Navy brass celebrates completion of Pier 32 at Sub Base
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Groton ― Navy officials and supporters gathered Monday to
celebrate the Naval Submarine Base’s new Pier 32, a nearly $70 million project
to help modernize the base’s waterfront for the Navy’s next generation of
submarines.
“It’s a proud day for every member of the Naval Submarine
Base New London team as we’re committed to positively impacting SUBASE’s fleet,
fighters, and families through the best infrastructure and service support we
can deliver,” said Cmdr. Reg Preston, executive officer of the submarine base,
who spoke before an audience of about 60 people, including Navy, submarine base
and Coast Guard representatives and government officials.
The new 68-foot by 525-foot Pier 32 replaces the original pier built in 1978 and will serve
as a modern pier for the Navy’s newest submarines, according to Capt. Ken
Curtin, commanding officer of the submarine base
Curtin said the completion of the project “marks a key step
in a waterfront modernization that ultimately assures SUBASE will be ready to
provide for the next generation of Virginia-class fast attack submarines.”
U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, said that ever since
the Naval Submarine Base avoided a base closing 18 years ago, a cascade of
resources has greatly improved the infrastructure and operations of the base,
thanks to the leadership in the state and a commitment by Congress.
Courtney said this latest improvement of Pier 32 will lock
in “the enduring mission of this base for decades and decades to come”
and is built for the new class of submarines under
construction.
Curtin said the older pier was “really only suitable for one
submarine at a time,” while the new pier meets updated requirements for
submarine berthing and is wide enough to berth Virginia class or Los Angeles
class submarines on both sides.
As part of the project, about 25,000 yards of material were
dredged and the navigation channel was widened, Curtin said.
The pier is intended to be “climate resilient” with raised
electrical infrastructure to help protect against damage from flooding, he
said. The pier is also made of materials that “wear better, last longer and
require less maintenance.”
Weeks Marine, Inc. of Cranford, N.J., was the prime
contractor on the project, and the designer of the project was a joint venture
of Moffatt & Nichol and Stantec, Curtin said.
The modernization of the base’s waterfront next calls for
extending Pier 31 and building a new Pier 8, according to the Navy.
Hamden Middle School expansion hits snag due to cost increase, questions over redistricting
HAMDEN — Long-awaited plans to expand
Hamden Middle School hit a snag after a cost analysis raised the
estimated price tag by about $5 million, a funding increase the Legislative
Council must approve before the project can go forward.
District officials were quick to point out that while the
town will need to borrow the money, the state is expected to reimburse 80
percent of the cost of the expansion.
“Because this is about racially balancing our schools, the
state is going to be reimbursing us for the construction,” said Board of
Education Chair Melissa Kaplan.
But the council wants the board to present a redistricting
plan before it commits more money to the project, according to board member
Walter Livingston Morton IV, who said he learned of the request at a recent
leadership meeting.
He understands the need to sit down at the table and
reevaluate next steps for redistricting, he said, but is concerned about the
fate of the expansion.
The middle school expansion was approved in 2019 as a key
part of the district’s Reimagine,
Restructure, Results Initiative, also known as 3R.
That long-term
plan was meant to address declining enrollment and impending racial
imbalances in Hamden schools, but many elements since have been scrapped.
The district moved away from an earlier proposal to
establish intra-district magnet programs at Helen Street, Ridge Hill, Dunbar
Hill and Bear Path elementary schools. It also reversed a decision to shutter
Church Street and Shepherd Glen elementary schools after parents
raised concerns about how the closures would affect working-class and
minority families.
Those changes raised questions about how the district would
racially balance its schools, necessitating a new plan.
A
2021 state report categorized Church Street and Helen Street
elementary schools as having impending racial imbalances. Under state statute,
a school is considered “racially imbalanced” if there is more than a 25 percent
difference between the proportion of students of color districtwide and the
proportion of students of color at an individual school.
In Hamden in 2021, roughly 68 percent of students identified
as racial minorities, according to the state report. But that proportion was
about 92 percent at Church Street school, an “absolute imbalance” of nearly 24
percent, the report says.
The Board of Education will hold a workshop in the coming
weeks as it determines its approach to redistricting, according to Kaplan, who
said the state has given Hamden six months to finalize its plan.
Yet while that plan is in flux, Kaplan said a middle school
expansion almost certainly would be a crucial part of it. The expansion would
allow sixth-graders to move from elementary schools to the middle school.
“It does open up the space that’s needed in the elementary
schools to allow for us to begin our redistricting,” Kaplan said. “It also
opens up space for preschools. It opens up space for having all of our IIC
(instruction intervention center) classrooms in our neighborhood schools.”
Kaplan said it is important that the council approve the
additional funds for the project within the next six months — the timeframe
provided by the state.
“We really need to make sure that this is passed because if
it isn’t, we’re less likely for the state to approve other future projects,”
she said.
Board member Morton sees the expansion as a key tool for
closing the achievement gap because it would provide space for the district to
implement a universal pre-K program
“Universal pre-K is probably the single most impactful thing
we can do” for students of color, Morton said, also calling it “a huge win for
working class families in our town.”
When officials originally proposed adding a new wing to the
middle school, they estimated it would cost about $11 million. By summer 2021,
the figure was up to about $17 million; a couple of weeks ago, a construction
manager put the cost at $22 million, according to Mayor Lauren Garrett.
Before the town moves forward with bonding the additional
money, Garrett said, she wants the board to indicate how it intends to spend
its share of the proceeds from the $16
million sale of Wintergreen School. When the building was sold earlier this
year, the board and town agreed to split the money.
“We don’t want to borrow money when we have money sitting in
the bank,” Garrett said. “They need to tell us how they’re going to spend
that.”
Meanwhile, council members have asked the district to share
its redistricting plan.
While redistricting is up to the board, the council approves
building investments, said at-large council member Cory O’Brien.
Since the district’s capital investment and redistricting
plans are linked, the council wants to understand the latter before moving
forward with capital investment, he said.
“The general concern is where we’re at fiscally with the
town, we want to make sure we’re investing our money strategically long-term,”
O’Brien said.
Developer picked for first phase of Hartford's Bushnell South project
Jonah Dylan
HARTFORD — Local officials have picked a firm to develop a
key area of Bushnell South, a major project aimed at reinvigorating the
neighborhood east of the state Capitol and south of Bushnell Park.
The Capital Region Development Authority chose the Camden,
N.J.-based firm Michaels Organization over three other bidders, the CRDA has
announced. The firm estimates the project would cost $130 million and is asking
for $27 million in gap financing and a tax abatement from the city.
Similar to the ongoing development of Hartford’s Downtown
North redevelopment project adjacent to Dunkin' Donuts Park, a goal of Bushnell
South is to connect multiple Hartford neighborhoods.
"The Bushnell South development has the potential to
reconnect Main Street over to the Capitol, the Hartford Hospital area campus
and Park Street, down into the downtown," Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said.
"And by creating residential density on that side of the park, it also
begins to make Bushnell Park the center of activity again rather than the
periphery downtown. Much like the Downtown North development, this project
seeks to replace a vast expanse of pavement with mixed-use development and the
energy and activity that that brings."
Michaels was tapped as the developer for the first phase of
the plan, which calls for a mixed-use development on a 3-acre parcel of the
broader area, near The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts on Capitol
Avenue. According to the proposal, Michaels plans more than 300 apartments and
15 townhouses across several buildings.
In addition to the apartments and retail space, the broader
plan includes wider sidewalks, outdoor dining and performance venues and a new
community square. All told, officials say, the development would bring over
1,800 residents to the area, with more than $400 million in development construction
value and over 63,000 square feet of retail space.
Having been chosen as the preferred developer, Michaels can
now move into the planning phase of the project. Michaels proposal indicates it
could begin a two-year construction project in about 18 months.
"All of us recognized that likely when this project is
going to be done, none of us are going to be on CRDA, or maybe in the roles
that we have," said Joanne Berger-Sweeney, a CRDA board member and the
president of Trinity College. "So, we were looking for the company that we
thought could get the project across the finish line."
West Hartford Center master plan could bring 'dramatic changes' to major roadways
Michael Walsh
WEST HARTFORD — Town officials said progress is being made in the West Hartford Center Infrastructure Master Plan project that could bring "dramatic changes" to some of the area's major roadways.
Duane Martin, West Hartford's director of community development, said in updating the town's Community Planning and Economic Development Committee on Wednesday that input is still being sought on the plan the town intends to use as a guide for reconstructing West Hartford Center.
Specifically, Martin said he's looping in the town's Pedestrian and Bicycle Committee for feedback related to causes important to them.
"Because we’ve had such a great interest from the pedestrian and bicycle community, we thought it best to have [our consultant] meet with the Pedestrian and Bicycle Committee to give a presentation and answer any questions that they have," Martin said. "They will then pull representatives of the Pedestrian and Bicycle Committee into a greater stakeholder group for boards and commissions."
In August, the town launched the master plan study, which the consulting group Stantec is completing. The town is paying Stantec $400,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to complete the study and plan.
Most recently, Stantec sought feedback from the community through an interactive map that allowed residents and community members to pinpoint areas of suggestions directly. The survey's results showed great consideration for the areas of LaSalle Road and Farmington Avenue.
"They shared with us glimpses of cross sections for roadways that would be designed by them that could see some pretty dramatic changes, including LaSalle Road and Farmington Avenue," Martin said. "If you recall, those are in the scope for design for reconstruction. First LaSalle, with hopes of getting into that construction project in 2023, followed by Farmington Avenue by 2024."
Martin said Stantec has provided the town with a variety of ideas for the two roads and requested a specific "technical memorandum" for LaSalle Road, which has been the focus of a variety of opinions from stakeholders.
Previously a two-way street, LaSalle Road was turned into a one-way road during the COVID-19 pandemic to accommodate expanded outdoor dining for three seasons of the year. When the dining barricades came down Wednesday, the road remained a one-way street. The master plan could change that, as some have suggested the road return to two-way traffic, and others suggest the street be completely or partially closed to traffic. They are all ideas the town will consider, Martin said.
"There’s been a lot of discussions about LaSalle Road both with regards to changes in design and the many elements that come with that," Martin said. "But more specifically, regarding the travel way and the use of that road as far as a one-way street, northbound, southbound, two-way street or close the street for short term or as a more permanent solution."
Martin is hoping to disseminate that information from their consultant to town officials and members of the Town Council before the scheduled Dec. 13 public hearing about the 83 units of housing and 3,500 square feet of retail space proposed at the corner of LaSalle Road and Arapahoe Road.
"It’s complicated as far as the different scenarios and how it impacts the neighborhood and the businesses in that area," Martin said about LaSalle's format. "If there are questions from the neighborhood or business owners or the community in general, we’ll have more information at our disposal to be able to answer some of those more challenging questions regarding traffic flow in that area."
Martin said a second public workshop would likely be held Jan. 9 at the town hall. He anticipates two sessions that day, one in the morning and one in the evening.
Bradley International Airport aims to become a Northeast cargo hub
With air travel gradually ramping up again following the
COVID-19 pandemic, Bradley International Airport is turning its sights on
another goal: establishing the Windsor Locks-based airfield as a Northeast
cargo hub.
According to data from the Connecticut Airport Authority
(CAA) — the quasi-public state agency established in 2011 to manage and operate
Bradley International Airport and the state’s five other general aviation
airports — Bradley’s cargo-related revenues spiked from $6.8 million in fiscal
year 2020 to almost $9.4 million in 2021.
That accounts for the largest year-over-year increase in
cargo revenues in at least a decade, according to the CAA, which believes a
shift in consumer spending to online shopping and e-commerce — a trend
bolstered by the pandemic — will continue to boost the airport’s cargo
business.
Bradley collects rental and landing fees from freight
carriers that operate on its grounds. In 2022, cargo revenues were $9.3
million, still well-above historic norms.
“We think Bradley is geographically located to serve all of
the Northeast as a major distribution point for air cargo coming and going from
the region,” said CAA Executive Director Kevin Dillon. “It’s not only an
opportunity, but we feel we have a responsibility to try and exploit cargo
opportunities at Bradley.”
‘Aerotropolis’
Dillon said the CAA wants Bradley to be a regional
“aerotropolis,” meaning that it serves both the air travel needs of residents
and visitors in addition to being an economic generator for the area.
“Airports serve as a central hub for all sorts of economic
development that radiates outward from the airport,” Dillon said.
This is where cargo capabilities come into play. According
to the CAA, Bradley has approximately 3.3 million square feet dedicated to cargo
operations, and there’s room to grow. Integrated carriers such as FedEx, UPS
and DHL have a significant presence at Bradley.
The CAA convinced Amazon to establish air operations at
Bradley about five years ago, Dillon said. The e-commerce giant operates about
90,000 square feet of cargo processing space at the airport.
“The fact that they (Amazon) have been able to grow in
Connecticut, I’d like to think, is related to the fact that they have the air
capability at Bradley,” Dillon said.
Adam Winstanley, a principal of commercial real estate development
and investment firm Winstanley Enterprises, has been monitoring activity around
Bradley for years. His company owns several massive warehouse properties in the
region with tenants that use a mix of rail, truck and air to transport goods.
COVID-19 restrictions beginning in 2020 changed everything for some companies.
“I think a lot of companies have been caught flat-footed by
having too much reliance on traditional routes of transportation,” Winstanley
said. “They have manufacturing in China that comes over to a U.S. port by
container, then trucked out to a series of warehouses. … I think that type of
supply chain has become very disruptive, and with the lockdowns in China, a lot
of people couldn’t get their supply out of China so they had to switch to air
cargo.”
Winstanley said that at least one of his company’s local
construction projects in New Haven has had supply chain disruptions because of
ground travel delays, so it has relied more on air shipping.
“There are certain times where it is hugely advantageous to
have a major transportation hub because there are times when you’ll pay more to
get what you need faster,” Winstanely said. “Bradley plays a very important
role in the region.”
Bradley’s importance as a cargo hub has been reflected in
the boom in warehouse development in Greater Hartford, particularly north of
the Capital City in towns like Windsor and Enfield. New warehouse proposals
have been so significant in recent years that some towns have implemented
moratoriums on new construction.
The more, the better
MetroHartford Alliance President and CEO David Griggs said
he’s supportive of Bradley ramping up cargo efforts over the next several
years. It’s all about increasing Connecticut’s ability to compete with other
states and regions, he said.
“The more goods that we can transport in and out of our
communities the better,” Griggs said.
“Without an airport, we would not have the number of
companies that we do — Bradley is an extremely important asset to the region
and to our business community,” he added.
Dillon said CAA’s cargo revenues pale in comparison to
passenger-service revenues, but they are just as important when it comes to
establishing the airport as a regional hub for all types of economic activity.
For example, establishing a local alternative for manufacturers to ship and
receive parts and goods is key to helping grow that industry.
“If you look at the alternatives in the region when it comes
to cargo, a lot of the large manufacturers still send their cargo out of JFK in
New York,” Dillon said. “JFK, in a lot of respects, is overpriced and
congested, so we think we have a real opportunity to capitalize on that here at
Bradley.”
Development opportunities
The Bradley Development League is a nonprofit organization
made up of representatives from the four communities surrounding the airport:
East Granby, Suffield, Windsor and Windsor Locks. Parts of each town make up
the Bradley Airport Development Zone, which offers tax incentives and benefits
to companies looking to build in the area.
“We work to get more business development around the airport
by marketing potential sites and opportunities,” said Windsor Economic
Development Director Patrick McMahon.
Suffield Director of Planning and Development Bill Hawkins
said the Bradley Development League targets industries that could utilize the
airport and nearby advanced manufacturers.
He said JSW Media Inc., an e-commerce company that works
with Amazon, in 2019 built a facility close to the airport to make use of
shipping opportunities.
In Windsor, Amazon has built or opened three facilities
since 2016. The latest and largest — a 3.5-million-square-foot fulfillment
center at 1215 Kennedy Road — opened recently and is currently hiring.
“I’m sure that the location decision had some aspects of
Bradley being close by,” McMahon said.
Meantime, UPS is in the process of outfitting an
83,345-square-foot sorting and distribution warehouse at 120 Old County Circle
in Windsor Locks.
Plans for another development — construction of a
250,240-square-foot warehouse and distribution building at 30 Hamilton Road in
Windsor Locks — was approved by the town in September. The developer is New
Jersey-based The Silverman Group.
“Windsor Locks can’t be beat when it comes to proximity to
the airport, major highways and rail,” said Windsor Locks Director of Planning
and Development Jennifer Valentino Rodriguez. “The airport is definitely an
incredible draw and an influence. There are so many benefits from the increased
activity, the travelers, just that visibility.”
East Granby Economic Development Director of Marketing and
Commercial Real Estate Sandra Johnson said that her town is “ideally located
for cargo operations” and is currently working with an existing company to
expand its airport-related cargo efforts. Another company is planning to
establish an East Granby presence specifically because of its adjacency to
Bradley.
She said the importance of Bradley’s 10,000-foot long runway
is understated: it allows the airport to receive wide-body aircraft that might
not be able to land in other places.
“Unlike many other airports, Bradley has the infrastructure
to support cargo operations,” Johnson said.
Winstanely said Bradley has the potential to be a regional
cargo distribution hub, and he already sees evidence of that happening.
“Part of the success of distribution in Connecticut is due
to the fact that we have a great airport nearby,” Winstanley said. “Without
Bradley, you probably don’t see as much distribution activity that we’ve seen.”
Willing partner
Rodriguez said Windsor Locks and the Capitol Region Council
of Governments are working together on a corridor study looking at development
patterns along Route 20 and major intersecting streets to further assess development
potential in the area. She said the CAA will be on that study committee.
Windsor’s McMahon said there are still “plenty of properties
around the airport for new light industrial development, so if cargo activity
increases at Bradley it could only help the four neighboring communities.”
Dillon said developing specialized logistics and cargo
facilities on-site to handle specific, “sophisticated” sorting of goods like
engines and large parts is something the CAA is continuing to focus on.
“We are certainly willing to partner with the cargo
industry, even to the extent of developing these facilities on our dime if we
can enter into the right long-term arrangement,” Dillon said. “It is a real
potential line of business that presents some opportunities for us.”
Total construction starts jump 8% following 2-month decline
Total construction starts jumped 8% in October to a
seasonally adjusted rate of $1.12 trillion following two consecutive months of
decline, according
to a Dodge Construction Network report.
Nonresidential building and nonbuilding starts gained 9% and
26%, respectively, while residential starts fell by 3% for the month, according
to the report. Year to date through October, total construction starts posted a
16% gain from 2021. Nonresidential building starts rose 37%, nonbuilding
kickoffs jumped 17% and residential commencements remained flat, according to
the report.
The rebound in starts signals the construction industry
“continues to weather the storm of higher inflation rates,” said Richard
Branch, chief economist for Dodge, in the report.
Following two consecutive declines in starts during August and September, Branch maintained last month that that the drop should “not be seen as a precursor to a cyclical pullback in the industry.”
Now, October’s rebound lends credence to that call, and
signals the industry continues to fend off concerns of higher inflation rates,
at least for now.
“While the residential sector is feeling the pain, the
nonresidential building and infrastructure sectors are hitting their stride,”
said Branch in the report. “Some weakness is to be expected as the Federal
Reserve continues its battle with inflation. However, the damage should be
isolated to a few verticals and not as widespread as what the industry
witnessed during the Great Recession.”Nonbuilding
construction starts rose 26% in October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of
$277.7 billion. The largest nonbuilding projects to break ground in October
were:
$576 million TX DOT Interstate Highway 820 reconstruction
project in Fort Worth, Texas.
$548 million TX DOT Interstate Highway 35 widening project
in Austin, Texas.
$364 million repaving project in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Nonresidential
building starts rose 9% in October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of
$480.5 billion. The largest nonresidential building projects to break ground in
October include:
$3.2 billion Texas Instruments chip fabrication plant in
Sherman, Texas.
$2 billion General Motors Orion EV plant in Orion Township,
Michigan.
$1 billion Gevo Net-Zero 1 hydrocarbon plant in Lake
Preston, South Dakota.
Regionally, total construction starts in October rose in the
Midwest and South Atlantic, but fell in the South Central and West, according
to the report.