HARTFORD — Three, high profile — and surprising — sites in
downtown Hartford are being considered as the location for a new federal
courthouse that would replace the nearly 60-year-old Abraham A. Ribicoff
Federal Building and Courthouse on Main Street.
The U.S. General Services Administration, which oversees the
development of federal buildings, announced the potential sites for the $335
million project Tuesday after a search that was launched nearly a year ago. The
announcement drew immediate concern from local officials.
The three sites are:
A parking lot on Allyn Street, just west of the XL Center.
The parking lot, at the corner of Allyn and High streets, is owned by Brooklyn,
N.Y.-based Shelbourne Global Solutions LLC, downtown’s largest commercial
landlord. Shelbourne couldn’t be reached for comment.
The parking lot at 10 Ford St., the site of the former
Parkview Hilton hotel, demolished in 1990. The parking lot is directly across
from Bushnell Park and is owned by Hartford-based Chase Enterprises. Chase said
it was too early to comment.
A parking lot in the area known as “Bushnell South,” at the
corner of Capitol Avenue and Hudson Street. The lot is owned by a partnership
that includes Simon Konover Co. and the Gersten family. The partnership
couldn’t be reached.
All three sites have been targeted for years for mixed-use
redevelopment, with an emphasis on housing. No timetable for a decision was
announced Tuesday, but the next step would involve further study beginning this
fall and the seeking of public comment, GSA said.
Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin Tuesday said he was concerned
about the sites that will be evaluated for the courthouse.
“We appreciate the federal government’s commitment to
building a new courthouse in Hartford, and in the right location and with the
right design, a courthouse could compliment our economic development work,”
Bronin said, in a statement.
“That said, it would be a shame to put a tax exempt
courthouse in a location where there are active efforts underway to pursue
taxable residential development, and we look forward to working with the GSA
and our federal partners as the site selection process moves forward,” Bronin
said.
Uncertainty over whether the sites might be selected for the
new courthouse could slow down redevelopment around in the areas around them.
A master plan for the Bushnell South area, near the Bushnell
Center for the Performing Arts, envisions converting a barren stretch of
parking lots into a new neighborhood of housing, commercial and entertainment
space. The plan has made no mention of a potential courthouse. The Capital
Region Development Authority, the quasi-public that is overseeing the area’s
development, is in the midst of selecting a developer for the first parking
lot, just west of the one being considered for the courthouse.
CRDA also has been active in helping finance the addition of
apartments in and around Allyn Street, between the XL Center and Union Station.
Four apartment conversion projects totaling $45 million added 183 rentals, with
CRDA financing nearly $20 million in low-cost, state taxpayer-backed loans.
More development has been expected for the corridor.
There have been no firm plans for the Ford Street lot, but
the city has often mentioned it would be a natural for housing, given the views
across the street to Bushnell Park.
Michael W. Freimuth, CRDA’s executive director, said in a
text Tuesday, the authority said it was anxious to learn how the potential
sites would work and what options were passed over and why.
“This is a large tax-exempt use with marginal economic spin
so we really need to be conscious to get optimum balance between the federal
needs/requirements and the existing municipal plans and efforts at these
locations,” Freimuth wrote.
Earlier this year, the GSA received authorization for $335
million to purchase a site, design and building a new, 281,000 square-foot
federal courthouse. So far, $273.5 million has been appropriated by the U.S.
Congress.
A new federal courthouse has been discussed for years, and
in 2020, the courthouse was listed as the top one needing replacement across
the country.
A groundbreaking could still be several years away.
Connecticut’s Congressional delegation has been a strong
advocate for the new courthouse. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal two years ago
said the existing courthouse, part of the Ribicoff complex, had outlived its
“sell-by” date. A new facility would bring judicial civil and criminal
operations into the 21st century, Blumenthal said.
Construction of a new courthouse is seen as needed to tackle
significant, ongoing security, space and building condition problems, a
spokesman for the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, has said.
Prisoner movement is through public corridors and through
public entrances of each courtroom because the layout of the building does not
allow for separation of public, prisoner, judge and staff movement.
The sally port where prisoners are transported to and from
the court isn’t big enough. The location of the Immigration and Customs
Enforcement offices in the building are also a problem, the office said.
The existing courthouse now has eight courtrooms and 11
chambers, many of which do not meet modern size standards. A new courthouse
would have 11 courtrooms and 18 chambers for 18 judges.
It is likely the Ribicoff building, built in 1963 and named
after a former governor and U.S. senator in 1980, would still be used for a
consolidation of federal offices if a new courthouse is built.
First bids awarded for Torrington middle-high school project
TORRINGTON — The City Council took a major step in
building a new school for city students, awarding bids for the Torrington
middle-high school project first approved by voters in 2020.
The project originally was approved by voters in November
2020 for $159 million, and then in January 2022 voters approved an additional
$20 million to the project. The additional funds, school building committee
co-chairmen Mario Longobucco and Ed Arum told the City Council in December
2021, were due to increased enrollment and rising costs for construction
and materials.
The bid packages now approved include: $6.669 million for
Marguerite Concrete of Hopedale, Mass.; $11.101 million to Berlin Steel
Construction Co. in Kensington; $1.314 million for Giliberto & Sons of
Hartford for waterproofing, air barrier and sealants; $1.595 million to
Blackwater Services Group of Waterbury for fire protection; $29,330 million to
MJ Daly of Waterbury for plumbing; $11.697 million for electrical services to
Paul Dinto Electric Contractors of Middlebury; and $17.725 million to CJ Faucci
Inc. of New Haven for site work.
The council also approved a request from the building
committee to terminate its contract with Construction Solutions LLC, as a
consultant.
"We decided to use our option to cancel this contract
with the consultant, which we could do at any time," said Arum. "It's
our recommendation to do that; we're looking for another consultant now."
Arum would not say exactly why the committee was terminating
its contract with the consultant. "We're just using our option to cancel,
that's all," he said.
Although the council approved the bid requests from
the building committee, several members were concerned. Councilor Ann Ruwet
wanted more information on terminating the agreement with Construction
Solutions, and said she hadn't had enough time to review the bids before the
Oct. 1 meeting. She asked to table the motion on the consultants until the
council's next meeting.
"I'm a little uncomfortable with this," she said.
"This is a lot to go over; there's millions of dollars of our taxpayers'
money here, and I just think it's a lot to put in a motion."
Arum said this week that the timeline to decide on the
construction bigs was very tight. "To get everything done, we met (Sept.
29)," he said.
Ruwet voted against the contract termination motion; Mayor
Elinor Carbone broke the tie and the motion was passed.
Now that the contracts are approved, the companies involved
in everything from pouring concrete to installing sprinkler systems and other
safety measures can get to work, officials said. In May, the school building committee
and the S/L/A/M Collaborative said they wanted to start work in
October.
The collaborative's designers are working with the school
district, Board of Education and school building committee throughout the
design phase to ensure the learning environments and configuration of the new
school will reflect the needs and expectations of the Torrington community,
officials said.
The biggest challenge for S/L/A/M , said project
designer Amy Samuelson, was to design a 310,000-square-foot building that
prioritized and balanced the district’s existing educational programs with the
latest trends and innovation.
“For example, we’re providing an engineering lab, which is
meant to complement what they already have,” Samuelson said. “Balancing new
technology with what’s already there has always been a big part of this plan,
while keeping reimbursement in mind. It’s always a balance.”
Norwalk Hospital demolition — part of $220M expansion — set for next spring
NORWALK — A more established timeline has been released for
Norwalk Hospital's $220 million expansion, including plans for a massive demolition.
In a legal notice alerting the public of its plans, Nuvance
Health, which owns and operates Norwalk Hospital, said the eastern portion of
Tracey Pavilion and the entire Community Pavilion will be demolished on the
hospital's Maple Street campus.
The demolition is part of the hospital’s $220 million
renovation and expansion set to be completed by 2026, Nuvance Health
spokesperson Donald Fantozzi said.
The eastern portion of Tracey Pavilion, which was built in
1918, and the 1953 Community Pavilion are scheduled to be demolished in spring
2023, Fantozzi said. The demolition is expected to last four to five months.
“Following the demolition, construction of the new pavilion
is scheduled to begin in fall 2023,” Fantozzi said. “In consideration of weather
and other environmental factors, we estimate the building will be complete at
the end of 2025 and expected to open in winter 2025-26.”
While the demolition isn’t set to take place until the
spring, Nuvance submitted the demolition notice months in advance, as required
by the Norwalk
city code.
“Norwalk Hospital remains committed to being a good
neighbor, and we are proactively keeping the Norwalk community informed of the
upcoming demolition and construction for everyone’s safety and comfort,”
Fantozzi said. “As these projects progress, we will continue our outreach to
mitigate the impact it has on the surrounding businesses and homes. The entire
community has our deepest gratitude for their support as we expand our services
and update our facilities to better serve them in the future.”
Within 10 days of submitting an application for a permit to
demolish a building or structure, the applicant must publish in a local
newspaper, send the notice to owners of adjoining properties and several
Norwalk government entities, including the Norwalk Historical Commission and
Chief Building Official, according to the city code.
Additionally, if the permit is approved, the applicant is
required to "post in a conspicuous location on the property on which the
building or structure is situated a sign at least 24 inches by 36 inches in
size visible from the nearest street or other accessway adjoining the property.
Such sign shall include copy of the notice and shall contain the word
‘demolition’ in capital letters no less than 2 inches in height.”
The sign must remain up until the demolition is completed,
according to the code.
The advanced notice is intended to give opposition to the
demolition time to voice their concerns.
“In the event that a written, acknowledged objection,
stating the reasons for opposing demolition is filed with the chief building
official within 21 days after filing the certification statement ... the chief
building official shall not issue the permit until 120 days after the
application is deemed filed,” the city code reads. “If no such written
objection is filed, the chief building official may issue the demolition
permit, provided that all other requirements have been complied with.”
The renovation intends to modernize inpatient care and
expand maternity services, Fantozzi said. The new building will have a Mother
and Infant Unit and newborn intensive care.
The new pavilion will include a Medical-Surgical Unit with
90 private rooms and labor and delivery and infant ICU will be in the main
pavilion, Fantozzi said.
Plans to demolish and rebuild portions of the hospital
were first announced in June 2021, following an anticipated
“surge” in births.
“While Nuvance Health is directing essential investments in
this dramatic transformation, philanthropy will play an important role in
bringing our plans to fruition,” Fantozzi said. “The foundation has already
launched an extensive fundraising effort to help support the expansive project
and programs.”
Norwalk Hospital President Peter Cordeau previously said the
project was funded by local philanthropies and the hospital’s budget.
“The goal is to raise over $100 million from philanthropy
and the remainder, somewhere north of $100 million, say $120 million, will be
paid for,” Cordeau previously said. “We are not going to get a loan for this.
We are going to use money from subsequent capital years. Every year, those are
monies we use to buy equipment or renovate.”
$2 million project to replace Glen Street Bridge in Berlin in the works
BERLIN – A $2 million project to replace the Glen Street
Bridge could take place as soon as 2025.
The Town of Berlin plans to utilize funding from the Federal
Local Bridge Program administered by the State Department of Transportation
(DOT) to cover 80% of the project cost, Berlin Deputy Director of Public Works
Jim Horbal told the Herald.
“We received the local permit and now there are a number of
additional approvals required, from the State Army Corps of Engineers and the
DOT,” he said.
A DOT inspection of the bridge a few years back found
deficiencies with its culvert and the load rating was reduced. Then last year a
bad storm caused more significant damage.
“We had a hurricane about a year ago and following that storm
the deterioration had increased to the point where we had to make emergency
repairs this past winter,” Horbal said.
The bridge is currently passable by most vehicles, except
large trucks.
Preliminary design plans have begun and pending approvals,
which typically take a few years to be confirmed, Horbal said, construction
would likely begin in 2025.
The town expects to contribute about $400,000, or 20% of the
project budget.
Federal aid is coming from the Fixing America’s Surface
Transportation Act (FAST Act) administered by the Federal Highway
Administration in conjunction with the CT DOT.