action” program to spur the state’s
economy, add jobs and revitalize cities.
The Innovation Corridor program stipulates that its funding
contribute no more than 20% to a project, ensuring that there is strong
financial commitment from other sources. The requirement seeks to make sure
projects are economically viable.
Martin Guay, vice president of development at New
Britain-based Stanley Black & Decker, said it is logical for Hartford to
focus on manufacturing because of its roots in the industry.
But it also makes sense, Guay said, because New Haven has
carved out life sciences and Stamford is focusing on digital.
Stanley Black & Decker, the tool and equipment storage
giant, has partnered with the city of Hartford on the creation of the Parkville
innovation district and is also a prominent corporate leader statewide in
encouraging the growth of businesses that could result in more jobs.
“What the city gets — and the neighborhood — are projects
that are invested in the city,” Guay said. “Because ultimately, the people of
the city need to win for the strategy to be viable. And the way they win are
permanent, good-paying jobs and benefits that are created over time.”
Stanley would likely benefit from working with the start-ups
in the new district. The company has shown a willingness to collaborate with
other companies. Its decision to hire HCL Technologies to handle its IT led to
HCL establishing a presence in downtown Hartford with the promise of 200 jobs
for the city.
Stanley Black & Decker had already taken a strong
interest in Hartford. The manufacturer has established an advance manufacturing
accelerator downtown and recently took the first steps in helping finance
downtown apartment development. Parkville is especially suited to an innovation
district, proponents say, because it has the buildings, though some are vacant,
others blighted. It also is close to amenities such as the Parkville Market,
which is expanding, and a CTfastrak bus station. The area also is located in an
Opportunity Zone.
Obtaining financing through tax credits, the Capital Region
Development Authority, private lenders and other sources still will certainly
present a hefty hurdle to clear. CRDA funding, for instance, through the State
Bond Commission has slowed as Lamont has pulled back on borrowing through the
sale of bonds.
The effort also will require more developers getting
involved to diversify the sources of investment.
But Guay said he is optimistic that the first signs of
redevelopment could come next year, with the district unfolding over the next
five to seven years.
While an overall strategy for redevelopment is crucial, it
will be equally important to just get a few projects off the ground to create a
buzz.
“We need to hit singles and doubles before we hit the grand
slam,” said Peter Denious, chief executive of AdvanceCT, a private, nonprofit
that seeks to foster business development in the state. “Let’s agree on step
one, use that as the ‘Hey, look, this is happening. This is real’ and build
that and get it done. Then this begins to take on a life of its own.”
Building momentum
For years, Parkville has been a rising star for arts and
culture in Hartford.
Real Art Ways, the contemporary arts center on Arbor Street,
has been in the neighborhood since 1989 and two weeks ago announced a $15
million expansion.
While the Parkville Market has grabbed a lot of attention in
the past year and is now planning an expansion, the Hog River Brewery and the
Know Good Market, a monthly food festival, have been staples.
The neighborhood certainly has been on the radar. Last year,
the “Parkville Arts and Innovation District” was listed as one of 10 projects
that could transform the city by the time Hartford reaches its 400th
anniversary in 2035.
The start of a new wave of innovation gained early momentum
as reSET, a business incubator and accelerator, took space in 2015 in the
redeveloped Hartford Rubber Works building at the corner of Bartholomew Avenue
and Park Street.
Sarah Bodley, reSET’s executive director, said she expects
the concentration of innovation and start-ups broadly in Parkville will
accelerate the momentum.
“One thing that is really unique about co-working and the
accelerator model, you get to build that energy when you are in a group of
entrepreneurs who are all tackling big, hairy problems together,” Bodley said.
Parkville Market offers a model for start-ups experimenting
with new ideas or expansion to a second location, said Michael W. Freimuth,
CRDA’s executive director.
There isn’t the barrier of a big investment up front or
signing of a long-term lease, Freimuth said.
“If someone fails, it’s part of the system,” Freimuth said.
“So, you want to nurture that concept for the neighborhood. So that’s what’s
going on here. Stanley may be doing it in manufacturing, and the Parkville Market
in the food industry.”
“Others will try in other technologies. Maybe some service
businesses will come out of it. That’s what rebuilds the economy. That’s
getting back down to the nuts and bolts of it, and that’s what exciting about
Parkville.”
Space to grow
On a recent morning, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin walked along
Bartholomew Avenue, talking about how the street could form the “spine” of the
innovation initiative.
Parkville Market sits at one end of Bartholomew and, at the
other end, the 34-acre, former scrap metal junkyard just taken over by the
city. On the quarter-mile in between are buildings — including Mouta’s factory
building — that could be part of the new district.
As he walks, Bronin points to a parking lot just past the
corner of Bartholomew and Park, with an old factory boiler building to the rear
bearing the name of the long-gone Spaghetti Warehouse restaurant.
The parking lot, also owned by Mouta, would be ideal for a
350-space parking garage “wrapped” with apartments and storefront space, Bronin
said. The boiler building could become part of the project with more
residential rentals, he said.
“There is a need for parking in this neighborhood,” Bronin
said. “You know that if you come to Parkville Market at lunch or dinner time.
But like we’re trying to elsewhere in the city, we’re hopeful that structured
parking could open up other development opportunities.”
All together, the three components could cost more than $50
million, according to preliminary estimates.
Bronin said the area also offers the rare opportunity for
start-up space to be next to the 34-acre tract that would be appropriate for
larger scale development, while, at the same time, creating places for people
to live.
“There is the space to do those side-by-side here in a way
there isn’t anywhere else in the city,” Bronin said.
Bronin said he doesn’t see gentrification as an overriding
concern in Parkville because so many buildings are vacant, so residents won’t
be displaced.
“It helps lift up the neighborhood, and if we are
successful, it creates not just a vibrant neighborhood where people can live
and play but also a neighborhood where they can work,” Bronin said.
Other opportunities also exist: a closer integration with
the adjoining West Hartford neighborhood, little more than a block away; and an
extension of Bartholomew all the way to Flatbush Avenue and a quick entrance to
I-91, long sought by the neighborhood.
Buildings now occupied by other companies also could well
figure into the district in the future.
For example, Champlin Packrite, a packaging company at 81
Bartholomew, had discussed a sale of its 80,000-square-foot building to Real
Art Ways several years ago. But RAW decided to buy the building it had leased
on Arbor Street as part of its recently-announced expansion.
But Rory Poole, Champlin’s chief executive, said the company
still is looking to consolidate and expand its plant in Manchester. The
building, which once housed steel-tube manufacturing for Columbia bicycles, has
been occupied by Champlin since 1931.
Of a potential sale, Poole said, “I think it will be coming
somewhat soon.”
Leasing start-ups
At the former Whitney factory, Mouta hopes to lease
start-ups with space between 2,000 to 3,000 square feet, with his thought being
that as companies grow they will stay in the city, perhaps moving to new,
larger space on the nearby 34 acres.
Mouta said he expects to start conversion of the factory
building early next year, with redevelopment spread out over two or three
years. The creation of the startup space is the first priority, Mouta said.
He is still lining up financing but Mouta said he believes
he is close to winning up to $30 million in tax credits. Mouta expects bank
financing will be $28 million to $30 million.
Along with startups and new neighborhood residents, he sees
cultural diversity among shop owners and restaurateurs as key to
revitalization.
Mouta immigrated with his family to Hartford from Mozambique
in 1975 and grew up in Parkville. Mouta says he’s come up against plenty of
naysayers on his projects in Parkville, where he has concentrated building
efforts since the late 1980s. But he said he’s proven them wrong and the push
for the innovation district is the latest evidence.
“I’m happy that Parkville finally — finally — is getting
what it deserves,” Mouta said, “meaning that I’ve only been doing this in this
neighborhood since 1989.”
STAMFORD — Stamford school and city officials have waited
for months to see the results of a master plan they say they hope will help
them decide which of the district’s 21 schools to rebuild.
Recently, they got their first taste of those findings.
During a roughly 40-minute presentation by contractor SLAM
Collaborative to the city’s Long Term Facilities Committee, members were given
a look at which buildings need to be fixed soonest — and a plan to change the
makeup of the district to include either K-5 or K-8 schools to better fit
children to classroom seats.
The contractor first displayed a list of all of the city’s
school buildings defined by their condition, from poorest to best.
At the top of the list was Roxbury Elementary School, which
the city had already identified as one of five schools most in need of
demolition. It received a score of “poor” from SLAM.
Next on the list were Newfield Elementary School, Northeast
Elementary School and Turn of River Middle School, all also listed as poor.
The final two schools to receive the same grade were
Stamford High School and Toquam Magnet Elementary School.
Toquam had also been identified by the school district as
one of five schools to demolish and replace. The other three on the district’s
initial list were Cloonan Middle School, Hart Elementary School and Westhill
High School.
Westhill was not included in SLAM’s list since a project to
demolish and rebuild
the school on the same site is currently before the state for
approval, and an assessment of the building by a different firm was completed
in that process, the committee was told.
On the upside, two schools were listed by SLAM as “very
good:” the recently built Strawberry Hill School and Westover Magnet Elementary
School.
Westover has battled a longstanding moisture problem that
has allowed mold to grow. It was shuttered in 2018 because of a mold
infestation, and students and staff were moved to a temporary location. The
school didn’t reopen until 2020.
Outdoor air dehumidifier units were recently installed at
Westover, which
officials said they hope will solve the mold problem.
Listed in the “good” category were three schools: Rogers
International School, Scofield Magnet Elementary School and the Academy of
Information Technology and Engineering.
Representatives from SLAM said the list was derived from the
overall cost per square foot to address deficiencies in the buildings,
including problems with the structure itself, the interior, inside
architecture, electrical and mechanical equipment and plumbing.
However, the contractors did not go so far as to recommend
any of the structures be torn down.
In the case of Stamford High, architect Kemp Morhardt said
as long as the city funds capital improvement projects at the school over the
next 10 years, and the project to rebuild Westhill goes forward, that would
satisfy the needs of the city’s high schools.
The elementary and middle school picture is another story,
however
Kemp said SLAM is analyzing both a K-5 and K-8 model to
address some of the building deficiencies.
Both would likely involve redistriFincting based on
geography and population, as well as a strategy described by Kemp as “newer and
fewer.”
In the K-5 model, he mentioned the idea of adding new
structures in high density areas, while the K-8 model could include new schools
in the north, south and central parts of the city.
“We understand there is limited real estate south of
(Interstate) 95. However that is where the greatest density of students
reside,” he said. “That’s a little bit of a quandary that we’re working on.”
The district would have to move on from some current school
buildings, he said.
“There may be some retirement of facilities,” Kemp said.
“The question is: which ones?”
The presentation by SLAM also included an analysis of the
district’s projected enrollment.
The number of students in the school system has
dropped the last two years, and SLAM representatives said they expect that
the current enrollment will stay relatively steady, with a slight drop-off, for
the next 10 years.
Mike Zuba, director of public education master planning for
SLAM, said that while the overall population of Stamford is rising, making it
the second most populous city in the state, the school population isn’t
growing.
“We found that all those new housing developments aren’t
generating a ton of students,” Zuba said. “So even though we’re seeing growth
in the population, we’re not seeing growth in the student population for
Stamford Public Schools.”
He said one possible explanation is that many students are
attending private schools, either in Stamford or elsewhere.
Part of the presentation also included an analysis of how
many empty chairs there were across the district, taking into account the
maximum allowed per the teacher union contract. According to the current
contract between the school district and the Stamford Education Association,
the maximum number of students allowed in grades K-5 is 25; in the secondary
grades, it is 30.
The analysis found 1,348 seats available in elementary
schools, or 3.3 per class. At the middle school level, they found an average of
2.2 seats per class, and at the high schools, 1.6 seats per class.
SLAM is expected to submit its final master plan report to
the city in February.
DANBURY — City officials are looking for the public’s input
as they continue to process of shaping plans over the next 10 years.
The city is holding an in-person workshop Thursday and is
seeking residents’ feedback. The meeting is part of the city’s Plan of
Conservation and Development planning process. Municipalities across the state
are required to update their POCD every 10 years and use it to shape the future
of the city.
The meeting will be held Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the
Palace Theater, 165 Main St. Residents can weigh in on topics including
housing, economic development, open space and environmental resources,
transportation and infrastructure and more.
The city’s POCD was last updated in 2013.
Face masks are required to attend the event. Those unable to
attend in-person can attend an online workshop Thursday, Dec. 9 at www.bit.ly/3mMNt4J.
Terry Corcoran
Developer Avner Krohn’s relationship with New Britain began
about 15 years ago when he first saw the Andrews Building at 136 Main St.
“The building had been gutted probably less than 20 years
prior but it just wasn’t run well,” Krohn said.
Today, the Andrews Building is a mix of retail on the lower
floors and luxury apartments above after Krohn’s company, Jasko Development,
renovated it. Other downtown New Britain buildings Jasko resurrected include
the Rao and Raphael buildings, each now a mix of retail and residential.
As Krohn, 40, embarks on his biggest New Britain project — a
$14 million, luxury 107-unit apartment building at Main and Bank streets dubbed
The Brit — he says his work in the Hardware City is far from done.
“I think New Britain can handle many hundreds of market-rate
apartments downtown if you build with the right mixed use, with retail on the
ground floor,” Krohn said. “I think smaller projects will come into play on the
side streets once you get the vibrancy that’s necessary downtown.”
The Brit
The Brit, Krohn’s fifth project in downtown New Britain,
will have that mix of ground-floor retail, including a restaurant, and
apartments above. He envisions attracting young professionals who can commute
to Hartford from the CTfastrak bus station one block away.
“New Britain is blessed and lucky to have access points
right into the downtown — Routes 72 and 9 and the proximity to I-84,” he said.
Krohn, who’s been in the development business about 17
years, said his philosophy with a project like The Brit is to create a
lifestyle for his tenants.
“You’re building a community. You’re creating interaction
among the tenants,” he said. “People are not just looking at coming home from
work and putting their head down for the night. They may be working from home a
few days a week. That’s why we’re going to have an outdoor area that’s going to
be landscaped and have grills. We’ll have a pet spa.”
New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart, who described Krohn as an
involved partner of the city, said she has high hopes for The Brit’s ability to
draw in younger professionals.
“Attracting more young professionals to New Britain would
positively impact our local economy, increase participation in community
organizations and cultural events, as well as elevate New Britain’s reputation
as a thriving city with a bright future,” Stewart said. “We believe the young
professionals who move here will fall in love with their new city and make
long-term commitments themselves.”
Actively committed
Krohn said Jasko’s philosophy is to adapt each project to
the setting. For example, he and Brian Zelman of Zelman Real Estate partnered
on The Residences at Wash Brook in Bloomfield, which will have no retail.
Instead, the project with 111 apartments in a four-story
building just under 135,000 square feet will focus on nature, occupying five
acres of a 17-acre parcel with the rest placed in a conservation easement.
“The entire goal is to tailor a development to the specific
area where it’s located,” Krohn said. “From a design aspect, from an architectural
aspect, from an engineering aspect, we look at the neighborhood, the setting
and make sure it fits. Every setting we’re building in has its own vibe, its
own look, its own creative aspect.”
Krohn sees New Britain as a partner in his project and said
he works closely with Mayor Stewart and her staff.
“We’re looking at it as a blank canvas and we’re saying,
‘How do we create the new New Britain?’ I’m thinking about, ‘How do I make this
city a better place?’ Mayor Stewart and city officials understand it’s a
long-term vision. As a developer, you want to piggyback on the fact that you
have a mayor and officials who understand your vision.”
Stewart said Krohn’s work on the Rao, Andrews and Raphael
buildings represent the first major investments in downtown by a private
developer in decades.
“Many developers just renovate or develop a property and
then leave, but Avner has been actively committed to the city of New Britain
for over a decade,” she said.
Tax breaks
The city has provided Jasko with tax breaks and other
incentives.
“Most towns in the state — definitely Hartford County — work
to provide incentives to developers,” Krohn said. “A lot of these projects
would make no economic sense if you didn’t have either a [payment in lieu of
taxes] program, or a tax-fix structure, or an abatement.”
Stewart said the tax incentives aid the developer and, in
turn, tenants through lower rents. Eventually, tax deals help grow the grand
list over time while also improving the neighborhood, she added.
Krohn said Jasko’s advantage is its ability to take on and
complete many projects.
“We have our own construction team and in-house construction
management, so all our projects — the year or two years of pre-construction —
are done in-house by our team,” he said. “It makes a big difference with
quality and understanding how to maneuver.”
He also said that model helps with project financing because
his company has a track record of successful projects.
Krohn said Jasko employs a combination of financing, including
investors, for his multimillion-dollar developments.
“But once we get to a certain point on a project, we’re
going the traditional lending route. We have great relationships with lenders,”
he said.
Dream career
It seems Krohn was always destined to be an entrepreneur. As
a child growing up in Rockland County, N.Y., he started mowing lawns at age 10
and grew that into a landscaping business he sold at age 17.
He then spent four years in Israel, studying and playing
drums professionally, coming home each summer to study finance and real estate.
He said his parents supported him in pursuing his dream of a career in
development and real estate.
Today, Krohn is a married family man living on Long Island,
spending the occasional night in Connecticut for business.
Other projects Jasko is currently involved with include a
proposed 360-unit apartment at the former Showcase Cinemas in East Hartford, a
commercial project in West Hartford Center, a 200,000-square-foot retail
project in North Carolina and medical buildings in Massachusetts.
Despite his full agenda, Krohn said his work is much more
than a job.
“There’s never a boring moment or hour. No matter how long
you’re in the business, it’s always changing,” he said. “It’s the creative
aspect of looking at something that may be desolate or blighted, then bringing
it, and the area around it, back to life. And when I drive by a completed
project at night and see the lights on — nothing is more gratifying.”