WINDSOR LOCKS — With the summer air travel season in full
swing, Bradley International Airport said Tuesday it will open its new, $210
million transportation center in mid-July, concentrating all its rental car
businesses in one place and adding 850 new parking spaces.
“It’s a very exciting addition to the airport,” Kevin A.
Dillon, executive director of the Connecticut Airport Authority, said during a
press conference at Bradley announcing a new nonstop route on Frontier Airlines
to Las Vegas. “It’s going to house all the rental car companies that today are
scattered in and around the airport.”
Dillon said the transportation center, which will open July
13, will allow passengers to walk from the terminal to pick up rental cars,
rather than having to hop on a bus juggling luggage.
There also will be dedicated spaces for mass transit
options, particularly buses. The center also was designed to accommodate future
rail service to Bradley from the Hartford Line.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for June 30.
Frontier will begin flying nonstop daily from Bradley to Las
Vegas on Aug. 7, joining JetBlue, which has offered the route since 2020, and
Breeze Airways, which will launch the route Sept. 7.
Frontier, which returned service to Bradley in 2019 after an
eight-year absence, will fly to seven destinations from Bradley. With the
addition of Las Vegas, they include Atlanta, Cancun, Denver, Orlando, Raleigh
Durham and San Juan. The recently announced Dallas-Fort Worth is not yet
booking and Miami has been temporarily suspended.
Frontier’s new route comes a week after Air Canada resumed
flying out of Bradley and Breeze launched six new, previously announced
destinations.
Dillon said Bradley is expecting a “heavy summer travel
period” at Connecticut’s largest airport which could match — or even exceed —
pre-pandemic levels between now and Labor Day.
The recovery is driven by leisure travelers, who put off
vacations during the height of COVID-19, Dillon said. Business travel, he said,
is still lagging but is showing signs of strengthening.
Bradley expects to see 10,000 passengers a day, flying out
of Bradley this summer, Dillon said.
On Tuesday, Bradley offered these tips for a smooth, less
stressful start to a vacation. For starters, face masks are no longer required,
though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends wearing
them during travel, and some airlines may still require them.
“We’re expecting people to be at the airport 90 minutes in
advance of their departure and that means being at the ticket counter 90
minutes [ahead of time], Dillon said. “If you do that, you’ll have no problems
navigating through Bradley Airport, and you’ll likely have some time enjoy our
concessions.”
“It’s very disconcerting if you get to the airport and then
you have to figure out, ‘Do I go to the parking garage? Do I use surface
parking? Do I park off-site?’,” Dillon said.
More information available at https://parkbradleyairport.com
Bradley now offers the option of ordering food before
arriving at the airport and the opportunity to skip waiting in line.
Wait times with pre-check offered by the Transportation Security
Administration can be under five minutes, compared to 15-20 minutes
with standard screening, or longer during busy travel times, according to Bill
Csontos, federal security director for TSA Connecticut.
“It’s a much shorter line,” Csontos said. [You’ll be able
to] “keep your shoes on, light outer clothing and you’ll be able to keep all of
your property in your bag.
Csontos recommends signing up online for TSA pre-check at
least two weeks before a flight because it will require an appointment at
Bradley’s TSA enrollment center.
The cost is $85 for five years, Csontos said.
“Countless times, we see people who repurpose bags from the
gym or firing range and they forget things are inside,” Csontos said. “When you
come through, and we see it through the X-ray, it’s too late.
Larger water bottles are commonly detected, but only bottles
holding 3.4 fluid ounces are allowed. One exception: bottles of sanitizer
containing up to 12 ounces are permitted.
Csontos advised fully emptying bags before packing, going
through every storage pocket.
State police dogs, Csontos said, have been trained to assist
with passenger screening and can help shorten wait times in line.
Danbury voters approve $208M educational bond package
DANBURY — The $208
million borrowing package to meet the city’s surging enrollment passed
Tuesday’s referendum.
“Today is a great day for the city of Danbury and the future
of the Danbury Public Schools,” Mayor Dean Esposito said Tuesday evening,
calling the outcome of the referendum a “win” for the entire city.
“I am so honored by the overwhelming support that the
residents have shown for our children,” he said.
With about 7 percent voter turnout, the referendum passed
with 2,641 votes in favor and 433 against the educational bond package.
The package includes $164 million for a career academy on
the city’s west side and $44 million for other school infrastructure projects
like a new building to house a centralized, standalone pre-kindergarten
program.
Tuesday’s referendum was the latest step in a race to build
enough classroom space for Danbury’s burgeoning
student enrollment, which jumped 5.6 percent in 2019.
The career academy will accommodate about 1,040 high school
and 360 middle school students, and make Danbury the first in the state to
incorporate a career-academy model of workforce training for all high school
students.
The hope is to open the academy on the first day of school
in August 2024, when high school enrollment could jump as much as 10 percent —
from 3,400 to 3,750.
Esposito said Danbury’s new career academy model will
“revolutionize” the city’s education system and broaden opportunities for all
the city’s students.
According to the mayor, the districtwide model will contain
six academies: emerging technologies and entrepreneurship, scientific
innovation and medicine, information and cyber security, professional and
public service, communication and design, and art, engineering and design.
At least $27 million of the $208 million borrowing package
will go toward the construction of a 16-classroom early
childhood education center at Great Plain Elementary School. Officials
say the pre-kindergarten addition will not only free up space in the city’s
elementary schools, but get Danbury out of expensive leases.
“I want to thank Superintendent Kevin Walston for his
partnership and support during this entire process, as well as state Rep. David
Arconti and our entire state delegation for securing the 80 percent
reimbursement rate on eligible costs,” Esposito said.
Westport superintendent wants new elementary school
WESTPORT — Superintendent Thomas Scarice is recommending the
district build a new school instead of renovating Long Lots ahead of a vote
from the school board on the options for the elementary school.
The Board of Education is expected to vote next week on
whether to take the next steps for renovating
Long Lots or build a new structure on the same site — most
likely where the athletic fields are. That vote would only give officials
the go-ahead on the needed preliminary studies for that approach, not actually
commit the district to building new or renovating. Officials stressed there are
still more steps and public involvement before that point.
“It’s not a good candidate for renovation,” Scarice told the
board Monday.
He listed a number of reasons, many of which are tied to the
age of the building.
Long Lots was built in the 1950s. This means there is the
potential for hazardous material, such as asbestos or lead paint, like any
structure built at that time.
John Koplas, senior project manager at Colliers, the project
management firm working with the district, said the state doesn’t allow
abatement at elementary schools while children are in school and so there would
have to be a phased approach if renovating.
“That also extends the timetable,” he said, adding new
construction would take about 14 to 16 months and the phased approach would add
eight to 14 months to that.
“You don’t really have swing space to relocate the children
too,” he said.
Scarice said the district was on schedule. If approved next
week, the environmental, and likely the traffic studies would be done this
summer, with the education specifications and enrollment projections in the
fall. The district would likely file a grant application in June 2023 with an
expected opening of September 2026.
He noted, Long Lots likely wouldn’t be eligible for the
grant reimbursement if renovated based on the state’s criteria.
The building’s age also leads to older HVAC and electrical
systems that are harder to replace as the parts become harder to find. Long
Lots has multiple mechanical systems so Scarice it was not simple to replace
it. The windows, aging roof and other exterior features also lead to insulation
issues, which can affect the temperatures and ability to maintain them.
Officials are doing things in the meantime to address these
issues to ensure the temperatures and humidity are in the appropriate range for
the current use. This includes taking readings every 15 minutes and alerting
school staff if a problem arises, especially with humidity, so someone can get
ahead of it. There are also dehumidifiers throughout the school.
Mold concerns have previously
been raised at the school, but Scarice said on Monday that all of the
readings were good.
Long Lots was also originally built as a middle school,
which means the classrooms are smaller than the current standards Connecticut
has for elementary schools. This makes it difficult for students to move around
and collaborate with each other.
Renovating likely wouldn’t increase classroom sizes,
officials said Monday.
Long Lots Principal Kimberly Ambrosio said the classrooms
are generally less than 600 square feet and the state guidelines are for about
900 to 1,200 square feet. She also said there are lighting issues and the
kindergarten classrooms lack their own bathrooms and space for all of the
supplies and equipment usually found at the grade level.
“We want them to be able to explore and play,” she said.
Officials said the current building was inefficient with a
bigger auditorium and gym than an elementary school needs, leading to other
areas being crowded and leaving the district to still heat these large spaces.
“It’s not negatively impacting our students, but wouldn’t it
be wonderful if we could have that extra space,” Ambrosio said of getting the
larger classrooms.
Neighbors again raised drainage concerns about the proposed
new site for the school, saying it would worsen the flooding conditions they
already experience with the nearby Muddy Brook and athletic fields.
Officials said those will be examined throughout the process
and addressed by engineers.
The ongoing studies will also help determine
the cost of the project because it will show what remediation or
design work needs to be done to address any current issues, including the
environmental ones. The preliminary draft ranges from about $80 million up to
$102 million with the proposed size of the building ranging from 101,000 gross
square feet to 108,000 gross square feet.
“The last thing you want is to find a $1 million problem
after the town has voted on it,” said Marc Sklenka, managing director with
Colliers.
Scarice cautioned the current inflation could affect the cost
of the project.
“It is a problem we’re all facing,” he said.
But, he added, the district and community have also faced
challenges at Long Lots for about a decade and were close to getting a
long-term solution.
“We’re on the doorstep of that,” he said.
Wilton approves $785K for next phase of police HQ project
WILTON — The Board of Selectmen approved $785,000 Monday to
move to the next phase of the new
police headquarters project and extend the contract with vendor Tecton
Architects.
“We contracted with Tecton to do the design studies and a
lot of the preliminary design. They did an amazing job, and that contract was
for $481,750,” Facilities Director Chris Burney told the selectmen Monday. “So
now what we are looking for is approval to extend that contract.”
The good news, per Burney, is that all facets of the project
are moving along as they should with lower contingency hits than anticipated.
The overall percentage of design fees and administration on
the project have come in currently at just under 7.5 percent. Burney said they
“start with numbers like 10 percent for design costs and 20 percent for
contingencies” on projects like this that don’t have immediate known
specifications on design or price.
Burney shared that those initial default estimates seemed to
have been high, as contingency costs have come in considerably lower and a lot
of the design work has already been done with the money allocated.
“So we’re no longer looking at unknowns, and unknowns scare
people in construction,” Burney said.
He said Tecton and the town are certain about what the
building will look like and there aren’t any more opportunities for changes.
Burney said he and Police Chief John Lynch are pleased with the progress of
the long-discussed
police headquarters project.
Burney told the selectmen that the total project cost is
“all locked” at $17 million — the price that was presented and overwhelmingly
approved at an annual town meeting vote in April.
“That is construction, design, extras, anything that has to
go into legal fees, we’re locked at $17 million,” Burney said. “We have all
made a commitment that we will not go above $17 million.”
Conditions and verbiage of the contract’s next phase continue
to be subject to the approval of Town Counsel Doug LoMonte.
As for the process, Burney said that the new building will
be built just steps in front of where the current headquarters is located. Once
the building is erected, police will be moved into the new space, but that is
not where the project ends.
Many features in the rear of the new design, including
parking bays, pavement and rear-facing building grading, can only be completed
when the old building is taken down. All of that is included and anticipated in
the current contingency costs, Burney said.
Construction is expected to start “as we get out of the
worst of the next winter,” Burney told the selectmen.
“I will say, every time I go into the police department now,
there’s a level of excitement,” First Selectwoman Lynne Vanderslice said.
Bristol's Department of Public Works begins reconstruction of several local roads
BRISTOL – The Department of Public Works began the
reconstruction of several local roads Tuesday.
Road repairs began on Sherman Street, Mills Street, Putnam
Street, Walnut Street, Grove Street and Westwood Road from house 72 to house
244.
The project is expected to take approximately four weeks.
The roads will remain open during construction; however residents are
encouraged to take alternate routes to avoid delays. Access to residential
properties will be maintained.
Mayor Jeff Caggiano said that it was time for many of these
roads to be fixed.
"I think the people of Bristol love seeing
well-maintained roads," he said. "These are some roads that need
greater attention and our great Public Works Department is attending to those
needs."
According to a project summary from the Public Works
Department, "the work is being performed due to the deteriorated condition
of the roadway surface. The existing horizontal and vertical alignment of the
road will not be substantially altered."
The work will consist of reclaiming (pulverizing) the
existing roadway pavement and installing a new bituminous roadway surface and
curbing.
First, the city will paint marks on the roadway indicating
the location of public utilities in the project area. From there, the curbs
will be removed and the existing roadway surface will be pulverized. The
roadway surface will remain passable and access to properties will be provided.
This process may create dust, but water will be applied to
the surface to reduce the impact. The pulverizing process may also cause
vibrations. Residents of nearby homes are advised to relocate and safeguard
items that may fall as a result.
Following the pulverizing of the previous surface, the road
will be re-graded and reshaped. The roadway will be excavated and lowered by
approximately 8 inches to install a roadway base of reclaimed pavement or new
process stone. During this time, access to driveways may be temporarily reduced
during daytime hours.
Once the roadway base is established, the first layer of
asphalt will be installed. New curbing will then be installed on the initial
pavement layer. From there, new driveway aprons may be installed.
Lawn areas that were disturbed during construction will also
be loamed and seeded. Property owners are encouraged to water these areas to
encourage grass growth.
Finally, asphalt will be applied within four weeks after the
initial laying of pavement.
The city advises that mailboxes in the area may be
temporarily disturbed, but they will be reset to maintain the delivery of mail.
If mail is not delivered, residents are advised to contact the city.
Residents with sprinkler heads located between the curb and
front of concrete walkway are advised to remove them from the area or contact
the city engineering department so that they are not disturbed. The city
suggests moving them 1.5 feet behind the curb or edge of the road. The city
will not be held responsible for damage to sprinklers inside of this area.
Property owners with invisible dog fences along the road are
asked to notify the city and move them 1.5 feet behind the curb or edge of the
road as well. The city will also not be responsible for damage to dog fences in
this area.
For questions or concerns, residents may contact Nancy
Levesque or Jason Morrocco in the City Engineering Division at 860-584-6125.
Berlin experiencing a burst of multifamily development interest
Bulldozers are moving earth in a field behind Acura of
Berlin, preparing the land for a 72-unit apartment development tied to the
dealership and neighboring shopping plazas along the Berlin Turnpike.
The luxury Turnpike Ridge Apartments — the work of Executive
Auto Group owner John Orsini — is one of several multifamily developments
underway in Berlin, a largely suburban, upper middle-class town of about
20,000.
Two additional multifamily projects approved by the town’s
Planning and Zoning Commission in May will add dozens of additional units.
“So, now, for the first time we have market-rate apartments
coming,” said Berlin Economic Development Director Chris Edge. “It is a
somewhat rapid pace, no question. I think it’s important because we will have a
place for people to not just work in town but also to live in town. People who
grew up in Berlin can now come back and live somewhere that’s not their
parents’ basement.”
Edge predicts the influx of apartments will also provide
space for empty nesters to downsize, which in turn will bring more houses onto
the market, creating additional work for remodelers.
A 16-unit apartment building of the Steele Center
development along Farmington Avenue will be ready for tenants in July or
August, according to Anthony Valenti, a partner in the mixed-use development by
the town’s rail station.
Supply chain problems have put the first building of Steele
Center months behind schedule, but high demand has kept the project moving.
There is a waiting list for the apartments, Valenti said.
He expects to begin building a nearby 13,000-square-foot
mixed-use building with four apartments and first-floor retail space in the
fall, about the same time site work begins on a 55-unit apartment building.
Supply chain issues also slowed down the Turnpike Ridge
development.
The first of three, 24-unit apartment buildings was
originally targeted for completion two years ago. Instead, ground was recently
broken in mid-May. The apartments — in whole or a portion — are now anticipated
to be ready for occupancy in late fall, according to Helene Cavalieri, sales
executive with Berkshire Hathaway New England Properties Commercial Group.
The two-bed, two-bathroom luxury apartments will come
outfitted with appliances. There will also be a clubhouse. Cavalieri said she
is receiving a steady stream of callers interested in the first-come,
first-served waiting list.
Cavalieri said Berlin’s central location, easy access to
highways and other transport, along with well-developed retail and restaurant
amenities have made it an attractive destination. She’s also seen a good deal
of interest in residents looking to downsize.
Vibrancy and desirability
Farmington-based Metro Realty Group in April broke ground on
an 88-unit multifamily development on 11 acres at 883 Deming Road. Thirty
percent of the development will be affordable. It is slated for completion in
late summer of next year. Metro’s plans were made possible by changes in zoning
regulations two years ago.
Zoning changes also paved the way for the Turnpike Ridge and
Steele Center developments.
Berlin Town Planner Maureen Giusti credits affordable land
costs, a desirable location and the town’s flexibility with the burst of
development.
“It’s indicative of the vibrancy and desirability of the
town,” Giusti said.
Rocky Hill developer Peter D’Addeo broke ground late last
year on a mixed-use development that will feature a gas station, convenience
store, fast-food restaurant and 200 apartments on a 36-acre property along the
Berlin Turnpike. Forty of the apartments will be affordable.
Berlin also has a full pipeline of developments yet to break
ground.
In May, Berlin’s Planning and Zoning Commission approved 104
dwellings on a 20-acre portion of a 110-acre property carved off the Shuttle
Meadow Country Club in the west side of Berlin. The development — dubbed “The
Preserve” — will include 28 single-family homes and 76 multifamily units in 48
buildings of two- and four-family design.
The commission also approved adding five, three-family
dwellings on a 6.8-acre property at 309 Main St. in East Berlin, which
currently hosts a two-family house.
Avangrid tells Connecticut it's on-track with Park City Wind project
Avangrid Renewables will give $2.5 million to the University
of Connecticut to study the effect the construction and operation of the Park
City Wind project will have on nearby fisheries.
Atma Khalsa, the company’s offshore environmental manager,
said these research commitments are important to understand the environmental
impact of offshore wind projects.
“So really again, [we're] trying to think about, before,
during and after we install these wind farms, what effects does it have on the
really base layer of the fisheries,” Khalsa said.
The Park City Wind farm is planned to be located off the
coast of Massachusetts, but is projected to generate almost $900 million in
economic benefits and create thousands of jobs in Connecticut. The on-land
operations and maintenance will be based in Bridgeport.
Marcus Brown, the workforce development and local content
coordinator with Park City Wind, said collaboration with the state could help
drive future clean energy projects to Connecticut.
“Avangrid Renewables, through our partners with [the state
Department of Economic and Community Development], worked very hard over
several months to comb together various partners and project opportunities to
develop the industry here in Connecticut, and not just benefit the one single
project, but how we elevate the industry for all the projects to come,” Brown
said.
Brown said they are on-track with the permitting process.