CT Construction Digest Friday July 29, 2022

EPA: ‘Most complicated’ remediation of Raymark waste still ahead in Stratford

Richard Chumney

STRATFORD — Crews have now extracted more than 32,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil polluted by the defunct Raymark Industries, according to an update from Jim DiLorenzo, an environmental engineer with the Environmental Protection Agency.

The yearslong cleanup effort is still on schedule to conclude by the end of 2024, but DiLorenzo warned at a public meeting Wednesday night that roughly 70,000 cubic yards of toxic waste remains buried on the western bank of the Housatonic River and must be remediated.

“Just like lima beans on your plate, we have the hardest and most distasteful properties left to do,” DiLorenzo said. “They’re going to be the most complicated that we still have ahead of us.”

Some of the largest remaining sites eyed for remediation include Beacon Point — a riverside landing containing an estimated 11,000 cubic yards of toxic soil — as well as car dealerships and other spots along Ferry Boulevard and Ferry Creek.

DiLorenzo said the team of environmental regulators, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, town officials and contractors are currently working to remove about 5,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil from the Hitchcock Marine, including 500 cubic yards of especially dangerous waste that must be treated before being disposed elsewhere.

“They’re just wrapping that up now,” he said, adding they plan to finish work at the site sometime in August.

The cleanup, launched in mid-2018, is aimed at removing contaminated soil that was polluted with cancer-causing agents such as asbestos, lead, and polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, by Raymark Industries, an automotive parts manufacturer that dumped waste across the town, according to the Raymark Community Advisory Group.

After removal, most of the contaminants are sent to the former Raybestos Memorial Field where the toxic soil is being consolidated. Engineers are also “capping” the waste with a clay-type material to prevent the toxic chemicals from emerging from the ground. Eventually, a building may be constructed on the site.

DiLorenzo said that as of this month nearly 2,800 truckloads of waste have been transported to the field. Another 231 truckloads of hazardous waste have been transported to a disposal site outside of the town.

According to a timeline presented at the meeting, crews will start to remediate Beacon Point in the late summer and continue into the early fall. The work will then be paused and resumed in the winter of 2023 when there is less activity at the boat landing.

The EPA plans to address the upper portion of Ferry Boulevard and spots along Ferry Creek throughout next year. Other sites in need of remediation — including along Lockwood Avenue — have not been scheduled.

By the time the project is expected to end in 2024, somewhere between 100,000 to 125,000 cubic yards of toxic soil will have been extracted and consolidated at the Raybestos field, DiLorenzo said.

In addition to remediation, the team has also made progress on a new stormwater conveyance system built to handle what is expected to be significant runoff from the consolidation field, which is designed to prevent rainwater from seeping into the ground.

Mike Looney, an Army Corps of Engineers project manager, said crews will start work next month on a large pump station located at the edge of the river. The station, which will take up to 24 months to complete, will operate during significant storms and other high water events.

The Raymark Community Advisory Group will hold its next public meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 28. More information about the ongoing cleanup effort can be found at stratfordct.gov/raymark.

Crew digs up Greenwich Avenue as construction work on sewers makes its way up the street

Ken Borsuk

GREENWICH — Drivers heading down Greenwich Avenue have been dodging construction all summer with work underway on the sewers.

Construction began this week between Lewis Street and Amogerone Crossway, which goes from about 86 Greenwich Ave. to 120 Greenwich Ave. This is phase six of the multipart project, which is slowly moving up Greenwich Avenue.

Work started between the intersections with Railroad Avenue and Grigg Street in June.

The sewer rehabilitation work requires digging into the road to expose the sewer main, according to the Department of Public Works.

As part of the work, a small section of the sanitary sewer main is replaced, DPW said. So far, the construction has not disrupted any services or forced a full closure of the road or sidewalk.

This work is expected to lead into future paving improvements.

“This is preventive infrastructure maintenance to improve the longevity and reliability of critical sewer infrastructure and is best completed ahead of paving, which is anticipated in Greenwich Avenue’s future,” DPW said. It also urged drivers on Greenwich Avenue to move slowly and stay alert.

The project will move up Greenwich Avenue until it meets West Putnam Avenue. The DPW anticipates the work will be done this fall.

“The purpose of this work is to provide many continued years of service life to the critical sewer infrastructure that serves the community and limit the potential for digging up the road for sewer repairs after any future paving is performed along Greenwich Avenue,” DPW said. “Planned, preventative infrastructure maintenance like this results in a lower project cost and less disruption to the community as a whole and means the likelihood of a system failure is much reduced.”

This sewer work is separate from other planned improvements along Greenwich Avenue, including the controversial bumpout project slated for the intersections with Havemeyer Place and Arch Street as well as Fawcett Place and Grigg Street. Construction work on those improvements is expected to begin next spring.

The construction is slated to take place from 5:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, but DPW warned it “may extend beyond 4 on a site-specific basis due to site conditions.”

The DPW has set up a website for updates about the project at www.greenwichct.gov/2256/Greenwich-Avenue-Sewer-Rehabilitation.

$8.8 million Norwich Main Street development project moving forward

Claire Bessette

Norwich — One of several pending Main Street development projects received a major push forward this week, with $4.95 million in private financing approved for the planned $8.8 million renovation of two large buildings at 77-91 Main St.

The two-building complex was the site of a proposed heritage museum in the 1990s that eventually fell through after receiving state grants to stabilize the 1880 buildings.

Kevin Brown, president of the Norwich Community Development Corp., told the NCDC board of directors Thursday that project developer and building owner Norwich Luxury Apartments LLC received a commitment letter Wednesday for the loan.

The City Council last September approved $800,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds for the project, split into a $400,000 loan and a $400,000 building code corrections grant.

“We’re excited to get started,” project attorney Abraham Gordon said Thursday. “We submitted permits now. Once we get that approved, we will jump right in, sometime next month. We definitely feel it will be a great addition to Norwich downtown.”

Brown called the announcement a milestone for downtown and said the project should be joined by several other developments soon that will help transform Main Street. Norwich Luxury Apartments will occupy two historical buildings across from the city’s Main Street parking garage. The buildings front on Main and Water streets. In addition to the apartments, the plans unveiled last summer called for eight retail spaces on Main and Water street levels.

Other projects slated to receive city support through ARPA funds include a pending purchase and redevelopment of the Reid & Hughes building at 193-201 Main St. for 17 apartments and two commercial spaces; a boutique hotel planned for the former Elks Club building at 352 Main St. and redevelopment of the former YMCA at 337 Main St. into the headquarters for Mattern Construction.

NCDC, which administers the city’s economic development ARPA funding, will turn over the $400,000 no-interest city loan to the project as soon Norwich Luxury Apartments closes on its private financing. The $400,000 code correction grant will be turned over after the project is completed, as reimbursement for work done.

Gordon said construction is expected to take eight to 12 months, given anticipated delays in obtaining supplies and construction materials.

The project briefly ran into a snag last summer, when the City Council directed NCDC to limit ARPA-funded economic development projects to a maximum of $300,000 each. A month later, the council approved a specific grant/loan package to Norwich Luxury Apartments LLC.

CT Construction Digest Wednesday July 27, 2022

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New Haven’s 101 College Street: On time, on budget as Downtown Crossing advances

Mark Zaretsky

NEW HAVEN — Just over 13 months after city and state officials joined developer Carter Winstanley to break ground on the 10-story, 500,000-square-foot 101 College Street bioscience lab building, part of the city’s Downtown Crossing project, it’s on time and on budget, with four stories of steel up so far, officials said Tuesday.

“This used to be the edge of downtown,” said emcee and city Economic Development Administrator Michael Piscitelli at a press conference at the corner of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Temple Street. At one year into construction, the four-phase project already has generated $4 million in economic activity, much of which has gone to city-based minority contractors, he said.

It is expected to directly provide 700-1,000 jobs, officials have said.

“We are witnessing something that is so elusive in today’s economy, and that is a project that is on schedule and on budget,” said Mayor Justin Elicker. “... So many members of our team have worked so hard to make sure that the project stays on schedule.”

Throughout its first year, the 101 College Street project has employed 65 to 95 people a day, providing the kind of “inclusive growth” the city needs, Elicker said.

“That, I believe, is what’s going to make us, as a city, prosperous: inclusive growth,” he said.

More than just a development project, 101 College Street includes partnerships with the New Haven Public Schools, Southern Connecticut State University and Gateway Community College to train young people for good jobs in the bioscience industry, Elicker has said.

Downtown Crossing is a city infrastructure project that will create a system of urban boulevards on the former Route 34, aka Oak Street Connector right-of-way. 101 College Street is one of the new buildings being built within that area, and will be home to Arvinas Pharmaceuticals, the Alexion division of AstraZeneca, BioLabs and Yale University, among others.

Elicker pointed out that back in the 1950s “there were hundreds of houses here” that were knocked down to build what ultimately would be named the Richard C. Lee (Route 34) Connector, which ended up being “a highway to nowhere.”

“What happened was ill-advised” and is part of what the current project is trying to fix, he said.

Elicker thanked the state for its support, saying these kinds of projects “wouldn’t happen without support from the state.”

Alexandra Daum, deputy commissioner of the state Department of Economic and Community Development — and a New Haven resident — said the 101 College Street project “really is our gold standard ... We’re not just bragging about it when we’re in New Haven. We’re bragging about it when we’re everywhere else.

“A years ago when we broke ground, we were willing to make a bet on this developer, Carter Winstanley, and we were willing to make a bet on this municipality,” she said.

The fact that the project already is close to fully leased is proof that it was a good decision, she said.

DECD Commissioner David Lehman said in a release that the project “is another strong example of Gov. Lamont’s administration commitment to Connecticut’s cities ... With patience, perseverance and collaboration, we have solidified New Haven’s standing as the second-largest bioscience hub in New England.”

Winstanley thanked both the city and the state for their support and said, “We appreciate the patience of all of the residents and commuters who have had to thread their ways through the traffic caused by construction.”

He said the building ultimately will be home to companies doing extraordinary work “to cure cancer, to cure rare diseases.”

By the end of this year, “the building should be topped-out,” Winstanley said.

Winstanley was proud of the fact that in addition to the work that will go on inside 101 College Street, “this building has a public corridor that runs from one end of the building to the other.” People “will be able to walk through on their way from the railroad station to downtown.”

Hill Alder Ron Hurt, D-3, who was joined by Hill/City Point Alder Carmen Rodriguez, D-6, said “one thing we strive to do in the Hill is to work together” and the 101 College Street building fits right in with that. “We are better together, and what you see this afternoon is togetherness.”

He pointed out that “in 1937 (the Hill) was redlined ... and yet here we are, together. With this structure behind us, we worked hard so that everyone would have the opportunity to work hard ... and have a good job within the community.”

One way that happened was through the work of Melissa Mason of New Haven Works, an organization the Board of Alders’ Black & Hispanic Caucus formed to make sure that New Haveners of color benefit from things such as downtown construction.

Winstanley is working with New Haven Works on a permanent jobs pipeline as well as opportunities during construction, officials said.

Mason said New Haven Works was formed after the caucus found that 18 percent of the city’s Black and hispanic residents were unemployed.

“So far, we’ve placed over 1,800 people in jobs,” Mason said.

In the case of 101 College Street, New Haven Works established a partnership agreement that gives preferential consideration in hiring to residents of the adjacent Hill and Dwight neighborhoods, among others, and guarantees them interviews if they meet the requirements.

State Bond Commission to inject millions into brownfields, small business and other development priorities

Michael Puffer

The State Bond Commission is set Friday to borrow $25 million to fund the state’s brownfield remediation grant program, and another $25 million for a rebooted version of the Small Business Express program.

These are among a laundry list of economic development initiatives poised to receive tens-of-millions of dollars in funding on the state’s credit card.

The brownfield program allows communities to apply for grants of up to $2 million each to clean up polluted sites for reuse.

The new version of Small Business Express, called the Small Business Boost Program, will have a revolving loan fund, a separate revolving fund dedicated to minority business, as well as input from Connecticut-based bankers and Connecticut Innovations Inc. Loans from the minority revolving fund can range from $10,000 to $500,000 with a maximum interest of 4%, with terms of no more than 10 years.

Gov. Ned Lamont, on Monday, announced plans to pump $75 million into the small business program.

Traditionally, items on the bond commission agenda are almost always successful.

Friday’s agenda also includes $10 million for the Connecticut Manufacturing Innovation Fund. This is a loan and grant program meant to encourage joint research and development efforts between private business and universities; vouchers to assist with business development; job skills training, as well as matching funds for federal grants.

The Office of Policy and Management is in-line for $6 million for grants to towns to support transit-oriented development.

The Capital Region Development Authority is slated to receive millions of dollars for a laundry list of projects, including:

$5.5 million for a low-interest loan to help with the $36.2 million redevelopment of the former Fuller Brush factory at 3580 Main St. in Hartford. This project, by major Hartford developer/landlord Shelbourne, will add 153 market-rate apartments.

$258,612 to help East Hartford demolish the former McCartin Elementary School. This will make room for single-family housing.

$3 million for a low-interest loan for the $18.7 million redevelopment of the former Travelers training center at 200 Constitution Plaza in Hartford into 101 apartments, 10% of which will be affordable. Biagio Barone of Stratford-based Barone Properties has teamed with John Guedes, president of Bridgeport builder Primrose Cos. for the redevelopment of the roughly 125,000-square-foot, five-story concrete building on the northeastern edge of downtown Hartford.

$1 million for improvements at the Connecticut Convention Center and Rentschler Field. Work will include repairs to stadium concrete, caulking and painting, along with replacement of damaged bathroom fixtures, flooring and ceiling sections. It will pay for new food and beverage equipment, LED lighting, sound system upgrades and various other repairs.

The bond agenda also includes $53.5 million in earmarks through OPM for specific community projects, including some that include direct or tangential benefits to economic development, including:  

$2 million to help Hartford with brownfield remediation.

$1 million for improvements to the Elizabeth Park Conservancy in Hartford.

$2.1 million to Waterbury to upgrade electric and water capacity at its Captain Neville Industrial Park.

$415,000 for renovation at the Noah Webster House Museum in West Hartford. 

Plainville moving ahead with several projects

BRIAN M. JOHNSON

PLAINVILLE – Town leaders are moving ahead with several projects including White Oak remediation, police station and airport improvements, and installing a sewer system extension for the Honor Heights neighborhood.

Town Council Chair Kathy Pugliese said that the town has put out RFPs (request for proposals) for remediation work to the former White Oak Construction building at 1& 63 W. Main St., next to the Municipal Center.

“We’ve talked to a few people,” she said. “This is the first step in the remediation process.”

Town Manager Robert E. Lee said White Oak was once one of the largest construction companies in Connecticut and was known for building bridges. The property has sat vacant since it closed in the early 2000s. The town received a $1.17 million state Brownfields grant for site remediation last June.

Manafort Brothers, Inc., Newport Realty and TWM Development ultimately plan to renovate the building into a mixed-use development. The development will consist of medical office space, industrial condominiums, a community building, retail, housing and parking.

Pugliese said that the Town Council has also approved the removal of furniture and other items from inside the White Oak building. This will cost $83,000, which will ultimately be reimbursed by Manafort Brothers, Inc., Newport Realty and TWM Development.

“There was some concern about vandalism and people breaking into the building,” she said. “We will pay to clear out the cabinets and furniture and empty out the building. I would imagine this will take place in the next few weeks.”

The town also plans to utilize $100,000 of the $200,000 allocated to the police department from ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding for building enhancements at the police station.

“It will allow them to renovate the kitchen and the Robert Holcomb room and make other interior upgrades,” said Pugliese. “The building is 25 years old and in need of some updates. Chief Christopher Vanghele put together a list of items and the work will be completed by a local company, Award Kitchen & Bath, on Whiting Street. They have said they will donate some dollars to help get the work done.”

Robertson Airport, the public use airport at 62 Johnson Ave., will also see the installation of new weather-related equipment to assist pilots in a $1.465 million project. Pugliese said that $1.3 million, about 90% of this project, will be covered by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), $40,000 will be covered by state funding and the town will pay for the remaining $106,000.

The Honor Heights neighborhood, which includes 82 homes, will also be connected to the town’s sewer system as part of a $1.2 million upgrade. This project will be funded with state grant money.

“The residents of this neighborhood are currently only on a septic system,” said Pugliese. “These systems are about 30 years old and would cost $30,000 to fix. This is an extensive project that will be a permanent fix for those residents.”

Pugliese added that town engineers are also looking into a flooding issue on Hemingway Street, which she said affects the 8 homes in the area closest to Norton Park.

“There is a drainage problem with the pipes that were installed 50 years ago,” said Pugliese. “The original developer is no longer around and the residents’ backyards were being flooded. Town engineering staff are going out to the affected areas and trying to find a solution.”

Construction begins this week in Southbury to repair two bridges over Pomperaug River

Dan Nowak

SOUTHBURY — Work to upgrade two local bridges running over the Pomperaug River is expected to begin later this week.

The Flood Bridge Road and Heritage Road bridges will undergo repair and an upgrade beginning on or about Friday, according to the Southbury Public Works Department. The project consists of the rehabilitation of both bridges including the bridge decks. It includes repair work to the underside of the structures.

Flood Bridge Road will be closed for the duration of construction. Heritage Road will be staged during construction, allowing partial use by motorists.

The project is expected to last three months with an approximate opening of the bridges scheduled for Oct. 27 or sooner.

Advancing these projects has been First Selectman Jeffrey Manville’s goal, especially since the town received federal COVID-19 relief funds from the American Relief Plan Act, or ARPA.

“The bridges were in the plan for repairs prior to ARPA money coming out,” Manville said. “But this did help to combine the two bridges and get a competitive pricing by doing them at the same time.”

Other bridges, including one on Old Field Road, will be upgraded, too. That won’t be done at the same time as Heritage bridge.

“Traffic would be too difficult,” Manville said. “We are ordering the precast for this bridge so that it will be ready to go and avoid inflationary increases.”

When work starts on the two bridges at Flood Bridge Road and Heritage Road, motorists using those two bridges should be aware of detours.

From August through October, Flood Bridge Road will be closed. There will be a detour consisting of Flood Bridge Road, Library Road, South Britain Road and Main Street South. Motorists should follow posted signs for the detour route.

Heritage Road will be staged during construction, allowing motorists full and partial use of the bridge during construction. Stage one will allow motorists to use the bridge to and from Heritage Village. Stage two will restrict motorist to one way into the Village only. A detour (alternate) route, for vehicles leaving the Village, will be in effect during stage two using Heritage Road, North Poverty Road, Roxbury Road (Rte. 67) and Main Street North. Motorists should follow posted signs for that detour route as well.

The two-bridge repair project includes rehabilitating the existing superstructure including a new bituminous concrete surface and expansion joints and repairs to the concrete structure below. The repair work will extend the life of both structures approximately 20-plus years. The golf cart path, that is below the Heritage Road Bridge, will be protected and remain open to golfers for the duration of the project.

Modifications or extensions to this schedule may become necessary due to weather delays or other unforeseen conditions. Motorists are advised to maintain a safe speed when driving along any of the detour routes.

“There is a plan in place for many years out with a funding mechanism to pay for the road and bridge repairs,” Manville said. “One of the biggest cost in a municipal budget is road and bridge repair and maintenance.”

Bristol City Hall renovations continue to move forward

Dean Wright

BRISTOL – With the physical exterior of city hall changing and further projects on the horizon for downtown, the Bristol Board of Public Works updated officials as to ongoing demolition and project progress with the structure.

“ Up until at least this week, there has been a lot of demolition work,” said Public Works Department Director Ray Rogozinski. “This really is the week that a lot of new construction is ultimately scheduled.”

According to a memo shared with city officials, over 20 workers are on-site each day.

With the demolition of city hall’s front brick exterior, workers observed that brick and concrete block walls were not “tied structurally with the building’s substructure” and additional ties were set to be installed in mid-July. The eastern facade of the building will not require ties because much of the area is going to be covered in glass. Ties will be required on other parts of the building. A change order was approved by city council for the work in the amount of $45,000.

Abatement of the building is significantly completed and around $70,000 will be available from “asbestos contingency” to be utilized in other areas of the project.

Excavation of additional space around city hall was slated along with interior office space framing activities and HVAC support and hanger installation.

Among current projects the city will consider taking further action including details with the city council’s dais. The potential addition of more city council and Board of Finance members with charter revisions may require more seating. Officials are also debating the potential for placing two electric vehicle charging stations near the former tax window of city hall. On the third floor of the new building, architects will determine whether the addition of mobile partitioning equipment would allow for a staff lounge to be turned into a public event space.

Officials will determine stair and tile finishes at an upcoming tour for the Public Works Department. Public Works is also set to speak with a fire marshal about the potential of relocating a nearby fire hydrant.

Scheduled meetings with an audio-visual consultant and Public Works are set to consider visual conferencing equipment within city hall. A proposal of around $752,000 was prepared by a designer for such needs. Allocations, according to the memo, allow for around $250,000 towards the project, however, officials anticipate money will not be utilized in other portions of the city hall build project and can be dedicated elsewhere. 

Public Works is also requesting architects to share their opinions on the potential addition of a service window to the mayor’s office area of the new city hall as many other departments have similar spaces dedicated to meeting with residents in halls.

Manchester Redevelopment Agency recommends new Parkade developer

Skyler Frazer

The Manchester Redevelopment Agency has recommended a Dallas-based developer take over the city’s long-awaited Parkade property redevelopment on Broad Street, six months after nixing an agreement with the site’s former developer.

During its July 21 meeting, the RDA recommended the Board of Directors begin negotiations with Anthony Properties to redevelop the derelict 23.2-acre former Parkade site, Manchester General Manager Steve Stephanou said. The vote was 10-1 with RDA member Louis Spadaccini voting against, according to a draft of meeting minutes.

It’s not clear when the town’s board of directors will take action on the recommendations. 

Manchester issued a new request-for-proposal for the project in March after announcing in January the town ceased its partnership with Manchester Parkade 1 LLC, the developer picked in 2019 to redevelop the area. Town officials cited numerous delays and an unclear timeline as reasons for moving on from the Easton-based developer.

The planned $140 million mixed-use project was expected to break ground on initial construction this spring.

The town first bought the multi-parcel property in 2011, after Manchester voters approved an $8 million bond to revitalize the Broad Street area. In 2019 the town named Manchester Parkade 1 LLC as the preferred developer for the site, and a development agreement was signed in April 2021.

That agreement was subsequently twice extended as the developer grappled with financing issues related to Department of Housing and Urban Development funding. Those funding issues were eventually resolved, the developer said.

In May, Manchester Parkade 1 LLC filed a suit against the town in Hartford Superior Court alleging they were wrongfully terminated from the project.

New 62-unit mixed-income development proposed in Farmington

Andrew Larson

Developer Geoffrey Sager is proposing to build a mixed-income housing development at 80 South Road in Farmington, behind the UConn Health Center.

Sager Development representatives presented their proposal to the Planning and Zoning Commission Monday night, but said they won’t submit a formal application until October.

The project consists of two buildings with a total of 62 units, of which 80% would be designated as affordable housing. Of those, 15 units would be leased to Favarh, a Canton-based organization that helps people with intellectual and developmental disabilities live independently.

There would be a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units. The buildings would have community areas, package rooms, mail kiosks, two private offices, accessible laundry and outdoor amenities, Sager said. 

“We believe this is a suitable site for mixed-income rental housing due to its proximity to public transportation, including a Fastrak bus stop that’s less than half a mile away,” Sager said.
“There’s a lot of employment in this area, the medical services are great, and you have walking proximity to the schools at East Farms and Irving Robbins.”

He said the building elevations were conceived in a way that “respects the traditional sensibilities of Farmington” while incorporating contemporary design elements

South Road is a bypass that runs from Route 4 to Westfarms mall. The development would be built on a 2.9-acre site between Middle and Munson roads. No wetlands would be disturbed. 

Sager said he plans to propose a site-specific affordable housing zone, which would not apply anywhere else in town.

The area has miles of contiguous sidewalk and the nearest grocery stores are 2½ miles away, he said.

Financing will come in the form of low-income tax credits through the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, and low-interest-rate loans from the state Department of Housing. The development would count toward the town’s goal of having 10% of its housing stock labeled affordable, Sager said.

If they receive zoning approval, Sager said he will apply for public financing in January, through an “extremely competitive” process.

“We’re proposing enough units to absorb very large fixed costs of the development - the financing, the ongoing management - but not so many units as to overtax the subsidy resources available to us,” Sager said.

Sager has partnered with developers on four other mixed-income projects in Farmington, which they continue to own and manage.

He is also building a 142-unit apartment development off Route 4, across from UConn Health Center, under the name 402 Farmington Ave. LLC. Rock blasting for that project is expected to begin soon.

Stratford council asks Bridgeport peers to sell Sikorsky Airport to town

Brian Lockhart

STRATFORD — Members of the local town council have appealed to their peers in Bridgeport to consider Stratford Mayor Laura Hoydick’s offer to purchase the city-owned, town-based Sikorsky Memorial Airport.

“I know our council is unified in requesting the opportunity to be considered,” Christopher Pia, the Stratford Town Council’s chairman, said in an interview this week. “I believe the mayor put forth a very, very strong offer. I support her and we’re asking for them (Bridgeport’s City Council) to truly consider us and her request.”

Pia was referring to a bipartisan letter, dated July 11 and signed by himself and his nine colleagues. Pia and five of his fellow aldermen are Republicans like Hoydick, with the other four members registered Democrats. They asked their 20 Bridgeport counterparts — all Democrats — to “reject” an offer from the Connecticut Airport Authority “and create an open bidding process that will give the Town of Stratford the opportunity to purchase the airport.”

Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim’s Democratic administration for the past few years has been seeking ways to revive regular commercial passenger service at Sikorsky, which currently caters to business, charter and private planes. That effort resulted in talks to either sell or lease the facility to the CAA, which operates Bradley International and five other state-owned airports and which, CAA and Bridgeport officials have argued, has the expertise and resources to bring back passenger service.

In February the CAA’s board made a formal offer of $10 million for Sikorsky and in March Hoydick’s administration went public with its interest, eventually putting $13 million on the table. But in early May the Sikorsky Airport Authority voted to accept the CAA’s proposal, the details of which are currently being finalized to forward to the Bridgeport City Council for review and final approval.

CT Construction Digest Monday July 25, 2022

Federal funding may unclog Old Lyme sewer project

Carrie Czerwinski

Old Lyme — News of potential aid from the federal government may mean a long overdue sewer and stormwater project in Old Lyme can finally move forward.

In May, Connecticut’s U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, both Democrats, requested $11.2 million for the project, covering 990 homes in the private beach neighborhoods of Old Colony Beach, Old Lyme Shores Beach and Miami Beach, as well as the town’s Sound View Beach, in the fiscal year 2023 federal budget, currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

In a statement provided via email through his Hartford office on Wednesday, Blumenthal said, “I endorsed this project for federal funding because it is important to the Old Lyme Community and would help reduce pollution in Long Island Sound. My office was proud to submit a request for this project to receive congressionally directed spending.”

“But I understand many applications from Connecticut and other states will be assessed by the Senate Appropriations Committee, which will have to make difficult choices within its budgetary limits,” he added. “I anticipate those decisions to be made later this summer.”

If approved by the committee and Congress, the town could receive the money by next June.

The project was approved in 2019 to connect the neighborhoods, which currently use septic systems, to sewer systems to mitigate pollution to Long Island Sound. The associations governing Old Colony Beach, Old Lyme Shores Beach and Miami Beach, which are chartered neighborhoods and considered their own municipalities, approved the project at separate referendums. The public Sound View Beach came on after a townwide vote.

The project stalled after higher-than-expected bids, due in part to supply chain issues, raised the project cost to $55.6 million — an almost 30% increase over the originally estimated $43.5 million.

Old Colony Beach Club Association President Doug Whalen, reached by phone Monday, said, “this program is vital to remove a lot of the nitrogen out of Long Island Sound, which is polluting Long Island Sound, and that’s really our goal.”

He went on to say, “all the people in our communities, basically they want to have clean water that they want to swim in.”

“We are shovel-ready, and we’ve just been trying to get the right number because we exceeded all of our bonds that we pulled out for all of these projects,” Whalen said. “We couldn’t go forward with anything, and now, all of a sudden, with (federal funding), we should be able to get over the edge and move this project forward.”

Richard Prendergast, chairman of the Old Lyme Water Pollution Control Authority, agreed. “If we get that money, we can start building,” he said by phone Wednesday. “The 11 months it’s going to take to do the construction of the shared infrastructure — we start that immediately.”

The planned system for the four beach communities revolves around a shared pump station — to be located in the Sound View neighborhood — as well as a force main pipe, enabling all four entities to send their sewage, through East Lyme and Waterford, to New London for treatment.

Assuming the federal grant money comes through, Whalen said, “our goal is to get a shovel in the ground by 2023 and have sewers flowing in 2025.”

When asked what would happen if the money does not come through, Prendergast said, “if we don’t get the funding, we would approach the state and say ‘this is not economically feasible,’” and postpone the project until additional funding can be found. “They know we’re trying. They know that two years earlier, pre-COVID, we wouldn’t have had this problem,” he said.

Officials from the town and beach communities will hold a public meeting at 10 a.m. on Aug. 27 at Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School at 49 Lyme St., Old Lyme, to update residents on the status of the project, including projected costs and what improvements are planned.

Glastonbury P&Z approves plan to build 74-unit apartment building

Robert Storace

The Glastonbury Town Plan & Zoning Commission finalized a developer’s proposal Tuesday to build a 74-unit apartment building that could be occupied in early 2024.

The commission voted 4-2 to approve the application during a nearly four-hour meeting.

Developer Richard Hayes, principal of Manchester/Hebron Avenue LLC, will build the multifamily units. The property, on Manchester Road and Hebron Avenue, is across the street from Buckingham Park. The complex will be known as Buckingham Corners.

Hinckley Allen partner Timothy Hollister and associate Andrea Gomes represent Hayes.

Hollister previously told the Hartford Business Journal that, if all goes as planned, construction could start in the fall and would take about 18 months. Occupancy could begin in early 2024, he said.

Hollister also said that 70% of the units will go for the market share rate while the other 30% will be for moderate-income households. There will be 85 parking spaces, he said.

‘New neighborhood’ could form in downtown Bethel under developer’s plans for apartments, townhouses

Kendra Baker

BETHEL — A developer looks to create a “new neighborhood” on Diamond Avenue that not only attracts and benefits people from in and out of town, but helps the town achieve its transit-oriented development goals.

“I think it’s going to be phenomenal,” Adriano Echavarria said about his vision of an energy efficient, aesthetically timeless, multi-dwelling development at 9 and 11 Diamond Ave. — the concept plan for which he presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission last Tuesday.

On the 12.6 acres of Diamond Avenue land, Echavarria proposes constructing four, four-story rental residential apartment buildings to the northwest, two rows of townhouses, and two, three-story buildings with lower-level retail space on the southern end, facing Diamond Avenue.

One of the three-story buildings would feature self-storage on the second and third floors, while the upper levels of the other would have about 25 residential apartments for rent.

Echavarria said most of the residential units on the site would be for rent, but the townhouses would be for ownership.

“If you just make everything rental, it becomes very transitory and can be challenging to manage,” he said. “If you bring in permanent housing, it becomes a much more diversified neighborhood.”

The proposal calls for two rows of eight townhouses with 25-foot frontages, separated by what Echavarria describes as “a public park within a private area.”

Echavarria said he’s open to modifications but the current proposal is to have a total of fewer than 200 one- and two-bedroom residential rentals on the site — 150 to 170 of which would be in the four-story apartment buildings.

He also noted that affordable housing is a priority, and he plans to exceed the 20 percent affordable housing required in Bethel’s transit-oriented development zone, also known as the TOD zone.

In addition to a mix of retail and residential development, Echavarria’s proposal calls for lots of green space and a focus on sustainability and creativity.

“We are trying to bring in the most progressive, green affordable housing project seen in not only the town of Bethel, but the entire state of Connecticut,” he said, noting that one of his goals is to construct buildings that are not only timeless in appearance, but energy efficient.

“Energy efficiency and going green are at the center of everything from an infrastructure perspective,” Echavarria said.

In addition to proposing rooftop green space and solar panels on the buildings, Echavarria’s plan calls for a nature walk on 3.5 acres of wetland area in the northeast section of 9 Diamond Ave, which is off of Bethel’s main downtown road, Greenwood Avenue.

There is also a big focus on creative expression.

“When I think about Bethel, I think of music and arts,” said Echavarria, who sees Diamond Avenue becoming a destination or center for music and arts, as well as food.

“There would be an art gallery in the middle, conveniently located for art studio workshops that we would create for local artists in Bethel,” he said, adding that his goal would be to offer studio spaces to artists at as low a rental rate “as humanly possible.”

Echavarria said his proposal isn’t just about creating a mixed-use community, but one that achieves the four key pillars of Bethel’s TOD master plan — urban design and zoning, economic development, transportation, and affordable housing construction.

“We want to take Diamond Avenue … into the forefront of what the TOD is all about,” he said.

Among the strategic goals of Bethel’s TOD master plan is the construction of a pedestrian bridge connecting the east side of Bethel’s train station to the west side of the tracks — and that, Echavarria said, “is the anchor of how we take these parcels and bring them into the fold.”

He is not proposing to build the bridge as part of his proposed development, but to provide the land for the town to use for its construction.

Echavarria said the bridge would help drive foot traffic, and he made sure to provide enough flexibility, utility and space in his Diamond Avenue plans to incorporate its construction.

“From an engineering perspective, it’s achievable,” he said.

The bridge would not only benefit locals, Echavarria said, but help attract out-of-town visitors.

“I envision kids from WestConn wanting to jump on a train and come to the new neighborhood,” he said. “This will serve not only Bethel residents going to Stamford or New York, but people from all towns and make this the destination.”

While Echavarria’s proposal received positive reviews from several commissioners — some saying it has the potential to be one of Bethel’s “best” developments — one expressed concern about its city-like appearance.

“It has an urban design and Bethel is not urban, so we’re talking about literally turning Bethel into Danbury,” the commissioner said.

Echavarria said he understands the concern but doesn’t see it that way, and noted that Bethel’s TOD master plan calls for urban design and zoning.

“It’s not that the town would be converting into the new Danbury,” he said. “It’s about revitalizing Diamond into a multi-use community (with) green space, a nature walk, retail, commercial and townhomes.”

Danbury-area attorney Neil Marcus agreed with Echavarria, saying the proposal is more similar to development taking place in downtown Ridgefield.

“What Bethel is turning into, quite honestly, is actually the new Ridgefield — not the new Danbury,” he said.

With conceptual plans being the first phase of his proposed multi-phase project, Echavarria said his next move will be to request a zone change to turn the Diamond Avenue properties from industrial to residential.

“I want to start phase two right away,” he said. “I’d love to (break) ground by the beginning of next summer, which means we’ve got to have a site plan submitted probably by November or December.”

Echavarria said he wants to work with local leaders and community members to not only bring his proposed “new neighborhood” to Diamond Avenue, but help Bethel achieve its transit-oriented development goals.

“The TOD is important. The opportunity that Bethel has is amazing, and we can bring this to a new level,” he said.

Is Bridgeport’s Congress St. Bridge finally getting replaced?

Brian Lockhart

BRIDGEPORT — In January 2019, at a press conference announcing the state would help pay to replace the demolished Congress Street drawbridge, reestablishing a long-defunct but vital link between the East Side and downtown, Councilwoman Maria Valle was in a skeptical mood.

“I stand before you and wonder, “Is it gonna happen? Is it finally here?’” Valle had said.

Three-and-a-half years later, she is still awaiting an answer.

“You see?” a frustrated Valle said recently when reminded of her comments from 2019. “I am frustrated. Some kind of activity should have been happening there.”

Why the continued delay? Those involved blame: The global coronavirus pandemic that struck Connecticut in 2020; a complicated federal and state permitting process; and objections from a few property owners along the Pequonnock River about the decision to make the new Congress Street span a fixed one, rather than re-using the old drawbridge design.

So will the replacement project, which Mayor Joe Ganim prioritized in late 2016, then touted during his successful 2019 re-election bid, finally get underway for him to brag about it during his 2023 re-election campaign?

Jon Urquidi, Bridgeport’s municipal engineer, on Wednesday told members of the City Council, “As of right now I don’t have a definitive ‘this is the day were going to go out for construction.’”

He had been invited to provide a brief update to the council’s economic development committee on a few projects, the Congress Street Bridge included.

Meanwhile Thomas Gill, Ganim’s economic development chief, claimed in an interview that “we’re in the home stretch” of the permitting process, which has involved the federal Army Corps of Engineers and Connecticut’s departments of energy and environmental protection, and transportation. But Gill, like Urquidi, would not offer a timeline for a groundbreaking.

Back in January, 2019, the Ganim administration was talking about starting construction — estimated then to be $24 million, split between Bridgeport and the state — in 2020.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) in a statement said, “Construction is set to proceed by the end of 2022, with materials procurement through the winter and major construction beginning spring 2023.”

The coronavirus pandemic has been one reason for the delay, according to the DOT, along with “design challenges and project management staff changes.”

The Congress Street drawbridge got stuck in the open position over the Pequonnock River in 1997, during Ganim’s first tenure in office. The rusty hulk was demolished in 2010 under then-Mayor Bill Finch, who called it “the city's most visible reminder of infrastructure neglect.”

Ever since there has been talk about building a new structure not only to help the East Side and downtown economies, but also to improve emergency response. The city’s fire headquarters, for example, is located on Congress Street on the downtown side.

Ultimately officials decided it would be cheaper to erect an immovable bridge. As a result, the city and Bridgeport’s Congressional delegation successfully convinced the federal government to de-authorize the channel, meaning the Army Corps of Engineers is no longer responsible for dredging it, which required a drawbridge to be in place.

But that was hardly the end of the process. Bridgeport, on top of filing for various water and environment-related permits, also has been working to convince the state a drawbridge is no longer necessary and was required to submit a survey of vessel traffic to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).

“We gave them everything that they need,” Gill said this week, adding, “You will be able to get smaller boats under this bridge.”

But a couple property owners along the banks of the Pequonnock River have, according to Will Healey, director of communications for the state DEEP, expressed concerns over a fixed bridge’s “impacts to navigation” — the ability to get boats or barges to and from their land. So DEEP has been taking a hard look at those claims.

“The fact that it’s no longer a federal channel (for the Army Corps) doesn’t mean there’s no navigation,” Healey explained. “And we are responsible for ensuring safe navigation and the rights of coastal property owners.”

Urquidi told the council this week the Ganim administration has hired an outside attorney to help the municipal law department address the situation.

Based on information provided by DEEP, one of the concerned property owners is the well-known DiNardo family of developers which owns the former Grand Brass property at 522 Housatonic Ave. Representatives for the family did not return a request for comment.

Another is Michael Julian, who is launching an oyster-growing enterprise in the Pequonnock — raising the seeds in the dirtier environment there where they will thrive, then transferring those seedlings to cleaner water to complete the growth cycle. Julian said having a fixed Congress Street Bridge “kind of leaves us limited options when it comes to (business) growth.”

“I’m so new as far as the company goes, we’re in the learning process right now,” Julian said. “But I can say with pretty good certainty eventually being able to access this with a boat is gonna be critical to the operation.”

Healey said, “There is a possibility that we will join the applicant (Bridgeport) in a meeting with adjacent property owners” to try and work out any remaining issues.

Gill, however, does not believe complaints “from a couple of property owners that may some day want to do something” will halt the bridge project.

“Just think about it,” he said. “We have a situation where we have a number of people in the city who will benefit from this bridge (by) being able to connect the East Side to the downtown again. From a safety factor, the fire department will be able to utilize that bridge, as will the police and ambulances and so forth.”

Healey noted that, were a decision made not to proceed with a fixed bridge and require a drawbridge, Bridgeport “would have to submit a new application” — adding even more time to the replacement effort.

“The city could also request a hearing if we make a tentative determination to deny the existing application” for a fixed structure, Healey said.

There is yet another possible wrinkle — the higher costs of construction materials that began rising during the start of the pandemic.

According to the state transportation department, its $12 million half of the $24 million estimate announced in 2019 remains available. But is the price tag still $24 million?

“We’ll know after the (construction) bid,” Gill said. “We maybe would make some changes to the bridge that could reduce costs — some extras we put on there. But we’ve been cognizant (of inflation) and have been tracking it. We’re still within the ballpark.”

Valle at this point will not believe the bridge is being replaced until work has begun.

“There’s always something that is blocking what could be and what has been promised to the residents,” she said.

Neighbors galvanize efforts to battle proposed 1 million square foot Cromwell warehouse

Gary Kleeblatt

CROMWELL — In a David-versus-Goliath battle over a proposal for a 1 million square foot warehouse on sensitive wetlands in Cromwell, the perceived underdog has secured aid to hopefully defeat the plan.

Neighbors opposing the application by Scannell Properties of Indiana hired a lawyer and an environmental consulting firm to fight the effort. The 1.04 million square foot facility would be two and a half times bigger than the Amazon one in town.

Their lawyer, John Parks, has a record of recent wins defeating developers who wanted to build similarly sized buildings in Newtown and South Windsor. And Parks says the environmental firm has provided expert advice on how to stop the application before the Inland Wetlands Commission, which continued a hearing to Aug. 3.

The proposed site encompasses 250 acres in the Mattabesset River watershed east of Shunpike Road, north of Geer Street and south of the Rocky Hill line.

Opposition has galvanized a band of neighbors led by Geer Street resident Mike Baecker, who said the proposal is unprecedented in that it would fill in a vernal pool considered essential for maintaining the environment and the species that live there.

“A ton of animals live within it,” Baecker said of the pool on which the warehouse would be directly placed. “You’re supposed to avoid vernal pools (in such developments) at all costs.”

A lawyer representing the developer, Thomas Cody of Robinson and Cole, declined to answer questions. He said only that issues raised by neighbors and Parks about the vernal pools and other environmental matters would be addressed at the upcoming hearing.

The band of neighbors launched a GoFundMe page, which has so far raised about $13,500.

Robyn Swanson, who lives on Walnut Tree Road, also directly across from the site, said the neighbors are not playing. “We’re bracing for a long war,” said Swanson. “We’re serious about this.”

Baecker said the vernal pool that the warehouse would be placed on — one of six or seven on the site — has particular significance because animals use it as a way station to other pools. “They are interconnected,” he said.

Vernal pools are the “Holy Grail of wetlands,” Parks said, adding that the he believes the long driveway into the site “is a killing zone.” Amphibians that populate the site instinctively move from one pool to another “to attempt to do something they’ve done for thousands of years,” he added.

Parks said the construction of the warehouse is on one of the most important pools on the site. He believes the “thousands” of trucks driving along the half-mile driveway will result in the death of many amphibians.

Total truck traffic will be akin to a “nine-mile long freight train coming in every day,” and countless amphibians would be crushed under the weight of the trucks, he added.

“The amphibious life reinvigorates the wetlands,” Parks said. “They keep it alive. Wetlands are a living thing.”

Another issue Cody declined to respond to is that the Scannell-sponsored study supporting the application completely missed at least one, and perhaps two, wetlands, according to Parks, and Rema Ecological Services of Manchester, the environmental firm residents hired.

Parks said missing wetlands is a fundamental flaw.

“The town is basing its decision entirely on a misrepresentation,” he said. “You’re supposed to disclose all wetlands and tell us what you’re going to fill.”

The fact that the Scannell expert failed to identify wetlands is hard to understand, Parks added, because the person was involved in a 1990s study that detailed all the town wetlands, including those on the proposed site that the expert’s report missed.

“It calls into question the expert’s credibility,” he said, adding that he is optimistic the proposal would not receive the necessary wetlands commission approval.

Neighbors are not naive to the economic importance of development, however.

“I’m not against development in town, but it needs to be reasonable,” Swanson explained. “We don’t need tractor-trailers coming through our neighborhoods all night long.”

Parks also believes the massive nature of the proposal is simply out of place. “The magnitude and scope of the project vastly exceeds the environment’s ability to handle it,” he said.

“They are trying to squeeze it into an area that is so fragile and complicated. If it were one-tenth of the size, it wouldn’t be such a problem. This proposal is incompatible with human habitation. You can’t sleep, you can’t hear and you can’t live.”

For details on the Aug. 3 hearing, visit cromwellct.com.

CT Construction Digest Thursday July 21, 2022

Greenwich High entryway bids arrive $1.3M over budget. ‘Excessively high’ costs shock school officials.

Annelise Hanshaw

GREENWICH — The Greenwich High School vestibule project’s building committee expected construction bids to hit just above the $2.7 million budget, board of education and building committee member Christina Downey said.

But when members of the committee opened two bids from what Downey described as ‘reputable’ companies Tuesday, they were surprised to see both construction companies charging around $4 million.

“It seems to not fall into what is a standard price for this type of construction project or size of construction project,” Steve Walko, chair of the building committee, said. “The bids that came in seem excessively high.”

“I think everybody (on the building committee) was surprised. I think our architect was surprised,” Downey said.

“We're going to try to do some background research to figure out what the basis for (the expense) is. Whether it's just the market right now, we just don't have enough information,” she said. “Is it because the materials are so expensive? Is it labor cost? We're just going to try to drill down and get better information.”

The steep diversion from budget will cost time, for any extra expenses must pass Greenwich’s Board of Education, Board of Estimate and Taxation and Representative Town Meeting before the committee can hire a construction company.

Since the first regular RTM meeting after the summer break is Sept. 19, Greenwich High School students will begin the school year Sept. 1 through the same entryway they left in June.

The building committee said it had hoped to complete demolition and make progress on the entryway before the beginning of the school year.

Walko mentioned that the Board of Education could delay construction a year in hopes the market would improve, but he said in the meantime, the committee would be gathering information on other options.

The Board of Education could also re-define the education specifications, which provide the building committee and architect with the project’s needs, Downey said. But she doesn’t see much opportunity to value-engineer the current design within the $2.7 million budget.

“Technically, everything is on the table right now,” Walko said in regard to a potential action plan.

“We’re getting information about where this project is relative to its cost and how to look at it from alternative ways, whether that means additional pricing, whether that means a relook at the design, a sort of total redesign. I don't think it necessarily means value engineering, but it could mean a combination of all of those things,” he said.

The committee will look at the expenses of materials specified in the vestibule’s design, like the ballistic glass that covers the façade. It could find alternative materials if architects planned for finishes that are extraordinarily expensive right now, he said.

“Everyone is looking to make sure that tax dollars are spent wisely and so taking a deeper look into why we are where we are is absolutely critical,” Walko said.

The opportunity to bid opened June 27, and the building committee gave companies until July 12 to submit their bids. The deadline stretched to July 19 after a potential bidder asked for an extension because of “the short bid period and the fact that there is a holiday in the middle of it.”

A short bidding period can result in inflated prices if companies don’t have adequate time to review the documents prepared by the architect, officials said.

The vestibule project’s project manual, which companies use to craft a bid, is 1,284 pages long. It includes general instructions, details for construction finishes, site plans, other architectural drawings and pictures.

Walko and Downey said they didn’t think the more-than-expected costs were caused by the length of the bid period.

The upcoming bid process for Central Middle School may have stopped interested parties from bidding the entryway project to keep their schedule open, Downey mused.

The committee also received bids in a separate solicitation for an owner’s representative who acts as a manager between the district and the hired contractors.

The owner’s representative costs, which are charged hourly in this project, would add to the expense if the committee chooses to hire one.

Once the building committee has gathered information, the Board of Education will review its options in a special meeting, Downey said. She said she anticipates it will be added to the next special meeting where members look at the Central Middle School educational specifications.

She also said she doesn’t think the vestibule project’s approximately $4 million price tag will affect the plans for Central Middle School, though it would give the board an idea of costs, she said.

The Board of Education could discuss options in a special meeting as soon as next week.

Ansonia Police garage suffering from structural issues

Eddy Martinez

ANSONIA — It’s been nearly a year since the members of the Ansonia Police Department moved to their new headquarters on Main Street.

Nearly everything about the station is a step up from the old one, except for the parking situation.

While the station has a garage for police cars, Chief of Police Wayne Williams said officers have to park their cars on the street.

“Our police vehicles are parked on East Main Street,” Williams said.

The police station garage has gone unused since the station first opened in the fall of 2021. According to city officials, the garage is currently unusable due to structural issues. The city’s Board of Aldermen voted on July 12 to approve a $846,333 bid to Frank Capasso and Sons Inc. to repair the garage. The garage should be ready for use by next year, according to Tener Contracting, which had been hired to oversee repairs.

The aldermen voted to approve the bid which was added later to the agenda with 11 voting yes with one abstention vote recorded for Alderman Steven Adamowski. Economic Development and Community Director Sheila O’Malley said the garage bid was higher than the amount originally set aside for the repairs. The city initially estimated the repairs to be at $750,000. The previous bidder, she said, didn’t have experience with garage repair.

She said the contractor will be tasked with repairing the parking deck in the garage. Corporation Counsel John Marini said water had damaged the garage floor and it needed to be replaced.

Paul Sekas, an engineer for Tener Contracting, said the garage has other issues.

“We’re looking at about 180 days for total completion once Frank Capasso and Sons mobilizes. And then we’ll be working through to repair the concrete,” Sekas said.

But while construction is planned to go ahead, Ansonia police have been forced to park their cars on East Main Street. However, Williams said the cars are safe since the area is monitored by cameras and extra lights. The police also use the lot by Massimino’s Pizzeria on occasion.

While Adamowski abstained from voting, he said he was supportive of the repairs.

“I am very supportive of the repairs and painting of the garage floor as addressed by the accepted bid... Since I have been on the BOA, I have made it a practice not to vote on items that were late additions to the agenda. My abstention should not be interpreted as disagreement with the work or the contractor selected,” Adamowski said.

Sekas said the garage, when finished, will be open for the police and the senior center.

“It’ll free up parking on East Main Street for the apartments that are going in. So I think it's a nice balance of shuffling things around. And finally, giving the PD what they deserve, “ Sekas said.

Developers see market for upscale rental housing in Granby and Bloomfield

Don Stacom

After a better-than-expected experience with marketing a large apartment complex in Granby, developers Reggie Kronstadt, Bard Kligerman and Robert Kligerman are putting up 165 rental homes in Granby and Bloomfield — with another 150 or so planned.

At a time when some single-family home builders are caught between high construction prices and rising interest rates, Kronstadt and his partners believe they have found a niche that’s financially solid: Rental duplexes and townhouses aimed at young families and empty-nesters.

“We’ve realized this area is so under-supplied for high-quality Class A housing,” Kronstadt said Tuesday. “Our big focus now is single-family rental space: SFR. We’re really focused on building larger unit configuration rental houses.

“Our average homes in Granby are about 1,800 to 1,900 feet, they’re all three- and four-bedrooms. That’s what we’re going all-in on now,” Kronstadt said.

Until a few years ago, Kronstadt’s Krown Point Capital wasn’t known in Connecticut. But that changed when he partnered with the Kligermans, principals in Connecticut Realty Trust, to buy The Grand, a new but struggling 130-unit apartment complex in Granby.

“When COVID hit, leasing stalled. It was 45% leased. We basically rebranded it and closed on it two years ago,” Kronstadt said Tuesday.

“We’d never done anything in Granby or Hartford County before. It was a one-off. We thought it would take 18 months to lease, it took eight months. We’ve been 100% leased for a year.”

That success put Kronstadt and the Kligermans on a construction campaign in central Connecticut that shows no signs of letting up, despite a year of viciously high construction costs and rising interest rates.

They are building 75 units on Murtha’s Way in Granby and expect the initial ones will be ready for occupancy in August. In Bloomfield, they took over a long-stalled plan to build traditional one-family houses and instead are putting up 90 townhouses and attached duplexes.

“The demand for larger units is stronger than ever. The whole work-from-home phenomenon means people want the extra bedroom for the home office,” Kronstadt said.

“People want more space nowadays. When you’re not going to the office every day, that whole live-work-play phenomenon of your home changes entirely. Everyone wants more space than traditional apartments,” he said.

Most of the partnership’s new projects are two- and three-bedroom units. But Krown Point and Connecticut Realty Trust are trying out a few four-bedroom units in their new construction, believing that young families and empty-nesters will be eager for them.

“Even if it’s a higher price point, they want the extra bedroom, they want the privacy of a home, they want a private garage,” he said.

Like many developers introducing large-scale residential housing in the past few years, the plans are heavy on amenities. Part of the new Granby project is centered around a swimming pool and clubhouse with outdoor fire pits; another section has more fire pits, a dog park and bocce courts.

Robert Kligerman said a key feature of the Granby project is the location: “It’s minutes to required household goods and services, yet in a country setting which feels a world apart.”

Large rental units offer tenants the “actual and emotional benefits of luxury home ownership,” he said, but without the upfront investment or the maintenance demands.

Bard Kligerman noted that 25% of the new Granby apartments were pre-leased even before a model was available to show.

“Single-family rentals are one of the fastest-growing real estate sectors across the country, but has been lacking in the Northeast,” he said.

Project Manager Perry Gold is directing a team of 75 subcontractors and trades workers at the Granby site. The Bloomfield project is expected to break ground early next year, and Kronstadt said another one — in a central Connecticut community that he won’t name yet — should bring another 120 to 160 units.

Federal Reserve report signals slowing construction demand

Joe Bousquin

Some construction activity has begun to slow in various regions around the country as commodity pricing, building permit applications and even calls for construction workers eased, according to the latest Beige Book reading, the Federal Reserve’s informal measure of economic activity.

Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America, noted several aspects reflecting lower demand for construction, including nine of the 12 Fed districts reporting “noted moderation in prices for construction inputs such as lumber and steel,” in his latest Data DIGest report. 

In San Francisco, commercial real estate permits and construction slowed; in Dallas, there was less demand for construction workers, according to staffing agencies; in Kansas City, financing for multifamily construction tightened, leading to fewer projects starting in recent weeks.

The report comes as contractors have started to note cooling material prices, and after four of the 11 subcategories for construction inputs in the Producer Price Index eased last month. The emerging signs of slowing demand follow three interest rate hikes this year by the Fed, which is set to meet again July 26-27, when it is expected to raise rates another 0.75 percentage points in its battle to tame historic inflation.

The latest Beige Book could provide reasons to take a softer stance, however, “as several districts reported growing signs of a slowdown in demand, and contacts in five districts noted concerns over an increased risk of a recession.” The Fed has been trying to pull off a “soft landing” of the economy by tightening monetary policy without plunging it into recession.

But there were plenty of other reasons for the Fed to continue its hawkish, rate-raising campaign, including the Consumer Price Index, which rose in June at an annual rate of 9.1%, the highest level since 1981. According to a note written after the Beige Book’s release, financial services firm UBS said, “the Fed will need much more substantial evidence that inflationary pressure is easing before they consider lifting their foot off the brake pedal.”

After months of debate, Hartford trash-burning plant now officially closed

Patrick Skahill 

After decades of burning garbage, the Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority said Wednesday it has officially shut down its trash incinerator in Hartford.

Leadership at the company said combustion of garbage at its South Meadows facility ceased at 1:56 a.m. Tuesday, July 19.

The announcement follows months of debate about the state-owned facility’s future, which came in the wake of a rejected redevelopment plan, mechanical breakdowns, and falling energy prices.

MIRA President and CEO Tom Kirk told Connecticut Public last week that prices for the power produced by burning garbage at South Meadows fell by about 70 percent, making it “a little bit cheaper” for towns to send their waste to out-of-state landfills.

MIRA saw a large share of its member towns opt-out of contracts with the agency in recent months, choosing to send their trash to private haulers.

For member towns that are still contracted with MIRA, garbage that would have gone to South Meadows will now be sent to transfer stations in Torrington and Essex – those are temporary spots for garbage.

MIRA will continue to operate peaking power generators at the site until May of next year and is now turning its attention to decommissioning the South Meadows site, Kirk said via email Wednesday.

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) said it is working to reduce the amount of state trash that will be sent to out-of-state landfills as a result of MIRA’s closure.

The agency said it is partnering with dozens of towns to explore alternative disposal options, including waste reduction and food waste recycling.

$6.3M park set to begin construction in Waterbury in October

LANCE REYNOLDS

WATERBURY — City officials expect construction of a park that will feature a Little League baseball field and concession stand with bathrooms on Mill Street to begin in October.

Officials said the project will continue the positive momentum they’ve created in the South End, one of the poorest neighborhoods in the state, according to Connecticut Data Haven.

Dayton Construction Co. has been selected to build the facility at 313 Mill St., the site of a former factory building that burned to the ground in April 2012. The Board of Aldermen on Monday approved a $5.8 million contract with the Watertown-based firm.

The park, which carries a cost of $6.3 million funded by grants, also will feature a playscape, sitting area, scoreboard, bleachers, water fountain and lighting, a project rendering shows.

Alderman Victor Lopez on Wednesday said the project is a longtime coming for South End residents. He recounted a meeting several years ago when city officials heard about 90 community members voice what they’d like to see take the place of the dilapidated field.

“In unison, they said they felt we needed green space; we needed space for our kids to be able to play, to learn, to have outdoor space where they can be safely encouraged to be active within the community,” said Lopez, executive director of Hispanic Coalition of Greater Waterbury. “To see it emerge to this point, it is really, really exciting to me, personally.”

After a massive fire knocked down the deserted Nova Dye factory building, the 4.8-acre property next to the Mad River became heavily contaminated. Former Gov. Dannel P. Malloy distributed a $2 million grant for the city to clean up pollutants, but the cleanup left behind giant foundations.

Thomas Hyde, interim director of Waterbury Development Corp., on Wednesday stopped by 313 Mill St. Overlooking the site, overrun by weeds and trees, Hyde envisioned what the project will deliver to the neighborhood. His organization is overseeing the project.

Officials added the concession stand late in the design phase, Hyde noted. The stand will generate revenue for the city to maintain the field and help Little League officials buy gear, he said.

The project is expected to conclude by September 2023, Hyde said. That includes a four-month winter shutdown, but it could be shorter depending on weather severity and how quickly materials can be procured, he said.

“It is really hard in this environment to figure out what these schedules are going to be because there are so many uncertainties,” Hyde said.

Mayor Neil M. O’Leary called the project site complicated because it’s on one of the city’s many brownfields. The city continues to work closely with environmental experts and the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, he said.

As the city’s former police chief, O’Leary helped transform a brownfield in the North End into a Little League field across the street from the Police Activities League on Division Street. Officials are modeling the Mill Street park off the Division Street complex, which also features a pavilion, concession stand and basketball courts, O’Leary said.

Next door to the site is the Brass City Regional Food Hub, which opened in May 2020 and soon will potentially add greenhouses and a market cafe. Down the road is the site of the former Anamet factory, an abandoned 17.4-acre industrial site that officials say they want to redevelop. Officials last week approved a $2.5 million contract with a demolition company to further the process.

“It is part of a massive investment into the South End from this administration,” O’Leary said of the Mill Street park project. “We are really happy to be able to bring this to the residents of the South End. It is a desert down there for recreation.”

CT Construction Digest Wednesday July 20, 2022

Connecticut attorney general fines Eversource $1.8 million over accusations utility deceptively marketed natural gas connections

Stephen Singer

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong on Tuesday fined Eversource Energy Inc. $1.8 million, the second state penalty in seven months over alleged deceptive marketing practices related to natural gas connections.

“Eversource misled homeowners to get them to switch to natural gas,” he said in a statement. “These high-pressure tactics are unacceptable coming from any business, much less a regulated utility.”

Eversource will pay $1.6 million to Operation Fuel, which helps low-income ratepayers, and $200,000 to the attorney general’s office for consumer education and enforcement, Tong said.

Eversource spokeswoman Tricia Modifica said the Berlin-based utility is “pleased to resolve this matter in a cooperative and constructive way by providing help to utility customers through Operation Fuel and the attorney general’s consumer education fund.”

The state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority in December fined Eversource $1.8 million for failing to disclose whether marketing materials for gas connections were paid for by shareholders, ratepayers or both, in violation of Connecticut law.

Tong opened an investigation following a report in August 2021 by columnist Kevin Rennie of The Hartford Courant about notices from Eversource claiming homeowners in South Windsor would be unable to connect to natural gas when their road was resurfaced due to a “paving moratorium.”

Rennie reported that an Eversource representative later said the marketing materials referencing repaving and a cash back offer deadline were sent in error and the utility apologized.

Following its investigation last year, PURA said Eversource made “little, if any, good faith efforts” to achieve compliance “aside from a complete halt to its marketing efforts in this area.” Regulators said Eversource understood its obligation under state law “because nowhere in the record does Eversource demonstrate any instances where it inquired about the meaning of the statute” with PURA.

PURA calculated the fine as $500 for each of the 3,594 people who received marketing materials that did not include required advertising disclosures.

Waterbury-Oxford Airport to get $40 million makeover, set to create 200-plus jobs

Luther Turmelle

A Los Angeles-based business aviation company is preparing for taking off with a multi-phase project development project at Waterbury-Oxford Airport that will created hundreds of construction jobs and 202 permanent aviation jobs.

Clay Lacy Aviation is in the midst of expanding the airport’s footprint, having contractors truck in enough fill to the area near the intersection of Christian Road and Juliano Drive in Oxford. Sometimme before the end of the year, it will be able begin the first phase of construction, said Chris Hand, senior vice president of the company’s Northeast Region.

The first phase will be built on an 11-acre site, according to Hand.

The company already has an aircraft maintenance facility at the airport.

“The goal is to grow nationally, on both coasts and in between,” Hand said. Clay Lacy Aviation has signed a 30-year lease with the Connecticut Airport Authority.

Ultimately, when all three phases are completed, there will be 202 direct or permanent jobs created, he said. An additional 420 construction jobs will created during the three phases.

Clay Lacy Aviation’s annual payroll will be in excess of $32 million.

The first phase of what will ultimately be a $40 million expansion by the company at the airport includes a 40,000 square foot hangar and 5,000 square feet of office space, Hand said. It is expected to be open before the winter of 2023, he said.

“Our clients like to have hangar space lined up before the winter arrives,” Hand said.

The second phase calls for another 40,000 square foot hangar and another 5,000 square feet of office space, which Hand said is expected be ready by the spring or summer of 2024. The third and final of the expansion calls for another 40,000 square foot hangar and an additional 5,000 square feet of office space, which should be ready sometime during the fourth quarter of 2024, he said.

By the time the project is complete, it will cover 15 acres and fuel facility capable of holding 40,000 gallons. The hangars will be heated and offer drive up access to the clients whose private jets are stored there.

Michael Boyd, a Colorado-based airline consultant, said general aviation “is the one growth area out there.”

“This a premier firm and a real home run for that airport,” Boyd said.

By the time the project is complete, it will cover 15 acres and also include a fuel facility capable of holding 40,000 gallons.

In a copy of a company brochure made available to Hearst Connecticut Media this week, is trying to woo tenants for its office and hangar space claiming the facility is 30 percent less expensive than other general aviation airports in the New York metro area.

“New York airports are traditionally at full hangar capacity,” the brochure claims.

Tweed New Haven airport seeks 507 more on-site parking spaces — a 54.7 percent increase

Mark Zaretsky

NEW HAVEN — The operator of Tweed New Haven Regional Airport has applied for city approval to add 507 additional on-site parking spaces, which would raise the parking capacity at Tweed from the current 927 spaces to 1,434 spaces.

Avports, LLC’s application for the 54.7 percent increase in parking capacity would help accommodate the continued growth of Avelo Airlines, which has gone from an initial six Florida destinations last November to 14 destinations today.

The application will be on the City Plan Commission agenda in August, said Tweed New Haven Airport Authority Executive Director Sean Scanlon.

“This is a good problem to have,” Scanlon said. “It’s because this service has been incredibly well-received and we’ve taken this historic approach in order to deal with it.”

“We’ve still never reached capacity,” Scanlon said. “The tools that we’ve put in place so far, Step 1 was the ParkHVN.com website, just getting people to think about parking” as a way to control it, he said.

Tweed considered but later backed away from a proposal to add an off-site parking lot.

“The second step was our Union Station arrangement, which on a typical day we now have 20 or 30 cars parking there, as opposed to here (at the airport,) which does free up some space,” Scanlon said.

The third option — expansion of the on-site capacity — “does create more space but also puts in some waiting capacity,” Scanlon said. “If we create more parking, it actually ends up being less traffic. Our traffic studies actually show that this plan reduces traffic instead of creating more,” he said.

“As Tweed airport continues to add new affordable flights to more destinations, we understand how important it is that we also expand parking options for flyers and take steps to reduce the traffic impact on surrounding neighborhoods — that’s what these changes are all about,” said Jorge Roberts, CEO of Avports.

“These changes will improve on our environmental impact, using filtration systems and state of the art materials in order to ensure that nearby wetlands are better preserved, and that the temporary parking will later be removed to reclaim those grassland areas for airport use,” Roberts said.

But at an airport that is entirely below potential flood elevation, does that increase the chance of eventual flooding?

“That’s what we’re going to City Plan for,” said Scanlon. “We’re also proposing to use permeable pavement with filtration, which is better than traditional asphalt, and we’re working with the city to make sure that we can meet our growing needs in the most sustainable way.”

While maps submitted to the City Plan Commission appear to show that all of the additional parking is on the New Haven side of the airport, which is owned by New Haven but located partially in East Haven, East Haven Town Attorney Michael Luzzi said the town was informed of the application.

“They did notify us as they are required to,” Luzzi said. “We are monitoring the situation. Our town engineer is monitoring the application.”

He declined to comment further.

The East Haven Town Council scheduled a special meeting for Tuesday night to consider hiring an outside attorney to assist its legal staff in reviewing matters related to Tweed expansion. Luzzi also declined to comment on that.

Pedestrian bridge crossing Bethel’s train tracks is among the ways to enhance downtown, experts say

Kendra Baker

BETHEL — Even after praising the way Bethel has developed its downtown, experts say the town could further enhance accessibility for pedestrians.

One recommendation is the construction of a pedestrian bridge connecting the east side of Bethel’s train station and the west side of the tracks.

An over-the-tracks pedestrian bridge, which has been an idea for at least a decade, was one of the topics discussed during and after a recent transit-oriented community walk through downtown Bethel.

The June 30 walk highlighting Bethel’s downtown revitalization efforts was hosted by Desegregate Connecticut as part of the pro-home advocacy group’s ongoing efforts to encourage more housing development around transportation hubs in the state.

“Bethel is a great example of smart, long-term local planning that recognizes it has a huge asset of a train line,” Desegregate Connecticut’s director, Peter Harrison, told Hearst Connecticut Media.

Town Planner Beth Cavagna guided the Bethel audit walk, reviewing different properties, architectural and density-related improvements along the way.

Potential improvement and development areas — like the proposed pedestrian bridge connecting the train station to Diamond Avenue — were also noted during as well as after the walk.

“That pedestrian overhead pass would definitely help with the development of that area,” Bethel’s economic development director, Janice Chrzecijanek, said during a follow-up Desegregate Connecticut virtual workshop last week.

The pedestrian bridge has appeared in several town plans — including in Bethel’s 2020 Plan of Conservation and Development and 2016 Bethel Forward master plan — but hasn’t moved past planning stages.

Chrzecijanek said the estimated cost of the project is around $7 million, and the town has been looking for ways to fund its construction.

“Resources on our side are a little tight, so we’re kind of looking around to figure out how we can apply for grants for that overhead pass,” she said. “But even finding a grant writer is really difficult at this point.”

Another setback has been lack of involvement from agencies needed in order to turn the bridge idea into a reality.

“We would need Metro-North’s cooperation, funding through the state and multi-level approvals,” Cavagna told Hearst Connecticut Media. “We’re still in the planning phases of that.”

Other recommendations

In addition to highlighting the town’s successful transit-oriented development, the audit walk through Bethel was designed to open people’s eyes to potential areas of improvement — such as the need for the pedestrian bridge over the train tracks.

A number of other recommendations were shared during Desegregate Connecticut’s virtual workshop, including the addition of a crosswalk at the entrance of the municipal parking lot on Depot Place.

For Durant Avenue — a corridor between Bethel’s train station and downtown businesses that features homes, trees and lit sidewalks on one side, and industrial development on the other — bike lanes and the addition of sidewalks and landscaping on the industrial side of the street were suggested.

There was also a recommendation to convert some industrial land into multi-family housing.

For Bethel’s main street, Greenwood Avenue, audio crosswalk prompts for the visually impaired were recommended, along with additional benches and trash cans.

In addition to holding businesses accountable for weed removal, repainting of crosswalks were suggested for the area of Barnum Square and School Street.

Gales Ferry residents voice concerns on proposed dredging facility

Kevin Gorden

Ledyard — Roughly 250 residents, mostly from the Gales Ferry area, met face-to-face and virtually with officials who hope to build a dredging material processing facility on a portion of the former Dow Chemical plant property in town.

Several members of the public aired their concerns during the sometimes heated meeting at the Ledyard Middle School Auditorium on Monday night, which occurred after a June 15 meeting on the project was canceled due to an overflow crowd gathered at the Bill Library.

Officials with Cashman Dredging and Marine Contracting out of Quincy, Mass., purchased the 165-acre Dow site along Route 12 in Gales Ferry in May. The proposed dredging operation would use 10 acres of the property. A polystyrene manufacturer, Americas Styrenics, continues to lease 23 acres. The remaining land would be open to other tenants.

Alan Perrault, vice president of Jay Cashman Inc., Cashman's parent company, outlined the proposed dredging facility while he and other project officials took questions during the more than 2½-hour gathering.

Perrault said the proposed Gales Ferry Intermodal Facility would be a perfect complement to Cashman facilities in Staten Island, N.Y., and Quincy, and the site is in a strategic location to support the growing offshore wind and other marine-related industries.

The project's website, galesferryintermodal.com, says the site offers many amenities suitable for the proposed dredging operation including: 850 linear feet of deepwater pier and bulkhead space, rail line access, signalized access to Route 12 leading to interstates 95 and 395, nearby heavy-duty power lines and barge loading and off-loading capabilities. It is the largest industrially zoned parcel of land in Ledyard.

The Gales Ferry facility would process dredged material brought in by barge or scow, store it in 50-foot-tall covered piles, then ship it out by truck or rail to other sites within three to four months. The piles wouldn't be very visible from Route 12, due to the topographical grade, or elevation, of the site. The dredged material would mostly be stabilized aboard the barges by "de-watering" and then mixing it with cement before being offloaded. Any hazardous material would be shipped out of state.

Perrault stressed dredged material comes under strict regulations regarding contamination, is tested frequently and "pre-characterized" to ensure no dangerous material is included.

He said the dredging facility could receive material from the expansion of the Electric Boat Shipyard in Groton, New London State Pier development of a staging site for off-shore wind components and Cross Sound Ferry operations, among other sources. No contracts have been signed.

Cashman officials said the Gales Ferry development should reverse the tax assessment decreases for the property. According to the Intermodal website, assessments over the past five years for the Route 12 location have decreased 33%, as the previous site owner tore down buildings on the property.

"We believe we can attract quality tenants and create hundreds of job opportunities like we have previously on our other successful redevelopment projects," says a statement on the website.

Residents, though, expressed skepticism about the project. Most concerns were about increased truck traffic on Route 12. Many people said the trucks will be slowing down at the Route 12 intersection with the proposed Gales Ferry site to turn in to the facility. They noted with the traffic from Electric Boat and the casinos, that could cause some problems in the area, especially when school buses are also on the road.

Perrault said the Intermodal project is still in its early stages of development, and the traffic issue is being vetted. However, research done by a consulting firm hired by Cashman indicates the intersection at Route 12 can more than adequately handle the expected truck traffic generated by the project.

"The intersection can handle what we're proposing, but we will be looking further," Perrault said. "Our analysis is accurate, both COVID and pre-COVID. I'm not saying it answers every truck transportation question someone has, as to the speed of the trucks coming in or leaving. But the capacity is there."

He estimated that, at most, 150 trucks per day would be entering and leaving the dredging facility. "That's probably on the high side," he said. "A large percentage of the time it would be below that number. Could be a lot lower than that."

He noted the dredging season in New England's waterways is only between October and February, which also would curtail operations.

In an emailed statement after Monday night's meeting, members of the Gales Ferry Taxing District say they still have many concerns regarding the proposal. They claim the benefits of the project have still not been made clear to residents and that the town will be "burdened with traffic, health hazards, noise, lights, etc."

The group further stated, "The residents of Gales Ferry intend to meet with Cashman, and hear any mitigation strategies.....At this time, there did not seem to be any reasonable answers to the impending roadblocks....There is much concern for Gales Ferry, Montville, and Groton and the future of this area becoming largely industrialized."

Perrault said Cashman will be filing a transfer permit application within the next two weeks with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, which will begin a minimum six-month review process. Future meetings with town officials will be pursued as well, along with more public informational meetings.

"This is the beginning of the process," he said. "Contrary to what some people may think, we're being as transparent as we can (about the project). We've answered every question, even though it may not be the answer people want."

Curaleaf proposes cannabis dispensary at former Friendly’s in Manchester

Skyler Frazer

Manchester has received an application from a national, multi-state cannabis operator to open a dispensary at the former Friendly’s restaurant on Buckland Street.

The Planning and Economic Development Department received an application from Curaleaf on July 5 for a retail marijuana dispensary in the former eatery at 240 Buckland St. The cannabis company is asking the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission to approve a special exception to allow a hybrid cannabis dispensary at the 1.05-acre site, which is in a general business zone.

No substantial exterior changes are proposed to the property or 4,322-square-foot building, other than new paint and signage. The parking configuration, which includes 81 standard and four accessible spaces, isn’t proposed to change, either.

Staff are reviewing the application before it heads to the Planning and Zoning Commission for consideration.

According to documents submitted to the town, Curaleaf signed a 10-year lease for the property on March 28. The parcel is owned by Manchester CT Realty Ventures LLC.

The site, down the road from The Shoppes at Buckland Hills mall in Manchester and Evergreen Walk in South Windsor, is near Interstate 84.

In June, dispensary Fine Fettle won town zoning approval for a cannabis retail store at 91 Hale Road.

Waterbury hires contractor for $2.5M to complete demolition at 17.4-acre industrial complex ahead of redevelopment

Michael Puffer

Waterbury officials on Friday signed off on a $2.5 million contract with a demolition company to finish clearing away several dilapidated buildings on an abandoned 17.4-acre industrial site targeted for redevelopment.

Anamet touted itself as the world’s largest producer of flexible metal hose before shuttering its campus off Waterbury’s South Main Street about two decades ago. The sprawling industrial campus that once ran on round-the-clock shifts quickly became a crumbling public safety hazard and an eyesore in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the state.

The city and state have already poured more than $5 million into buying the property at 698 South Main St. and demolishing several buildings. Local taxpayers spent $2.7 million repairing the roof of a 220,000-square-foot building planned for reuse. With this new contract, the city aims to demolish several other buildings remaining onsite. 

Under the contract with the city, Stamford Wrecking will also abate some hazardous building materials inside the 220,000-square-foot industrial building. The contract gives the company 150 days to complete the job once the city issues a notice to proceed.

The hire was approved by the Waterbury Development Corp. Executive Committee on Friday.

The city, in April, advertised a “request for proposals” seeking developers interested in turning the site into a commercial or industrial use capable of generating jobs and tax revenue. Responses were due June 10.

Hyde said a committee formed to vet responses will begin interviews of interested developers in August.

Walsh Group signs with DOT for Windsor Locks train station project 

Hanna Snyder Gambini

Windsor Locks officials are optimistic that long-awaited economic development initiatives are on track now that the state has secured a company to build a new train station downtown.

The state Department of Transportation signed on with The Walsh Group on Friday for the $65 million train station project. 

A municipal study conducted more than 15 years ago suggested that moving the train station downtown would spur massive revitalization efforts.

The state expects a groundbreaking in late August, which should launch other downtown revitalization efforts, Windsor Locks First Selectman Paul Harrington said.

“A lot of economic development happens once developers see that this is a real project,” Harrington said. “Once the dirt starts to fly, I think you’ll start to see real economic development down there.”

Mixed-use residential and commercial projects would be ideal, Harrington said, creating areas where people could live, work and play, with convenient access to public transportation.

The DOT is coordinating the project, but Harrington said both town and state officials are looking to attract serious developers with solid plans that will enhance the downtown area, the local economy and quality of life.

Once committed developers are in place, “That will unlock the treasure chest of money,” such as state Community Challenge and Community Investment Fund grants, Harrington said.

“But the state made it clear they want real plans before making an investment with developers,” Harrington said. “The developer needs to be real, and know that this is not free money, but that they have to invest in the town as well.” 

The town also has money that will support new development and downtown improvements from a municipal Main Street Capital Account or streetscape grants. 

Harrington said he has already started to spread the word that the DOT project is “really happening now,” and he is looking for the right developers.

“We have to be cognizant of the market,” he said. “Retail is hurting, but some areas are booming like health care and service-oriented storefronts like coffee shops or sandwich shops,” Harrington said. 

The DOT has set an 18 to 24 month timeline for the project. Harrington said he hopes development projects can run concurrently. 

Walsh Group is also the DOT’s contractor for the ongoing Mixmaster rehabilitation project in Waterbury. The $212 million project is set to be finished in June 2023.

Middlesex Corp. Reaches Milestone On Housatonic River Crossing in Connecticut

KEN LIEBESKIND

The reconstruction of two adjoining bridges on I-84 over the Housatonic River in Newtown and Southbury, Conn., which began in June 2020 and is scheduled for completion in December 2023, has reached a milestone and is proceeding ahead of schedule.

"The westbound bridge has been completed and we're now in the process of constructing a new crossover that allows us to put east and west bound traffic on a new bridge, so we're halfway through and expect to have the eastbound bridge up by the end of this year," said Christopher Zukowski, project manager of the Connecticut Department of Transportation.

Andrew Walter, project manager of Middlesex Corp., Littleton, Mass., the contractor on the job, added, "We completed the westbound bridge and now we're working on the crossover to switch traffic. We're aiming to get the second bridge erected before winter — that's the goal."

The key construction equipment for this portion of the job includes two Link-Belt 348 300-ton cranes and Poseidon sectional barges, Walter said.

Describing the work performed from April 4 to 18, the Rochambeau bridge website reported, "We continued excavating and grading the median for the eastbound crossover, placed temporary drainage lines, placed process aggregate base and cleaned the south side of the new westbound deck of all debris. We placed membrane waterproofing on the south side of the new westbound deck, placed processed aggregate base for the eastbound crossover in the median on both sides of the bridge and began paving the deck and crossovers. We paved the southern half of the Rochambeau Bridge and began paving the median crossover on the Southbury side of the bridge and placed graded compacted aggregate base for the median crossover on the Newtown side."

After the construction of the westbound bridge was completed, traffic is being shifted onto the new bridge while the eastbound bridge is being reconstructed with temporary crossovers being built in a similar manner in the median of I-84.

Work in the river will take place using work trestles and barges, with a minimum 75-ft. channel width for boaters to be maintained at all times, except for major demolition and steel erection work, which requires temporary channel closures and the advanced approval of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the U.S. Coast Guard.

"The trestles give us access to the wetland areas," Walter said. "There are two bridges parallel to each other and to demolish one and get across the river, we need the trestles. The barges give us access in the deep water and are the key to making the job work."

Zukowski said there have been no major problems with the job to date.

"There was a shortage of primer associated with the cold applied two part epoxy membrane, so we did a substitution of woven glass membrane, but that affected many CTDOT jobs and we remained on schedule."

Walter added, "The job is running smoothly, thanks to our strong project team and great working relationship with CTDOT."

The project started in June 2020 with completion expected by December 2023. When asked why the project will take more than three years to complete, Walter said, "It is the complete reconstruction of a highway, so it takes that long to complete. There are major shifts of traffic through all project stages. However, because of the flexible access methods provided by the sectional barges, we're ahead of schedule and it's a lot safer for the traveling public to travel freely through the site without regular lane closures."

The budget for the job is $52.87 million and is being financed by CTDOT. CEG