CT Construction Digest Thursday March 31, 2022

AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE STATE BOND COMMISSION MARCH 31, 2022

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Connecticut set to distribute $150 million in state aid to towns. Here’s a look at what projects are being funded

DON STACOM

The state is poised to approve more than $150 million for dozens of Connecticut communities, helping Bloomfield to build a new library, Hartford to improve Pope Park and West Hartford to replace high school tennis courts.

The Bond Commission on Thursday is expected to authorize grants that will aid Glastonbury, Rocky Hill, East Hartford, Vernon, New Britain, Manchester, Wethersfield, Middletown, Mansfield, East Windsor, Hebron, Portland, East Haddam, along with others.

In cases like Bloomfield, the grants will be just a supplement to local tax dollars. But in West Hartford and some other communities, the aid will pay for an entire project.

West Hartford is on track to get $3 million, the estimated cost of refurbishing all 24 tennis courts at its two high schools.

“The tennis courts at both Conard and Hall high schools are in rough shape and the time to replace them has finally arrived,” state Sen. Derek Slap said after Gov. Ned Lamont announced the state’s funding plan. “We all know how important recreation is for the physical and mental health of adolescents and adults.”

Mayor Shari Cantor on Tuesday noted that the project potentially benefits everyone in town, since the courts are open to residents when they’re not in use by the schools.

“They’re a huge community asset and they’re decades old - they’re in desperate need of repair,” she said. “The students will directly benefit, but it helps everyone. This is important to the well-being of our entire community.”

The state is also planning to put $1 million toward the cost of modernizing Bloomfield’s library system. By a 2,716 to 549 vote in November, Bloomfield residents approved spending up to $29.1 million to replace the Prosser Public Library in the town center and expand the McMahon Wintonbury Library near the Windsor line.

The library staff has said the projects will create more floor room with an emphasis on separate children’s areas and teen spaces.

The plan is to add study spaces, additional parking and community meeting areas too. The buildings will also be more energy-efficient and accessible, according to the library.

Drawings presented last month by TSKP Studio, the architectural firm handling the projects, also show small cafes at each building.

Glastonbury is in line for $2 million to help with preserving open space. The town has committed more than $30 million toward buying conservation land, much of it former farmland.

In 2020, voters approved replenishing the community’s open space acquisition fund, which had been depleted. Glastonbury’s state legislative delegation put out announcements this week praising Lamont for authorizing the aid.

“It’s reassuring to know even more of Glastonbury’s open spaces will be preserved and protected for us all to enjoy in years to come,” Sen. Steve Cassano said.

Hartford’s Pope Park is scheduled to get a share of $7.5 million for Hartford’s neighborhood and streetscape improvements. The city plan to add lighting, new splashpads, improved landscaping and traffic safety improvements.

Among the other communities scheduled to receive aid:

Vernon $2.5 million to restore the Fox Hill Memorial Tower; Portland $500,000 towards replacing the Portland Secondary School track; Wethersfield $3 million toward improving townwide street lighting, public parking and the library; Mansfield $834,000 to modernize town hall; East Hartford $556,000 to expand Intercommunity Healthcare;

Also Hartford $3 million to expand the Blue Hills Civic Association facility; Hartford $750,000 to complete the GreenWalk at Bushnell Gardens; Middletown $2 million toward the redevelopment of 545 Main St.; New Britain $1.08 million toward energy efficiency work at the New Britain-Berlin YMCA; Manchester $500,000 for improvements at Laurel Marsh Park;

Also East Windsor $800,000 for parks improvements; East Haddam $1.4 million for a new athletic complex; Rocky Hill $500,000 to modernize the Old Forge Road Bridge; New Britain $500,000 for its Main Street Connection program; Middletown $500,000 to study a connector between the Air Line Trail and the Farmington Canal Trail; Hebron $2 million for a backup electric generator for RHAM High School.

I-91 bridge in Hartford named '2022 Bridge of the Year'

A bridge in Hartford has won a national award for its design work and use of materials.

The National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA) has announced Wednesday that the Interstate 91 Interchange 29 Exit Ramp Flyover Bridge – recently finished last year in an attempt to ease traffic in the area – won the 2022 Bridge of the Year award. 

The bridge and ramp connect the Charter Oak Bridge and Interstate 84 east. The flyover bridge was part of the state’s $240 million Charter Oak Bridge project. The project's goal is to make various improvements to reduce congestion and improve safety in Hartford, East Hartford, and Wethersfield.

The organization said the bridge features a two-lane, high-speed ramp that showcases a "novel approach" to bridge building, using a triple I-girder straddle bent to help eliminate critical fracture points after long-term use, also lowering long-term inspection costs. 

"The triple I-girder straddle bent cap is a highly innovative and very effective solution," said Prize Bridge Award Judge Domenic Coletti, PE, principal bridge engineer at HDR. "It took advantage of steel's benefits all around."

The state Departments of Transportation in Texas and Georgia, which both typically rely on concrete straddle bents, are closely examining this steel alternative.

The organization also praised the use of a specific kind of steel. The steel used for the flyover bridge was uncoated weathering steel. The NSBA said the patina, or weathering, that happens over time after the steel is exposed to the elements protects the structural steel from corrosion. 

The NSBA said the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) has used this type of weathering steel since the early 1960s and some of the state's oldest bridges are still in very good condition 55 years later. 

"It's fitting that the inaugural Bridge of the Year Award goes to a first-of-its-kind project," said NSBA Senior Director of Market Development Jeff Carlson. "The I-91 Interchange 29 Exit Ramp Flyover Bridge marks the beginning of a new approach to eliminating fracture critical elements by providing load path redundancy--one that has already made an impact beyond Connecticut's borders."

The American Institute of Steel Construction and the National Steel Bridge Alliance has recognized outstanding bridge design since 1928. Eight bridges won Prize Bridge Awards in the 2022 competition. 

Tweed New Haven opponents hold forum on concerns about airport, expansion

Christine DeRosa

EAST HAVEN — Neighbors and opponents of Tweed New Haven Regional Airport again voiced their concerns and frustrations over the airport and its expansion plans, this time at their own forum Tuesday night.

“Tweed Talk” focused on Avelo Airlines’ growing service at the airport, as well as plans for a new terminal on the East Haven side of the airport and a runway extension.

The airport sits in both New Haven and East Haven.

The forum, held at Hagaman Memorial Library and on Zoom, was organized by 10,000 Hawks, a volunteer group committed to preserving the coastline and wetlands and maintaining the health of the neighborhood, mainly focused on the Tweed expansion, saw more than 67 virtual attendees and roughly 120 people in the library.

State Rep. Joseph Zullo, R-East Haven, and Andrew King, who works in communications for Avports, which operates Tweed, also attended.

Group members raised issues including pollution, wetlands and flooding, noise and vibrations, and economic impacts.

Gabriela Campos of New Haven spoke about the environmental impact assessment being conducted as part of the expansion plans. If the community wants to have a voice in the process they must speak up now, according to Campos.

Campos encouraged all attendees to write letters as part of the process.

“Usually, the people that write letters to the EA (environmental assessment) are not people like us,” Campos said. “We’re democratizing the process and that’s what’s really exciting.”

Some complaints concerned sound and vibration reportedly from the airport, with some residents reporting cracks in their walls from the loud sounds of planes overhead and vibrations.

The federal Aviation Administration uses a day-night average sound level, also known as a DNL, to reflect “a person's cumulative exposure to sound over a 24-hour period, expressed as the noise level for the average day of the year on the basis of annual aircraft operations,” according to the agency. “FAA has adopted DNL 65 dBA as the threshold of significant noise exposure, below which residential land uses are compatible,” according to the agency site.

According to Campos, some East Haven residents have reported higher readings.

Lynne Bonnett, who spoke about issues with the ozone and particulate matter, both of which she said could negatively affect health, said some residents have complained about odors of jet fuel, as well as pollution and asthma issues.

Bonnett, who was chosen to be on Project Advisory Committee for Environmental Assessment, said 10,000 Hawks tried to get the airport to partner with them to apply for a grant to get monitors along the perimeter of the airport to see what neighbors are exposed to, but the airport did not agree.

“The air monitor that the EPA process is using is three miles away and it’s upwind so it’s not going to pick up the pollution from the airport,” Bonnett said.

Lorena Venegas spoke about wetlands and flooding issues in town, urging people to write letters to the Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees wetlands on the federal level, and the Environmental Protection Agency in hopes those agencies can funnel information to the FAA.

Venegas also spoke of concerns related to water runoff from the airport area and how wildlife could be affected.

She asked where that water would go, and alleged that the distribution of endangered plant species and their density had not yet been studied.

“Are you going to be putting in water holding tanks like we do in these developments on Hemingway or at a mall?” Venegas asked. “But if you displace water, you need to put the water somewhere else. Are you going to carry it through Morris Creek and are those tidal gates good enough? Are you going to create a pond because water once you move water, it’s going to find a way around and that’s what’s happening here, so we have a gap of information.”

In addition to quality of life issues, East Haven resident Patrick Rowland said while local officials tout economic benefits of the airport such as jobs, they are ignoring negative economic effects such as lower home and property values.

Following presentations by members of the volunteer group, residents spoke about their issues concerning the airport, including how low the planes fly by their homes, questions about zoning, pollution and where the local representation was.

An organizer introduced Zullo, who said his number one priority is East Haven residents’ quality of life.

“I think somebody made the analogy earlier about buying something; you don’t go and buy a car without doing the research,” Zullo said. “I’m not going to buy anything ’til we know the facts, ’til we have all the information, because nobody else would so why would we?”

Zullo added that he does not have the documents people are looking for and that the airport does, but he said residents deserve and need to have the information.

“I will start reaching out to (Tweed New Haven Airport Authority Executive Director Sean Scanlon) on a regular basis to find out what what information requests are not fulfilled and why they’re not fulfilled,” Zullo pledged. “I’m happy to try to be a vessel for anybody who needs information to try to get that.”

CT Construction Digest Wednesday March 30, 2022

Ric Suzio Receives NSSGA’s 2022 Barry K. Wendt Commitment Award

Kerry Lynch

NASHVILLE, TN – During the second general session of the 2022 Annual Convention, the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) presented Ric Suzio of York Hill Trap Rock Quarry Co., Inc with the 2022 Barry K. Wendt Commitment Award.

“Ric Suzio, of York Hill Trap Rock Quarry, is most deserving as the recipient of the 2022 Barry K. Wendt Memorial Commitment Award. With his personality, leadership skills and dedication to the industry’s success, Ric embodies the characteristics that this award was created for,” said NSSGA President & CEO Michael Johnson. “Throughout his career, he has shown an ability to tackle difficult issues and a willingness to take on new challenges, which is to be commended.”

Having spent 32 years at his family’s business, Ric is currently the Vice President for York Hill Trap Rock Quarry. He participates in the NSSGA Government & Regulatory Affairs Committee and was a past Young Leader Council Chair. For over a decade, Ric has chaired the Legislative Committee of the Connecticut Construction Industries Association. 

During this time, he established the association as a respected resource. Ric additionally has a long history of community service having served as Chairman of the Board of the Boys and Girls Club of Meriden and is a Hall of Fame Member. Ric also received the Greater Meriden Chamber of Commerce Community Partner Award and currently serves on the board of the Meriden Historical Society and the Meriden Economic Development Board.

The award, a memorial to Wendt, was presented by the Manufacturers & Services Division Chairman, Kevin Gokie of Astec Industries. Kristi Wendt, the daughter of Barry, attended the ceremony and spoke about her father’s legacy on the aggregates industry.

The NSSGA’s Manufacturers and Services Division established the award in 1998 to annually recognize an individual in the industry who exhibits the dedication exemplified by Barry Wendt, both in commitment to the industry and the community in which they live. 

NSSGA is the leading advocate for the aggregates industry. Its members – stone, sand and gravel producers and the equipment manufacturers and service providers who support them – produce the essential raw materials found in homes, buildings, roads, bridges and public works projects, NSSGA represents more than 90 percent of the crushed stone and 70 percent of the sand and gravel produced annually in the United States. Learn more at www.nssga.org

Danbury’s $208M school plan, including career academy, one step closer to public vote

Currie Engel

DANBURY — The city’s roughly $208 million plan to manage its overcrowded school system with improvements and new construction cleared another hurdle after a sparsely attended public hearing this week.

Only two people — Mayor Dean Esposito and school board chairwoman Rachel Chaleski — spoke during Monday night’s public hearing to discuss the largest city spending package in local memory.

“It’s the largest number that we’ve ever seen,” said Esposito. “Overall, I think it’s a solid number that can give us what we need to provide for the project ... We’re talking about three schools. Three entire schools.”

The money will cover a $164 million career academy, which would house a high school and middle school, a new pre-kindergarten academy, and improvements at various other district schools.

While the public hearing lasted just five minutes, the ensuing council committee discussion lasted more than an hour, with council members asking intricate and basic questions of the city finance director, corporation council, and public works director. Ultimately, the committees unanimously voted to send the spending package to City Council.

At the April meeting, the council will set a June referendum date, at which time the public will vote on the project and spending package.

“At face value, yes, it’s a lot of money, and I think we’re being very up front and honest,” said City Council President Vinny DiGilio during an interview Tuesday.

In the mayor’s view, the issue is clear-cut and has been presented several times to residents, so he said the public is well aware of how the money will be spent. He said he feels confident residents will approve the spending package, despite its size.

“Our future mayors will be out there, and our future representatives, and the people know that education is a good investment,” he said. “In the big picture did we want input? Of course we do, but I think it shows we have the support out there amongst the community.”

Finance Director David St. Hilaire said he didn’t read much into the lack of voices at the public hearing. The pandemic has changed the way people interact with local government, and he has heard that residents have made their questions and comments known to Esposito and Superintendent Kevin Walston.

“For one thing, people are generally supportive of school projects so long as they’re done in a responsible way,” he added.

The numbers for the career academy aren’t yet final due to ongoing negotiations.

With a $164 million deal on the table for the purchase and development of the career academy at the former Cartus Corp. headquarters, Esposito said the final estimates from appraisers could be in as early as next week.

The city hopes to secure 80 percent reimbursement on the career academy project, and around 63 percent reimbursement on the remaining $43.9 million in other school-related projects. State Rep. David Arconti, D-Danbury, is working on securing the funding estimates, which should be available by the end of the legislative session in May.

If the state reimburses at its full rate — 80 percent and 63 percent — the city can expect to only shoulder nearly $50 million of the total $208 million.

“Fifty million is still a huge number,” DiGilio said, “but you’re getting a lot of value from that $50 million.”

Spending big bucks

With such a big price tag on education expenditures, council members at Monday night’s committee meeting sought clarity on capital and operational budget effects.

Councilman Irving Fox, 1st Ward, said it would be important to be aware of the operational budget effects during Monday’s meeting.

“I think it is top of mind, it is something that has been discussed and is continually discussed,” said DiGilio. “We know it’s going to cost more money to operate more facilities.”

Other council members asked about what to expect from state reimbursement, what the final estimates on the career academy project and land purchase would be, and how other funding might be used to offset or pay into the spending package.

St. Hilaire said the city has worked with an outside firm to map out finances, bond schedules and mill-rate projections, evaluating the factors that go into the project cost.

St. Hilaire called the package an “incredible commitment” to Danbury’s schools.

“Over the last 20 years, we’ve spent about $200 million on Board of Education projects — capital projects — and we’re doing it all in one package here,” he said.

While a new school may mean an increase in taxes over time due to additional operational costs, DiGilio said constituents seem willing.

“If there’s value in what’s being provided, people don’t mind their money going toward making a better community, making a better quality of life and providing for children and residents,” he said.

Greenwich residents want spending on schools, not bumpouts: ‘Put that money toward more vital projects’

Ken Borsuk

GREENWICH — Backlash against bumpouts was a major point of contention at Monday night’s public hearing on the proposed 2022-23 municipal budget.

During the nearly four-hour public hearing before the Board of Estimate & Taxation, several of the 78 speakers targeted the proposed $2.8 million allocation for bumpout improvements at Greenwich Avenue and Arch Street for criticism.

“It’s difficult for pedestrians to navigate the bumpouts, especially with plantings, which decrease visibility for oncoming traffic,” said Debra Kolman, a District 10 member of the Representative Town Meeting. “Bicyclists take their lives in their hands when they try to navigate and compete with vehicles for narrower lanes.”

Expanding the bumpouts has the support of First Selectman Fred Camillo and the town Department of Public Works, but even the completion of a bumpout last year at Greenwich Avenue and Elm Street came under criticism.

“Kill the bumpouts and put that money toward more vital projects,” RTM District 11 member Laura Darrin said.

Several speakers said the money would be better spent on Greenwich’s schools, pointing to the need to build a new Central Middle School and to renovate Old Greenwich and Julian Curtiss Schools.

RTM Budget Overview Committee Chair Lucia Jansen noted that both the school budget and the town capital project budget came in above the BET guidelines.

“We must first fund what we really need before we start spending on things that are nice to have,” RTM Finance Committee Chair Brooks Harris said, noting that he was speaking as an individual and not on behalf of the committee. “We need to be more disciplined in how we evaluate spending and break out the highest priority items.”

Many speakers offered support for the school projects.

“As we all know, our school facilities are in need of significant renovation, but year after year (the BET) cuts or defers for BOE capital projects,” RTM District 4 member Lucy von Brachel said. “Meanwhile, we spend a growing fortune on preventable crises and repairs. This is not sustainable nor is it fiscally prudent.”

Town resident Clare Kilgallen added, “Stop the years of delay on Julian Curtiss and Old Greenwich and move them forward with Central. … The town’s rainy day fund stands at tens of millions of dollars, hasn’t been materially impacted during the COVID times and the austerity that some propose does not comport with the desired majority of the community.”

The hearing was the public’s last opportunity to weigh in before the BET holds its vote on the budget. The vote had been set for a meeting Thursday, but it has been postponed to 9 a.m. April 19 at Town Hall due to scheduling problems for BET members.

Old Greenwich, Byram projects

Many other speakers focused on proposed public safety and beautification projects, including one with strong support that would add sidewalks along Shore Road in Old Greenwich.

Old Greenwich Liz Johnson, who has ridden her bike in the neighborhood for 34 years, said it’s dangerous not to have a sidewalk in the area, with increased development nearby in Stamford and more delivery trucks.

“Shore Road has evolved into a toxic blend of joggers, pedestrians often with baby carriages, dog walkers, children who often must walk along the road alongside speeding cars, distracted drivers, ubiquitous online delivery trucks, heavy construction vehicles, moving vans, public buses, cement mixers and huge 18-wheeler trucks,” Johnson said.

Old Greenwich resident Kaitlin Schnepf shared her experience of walking her 6-month-old child in a stroller to get him to fall asleep.

“Walking on Shore Road is absolutely terrifying,” Schnepf said. “It is very scary. The traffic is non-stop, and there’s been multiple incidents in which the stroller was almost hit.”

There was also strong support for a $300,000 allocation for Byram pedestrian safety and intersection improvements.

“Since I moved to Greenwich I have thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of it, except one,” said Nicholas Wiltse, who moved to Byram in January. “That’s that Delavan Avenue where my house is in Byram is unsafe, and every single day I am in genuine fear walking down it. Cars go up and down Delavan using it, even though it is a residential street, as little more than an expressway to the highway.”

The planned improvements are longstanding priorities for the Byram Neighborhood Association, which said the problems have worsened due to development in Port Chester, N.Y.

“No parent should fear death when taking their child out to play,” BNA member Brian O’Connor told the BET. Crossing Delavan Avenue or Mill Street means “taking your life into your hands,” he said.

“We have sought help from Town Hall for more than a decade,” O’Connor said. “In that time people have been hit by cars, have come close to being hit by cars and had their property destroyed. … The first selectman’s office wants this project to proceed. It’s on you to make that happen.”

Plans for Glenville

Town resident Abbe Large was one of several speakers in favor of the proposed $500,000 allocation for beautification in Glenville, including lighting improvements.

The project would be completed alongside separate traffic and pedestrian improvements in Glenville’s main corridor, she said, and ultimately the town would have to fund only $250,000 of the project.

“The timing for inclusion in this year’s budget is essential,” Large said. “The roadways will be open for the Glenville corridor project, and this is a unique time to place underground conduits, wiring and lights in a cost-efficient manner. Once the construction is complete, we have lost the opportunity to place historic lighting, to improve pedestrian safety and walkability, and help define and energize the central business district and aid in traffic calming. This really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Glenville.”

The proposed allocation also had the support of town Director of Planning and Zoning Katie DeLuca, who noted the years of work that have gone into Glenville improvements.

“We are at the finish line, and we just need this little bit to push us over,” DeLuca said. “It would be a shame if it didn’t do through at this time.”

Groton Town Council votes to discontinue efforts to pursue agreement with data center developer

Kimberly Drelich

Groton — The Town Council voted late Tuesday to discontinue "all efforts to pursue a municipal host fee agreement" with data center developer NE Edge LLC, "for properties generally located between Hazelnut Hill Road and Flanders Road, south of I-95, with prejudice.”

Town Councilors Portia Bordelon, Aundré Bumgardner, Melinda Cassiere, Bruce Jones and Juan Melendez Jr., the town mayor, were in favor of the motion, while Councilor Rachael Franco opposed, and Councilors David McBride, Juliette Parker and Scott Westervelt abstained.

Bumgardner said he "heard a resounding no from the public" and made a motion that added the verbiage “with prejudice," which he said meant “indefinitely” or “for good.”

According to the Town Council’s rules, an item can come back to the council if six members agree to it within the next year, Town Manager John Burt said. Another motion, which did not pass, was similar but likely would have required only five councilors to bring it back to the council.

Councilors discussed at length how to proceed and made several motions before the final motion passed. At times, they sharply disagreed with one another and there were calls for order and decorum. Some councilors said they wanted more time to review information and to make sure the resolution was properly worded.

A potential resolution prepared for Tuesday's meeting had referenced that the council determined that "351 Flanders Road and surrounding properties are not a suitable location for a data center," but Burt said the town on Tuesday received correspondence from the property owner's attorney questioning whether the council can determine a certain property is not suitable for a particular use when that's typically under the Planning and Zoning Commission's purview. Burt said there wasn't time to have a full review by the town's attorneys, but they said it would be safer to use a resolution without mentioning the property use.

NE Edge, under manager Thomas Quinn, had requested a municipal host fee agreement with the town, which is the first step before a developer seeks land use approvals and sets the criteria for the data center proposal and how much revenue the town would receive in lieu of taxes.

NE Edge sent a memorandum Friday that requested the town withdraw the current agreement that was under consideration and instead allow NE Edge time to reach out to neighbors and hold a public meeting next month, then submit a revised proposal. NE Edge said it agreed to a list of changes, including removing a third proposed data center building and instead distributing its footprint into the two remaining planned buildings; increasing the amount of land to be donated to the town; and paying an additional annual fee in year five that would benefit Ella T. Grasso Technical and Robert E. Fitch high schools. NE Edge said it would pay an annual fee of $3.5 million, plus escalation, to the town.

Melendez said Friday that he received the memorandum but the council was proceeding with Tuesday's already scheduled meeting to vote on whether to end negotiations with NE Edge.

The town has an existing host fee agreement with Gotspace Data Partners LLC for land off Route 117.

The state passed legislation last year to urge data centers to locate in Connecticut by providing 20- to 30-year tax incentives if the data center developer or owner makes the required investment.

North Crossing developer says half of 270-unit downtown Hartford apartment building will be ready for tenants in June

Michael Puffer

Randy Salvatore’s ambitious push to add about 1,000 downtown Hartford apartments has run into a string of supply chain woes, but the Stamford-based developer said he is still on track to begin leasing apartments in late spring.

Salvatore said he will begin advertising apartment availability for the first 270-unit building of his North Crossing project — located next to Dunkin’ Donuts Park — on May 1.

About half of the building’s apartments will be ready for occupancy in June, Salvatore said. The first tenants will arrive as construction carries on in other parts of the roughly 300,000-square-foot building.

Salvatore’s company — RMS Cos. — has an agreement with the city to develop several vacant parcels around Dunkin’ Donuts Park, with a target of 1,000 apartments.

The project began on a vacant, 3-acre property at 1212 Main St., just to the south of the stadium in 2020. A 332-space garage was completed last September.

The first, partially-completed six- and seven-story apartment building wraps around Trumbull Street to Main Street and then down Morgan Street. The building front faces downtown Hartford’s high-rise office towers. The I-84 and I-91 interchanges are a block to the southeast.

As of March 17, much of the building exterior was still without siding. Many windows were missing. The central area, near the intersection of Morgan and Main streets was further along, with glass in all windows and exterior walls mostly covered in siding.

Salvatore said his contractors faced delays in cabinetry, electrical supplies, roofing insulation, interior doors, appliances and more. Even so, they’ve been rolling with the supply-chain punches, shifting tasks as materials become available to keep the project’s first phase within a few weeks of its original schedule and within its $50 million budget, he said.

“We were waiting for windows for a long time, getting partial shipments,” Salvatore said. “It’s just juggling things. We had issues with a lot of different things like that: electrical, plumbing and the elevator. Nothing held up the end dates but there was a lot more logistical planning.”

Salvatore said most of the amenity spaces should be at or near completion when the first tenants arrive. There will be a game room, fitness center, rooftop lounge, outdoor amphitheater-style cinema and more. The rooftop lounge will offer a view of the neighboring ballfield with everything but the batter’s box visible.

The new apartment building will host a mix of efficiency, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units with upscale finishes, including quartz countertops, luxury vinyl tile flooring and walk-in showers.

Phase two of North Crossing will see 550 apartments and a 530-space garage built on a vacant 5-acre lot at 1139 Main St., just to the west of the first building across the intersection of Main and Trumbull streets.

Salvatore said he recently began speaking with city officials to fine-tune designs. He anticipates gaining site plan approval in time to launch construction in late spring or early summer.

Phase two will be split into multiple parts, with construction of a garage and 237-unit apartment building beginning in summer and lasting about 18 months at an estimated $60 million cost, Salvatore said. A second building containing the remaining units would be built at some later point, Salvatore said.

Future development will follow, using a site at 150 Windsor St., which formerly hosted a data center, and at a vacant parcel at 1261 Main St. The scale and design of those future projects have not been determined, Salvatore said.

Salvatore is also lining up a project to transform the top dozen floors of the struggling Hilton Hotel on Trumbull Street into 147 apartments. Salvatore has described this as necessary to save the hotel from failure, and as a defensive move to protect the value of his neighboring development.

The state Bond Commission has approved an $11 million loan to help fund the conversion. Salvatore said he is finalizing legal agreements for the project with the city and Capital Region Development Authority.

As warehouses rise and thrive across Connecticut, this town’s residents are pressing for a moratorium on building

DON STACOM

With warehouse distribution centers becoming a bigger part of Connecticut’s economy, South Windsor next week may adopt a one-year moratorium against any new ones.

Longtime resident Kathy Kerrigan says the town needs to ban new freight depots and fulfillment centers until planners can write zoning rules to keep them from damaging the community.

“The town has reached a tipping point — the cumulative effect of multiple warehouse-type facilities is catching up with us,” Kerrigan told the planning and zoning commission last week.

“I’m not against growth,” she said. “I’m worried about the dramatic negative changes that residents seem to be experiencing in a relatively short amount of time. Traffic congestion and noise are beginning to affect neighborhoods all across town.”

Kerrigan in January called on the planning and zoning commission to pass a one-year ban; it began a hearing on the idea last week and will resume it on April 5.

Builders have put up a series of warehouses and fulfillment centers over the past decade, and Kerrigan said the result is higher truck traffic and around-the-clock elevation in road noise.

A moratorium would give planners time to consider whether large warehouses are the best use of South Windsor’s remaining industrial land, Kerrigan said. They could also examine what neighboring towns are doing with warehouse proposals, and study exactly what financial benefits the town gets from those facilities, she said. In the past 13 years, the town has approved seven major warehouses — Coca Cola, Aldi’s, FedEx, Amazon, Mobis, Vistar and Home Depot — that created 2.2 million square feet of buildings covering more than 280 acres.

“All too often these warehouse facilities are built by people who don’t live here, who have no stake in our quality of life and who have no reason to care about the well-being of the residents,” Kerrigan said.

In a letter, resident Derrick Butler called on the commission to pass the moratorium.

“The high volume of truck traffic that these sites produce is not safe,” he wrote. “Trailer drivers are running in many cases through neighborhoods and parking in ‘no parking’ zones. This is created by insufficient staging areas at the facilities.”

South Windsor is just one of the Connecticut communities seeing growth in fulfillment centers and warehouses; most of the towns near Bradley International Airport got more in the past 20 years.

Ahold Delhaize USA, parent of Stop & Shop, opened million-square-foot warehouses in Plainville and Manchester last year, while Amazon has mega-centers in Windsor and North Haven and plans another in the Naugatuck Valley this year.

Developers typically promote giant distribution centers as creators of jobs and tax revenue, and on Monday afternoon Indeed.com listed 1,708 warehouse jobs across Connecticut.

CT Construction Digest Tuesday March 29, 2022

Arborio Construction Rehabs Bridge Damaged By Hurricane Ida in Conn.

Hurricane Ida, which dropped more than 6 in. of rain in many parts of Connecticut in early September 2021, caused massive flooding, highway closures and water rescues. It also damaged roadways and a bridge on Route 9 Southbound in Cromwell, which is currently being rehabilitated.

Arborio Construction of Cromwell, Conn., is the contractor. An Emergency Declaration project was signed by Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Joseph Giulietti on Sept. 7 in order to stabilize and repair an existing 84-in. asphalt-coated corrugated metal (ACCM) pipe that was found to be structurally compromised following the storm event.

The excessive rainfall from Ida caused a large sinkhole to develop above the 84-in. ACCM pipe that conveys an unnamed brook under the ramp and across Route 372 in Cromwell, according to a CTDOT report. Further investigation found the culvert to be compromised structurally due to the erosion around the pipe.

"The work being done on Route 9 Southbound is an emergency job that is progressing well," according to a CTDOT. "We began the work because the road was settling due to an underground pipe failure following Hurricane Ida. Rather than shutting down the entire road, we are pipe jacking, which is pushing the pipe through the ground. So far, we've been prepping the pipe jacking and working on the access roads to get to the pipes. Next, we will excavate for the earth retaining systems on the inlet and outlet sides, pour concrete and do the physical pipe jacking on the site. Then we will move to a ground remediation plan, which is pressure grouting any voids under the existing roadway."

The finalized scope of this project includes the full replacement of the existing 260 linear ft. of the 84-in. ACCM pipe by jacking a new 84-in. reinforced concrete pipe (RCP). New headwalls and compaction grouting also will be installed.

Work began on the project in September and is on track for completion by May 1, according to CTDOT.

The construction equipment being used by Arborio on the project includes a Cat 330B excavator, a Volvo EW170 excavator, a Cat CS-431B vibratory smooth drum roller, an Ingersoll Rand 180, air compressor, a Vermeer E2983 Navigator S3 drilling rig and a Wacker Neuson compactor plate.

President Biden granted a Major Disaster Declaration for the State of Connecticut, releasing federal funds to help residents recover from Hurricane Ida on Oct. 31, 2021. State funds of $4,297,171 will pay for the job, according to CTDOT. The money comes fr.om the Fix it First bridge program that was authorized by the State Bond Commission. CEG

Omnibus Appropriations Act Covers Transportation Under Funding Umbrella

LUCY PERRY

Signing the $1.5 trillion 2022 omnibus spending bill into law in mid-March, President Joe Biden released the full benefits of last fall's bipartisan infrastructure and jobs act. Not only does highway work move forward with the spending bill's signing, but energy, maritime, transit, water and airport construction projects launch as well.

Praised by the transportation construction industry for its broad infusion into the U.S. economy for years to come, IIJA couldn't become reality until the omnibus bill was signed.

H.R. 2471, the "Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022" provides full-year funding through Sept. 30, 2022, for projects and activities of the federal government. Division N of the bill provides supplemental appropriations for fiscal year (FY) 2022 for Ukraine activities.

"Remaining divisions provide authorizations and extensions on a wide variety of government programs and activities," according to a statement from the White House announcing the president's signing.

The Act provides funding for U.S. government operations through September 2022.

This covers all executive branch departments — Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury and Veterans Affairs.

The FY 2022 funding bill passed the House and Senate before arriving at the president's desk. Meanwhile, the House also passed a short-term spending measure as a Plan B in case a continuing resolution, funding the government, expired March 11.

Ending the Stop-Gap

Federal spending programs have operated under a series of stop-gap measures since Oct. 1, 2021.

Passage of the legislation came after delays and three temporary continuing resolutions designed to keep the government afloat until legislators could agree on a final product.

Congress was up against a midnight March 11 deadline before a government shutdown was set to occur.

The short-term measure guaranteed funds remained through mid-March, just in case the Senate did not have enough time to vote on the bill and get it to the president for his signature in the time remaining.

The first installment of the IIJA will not only meet the landmark federal infrastructure law's transportation investments, but will add $4.3 billion to its record levels, according to ARTBA's Newsline.

"It's go time," said Dennis D. Truax, president of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). "Passage of this bill releases vital funding for states and localities to implement much-needed programs to improve our nation's infrastructure."

The bill prevents the need for another Continuing Resolution this year and allows all funds from the infrastructure bill to be spent rather than being limited to last year's levels, added Truax.

Opening the Piggy Bank

A $1.2 trillion investment in the nation's infrastructure over the next five years, IIJA provides $550 billion in new transportation revenue.

"This comprehensive legislation provides a major boost for improving our surface transportation network, the energy grid, drinking water and wastewater systems, ports and inland waterways, broadband expansion and more," noted ASCE. "The bill also includes the largest-ever investment in the resilience of our built environment, dedicating $50 billion to weatherize and harden these systems, along with creating programs to protect communities from droughts, floods and wildfires."

ARTBA detailed how transportation programs benefit from the omnibus bill's passage:

Highway investment increases from $48.4 billion in FY 2021 to $66.9 billion and provides an additional $2.5 billion.

Of that $2.5 billion, $847 million would be reserved for congressionally designated earmarks. The cumulative one-year highway investment increase is $21 billion, or 43 percent.

The boost to public transportation programs includes an additional $504 million above IIJA amounts.

The Capital Investment Grant Program, which supports transit construction activities, will grow from $2.1 billion last year to $3.9 billion, or 86 percent.

The FY 2022 funding provides $554 million in supplemental Airport Improvement Program, noise abatement and earmark funds.

As a result, the measure will provide $8.9 billion for airport capital improvements — a 137 percent increase. The bill would add $775 million to the $3.8 billion directed by the IIJA for multi-modal transportation grants, compared with $1 billion in FY 2021.

According to ASCE, the signed omnibus allows the IIJA's influx of revenue and launches new programs, including:

The DOT's Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient and Cost-saving Transportation (PROTECT) program. It funds improvements to make infrastructure more resilient to natural disasters.

DOT's Corridor Identification and Development Program, to facilitate development of intercity passenger rail corridors.

The EPA's Clean Water Resiliency and Sustainability Program, authorizing $25 million annually for five years and awarding grants to increase the resiliency of publicly owned treatment plants from natural hazards or cybersecurity attacks.

EPA's Rural and Low-Income Water Assistance Pilot Program awarding grants to develop and implement programs to assist households in need maintain access to drinking water and wastewater.

A $5 billion FAA discretionary grant program for airport terminal development and connections. For terminal development projects with a special focus on replacing aging infrastructure, it also aims to increase or improve capacity and passenger access, ADA compliance, airport access for historically disadvantaged populations and achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accreditation.

A DOE program to upgrade the electric grid and ensure reliability and resiliency. Authorized at $5 billion over five years, the program provides grants for projects that demonstrate innovative approaches to transmission, storage and distribution infrastructure.

"IIJA revenue over the next five years has the opportunity to jumpstart the economy, provide jobs and protect Americans from unsafe infrastructure conditions and increasingly severe weather events," said Truax.

Transportation Sector Smiling

AGC and the Transportation Construction Coalition had urged members of both houses to put FY 2022 funding in place. Stephen Sandherr, CEO of the AGC, wanted Congress to "rapidly appropriate the funding it promised to deliver when it passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure bill."

These new investments are a key reason that contractors are so optimistic about the demand for infrastructure, he said. "Yet Congress failed to include these new funds when it passed a temporary spending measure at the end of last year."

The trucking industry is happy that the president signed the omnibus bill because of funding for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) among other programs.

The bill provides $360 million for FMSCA safety operations and programs and almost $500 million for the agency's safety grants division.

"Specific to trucking, the legislation prohibits funding the enforcement of electronic logging device rules for commercial motor vehicles that transport livestock or insects," reported Transport Topics.

The bill includes $57.4 billion for highway programs; $774.3 million for highway traffic safety grants; $234.3 million for a port infrastructure development program; $182.6 million for pipeline safety operations; and $103.1 million for the DOT Office of Inspector General.

The omnibus bill includes funds for congressionally directed spending projects, or earmarks. The bill's sponsors touted myriad infrastructure and economic provisions tucked in the measure, according to Transport Topics.

"We are encouraged to see the House honor the promise of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act by providing the guaranteed public transit funding of the IIJA for Fiscal Year 2022," said Paul Skoutelas, president of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).

He called it "a transformational investment in public transportation infrastructure that our country so desperately needs."

These investments will enable communities to provide access to opportunities and create family-wage jobs, advance equity, tackle climate change and meet growing and evolving mobility demands, said Skoutelas.

Among the agencies and programs funded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 are:

$775 million earmarked for National Infrastructure Investments where at least $20 million is awarded to assist areas of persistent poverty and historically disadvantaged communities; and an additional $25 million has been included for USDOT's Thriving Communities initiative.

Federal Railroad Administration funding of $3.3 billion, including $625 million for Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements grants; at least $150 million for new intercity passenger rail routes; $25 million to counties with the most pedestrian trespasser casualties and $120.9 million for community project funding/congressionally directed spending.

FRA funding also includes $100 million for intercity passenger rail grants; $2.3 billion for Amtrak, consisting of $874.5 million for the Northeast Corridor and $1.45 billion for the National Network.

The Federal Transit Administration receives $16.3 billion, including $13.4 billion for transit formula grants; $2.25 billion for Capital Investment Grants Program; $504.3 million for Transit Infrastructure Grants and projects; $175 million for Buses and Bus Facilities grants; and $75 million for Low or No Emission grants.

Also included in the FTA funding is $6.5 million for Ferry Boat grants with at least $3.25 million awarded for low or zero-emission ferries; $12.97 million for ferry service for rural communities; and $200.8 million for community project funding/congressionally directed spending. CEG

CT contracting watchdog clears key hurdle to add investigative staff

 Keith M. Phaneuf

The state’s contracting watchdog panel moved one step closer Monday to getting the investigative staff it has sought since its inception 13 years ago.

The Government Administration and Elections Committee voted 16-0 to approve a bill mandating that the five investigative posts sought by the State Contracting Standards Board be filled before the first quarter of the next fiscal year ends, in late September.

Senate Bill 473 also would expand the contracting board’s authority to probe quasi-public agencies and would shield it from any emergency budget reductions once the fiscal year is underway. The latter provision would match protection the legislature has long provided to other major watchdog groups such as the Freedom of Information and Elections Enforcement commissions and the Office of State Ethics.

“I was thrilled it was bipartisan and unanimous, and I hope that means there’s a real shot at having a fully functioning, fully independent contracting standards board in the state of Connecticut after 15 years,” Sen. Mae Flexer, D-Windham, co-chairwoman of the committee, said after the meeting.

Pressure from legislators to strengthen the contracting watchdog has intensified since early February following reports that the FBI is investigating school construction work and other projects once overseen by Gov. Ned Lamont’s former deputy budget director, Konstantinos Diamantis.

A federal grand jury issued a subpoena for all emails, text messages and attachments involving Diamantis and a broad range of construction projects on Oct. 20, eight days before the governor’s office removed Diamantis from his budget post and suspended him without pay from his other role as director of the school construction program.

Contracting board Chairman Lawrence Fox called Monday’s vote “a good sign. … I think we can help to steer the culture of competitive bidding and transparency in the state” government.

But it remained unclear Monday whether Lamont would support the measure.

Prior to the Diamantis scandal, Lamont had said the contracting standards board was performing watchdog functions already performed by other agencies, something that Fox and other advocates for the board have rejected.

The board was the linchpin of the “Clean Contracting” system created in 2007 by the Democrat-controlled legislature and Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell, Connecticut’s response to the contracting scandals that drove Republican Gov. John G. Rowland from office amid an impeachment inquiry in July 2004. Rowland later served 10 months in federal prison after admitting he accepted about $100,000 in gifts from state contractors and his staff.

The board was empowered to review Executive Branch agencies’ contracting processes to ensure they were transparent, cost-efficient and in compliance with the law. It also would have authority to suspend any procurement effort deemed improper. 

But not long after its creation the state would fall into the Great Recession, state government finances would slip into the red, and legislators and Rell would siphon away nearly all resources, leaving the volunteer standards board with no staff.

An executive director would be hired in 2011, but no additional staff was added as the Democratic governors’ that succeeded Rell — Dannel P. Malloy and Lamont — both questioned the need for the watchdog group.

The contracting board sought permission last spring to begin probing a Connecticut Port Authority contract for renovations to the state pier in New London. The pier is a key staging point to help development of a major offshore wind-to-energy project.

Lawmakers expanded the board’s authority to review this quasi-public agency and included $450,000 to increase staffing. But, in a last-minute concession to Lamont, the legislature then effectively took the funding away.

This year, though, Lamont softened his position somewhat. His new budget proposal in February did not include new funding directly for the contracting board, but the governor did recommend empowering the group to make referrals to the state auditors’ office — which has no enforcement power. Lamont also recommended adding three positions to the auditors’ staff to accommodate any referrals from the contracting board.

Max Reiss, the governor’s communications director, said Monday that “Governor Lamont has been on the record stating his support for the contracting standards board having the tools it needs to be effective.”

But if by “tools” Lamont means access to the auditors’ office but no additional staff, Fox said, the contracting board can’t be effective.

When asked to clarify whether the governor now would fund five investigative posts within the contracting standards board office to work with its executive director, Reiss said, “That’s a legitimate proposal. We will take a look at it.”

Besides mandating that the full investigative staff sought by the contracting board be hired, the bill approved in committee on Monday also would expand the watchdog’s authority to probe all quasi-public agencies created by the legislature, not just the Connecticut Port Authority.

But even if the full legislature and Lamont agree on this measure, it wouldn’t be effective unless — this time — they also fund the new positions.

Fox said Monday that “I’m hopeful” this will happen. “But after last year, I wouldn’t say I’m confident.”

Stamford investigating 8 BLT properties, mayor asks for safety records after Allure high-rise patio collapse

Verónica Del Valle

STAMFORD — A week after Mayor Caroline Simmons first announced that city-hired engineers would expand their investigation into Harbor Point developer Building and Land Technology, her administration laid out a sharper focus for its inquiry.

Engineers hired by the city will examine eight additional Harbor Point properties built by the South End’s biggest developer as part of the city’s growing efforts to understand a partial terrace collapse at a BLT high-rise in February, she said.

A 15 by 20 portion of an outdoor terrace at Allure, one of developer Building and Land Technology’s South End high rises, collapsed on Feb. 1. City officials immediately promised an investigation and hired independent engineers from Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates to examine the structural failure. BLT did the same.

Simmons on March 18 announced in a letter to BLT Co-President Ted Ferrarone the city and its engineers would expand their investigation into properties built by the developer. Though engineers had spent weeks eyeing structural deficiencies at Allure, the mayor pointed out “an additional specific complaint shared by a resident regarding retrofits made at the Escape property.”

The letter did not provide specific examples about any concerns from city officials associated with Escape, which is adjacent to Allure. However, concerns leveled by some residents at the building were brought up in past public hearings before the city Board of Representatives. Residents especially aired anxieties over an uncovered pool at Escape filled with frozen water at a Public Safety subcommittee meeting.

In the March 18 letter, Stamford officials said they planned to expand their investigation to other properties built by BLT. Simmons specifically called out “constructed or in-progress buildings designed or built with post-tension slabs designed by Henderson and Rogers” — BLT’s structural engineer — “built in whole or in part by Baker Concrete” — a high-profile concrete construction company that has built projects across the country — “or using the same post tension sub-contractors ... used at the Allure and Escape properties.”

Though Simmons did not further list the properties under scrutiny in that letter, in a March 25 letter to Ferrarone, Simmons asked for access to eight addresses where engineers could examine any potential public safety concerns: 301 Commons Park South, 201 Commons Park South, 101 Washington Blvd., 100 Commons Park North, 800 Pacific St., 900 Pacific St., 850 Pacific St. and 2 Harbor Point South.

When asked why the city planned to inspect those properties, Simmons said Monday in a statement that “the city’s engineering department, in conjunction with WJE ... identified the eight locations.”

Public Safety Director Ted Jankowski previously noted at a Board of Representatives meeting that 880 and 900 Pacific St. are constructed similarly to Allure.

Stamford Operations Director Matt Quinones clarified on Monday engineers from WJE would instead inspect 880 Pacific St. — BLT’s Escape building — instead of 800 Pacific St.

Simmons also stipulated that BLT must provide the city’s notice of an expanded investigation to residents within 24 hours of its receipt.

The buildings under review span much of BLT’s long history in the South End. The 101 Park Place building at 101 Washington Blvd. and now owned by AJH Management, was built just one year after the developer took over the Harbor Point project in 2008. Apartment buildings Infinity and Postmark — which are no longer owned by BLT — went up in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Allure, Opus and Escape represent some of the company’s newest offerings in the neighborhood and were built within the past five years.

Representatives from BLT did not immediately respond to The Stamford Advocate’s request for comment.

The Board of Representatives will discuss the ongoing investigation of BLT’s Stamford properties at its upcoming March 31 meeting. Residents can attend the meeting via Zoom or by telephone. Further information is available on the board’s website.

$60M redevelopment of former Ames HQ could give Rocky Hill a long-sought town center

Michael Puffer

The former Ames headquarters in Rocky Hill went from a bustling office building with hundreds of workers to a sad, abandoned hulk over two decades.

Now, after years of planning and negotiation, officials voted in February to approve a mixed-use development proposed by Hamden developer Michael Belfonti for the 12.1-acre property.

The plan is to knock down the roughly 225,000-square-foot building and replace it with 213 apartments in 11 buildings, 11,067 square feet of office space and 9,959 square feet of retail.

Town leaders say the Ames redevelopment could be the start of building a true downtown center for Rocky Hill, a central-Connecticut bedroom community of about 21,000 that has been the fastest-growing municipality in Hartford County over the past decade, according to U.S. Census figures.

“It’s a super-important redevelopment project because there are a number of significant benefits to the town,” said Mayor Lisa J. Marotta. “It will grow the grand list. It will add support for businesses along Route 99. But perhaps the most important thing is it’s a gateway to something we have lacked for a long time – a downtown area.”

The Ames property sits at the end of a commercial stretch of Silas Deane Highway populated by small to midsize shopping plazas and freestanding stores. Visitors drive in on a 40-miles-per-hour road to visit individual businesses.

Town officials hope, over time, to create a more traditional, walkable New England-style town center.

They also want to connect this downtown to amenities along the Connecticut River about a half-mile away, including a town park, the historic Rocky Hill-Glastonbury ferry and a seasonable restaurant – possibly with more riverside development to come.

Belfonti’s plans will help by creating additional street-facing retail, along with public spaces including a parklet on one corner of the property and a public gazebo on another. Belfonti’s plans include sidewalks, trees and lighting along the front of the property, which borders Main Street and Dividend Road. These improvements will mirror $2.5 million in streetscape work recently completed in the area, officials say.

“Rocky Hill doesn’t have a downtown,” said Raymond Carpentino, the town’s economic development director. “That’s what we are trying to build. We are trying to build a community center where people can walk around, maybe do some shopping. The Ames property is the beginning of that.”

The town is on the hunt for grant funding to extend sidewalks and pedestrian lighting down nearby Glastonbury Avenue to its riverside park, Marotta said. Rocky Hill is also considering traffic-calming measures to slow motorists in the area, making it more pedestrian friendly.

The hope is that it will promote mixed-use infill development, Marotta said.

Marotta said she also plans to consult residents about the potential to abandon a short stretch of Dividend Road between the Ames property and town green. That would enable expansion of the central park, making it a better host for community activities.

A long wait for redevelopment

Marotta said the Ames property has sat fallow for 20 years partly due to a “healthy resistance” to development in Rocky Hill.

The mayor said she’s worked to counter a misconception that apartment development will mean a tax burden through new schoolchildren. That helped get the development across the finish line.

So has some state funding.

The state Bond Commission, last spring, approved $500,000 to help demolish the Ames building. The town is close to securing a $990,000 state brownfield grant to help with the cost of clearing hazardous building materials from the Ames property and a small patch of subsurface pollution, Carpentino said.

Carpentino has seen other proposals floated for the site over the past 15 years, including a self-storage facility and other purely residential developments. This is the first one to offer retail and public spaces as well, he said.

The Ames property is currently owned by Mr. Rocky LLC, a company headed by Robert Danial, of Miami Beach, Fla., state records show. Danial bought it in 2014 for $1.8 million.

Jeff Dow, president of Dow Realty Co. of New Haven, represented the seller in that 2014 deal. Dow said it was a challenge to find a redevelopment proposal acceptable to the town. Potential buyers had something other than a mix of residential and retail in mind.

“We had a lot of users who would have bought or leased it, but the zoning wouldn’t allow them to move in,” Dow said. “The vision of the town was to have a town center there. You couldn’t do warehousing with trucks. You couldn’t do self storage. There was a lot of that stuff we could not do.”

Dow said a big difference this time was that town leaders and Belfonti collaborated to achieve an acceptable reuse. He also credited State Rep. Kerry Wood (D-Rocky Hill) with securing state backing to make a project financially feasible.

“I’ve known Michael Belfonti for a long time,” Dow said. “He gets projects like this done. He has a history of it.”

Attracted to the area

Belfonti, who is the CEO of Belfonti Cos. LLC, said he was pursuing local approvals for a $50-million, 160-unit apartment development in Cromwell about three years ago when he began looking for another area property to develop.

He said he liked Rocky Hill’s demographics and the fact the project could provide housing to commuters heading to either Hartford or New Haven. He drove by the Ames site and saw the sign for Dow, a company he knew.

“You had a big, huge building that was empty; that was a big white elephant in a great part of town at the end of the Silas Deane Highway,” Belfonti said. “It had great potential.”

Belfonti’s first redevelopment plan was rejected by the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission in January, only to be approved a month later after he agreed to buy a half-acre property with a 1,620-square-foot office building at the southeast corner of the lot.

Belfonti plans to knock down the small office building at 1 Dividend Road, and replace it with a mixed-use property containing 5,000 square feet of first-floor retail and apartments above. The purchase allows him to shift the building away from houses adjacent to the Ames property.

Pending action

Belfonti said the project still requires approval from the Connecticut State Traffic Commission. He hopes to secure that permission, then close in June on the Ames property at 2418 Main St., and the adjacent Dividend Road office building. Belfonti puts acquisition costs at approximately $2 million. Demolition would begin this year with construction launching in 2023 and lasting about 18 months, he said.

Belfonti estimates $60 million in overall development costs, including more than $2 million for demolition and soil abatement.

State grants could cover $1.5 million. Belfonti expects to invest about $20 million in equity, with the remainder coming from conventional loans.

The final development would include amenities such as a play area for children, fitness center, coworking space, pool, clubhouse, dog washing station and dog park. Belfonti said 10% of apartments will be affordable. The rest will be market rate, with monthly rents currently estimated at about $1,500 to $2,500.

Eager to erase eyesore

While there has been debate about the value of adding apartments, few tears will be shed for the long-empty Ames building.

Carl J. Tavarozzi owns T&T Structural, the company that is selling its Dividend Road office property to Belfonti. He said he has watched the neighboring building sink from a busy office complex to wreck slowly over two decades.

“It would be great to see something happen here,” Tavarozzi said. “Anything is better than this.”

Dawn Satagaj, a Realtor with William Raveis and a board member with the Rocky Hill Chamber of Commerce, said anticipation has been building over many years. She moved to town in 2002, the same year Ames closed its headquarters. Her husband’s family has been in town for generations.

Satagaj agrees with many of the arguments in favor of the redevelopment, that it will help foster a downtown, benefit nearby businesses and eliminate an eyesore. She also likes that the privately-developed property will have publicly-available green spaces.

“I think anytime someone is willing to invest this amount of money in your town it’s worth giving them the opportunity to do so,” Satagaj said.

CT Construction Digest Monday March 28, 2022

Enfield subpoenaed as part of widening probe into school construction

Andrew Brown

Federal authorities subpoenaed the town of Enfield late last month as part of a widening investigation into school construction projects in Connecticut and the state’s former deputy budget director, Kosta Diamantis.

The subpoena, which was issued on Feb. 22, ordered local officials in Enfield to turn over seven years of records related to school building projects and any communications the town had with Diamantis, who ran Connecticut’s school grant program until October.

Enfield is not the first municipality to receive a summons from the federal grand jury, which is reviewing information regarding Diamantis and his relationship with construction contractors.

At least four other towns and cities, including Hartford, Bristol, Groton and Tolland, also received subpoenas in the past month ordering them to turn over a vast number of documents and communications involving Diamantis and local school projects.

Diamantis, as the former director of the Office of School Construction Grants and Review, had significant control over school construction throughout the state and the billions of dollars in state funding that went to those projects.

Nobody has yet been charged as part of the federal investigation.

The subpoena issued to Enfield shows that federal prosecutors are particularly interested in the ongoing renovation and expansion work at the town’s John F. Kennedy Middle School.

That $84 million project got its start in 2019 after state lawmakers and the Office of School Construction Grants and Review agreed to fund more than 70% of the costs for the construction.

Ellen Zoppo-Sassu, Enfield’s town manager, said local officials were advised by the town’s attorney not to speak about the subpoena or the middle school project.

It’s unclear why federal prosecutors focused on the ongoing middle school project in Enfield, which is set to be finished this summer.

In October, the federal grand jury subpoenaed Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration and ordered the state to run keyword searches to find any emails, texts or other documents involving “John F. Kennedy” or “JFK.”

Several of the contractors who were hired to oversee the renovations on the middle school were also named in that earlier subpoena, which was issued just before Diamantis was removed from his position overseeing the school grant program.

The federal prosecutors asked the state to turn over any documents or communications involving Gilbane Building Company and Construction Solutions Group.

Both of those firms were hired in 2019 to oversee the work on the middle school in Enfield.

Gilbane, which is headquartered in Rhode Island, was selected by Enfield’s school building committee as the construction manager for the project, and Construction Solutions Group, which is based in East Hartford, was hired as the owner’s representative, which is also known as the construction administrator.

It’s unclear how much money the two companies were paid for that work. Officials with Gilbane and Construction Solutions Group declined to comment for this story.

The subpoena that was issued to the state last fall, however, indicates that federal prosecutors were interested in any communication that took place between Diamantis and two of the top executives with Construction Solutions Group.

The grand jury ordered the state to prioritize a keyword search for “Giuliano” and “Cykley.” Those are the last names of Construction Solutions Group’s president, James Giuliano, and its vice president, Christopher Cykley.

Meeting minutes from Enfield show Cykley participated in the town’s school building committee meetings and testified about the project in front of the town council.

Cykley and Giuliano also declined to comment for this story.

CRDA to launch up to $20M XL Center renovations, with millions more contemplated

Michael Puffer

The Capital Region Development Authority will shortly launch $20 million in repairs and upgrades to the XL Center, Hartford’s premier sports arena and convention center.

Michael Freimuth, executive director of the CRDA, told his board in a Thursday meeting the funding will come from a $40 million pool of state bond money the agency received “several years ago.”

The agency has already spent around $18 million of this, much of it on a costly replacement of the flooring system and chillers used to maintain ice for hockey games, Freimuth said. Other repairs included an elevator, escalators, technical upgrades, improved concession stands, replacement of basketball floors and upgraded lighting.

Now, the agency is preparing a new round of projects.

This could include the addition of a sports bar/sports betting lounge on the Ann Uccello Avenue side of the XL Center, as well as enlargements to the concourse, Freimuth said. The work contemplated also includes upgrades to kitchens, loading dock repairs, new audio-visual equipment, replacement of a freight elevator and a start to the replacement of retractable seating systems. This seating is pulled out for basketball and retracted for hockey.

Lockers used by University of Connecticut teams will be replaced, Freimuth said. Enough funding remains, the agency also hopes to replace the public announcement system at the arena, he said.

Freimuth told the CRDA board he hopes to leave something of a cash reserve “because the minute we get done with that something will break.”

Right now, CRDA estimates $15 million to $20 million for this work. Freimuth expects firmer numbers after the return of bids that will be released over the next few months.

The CRDA has hired Providence-based Dimeo Construction to manage the project.

Freimuth previously said he hopes to have the sports betting facility ready to open in September. The entire plan, however, hinges on ongoing negotiations with state officials over a split of betting proceeds, Freimuth said.

“We are working our way through distribution of revenue earned at the XL if it is licensed for sports betting,” Freimuth said. That decision will be made by the state budget office and the Connecticut Lottery, he said. It may require action by the General Assembly, he added.

“Assuming we can work our way through that piece, we will formally enter into an agreement with the lottery on how the license will operate at XL,” Freimuth said.

Meanwhile, CRDA might see an investment of cash in upgrades to the XL Center from Los Angeles-based Oak View Group LLC, the company currently managing operations at the center.

Oak View took over management of the arena following a merger with Spectra Venue Management.

Freimuth said Oak View has been in talks with CRDA about potentially investing in the XL Center to make it better suited for their business model, which involves music concerts. The company wants to know if the center can provide adequate seating and staging to make concerts profitable.

Also at issue is the fact XL is served by just one loading bay, making it costly and impractical to bring in and remove equipment needed for shows, Freimuth said in an interview after Thursday’s meeting.

Developer sought for mixed-use project on downtown Hartford lot south of Bushnell Park

Michael Puffer

The Capital Region Development Authority is poised to begin its hunt for a developer to transform a four-acre parking lot south of Bushnell Park into a mix of hundreds of apartments and thousands of square feet of retail space.

CRDA Executive Director Michael Freimuth said his agency will issue a “request for qualifications” in early April, seeking interested developers.

The lot sits just to the east of a state office building, sandwiched between Capitol Avenue and West and Buckingham streets one block south of Bushnell Park.

It occupies one of several blocks — a total of about 12 acres — the city aims to transform into a vibrant mix of apartments for 1,800 residents, along with retail, arts and cultural offerings.

That vision is spelled out in a “Bushnell South” master plan first issued last June and updated in November.

According to that plan, the four-acre lot controlled by CRDA would host 372 apartments and 28,000 square feet of retail space. The exact scope and schedule, however, would be subject to negotiations between whatever developer is selected and the CRDA, Freimuth said.

The larger Bushnell South redevelopment plan includes Spinnaker Real Estate Partners’ $63.3 million redevelopment of a former state office building at 55 Elm St., which sits near the eastern edge of the development zone. Spinnaker plans to create 278 apartments, as well as retail on that site, according to the master plan.

The master plan also shows Spinnaker eventually building another 456 housing units on parking lots just south of 55 Elm St.

Freimuth said development of the four-acre parking lot currently controlled by CRDA could come in two or more phases. He plans to issue an RFQ in early April, with responses due at some point in May. If all goes well, a preferred developer could be picked in late spring or early summer, he said.

Groton Council to vote on whether to cease negotiations with data center developer

Kimberly Drelich

Groton — A data center developer sent a memorandum Friday offering several changes and requesting that the Town Council withdraw the current agreement so the company can return with a fully revised proposal after conducting more outreach to neighbors and the public.

Town Mayor Juan Melendez Jr. said he received the memorandum, but the Town Council will proceed with holding a previously scheduled meeting on Tuesday to vote on whether or not to discontinue efforts to pursue a municipal host fee agreement with NE Edge. Melendez, who is one of nine councilors, said he personally plans to vote to discontinue pursuing the municipal host fee agreement.

Residents had raised concerns at recent public meetings about the proposal.

NE Edge has been seeking the agreement with the town to locate data centers on land, south of Interstate 95 and north of the Sheep Farm properties, between Flanders and Hazelnut Hill Roads. The proposed agreement outlines how much annual revenue the developer would pay to the town in lieu of taxes and the criteria for the data center proposal and would be the first step before the land use process.

In a memo from NE Edge to Town Manager John Burt and councilors on Friday, NE Edge stated that: "Over the course of the last week, we have reached out to all but one Town Councilor to review their concerns related to the Municipal Hosting agreement. To date, we have met four of the councilors in person." The company also said it is reaching out to Flanders and Hazelnut Hill neighbors individually and will include engineers to answer concerns.

NE Edge said it has agreed to make several changes to the current agreement. The company will eliminate the third, southernmost data center building and instead distribute the footprint of the eliminated building into the two remaining buildings in the plan, according to the memo. The developer also would add a deed restriction that no more buildings could be built on site.

NE Edge will pay the town an annual fee of $3.5 million, with escalation, according to the memo. This keeps the same fee structure that had been proposed for three buildings, NE Edge manager Thomas Quinn explained.

Starting in year five, NE Edge also will make an additional $250,000 annual payment with escalation, over 25 years, "specifically earmarked for" Ella T. Grasso Technical High School and Robert E. Fitch High School, the memo states.

NE Edge previously has said it would donate 50 acres of land to the town, and now proposes to increase that to 70 acres "based on final approval." It also has pledged to build a dog park and playground, which the memo specifies will be "on a two-acre area on land provided by the Town with appropriate parking and fencing, or on part of the donated land."

The company also said it will "extend the water and sewer (infrastructure) along Flanders Road." The company said the town manager, at its request, reached out to the municipal utility "to verify assertions by NE Edge representing the impact of the Data Center utility purchases on Municipal Utility ratepayers." NE Edge said the impact will reduce rates for ratepayers.

"The proposal modified here creates a substantial benefit to the town, utility ratepayers, schools, union jobs, ongoing technical jobs and training towards these jobs, town infrastructure upgrades, and indirect and induced jobs," the memo states. "Locating in Groton provides the opportunity for other types of businesses to locate near the Data Centers due to the benefit of fast connectivity. It is a fact that Data Centers have gravity, adding substantial economic opportunity, and additional tax base with support operations locating nearby."

Quinn said an informational public meeting is being planned for 6 p.m. April 19 in Groton, expected to be held at the Groton Shopping Plaza.

Meanwhile, a special Committee of the Whole and Town Council meeting are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Thrive 55+ Active Living Center, as well as virtually, on the topic of potentially discontinuing negotiations with NE Edge.

"The council has a difficult task of balancing the potential positives of having a data center while ensuring the safety and comfort of the surrounding neighborhood," Burt said. "The councilors have spent significant time studying the issues and will make the decision they think is best for the community."

"If the council turns down the agreement, it would take six council members to agree to bring it back to the council within the next year per council rules," he said.

"Whether or not they vote on Tuesday, we're still going to pursue our process with the town and come back with a new host fee agreement that may be better acceptable to them once we continue our diligence," Quinn said.

Town Councilor Aundré Bumgardner, who said he was not contacted by the developer, took issue with a developer reaching out to have a discussion with a councilor outside of public meetings. "The town code of ethics obviously needs revision to prohibit precisely these sorts of ex-parte communications between developers and decision-makers," he added. 

In a statement Friday, Town Councilor Portia Bordelon said that she reported at the March 22 Committee of the Whole meeting that "Quinn had reached out to her via text, but she declined to respond in an off-the-record manner. During the meeting on the 22nd, she stated her concerns with the appearance of impropriety, following due process and accountability via the Freedom of Information Act."

Burt said the communications between a developer and a councilor are allowed. He said staff at the FOI Commission has said that it is not an issue.

"It’s great to see the developer is finally engaging with the community and is planning on hosting a public informational session although it should have been done months ago," Town Councilor David McBride said in a statement. "As I mentioned in my last Council report I believe the Council should review the HCA (excluding the current data center location and the current developer) and make the necessary changes it deems appropriate."

"Groton has a significant comparative advantage to other municipalities regarding the hosting of data centers and if the town wants to explore such economic development opportunities it should make all developers aware of its requirements," he added. "Once such is completed the Council can review opportunities with all developers and the desired locations."

Meanwhile, the Planning and Zoning Commission discussed this week potentially having a moratorium on data centers to allow the commission time to update its regulations. This would require a public hearing. Groton's Assistant Director of Planning and Development Services Deb Jones said the next step would be to develop an application for the commission to review. The application has not been drafted yet, so no public hearing is scheduled at this point.

New London celebrates funding for National Coast Guard Museum

Greg Smith  

New London — In April 2006, former Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell gathered with state and local officials on the waterfront of Fort Trumbull to announce a state contribution toward construction of a National Coast Guard Museum.

The location has since changed but the idea of situating a National Coast Guard Museum in New London has been around for more than two decades. It now appears that the series of starts and stops that have delayed the construction are nearing an end.

On Friday, the city hosted a celebration of the $50 million in federal funding now dedicated to the project as part of a federal funding bill signed by President Joe Biden last week. Members of the Coast Guard Museum Association, which leads the fundraising efforts for the museum, call it a game changer and the impetus for more private funds to flow to the project.

Sen. Chris Murphy, chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, is credited with leading the push for federal funds and was among dignitaries to express excitement over the prospect of construction finally starting.

Construction on City Pier could start as early as this summer if permits are secured for the project.

“This has been a 20-year dream to have a museum on this waterfront befitting of the sacrifices that thousands of men and women who have been part of the Coast Guard’s long story have made,” Murphy said. “This is the only service that does not have an institution to be able to tell the story of that service, of that bravery, of that legacy of heroism."

Friday’s event was held on City Pier, near the location of where the six-story, 80,000-square-foot museum will be constructed. “America’s Tall Ship,” the barque Eagle, which will have a dedicated spot near the future museum, was the backdrop for Friday’s event that featured comments from Sen. Richard Blumenthal, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, Mayor Michael Passero, Coast Guard Rear Admiral Mary Dean and others.

Officials say the museum is likely to attract several hundred thousand visitors to the city each year and comes at a time when Mayor Passero said the city is in the midst of “an economic renaissance ... the likes of which we have not seen since the whaling era when New London’s wealth was unrivaled in the state.”

“This museum will also introduce these new visitors to New London’s vibrant cultural and historic assets,” Passero said.

New London was secured as the future home for the museum thanks to federal legislation passed in 2014, an effort led by former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons, with support from U.S. senators. The downtown location for the museum was codified with the donation of land from the city under former New London Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio later that same year. The downtown location, which continues to generate controversy locally, was seen as a better fit for the museum to attract visitors because of its proximity to the city’s transportation hub.

The state, as part of funding commitments to the project, has pledged $20 million toward construction of a 400-foot pedestrian bridge over Water Street and the railroad tracks, which will bring visitors directly to the museum and waterfront.

Shelton street extension project heads to CT Bond Commission

Brian Gioiele

SHELTON — The groundbreaking on extending Constitution Boulevard is planned for April 15, and it appears construction will be on the state’s dime.

A request for $5 million to cover the costs of extending the roadway — which is essential to the eventual development of the nearly 70-acre, city-owned Mas property — will be before the state Bond Commission on March 31.

“We get results, and that makes everyone look good,” said Mayor Mark Lauretti. “The goal is to keep Connecticut businesses in Connecticut. I’m grateful (Gov. Ned Lamont) recognizes that.

Lauretti said extending Constitution Boulevard was a smart business move.

“But the state is not just giving away money,” he said. “This will pay dividends not just for the city but for the state. (Lamont) recognizes what is going on in Shelton. He’s engaged in economic development, and I give him credit for that.”

Extending the roadway and use of the Mas property has been on the table for years, but Lauretti began the most recent push in April when he presented preliminary plans for creating the road leading into the city-owned land, which would be developed into a manufacturing corporate park.

“In my first conversation with (Lamont), I said four other governors have given me money, don’t get left out,” Lauretti said. “We do credible projects that benefit Shelton and the State of Connecticut. It really is a mutual relationship.”

The city has purchased 56 Blacks Hill Road but still needs to acquire property at 55 Blacks Hill Road to complete the road. The city and the owners of a property on Blacks Hill Road that is essential to extension of Constitution Boulevard remain far apart on sale terms and Lauretti is saying condemning the property is the next step.

Lauretti has so far declined to say what the city is offering but said the owners of 55 Blacks Hill Road have offered to sell the 5.1-acre property to the city for $1.7 million.

In recent weeks, the city has reached deals to sell pieces of the Mas land to two separate companies.

Shelton residents William and Nicole Charney, owners of Shelton-based Advanced Home Audio, which is presently located on Long Hill Cross Road, agreed to buy six acres. The couple agreed to pay the city $85,000 per acre, which comes to $510,000.

That sale came after Lauretti announced that Bigelow Tea was purchasing 25 acres of the property for an estimated $2.1 million for its future expansion.

The aldermen’s approval states the total acreage and payment amount will be determined after the final subdivision of the nearly 70-acre parcel near Constitution Boulevard.

Shelton state reps. Jason Perillo and Ben McGorty and state Sen. Kevin Kelly worked alongside Lauretti to help secure $5 million in funding for the road extension in the state’s 2021 bond package. The funding will be available once approved by the state Bond Commission, according to Perillo.

“This has been a great team effort that included (Lauretti), Rep. McGorty and Senator Kelly whose help was invaluable,” Perillo said. “We made our pitch to the governor’s office, and they agreed that this was a great economic development opportunity that could not be missed.

“This will keep a Connecticut business right here in Fairfield County (Bigelow Tea) and lead to additional business development,” Perillo added. “Additionally, these projects keep taxes on residents low while also providing more tax revenue to pay for city services.”

The Mas property is now vacant. It is mostly wooded with considerable stone ledges and several ponds, including one that is about 600 feet long and 250 to 300 feet wide, and lies between Bridgeport Ave., Cots Street, Tisi Drive, Sunwood Condos on Nells Rock Road, Regent Drive, Walnut Avenue, and Kings Highway. Part of the land abuts the back of the Perry Hill School property.

Norwalk set to break ground on first new school in 50 years

Emily Morgan

NORWALK — As construction at Jefferson Elementary wraps up, the city is preparing to break ground on its first new school building in over 50 years.

Newfield Construction is reviewing bid packages for the new Cranbury Elementary School and will then submit a maximum price for the project to Common Council. Construction is scheduled to start in April and be completed by fall 2023.

The 62,288-square-foot building will be built in the field directly west of the existing school. Cranbury Elementary will remain operational through construction and will be demolished when the new school is built to make room for vehicle drop-off areas. The budget for the project is $45 million.

A lawsuit filed by two neighbors whose properties are adjacent to the school lot remains pending. Residents Matt Bury and Matt Forte filed the suit in January against the Norwalk Board of Zoning Appeals and its decision to approve a special variance to allow the school to sit closer to the property line.

The last time the city built a new school was in 1971 when Norwalk High School, Jefferson Elementary, and Marvin Elementary were all constructed.

Much of the interior finish work is underway at Jefferson Elementary School, according to Michael Faenza, the project manager from Construction Solutions Group. The school is being renovated to new for about $33.4 million, adding a separate gymnasium, new classrooms and relocating the main entrance.

Crews are working from the third floor down as they finish painting rooms, installing cabinetry and electronic display boards, and putting in lighting and HVAC systems. Bill Hodel, director of facilities and maintenance for Norwalk Public Schools, and his team visited the site to see how the electric and plumbing runs through the school before the walls went up.

“That can be helpful to them from a maintenance standpoint, seeing where everything goes and the directions its running,” Faenza told the Board of Education Facilities Committee on Wednesday.

About 90 percent of the roof is in place, and the contractor is preparing to lay asphalt on the driveways and parking lots as well as start landscaping. Faenza said all the furniture vendors will be able to deliver their materials on time. Construction is expected to be completed in June, ready for students and staff to return this fall.

Naramake Elementary School completed most of its renovations at the end of 2021, but it still needs some electrical equipment installed for its new kitchen. The equipment is connected, and inspections will take place next week. Kitchen staff will also be trained on the new equipment and should be ready to cook and serve meals on April 4.

Jim Giuliano, president of Construction Solutions Group, was optimistic on Wednesday that the city would have an agreement on the property for the new South Norwalk school “in the near future.” The state has reviewed the proposed property, but its location has not been publicly revealed.

The city needs Common Council and the school board to approve several more resolutions to complete their grant application to the state.

“This is just so exciting to have so many schools getting renovated and face-lifts because they need them,” board member Sherelle Harris said during the facilities meeting. “I’m very excited and very proud that Norwalk is investing in its schools.”

A greater investment in the school facilities was one of the recommendations made by Evergreen Solutions in its efficiency study of Norwalk and the public schools, released on Tuesday. The study encouraged both entities to follow the assessment conducted by Newman + DLR Group last year to prioritize which facilities to renovate next.

The assessment identified $429 to $495 million in various repairs, replacements, and renovations needed across the district over the next 20 years. Naramake and South Norwalk were two schools identified in the first tier of facilities most in need along with Fox Run Elementary School and West Rocks Middle School.

Giuliano said Norwalk’s facilities plan “rivals that of larger cities that have gone through major overhauls of their schools.”

Board chair Colin Hosten said Norwalk is conducting its overhaul “at a much lower reimbursement rate” than the other cities.

New Britain will utilize millions of dollars from unused bonds for new city improvement projects

NEW BRITAIN – The City of New Britain will utilize millions of dollars for new city improvement projects, after reappropriating unused bond funding from completed projects.

In a special meeting Wednesday, the city’s Common Council voted to use the sum of $26,950,000 to be appropriated for the cost of various capital improvements for the city. The decision was made after the council voted to close out completed capital projects and de-authorize any related unused bond authorizations. The money from the unused bonds, in part, will be appropriated for new projects.

Proposed projects include the construction of a new public works yard, improvements at the Stanley Golf course, the purchase of various capital equipment, temporary and permanent financing costs, and the interest costs on the bonds authorized. 

According to the report, the New Public Works Yard would cost $20,000,000, Stanley Golf Course Improvements would cost $1,000,000, Various Capital Equipment would be $4,000,000, Financing Costs $450,000, and Capitalized Interest on Bonds would be $1,500,000.

Alderman Robert Smedley said several of the proposed projects are desperately needed to make essential repairs.

“Some of these projects are imperative to the daily function and operation of our city. Specifically our new public works yard,” Smedley said. “In addition the facility is just aging so poorly, not uncared for, just they’re aging and it’s time for new facilities.”  

Director of Parks, Recreation & Community Services Erik Barbieri said the funding would significantly help with improvements to the Stanley Golf Course. He said in the late 1980’s the golf course had a revolving fund in which the money made could be used to make improvements. However, Barbieri said the golf course is currently operating at a deficit and would require additional funding in order to make the much needed improvements. The renovation would add a reception pavilion to match existing buildings, which will be used for events. Barbieri said improvements to these facilities could mean an increase in revenue, because more people would want to visit the golf course and restaurant and event bookings.

“Since 2015 we’ve been able to not work in the red anymore but work in the black, and the golf course is doing exceptionally well, we’re still working on a net deficit over the lifetime of the golf course,” Barbieri said.

The decision was made after the council accepted a report of the Standing Bonding Subcommittee of the Common Council Committee on Administration, Finance and Law, which recommended the city use the funds remaining from closed out completed projects. Earlier in the meeting Wednesday night, the council voted to de-authorize any related unused bond authorizations from completed capital projects.

In a Facebook Live prior to the meeting, Stewart said the reallocation of funding would come from projects which have already been completed and no longer need the surplus of money.

“These are old bonds that still have money in them but the project that they were spent on but the money they were spent on and can only be spent on are completed,” Stewart said. “So this money is sitting there, the city is paying on this and we don’t need to be doing that. We need to save every dime we can so we’re defunding these projects.”

Smedley said the report sent to the council by the Standing Bonding Subcommittee outlines the completed capital projects and the remainder of the funding. According to the report, the projects included are the City Wide Facility project, New Britain High School remodel project (from 2007) and repairs to Badolato & Szczesny parking garages. The unused bonds de-authorized came out to $1,157,813 in total. The council was required to de-authorize the funds before they could appropriate because of how the original resolutions were written, which outlined that the funding could only be spent on these specific projects. 

The council also approved the reallocation of $49,500,000 be appropriated for the purpose of paying the city’s outstanding General Obligation Bonds and to pay related costs with such bonds from now through March 1, 2025. The approved resolution would result in a restructuring of the city’s debt profile and make room for the reallocation of the $26,950,000 for the new capital improvements.

The resolution to reallocate the sum of $26,950,000 for the new capital improvements passed with a 14 to 0 vote.