Architects for 3 Darien school renovations say the work will be delayed a month. Here's why.
Mollie Hersh
DARIEN — Renovations on three Darien elementary schools have
been delayed a month for additional work and updated costs, sparking some
concern for funding and timing for the upcoming school year.
Originally slated to start construction in mid-July, renovations
on Hindley, Holmes and Royle elementary schools are now set to begin in
mid-August, though work is still expected to finish on schedule in summer
2024.
The renovations feature a $68
million overhaul of all three schools including removing all portable
classrooms for new building wings, new libraries and common spaces and
updated classrooms. All three designs
were approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission in February.
The change is not all surprising, HHR Building Committee
co-chair Chris Price said at the committee’s end of April meeting when the
changes were revealed.
“Frankly, the fact that we’re only really talking about a
month is kind of good news,” Price said. “Maybe I’m being overly optimistic,
but I don’t think this project is going to be remembered for having started a
month late if we do it right and it comes out well and people are happy with
the final product. I think it’s much more important that we get it right.”
KG+D Architects Vice President Erik Kaeyer said there were
unexpected complications requiring an extended pre-construction phase for
designs and additional cost estimates.
Concerns included replacing more ceiling tiles than planned
— additional work that will require new cost estimates — to make space for
above-ceiling mechanical work and to meet town regulations on mechanical
equipment screening.
Kaeyer also said the designs needed to accommodate
expansions on security and data communications from the district that came late
into the design process.
Some of the delay stemmed from timing, as cost estimates
were based on February documents though the approval process extended into
March.
Construction company O&G Industries, working closely
with the design firm, recommended an additional review to include items not
part of the earlier documents such as radon design and soil testing and expand
on design specifics for connecting existing buildings to the new wings.
Kaeyer said the tight timeline had both the architect firm
and construction company O&G Industries “scrambling” to put estimates
together and fill holes, a task made more difficult given three different
schools requiring three times the work.
“We try to account for every detail, as many details as
possible,” Kaeyer said. “It’s just taking a little bit more time to catch up on
all three of these to make sure that they’re in good working order.”
The additional pre-construction work will cost $22,500 for
all three schools, $7,500 each.
There’s some concern that with the new cost estimates, the
$86 million project may be over budget and require an additional appropriation.
The committee could still put out bids, Price said, but without the money,
contracts can’t be signed.
A lot of the decisions will hinge on the cost estimates,
bids and a backup plan for funding — such as preparing special meetings with
the Representative Town Meeting for an additional appropriation, Price said.
Both Board of Finance Chairman Jim Palen and First Selectmen
Monica McNally said they expected the RTM would convene quickly if necessary in
order to secure any necessary funds.
“You guys are all working incredibly hard here, and in order
to keep you on schedule, I know that the three boards that need to appropriate
money will move quickly as well,” Palen said.
To make up for the delay, construction is expected to run
with six-day work weeks, O&G pre-construction manager Lorel Purcell
said.
Less work will be completed over the summer, with some of
that work anticipated to bleed into the school year. Construction will have to
take down the ceiling selectively as opposed to all at once in the summer, and
additional site work may have to happen after school hours, Purcell said.
The later timeline is also expected to scrunch moving time
for classes down to approximately a week, though Purcell said she was confident
it was possible despite the less-than-ideal window.
Superintendent Alan Addley said he would meet with Purcell
and the schools’ principals to determine how best to move around the
construction.
Purcell also warned that supply chain issues felt throughout
the construction industry could create further delays, making timing key.
“One month may matter when we have only 13 months to get the
addition done,” she said. “We won’t know until we’re placing orders.”
The delay is not expected to affect moving the portable
classrooms, one of the major changes happening in the renovations.
Construction bids are expected to go out at the end of the
month with all returns to come in by July 13.
240-unit apartment development announced for Middletown
Apartnership of real estate investors and developers
announced Wednesday plans to build a 240-unit high-end apartment development in
Middletown by 2025.
Harbor Group International – which said it has $20 billion
in real estate assets – and PB Development announced plans for the $83.5
million “Springside Meadow” apartments to be completed at 494 Newfield St. in
2025.
A one-story, single-family home was built at that address in
1995. The property was purchased in 2018 by NEWFIELD STREET OF MIDDLETOWN LLC,
which is controlled by Glenn Russo. Several recent land transactions have been
made in recent months on Newfield Street, land records show.
Harbor Group will cover 80% of required common equity for
the development, it said.
The Harbor Group/PB Development tout Middletown’s location
between Hartford and New Haven and proximity to major highways and employers.
“Despite strong employment opportunities in the region,
Middleton has been largely underdeveloped, creating robust demand for
high-quality multifamily housing options in the area,” Harbor Group Principal
Richard Litton said. “With the market’s favorable supply and demand
fundamentals, we look forward to partnering with PB Development to deliver the
modern housing Middleton’s residents are seeking.”
The Springside development will feature townhome layouts and
more than 11,000 square feet of amenity space featuring a coffee bar, package
management, fitness center and more. There will be a pool, outdoor bar, grill
station, cabanas, bocce court, pickleball courts, dog park, playground and
“extensive” walking trails, according to the developers.
Springside will be Harbor Group’s second recent venture in
Connecticut, following its acquisition of the 932-apartment “Pavillions”
complex in Manchester in December 2022.
The Capital Region Development Authority is considering a
$6.5 million loan toward a $45.35 million conversion of two antique state
office buildings on Hartford’s Trinity Street into 108 apartments and a
restaurant.
The CRDA’s Housing and Neighborhood Committee, meeting
Thursday, gave its blessing to the loan request from a development team of
Philadelphia-based Pennrose and The Cloud Co., of Hartford.
The Pennrose-Cloud team were among six bidders to apply to a
Connecticut Department of Administrative Services solicitation in 2021 for the
redevelopment of two surplus office buildings at 18-20 and 30 Trinity St.
The pair are located off the southern edge of Bushnell Park.
According to documents shared with the CRDA, the partners will acquire both
buildings for $1 million.
Plans call for 108 apartments, mixing studios, one-bedroom
and two-bedroom units. Twenty-percent would be set aside for renters earning
half or less of the area median income.
Plans call for a restaurant on the ground floor of 30
Trinity St. and, possibly, interior public space where people could wait and
work and take calls in between business at nearby state agencies.
For now, the development team is hunting down financing to
see if the project is viable. CRDA Executive Director Michael Freimuth told
board members he believes they have until August to complete due diligence and
commit to a purchase. They are still about $5 million to $6 million short of
their budget target, but Thursday’s approval will be an important step to
closing on other funding sources, Freimuth said.
Freimuth said the buildings have some challenges that impact
the budget, including central space that cannot be converted into apartments,
and structural issues. They are, however, buildings of critical significance,
located adjacent to Bushnell Park, the Bushnell Theater and within sight of the
Capitol, he noted.
Freimuth said his agency has been working with the
development team for about a year trying to resolve the budget.
CRDA would be able to help the development by setting aside
up to 108 spaces in its nearby Bushnell South parking garage for rent by
tenants of the building, Freimuth noted.
Freimuth said his agency is speaking with state and other
agencies trying to close the funding gap, and noted there is a pending request
for a federal funding opportunity.
“It’s an answer that has yet to be put on the table and we
have to solve it by August,” Freimuth said.
The CRDA subcommittee endorsed the loan Thursday, but it
will need further approvals from the full CRDA board of dDirectors, as well as
the state Bond Commission.
The 30-year loan is proposed at 1.5% interest for five
years, with adjustment of the rate in year five.
Hartford apartment project gets millions in public funding; another gets it pulled
HARTFORD — A $45 million conversion of two, historic and
former state office buildings near Bushnell
Park into 108 apartments won critical backing for public funding
Thursday in a project that could give a significant boost to the area’s
Bushnell South redevelopment.
A committee of the Capital
Region Development Authority, the quasi-public state agency that has
provided low-cost, state taxpayer-backed financing for housing projects in
Hartford, approved a $6.5 million loan for the conversion. The
proposed project, involving 18-20 and 30 Trinity St., would be developed by
a partnership of Philadelphia-based Pennrose
LLC and The Cloud Co. of
Hartford.
Separately, CRDA executive director Michael W. Freimuth told
the agency’s housing committee that it is rescinding a $3 million loan to help
finance an apartment conversion at the former Travelers Education Center
on Constitution
Plaza. The estimated $18 million proposal called for the creation of 101
apartments in the long-vacant, five-story structure.
“That is not going to go forward, at least not in a way that
we had envisioned,” Freimuth told the committee.
Development partners Biagio Barone of Stratford-based Barone Properties and John
Guedes of Primrose Cos.,
based in Bridgeport, had an
option to purchase the 135,000-square-foot property. The current
owners, LHR Group and BHN Properties, of New York own the majority of
Constitution Plaza, including the office towers at One and 100 Constitution
Plaza.
Barone declined to comment Thursday. But after Thursday’s
meeting, Freimuth said the partners had not been able complete the purchase of
the structure.
Thursday’s approval for helping to finance the conversion of
the historic properties on Trinity Street — built in the early years of the
last century — is just the first step in what was described Thursday as a
complex project. CRDA’s full board still must approve the loan, followed by the
State Bond Commission.
There also is between a $5 million and $6 million financing
hole that must be plugged, presumably with a federal or state grant, on top of
a half-dozen funding sources that are already anticipated to be needed to pay
for the redevelopment.
“There are a lot of moving pieces here,” Freimuth said,
“This has been through the meatgrinder for the better part of a year. They
still have a gap.”
The state has agreed to sell the properties to the
partnership for $1.1 million. But Pennrose and Cloud must come back to the
state in August with a plan for how they intend to finance the project in order
to complete the sale.
The redevelopment also faces significant challenges,
including a wall in 18-20 Trinity that is structurally unsound and will need to
be completely replaced, a costly endeavor. Also, the layout of the buildings
leave much space that cannot be converted to apartments.
Despite those obstacles, Freimuth said the buildings are
integral to the overall development of Bushnell South that includes a jumble of
parking lots next to the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts.
“These are critical buildings, they’re are historic
buildings,” Freimuth said. “They literally look at the Capitol, they sit on
Bushnell Park next to the arch. They are abutting the theater. They are part of
the overall goal of rebuilding the Bushnell South area.”
In addition to the apartments, the plans call for a
restaurant at 30 Trinity and rooftop deck at 18-20 Trinity. A landscaped plaza
between the two buildings would visually connect them.
The apartments, mostly studios and one-bedrooms, would be
mixed-income, with 20% reserved as “affordable” for tenants that restrict rents
and limit income to less than 50% of the area median income. Parking would be
nearby in the new, $16 million, state-financed Bushnell South Parking Garage.
If funding and other approvals come together, the purchase
of the structures could be completed later this year. Construction would then
start in 2024 and take 18-24 months to complete.
The Trinity Street buildings anchor the northwest corner of
Bushnell South. The buildings have been vacant since state office workers were
relocated to the 1931 State Office Building on nearby Capitol Avenue after a
$205 million state-taxpayer financed renovation. The renovation included the
construction of a 1,007 space garage.
Bushnell South is envisioned as a massive redevelopment of
new apartments, restaurants, shops and other commercial space, much of it
replacing a sea of parking lots east of The Bushnell theaters. The parking lots
have a mix of owners, including the state and private investors.
In November, The Michael’s Organization, based in Camden,
N.J, was selected by CRDA as the preferred developer of a $130 million, mixed
use project on the largest of the state-owned parking lots. The planning for
the 3-acre lot is still in the early stages, but preliminary plans calls
for 360 rentals, including 20% “affordable,” primarily in two larger buildings
over 2,500 square feet of storefront space, likely including performance space
tied to the arts.
At Bushnell South’s northeast corner, the $67 million rental
conversion of 55 Elm St. — the former offices of the state’s Constitutional
officer, including Attorney General — is now underway. Plans by Norwalk-based
Spinnaker Real Estate Partners call for 160 apartments overlooking Pulaski
Circle and Bushnell Park.
CT Construction Digest Thursday May 11, 2023
Derby-Shelton Bridge Is One-Way On Thursday
JEAN FALBO-SOSNOVICH
DERBY-SHELTON — On Thursday, May 11 from approximately 7:00am until 4:00pm, The Derby Shelton Bridge will be one way only due to the ongoing construction.
The Derby Shelton Bridge will be closed to vehicles going from Shelton into Derby.
Detour signs and traffic personnel will be on scene.
The bridge is undergoing a $6.3 million refurbishing project.
Previous Story
DERBY-SHELTON — A multi-million dollar infrastructure project kicked off over the Housatonic River this month.
The $6.3 million refurbishing of the century-old Derby-Shelton Bridge began April 1. Mohawk Northeast, Inc. was awarded the contract by the state Department of Transportation to complete the repair and reconfiguration of the historic bridge straddling the Housatonic River.
According to DOT spokesperson Kevin J. Nursick, the work will be completed in three phases, with an anticipated completion date of November 2023.
The project, which includes a bike lane, is being designed to better connect booming downtown Shelton with downtown Derby, where there is a train station, the state’s busiest river walk, and several redevelopment projects percolating.
The Work
The project will feature the coordination and movement of several utilities and an overall realignment of traffic on the bridge.
This will result in a final configuration of three, 11-foot travel lanes, two 5‑foot-by-8-foot sidewalks, and a 10-foot bike lane, according to Nursick. The parapets will be reconstructed to meet new safety standards. The existing lighting will also be upgraded and include decorative LED lighting to up-light the bridge from underneath in a wash of different colors.
Since work started, Nursick said sidewalk lighting from the northern side of the bridge has been removed, and the deteriorated concrete underneath the bridge has been located and marked for removal.
The contractor will be bringing in portable, truck-mounted work platforms to start removing the old concrete and replacing it, according to Nursick.
Deteriorated sections of concrete will be saw-cut around their perimeters, then jackhammers will remove the deteriorated concrete which will subsequently be patched, Nursick added.
During this time, Nursick said the contractor will shift traffic to the south and will install precast concrete barriers to delineate the work area and begin demolition of the existing northern parapet and sidewalk to allow for utility relocation.
The work involves heavy equipment — jack hammers, hydraulic hammers, dump trucks — so pedestrians will be restricted to the southern sidewalk at that time.
During construction, DOT officials said there will be no need to detour traffic, and two, 11-foot travel lanes between Howe Avenue and Route 34 (Main Street) will be maintained.
Access to and from the Derby Greenway from the bridge will be maintained — except during the actual construction of an upgraded access point, according to the DOT.
Officials: This Is Good
Derby Mayor Richard Dziekan said he’s happy to see the project underway.
“This project will help pedestrian and bicycle traffic come into town,” he said. “Right now it’s all prep work for the bridge. The project will go at least a year and a half. We will have construction meetings with the construction company for a timeline so businesses will not be affected too much. We’re looking for the public to be patient when law-enforcement personnel will be working traffic. I’m looking forward to a lot of foot traffic coming over from Shelton utilizing the Riverwalk and businesses.”
The project is being coordinated with the state’s Route 34/Main Street widening project in Derby. That is supposed to start in September, according to public statements made in February. https://valley.newhavenindependent.org/archives/entry/derby_alders_receive_update_on_main_street_widening_project/
Meanwhile, two redevelopment projects have been approved in Derby’s redevelopment zone, the area on the south side of Main Street along the Housatonic River from the Derby-Shelton Bridge to the Route 8 south on-ramp.
In January, the city’s planning and zoning commission approved “Trolley Pointe,” a 70-unit market-rate apartment building at the former Lifetouch property on Main Street.
In February 2020, the commission approved 200 apartments and 8,000 square feet of retail on Factory Street, between the Trolley Pointe property and the scrap yard.
That second project has not started, in part, according to city officials, the developers want to make sure a scrap yard there isn’t a neighbor when they market apartments. The city is negotiating with the scrap yard to purchase, relocate, or take through eminent domain with a fair-market price.
Andrew Baklik, Mayor Dziekan’s chief of staff, said the bridge work is important to bolster Derby as a place for transportation-oriented development.
“The improvements to the Derby-Shelton Bridge will help to better connect our two communities with better vehicular flow as well as pedestrian and bicycle traffic,” Baklik said. “Most importantly, Shelton residents will be given easier access to Derby businesses and vice versa. While Derby is somewhat behind in our downtown development efforts compared to Shelton, we anticipate that the future mixed-use development of each downtown will truly complement each other.”
The bridge, in its current state, looks dumpy — a giant slab of concrete with weeds growing in cracks. Baklik noted the refurbishing will change that.
“Additionally, the infrastructure and aesthetic improvements will glorify the historically significant bridge,” Baklik added. “We’re especially excited about the programmable colored LED lights that can be used to recognize and celebrate certain holidays and events.”
Rick Dunne, executive director of Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments, who facilitated the project, is glad to see the project get started.
“The timing is excellent as the bridge project should be coming to a conclusion at the point where it needs to tie-in with the Route 34 Main Street Project,” Dunne said. “Together with the prior project on the Atwater Bridge, these three efforts will collectively update all utilities, roadways, parking and pedestrian connectivity across both the Naugatuck and Housatonic Rivers, connecting east Derby with downtown Shelton. It’s really a showcase project for Derby and Shelton, and will serve to reinforce the historical connection between Derby and Shelton.”
Initial funding for the project came through the efforts of elected officials who represent Derby and Shelton in the state legislature.
WILSON RING
The newest proposal for a major electrical transmission line from Canada that would be able to carry power to New England from Canada, would also be able to send to Quebec renewable energy produced by future power generators off the New England coast or other sources.
The proposed 211-mile, $2 billion Twin State Clean Energy Link would enter the United States in Canaan, Vt. It would be buried along state highways in Vermont and New Hampshire until it linked to an existing transmission corridor in Monroe that would carry the power to a new substation in Londonderry. From there the power could be distributed throughout New England.
“You can think about the Twin States line almost like battery storage — the line would not need to be ‘always on’ and delivering energy from Quebec to New England,” said a statement from the electric utility National Grid, one of the developers of the proposed New Hampshire project. “Instead, it would be used when there is a need to bring additional clean energy to the region to balance variable resources, such as offshore wind.”
Unlike much of the power currently brought to the United States from Canada that is generated by hydro generation facilities in Quebec, it would also have the ability to deliver power generated by wind and solar facilities in Canada.
In a statement, Hydro-Quebec said cross-border infrastructure optimizes the use of renewable energy, hydro, wind and solar, in Quebec and the Northeastern United States.
“Even though HQ is not involved with the Twin States project, this project’s business model is a demonstration of how the energy transition is taking shape in our broader region,” the statement said.
For years the Northeastern United States has tried to find ways to take advantage of hydropower produced in Canada and Canadian officials have been eager to sell power in the U.S.
As part of that Hydro-Quebec has agreed to a 25-year contract to sell power for use in New York City via the under-construction Champlain Hudson Power Express. Hydro-Quebec has also agreed to send power to Massachusetts via the stalled New England Clean Energy Connect through Maine.
But now Quebec has its own clean energy needs and doesn't have power to spare for another major line to the U.S. and the focus is changing to shared power.
If approved, the earliest the New Hampshire project could begin construction would be 2026.
Fate of planned $107.2M XL Center upgrade could be determined this fall
Capital Region Development Authority Executive Director Michael Freimuth expects to know late this fall whether his agency will be able to pay for large-scale upgrades planned for the XL Center in Hartford.
Freimuth said he expects to release bids for the planned renovations to the downtown Hartford arena this summer, with returns expected in time to determine in “late fall” if costs fall in line with the projected $107.2 million budget.
“If the budget comes in too high, none of this going forward,” Freimuth told members of the CRDA venue committee during a meeting Tuesday. “If the budget comes in line, we can secure the OVG arrangement.”
The OVG agreement is a plan to grant Los Angeles-based entertainment company Oak View Group a long-term management agreement in return for a hefty upfront contribution for renovations. Freimuth declined this week to say how much OVG is anticipated to contribute.
OVG has managed the XL on behalf of the CRDA since late 2021, when it acquired a venue management and hospitality company Spectra, which was contracted to manage the XL center.
The CRDA has tried for years to secure funding for a large-scale repair and upgrade of the downtown Hartford sports and entertainment arena. Lawmakers balked at a comprehensive $250 million plan in 2018 but had approved $40 million for repairs and upgrades in 2017 and signed off on another $65 million in 2019.
Portions of that money have been slowly fed out through the state Bond Commission for work at the XL Center, including an ongoing $15 million package of repairs and upgrades including construction of a sports-betting lounge on the edge of the building overlooking Ann Uccello Street. Providence-based Dimeo Construction is also making commercial kitchen improvements, adding restrooms and upgrading other building systems.
The highly anticipated sports betting lounge was originally scheduled to open last fall, but that timeline was hit hard by supply chain delays. Freimuth said he now expects to open the lounge as of Sept. 1.
The Bond Commission last week released $7 million for repairs and upgrades at XL. Freimuth said a portion of this money will pay for designs and to prepare bid documents for release this summer.
AECOM reports record backlog as profits jump
Despite peer firms’ struggles and broader economic headwinds, AECOM’s profits jumped and its backlog notched a record high, according to its fiscal second-quarter earnings report released on Monday.
The Dallas-based global contractor reported Q2 earnings of $76.6 million, or $0.55 per diluted share, up 84% from a year ago. Its revenue stood at $3.49 billion, up 9% year over year.
AECOM’s total backlog increased to $41.9 billion, up 2.7% from last year, and CEO Troy Rudd said in an earnings call Tuesday that the quality of that backlog has also improved from past years. The firm expects global growth in its key areas of expertise, including transit and green energy.
Rudd said federal project funding is continuing to build this year due to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the CHIPS Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, and will likely peak in 2027.
Civil work opportunities are neither short-term nor limited to the U.S., Rudd said, but infrastructure, clean energy and resilience spending is expanding and will grow worldwide into the foreseeable future.
“There are these large, long-term transitions going on. The largest one we see is around energy,” Rudd said. “I think we’re talking about a multi-decade investment trend around an energy transition around the world.”
Illustrating these shifts, AECOM President Lara Poloni cited the European Union’s recently passed Green Deal Industrial Plan, Canada’s new clean energy and transit investments, Saudi Arabia’s efforts to diversify its economy and Australia’s transportation projects, such as its Western Harbour Tunnel. Growth in the sustainability, clean energy and transit sectors all play to AECOM’s strengths, she said on the call.
IIJA funding is indeed flowing, according to Poloni, and was a key factor in advancing a major bridge replacement project in the eastern U.S. that the firm won in Q2. It’s also expected to aid the California high-speed rail project, for which the company is providing program management support.
Federal funding for emerging contaminants, clean energy solutions and larger competitive grants is also gaining momentum, and the firm expects a corresponding bump to its backlog later this year and into next year, Poloni said.
AECOM confident on financial guidance
Rudd reiterated the firm’s financial guidance for fiscal year 2023, and said this quarter’s results make the firm even more confident in delivering its long-term goals.
“This success has transformed the composition of our backlog,” Rudd said. “Today, 30% of wins are valued at greater than $25 million, more than double what it was just a few years ago.”
As commercial office and urban center markets slump, Rudd said AECOM has been repositioning its focus to aviation, water, sports convention centers and government building projects. The firm is also buoyed by healthy state and local clients’ budgets, he said.
In other company news, AECOM landed the No. 2 spot on ENR’s Top 500 Design Firms list for 2023 and recently launched a new office in Glasgow, Scotland.
CT Construction Digest Wednesday May 10, 2023
As New Canaan builds a new police station, here's how their temporary location is taking shape
NEW CANAAN — The town's Board of Education building at 39 Locust Ave. could be the temporary home to the police department by late November. But town officials said it will take months of work to make that happen.
During its Tuesday Board of Selectmen meeting, the board approved $21,735 to install fiber optic cable at the Locust Avenue location and another $51,032 to relocate the dispatch center to the building.
"One of the first things we need to do (as part of setting up the location) is move over all the services," said Joe Zagarenski, senior engineer for the town of New Canaan, during the meeting. He added that "there will be a similar cost to move back when we move back in a couple of years."
The police department is being moved while its headquarters at 174 South Ave. gets a complete facelift that could take anywhere from 18 months to two years.
The South Avenue building was originally constructed in 1928 as New Canaan High School. In 1980, the lower and main floors were renovated for police use.
During a phone interview, Zagarenski described the work on the South Avenue building as a "renovate as new project," in which the current building will be "stripped down to bare walls and reconstructed as new modern police facility."
Zagarenski said the project has been funded for up to $29 million including construction and other costs, such as relocation.
During Tuesday's meeting, First Selectman Kevin Moynihan said the plan was to "get the work done" turning the building at 39 Locust into a temporary police station as soon as the Board of Education is ready to leave the building, which is projected to happen in late August.
The Board of Education is slated to move to 220 Elm St., which Zagarenski said is in the process of being set up for them.
Once the Board of Education leaves 39 Locust Ave., it should take roughly 12 weeks to set the building up as a temporary police station.
"We have to set it up so that the police can do their day-to-day business," Zagarenski said.
He said that involved moving the 911 lines, dispatch center, interrogation room and nearly everything else, except for prison processing, which would be handled by another town. Zagarenski said the Locust Avenue building would likely be ready for use as the temporary police station some time around Thanksgiving.
Exterior work underway at Bridgeport's Barnum Museum
Andy Tsubasa Field
BRIDGEPORT — Pedestrians walking along the southern end of Main Street in Bridgeport might notice the blue beams and wooden platforms that have recently surrounded the Barnum Museum.
Underneath the scaffolding, signs on the makeshift black doors warn passersby of "men working above," and on Tuesday afternoon, the sounds of drilling could be heard above.
According to the Barnum Museum museum website, the building, located at 820 Main Street, has begun a "major construction of the historic exterior." The museum building has been closed to visitors since it sustained damage in a 2010 tornado.
The Barnum Museum is on the National Register of Historic Places and is dedicated to Barnum & Bailey circus founder, former Bridgeport mayor and longtime resident, P.T. Barnum. Built in 1893, it contains more than 60,000 artifacts related to Barnum, Bridgeport and 19th century America.
The tornado caused damage that included the shifting of the museum’s dome, blowing out several windows and pushing out one of its walls. In the years since the tornado, the museum has raised $15 million toward repairs. That money has largely gone toward repairing the building's iconic onion dome and east wall, and to clean some of the estimated 20,000 artifacts that sustained damage from water, dust, humidity and bits of broken glass.
The tornado also caused ventilation systems to blast soot and debris onto the artifacts, according to Executive Director Kathy Maher.
Similar "puff backs" also occurred during Hurricane Irene in 2011 and Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The museum also spent years negotiating with insurance companies over damage to the museum and its collection, Maher said in February, when she described reopening the museum as a "long-term goal" that she hoped could be complete within a decade.
Maher estimated that the museum would need another $30 million to restore the inside of the building.
In 2018, the Connecticut State Bond Commission approved a $6.9 million grant for the Barnum Museum, which Maher said has been used to restore its exterior. More recently, the museum received a $500,000 grant from the National Parks Service in 2021 to repair its 79 windows.
Southern Connecticut State University completes $52.4M first CT-owned, net zero building
NEW HAVEN — Southern Connecticut State University is in the final construction stage of its $52.4 million new building, ready for the faculty to move in less than two weeks from now.
The four-storied, 64,000-square-foot School of Business will be the first state-owned building to leave behind no carbon footprint, thanks to the solar system and the 500-foot-deep geothermal system for air conditioning and green power.
“It’s about saving money and saving the environment,” said Eric Lessne, associate vice president for capital budgeting and facilities operations. “Our whole campus is 100 percent green power. We produce, on campus, between our fuel cells and solar, about 60 percent of our power.”
School of Business Dean Jess Boronico said the new building and other initiatives are "expected to increase the scope of enrollment to international markets, including China, India, and beyond." The school currently has about 700 undergraduate students, according to the university.
The new building features 64 offices, eight classrooms, a 99-seat auditorium, an 85-seat community lounge, a specialty classroom, five conference rooms, 16 team rooms and a boardroom, according to Peter Visentin, who heads the university’s architectural services.
Faculty of the School of Business will move into the new office spaces May 22, three days after the construction company transferred the building to the state. An opening ceremony of the building is set to take place Sept. 15.
The construction is complete, but the university’s still waiting for a certification of occupancy, some final touches on things and furnishing — but “nothing detrimental.”
Visentin said some of the rooms included in the building were ones that faculty had asked for during the planning process. For example, Visentin said the professors asked for a one-sided mirror room to observe market research happening on the other side.
Some technologies included in the building are motion-sensor water fountains, stock market tickers, scheduling touch screens in front of team rooms and a mechanical room that can be controlled by the university’s building management system being monitored from another building.
The current School of Business is located at the former student center on Crescent Street. Visentin said that the building is “undersized,” and there are only two classrooms there. He said the registrar had to schedule classes all over campus, which meant students had to meet at different locations.
“Now that we’re in our new 64,000-(square-foot) work at home, we can consolidate the business school into this building,” Visentin said.
Victoria Verderame, assistant director of media relations, said the university hasn’t determined what to do with the existing building yet.
The building was initially slated to be done in February of this year. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the construction process. The initial plan to open the building to students for classes in the fall of 2023 hasn’t been disrupted, however.
The impact from the pandemic “wasn’t as bad as other projects,” Visentin said.
“We had some long lead time issues,” he said. “We had roofing material that took us about a year to get, which usually takes two months. Same thing with the mechanical units.”
SCSU got accreditation for its business school just last month from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International. Other accredited business schools in the area include the ones at the University of New Haven and Quinnipiac University.
“That is like pulling teeth; that is a major accomplishment,” Lessne said. “I hope this building had something to do with it.”
The university recently opened the $74 million health and human services building. According to a budget presented last year, SCSU plans to renovate Lyman Center for the Performing Arts, Earl Hall and Moore Field House. It also looks to construct a new, single-story, 10,000-square-foot university police facility on Wintergreen Avenue.
Middletown eager for opening of new, state-of-the-art Veterans Pool, splash pad
MIDDLETOWN — After years of planning and execution, the new $7.8 million state-of-the-art pool and splash pad complex at Veteran's Memorial Park in Middletown is set for a June opening.
“It’s going to be very impressive when people get to see it for the first time,” Common Council Majority Leader Gene Nocera said.
Funding came from the $33.5 million 21st Century Parks Bond approved by taxpayers in 2015.
The project’s original cost was estimated at $2 million, two years before supply and other issues arose due to the pandemic, as has been the case across the country, Nocera said.
The complex will open to the public on June 20. It was initially scheduled to be available for use in time for the 2022 summer season. The 64-year-old pool will be 50 percent larger than the former one.
“People might think of it as a renovation, but it really isn’t. It’s a completely new design for the pool,” Nocera said.
“We’re in the home stretch,” Recreation and Community Services Director Cathy Lechowicz said. “It’s really coming together. You can really visualize it.”
Various elements of the much-anticipated splash pad are now being laid out, and only final coatings remain to be done on the pool, as well as some building enhancements, she said.
Shortly afterward, it’ll be available to kids enrolled in the Middletown recreation summer camp programs and members of the Veterans Swim Team.
C. J. Fucci Construction is managing the project, and the city is also working with SLR Consulting, formerly Milone & MacBroom.
SLR, a “top-flight” operation, Nocera said, was also the consultant on the $78 million Pat Kidney sports compound near Beman Middle School, which was completed in September 2018. “They really understand how to enhance your facility with a modern approach to landscaping.”
The biggest hurdle so far was securing the gear switch box for the grounds, which brings power into the facility, although that is now in place, the councilman said. “They are in such short supply all over. It’s crippling projects. We were really worried about that."
Swimmers will be able to wade into the large pool from the small pool, where the younger children play, but those youth won’t have easy access to the water, Nocera said.
The city is three-quarters through the parks bond, designed to fund projects for the next decade. "We’re right on target with it,” Nocera said, commending residents for passing the measure.
Another city jewel is the brand-new $3.7 million recreation facility at 1 Wilderman’s Way, Nocera said, paid for out of the $55 million infrastructure and Board of Education bonds and American Rescue Act funds.
“The stars are lining up perfectly for Middletown,” the majority leader said. “Like the mayor has said, over and over, ‘We’re now not just sowing, we’re reaping.’
“All the planning for the years and years we’ve been involved in it, now the results are evident,” the councilman said.
Nocera, a lifelong resident who lived on Broad Street as a child, remembers walking to the nearby pool. “It’s a fabulous renaissance in that whole park,” enhanced by the Greater Middletown Military Museum, Connecticut Trees of Honor and skating rink on the grounds.
“What an amazing transformation of that whole area,” Nocera said.
Site work begins for east side apartments in Meriden
Mary Ellen Godin
MERIDEN — Construction recently began on 90 market-rate housing units at 406 Bee St. bringing more housing options to the city’s east side.
Bee Street Apartments LLC purchased the 7.8-acre vacant parcel for $1.7 million in August from JHM LLC of Lexington Mass. Keith L. Lenhart and Daniel J. Mancosh are listed as principals of Bee Street Apartments.
Lenhart is president and Mancosh is director of AR Building Co. Inc., of Seven Fields, Pennsylvania. The lot is located next to Flats at 390, a 106-unit market rate apartment complex built in 1991. Both developments are in the Bee Street, Preston Avenue area of the city near Interstate 91, Interstate 691 and Route 15.
Plans for the property were approved in 2020, and changed in March 2022. The original plans called for age 55 and over housing that was ultimately rejected by the developer.
The 90 apartments would be a near equal mix of one- and two-bedroom units, according to the plans.
The property is located in the city’s R-4 zone for multi-family/professional office buildings, and in addition to Flats at 390, is also near an extended-stay hotel.
The land is appraised at $841,700.
The main changes in this iteration are the location of the pool and addition of a clubhouse, resulting in more adjacent green space and a previous modification to change from one building to two buildings.
The Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission conditioned its approval around several areas in 2020. Project engineers have addressed additional surface paving required for 198 parking spaces on site. The stormwater system consists of a series of catch basins and installation of a new 140-foot-long underground detention structure.
The developer intends to install an evergreen buffer around the property boundary that borders Interstate 691 and plant a tree-lined entrance.
City officials and the general public have mixed views on additional housing in all areas of the city. Those opposed have expressed concern about potential drains on city services such as schools and public safety.
But supporters say the city needs more varieties of housing stock at all price points. The city’s current affordable housing rate is above 16 percent and there is opposition to building more affordable units in the transit-oriented district.
“These apartments are something that have been talked about for a long time,” said Democratic City Councilor Michael Rohde, who chairs the Economic Development Housing and Zoning Committee. “Some say we don’t need anymore. But every week I get a call from someone looking for a rental. Apartments of all stripes and a higher (earning) demographic is called for. A friend of mine just went to Bristol for an upscale apartment.”
Rohde said that while the city must pay attention to service demands, there is an obvious need for “quality apartments for people in all areas.”
As the city continues its economic development efforts downtown, its parks and other amentities often attract outsiders.
“A lot of people are coming from areas with higher crime,” Rohde said.” We have so many amenities with our parks, and people really are finding Meriden a wonderful place to live pricewise. We need to be prepared for those folks looking for a nice city.”
When ‘infrastructure’ dislocates a town
Chris Powell
Everybody seems to love federal appropriations for "infrastructure" -- free money, conjured not with taxation but with inflation and the rest of the world's purchase of U.S. government debt. Such appropriations can pay for big and expensive things, like modernizing the country's creaky passenger rail system.
But will people always be as approving when a big project begins its construction phase?
Connecticut U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy raised the question the other day in remarks to the Eastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce. He acknowledged that using the many billions recently appropriated to improve the passenger railroad between Boston and Washington will involve "dislocation" in eastern Connecticut.
Straightening track to increase rail speed will infringe on many properties in towns that value their relative isolation from the modern age and its noise. Constructing a new, much straighter route between New York and Boston, running from southwestern Connecticut through the central and eastern parts of the state, about which planners have mused, might cut an hour off rail travel time at the cost of trampling hundreds of properties under eminent domain.
This makes sense from a railroading perspective. But, much set in its ways, Connecticut can hardly reach consensus on eliminating a grade crossing.
Besides, is improving intercity passenger rail service really as compelling as it seemed a few years ago, now that the internet has eliminated so much commuting to work and so many in-person business meetings? Recent clamor in Washington and at the state Capitol has been almost entirely about needs like public health, housing, and education, with little said about getting from one city to another a little faster.
So it is possible and maybe even likely that Connecticut will see no big passenger rail improvements or any transportation improvements at all any time soon. While state government recently started commuter rail service between New Haven, Hartford, and Springfield, the per-passenger subsidy is huge and likely unsustainable, and for decades state government has failed to complete even the easiest and most obvious road projects, like extending the Route 11 expressway from Salem to Interstate 95 in Waterford and I-384 from Bolton to the Rhode Island line.
Credit Senator Murphy for noting that big thinking imposes big challenges. Will he strive to meet those challenges when it starts inconveniencing many of his constituents? Will he even still be in office when Connecticut confronts any big challenge?
But Murphy, a Democrat, resorted to demagoguery when he responded to former President Donald Trump's remarks to the recent convention of the National Rifle Association in Indianapolis, where the former president and other leading Republicans pledged to protect Second Amendment rights.
“Republicans," Murphy said, "are going to make it clear that, given the choice between our families and the gun industry, they are choosing the gun industry again. The Republican Party continues to put the gun industry and the gunmakers before the safety of our kids and our families.”
Like other Democrats, Murphy continues to misrepresent the obstacle to his legislative objectives about guns. For the obstacle is not the "gun industry" at all.
The "gun industry" -- gun manufacturers -- is not among the most influential special interests, many of which are aligned with Murphy's party. What most influences elected officials about guns are gun owners, many of whom are vocal and politically active. Their views may not be those of the majority but they are the people elected officials hear from most on the gun issue.
Most people may favor, as Murphy does, mandatory, no-exception federal background checks for the purchase of and transfer of guns. Most people may even favor outlawing any rifle that looks scary, though it may operate no differently than an ordinary pistol. But most people won't bother to contact their elected officials about those issues or remember how those officials perform on them, while many gun rights supporters will.
That's democracy for you -- not just with guns but with everything else. As the great journalist James Reston wrote, the first rule of politics is the indifference of the majority. There is majority rule only when the majority bestirs itself to rule. Until then, political minorities are often in charge.
Quarry blasts on Torrington PZC agenda
SLOAN BREWSTER
TORRINGTON – With some nearby residents concerned about blasts from quarries on Winsted Road, a Planning and Zoning Commission hearing on the proposed renewal of permits for the joint-mining operation will resume tonight at 7.
O&G Industries and Haynes Aggregates Torrington, which have adjacent quarries, must renew their permits every two years, City Planner Jeremy Leifert said. The hearing began at last month’s PZC meeting.
The companies have been working together for several years mining earthen material from rock quarries, and in 2021 received approval for a joint-mining operation, engineer and land surveyor Kenneth Hrica told the commission in April. He said Haynes wants to continue mining within a 19.8-acre area and O&G a 23.4-acre expanse. The companies are not seeking any modifications to the permits or areas where they extract material.
“The open excavation areas work with what we’re doing now,” Hrica said.
Despite Hrica’s assurances all would remain as is, 11 speakers voiced opposition to the blasts, citing noise and dust, distress over damage to homes and making requests for environmental studies.
Amy Hill and Bruce Falls of<t-1> Starks Hill Road blamed cracks in their walls and ceilings, as well as in the concrete of their frog pond, on blasting from the operations. Hill said her son, who has special needs, has to wear headphones “so he doesn’t have a meltdown when the blast goes off and scares him.” Other concerns they listed included too many trucks making trips in and out of the quarries, and they get sand in their washing machine and toilet, forcing them to replace filters “all the time.”
Hill said her family has lived in the home for 50 years and the problems are new. The fact that seismograph measurements indicate the operation meets state standards offers small consolation, she noted.
“They’re OK by state standards, but it doesn’t matter when your yard is being destroyed, when your house is being destroyed, when you have to put headphones on your son,” Hill said. “We’re told, ‘We’re sorry, but there’s nothing we can do.’”
Hakki Cinel spoke on behalf of Lakeridge, a gated community off Burr Mountain Road, saying there are regular water main breaks in the neighborhood and requesting that testing be done to determine if the blasting is the cause.
Catherine Winzler, an Oxford Way resident, said when the blasts occur, pictures fall off her walls. A blast earlier that day “scared the crap out of” her and her dog, she said. She bemoaned dust from the blasts and said she is forced to keep her door closed day and night due to all the noise.
“What everyone is saying here is absolutely true and we would appreciate being listened to,” Winzler said.
Ahead of tonight’s meeting, Haynes and O&G sent the commission a letter responding to the complaints, offering to speak individually with the residents and monitor the impact of blasting in certain areas.
In some cases, such as with Hill and Falls, the companies denied blasting was the cause of damages described. In other instances, such as Winzler’s, they offered to give notification when blasts are scheduled.
“While we were surprised by the number of people who raised concerns at this hearing, particularly from those who receive notice of blasting and have never previously reported a complaint, we believe all of the concerns raised can be adequately managed,” the letter states.
CT Construction Digest Tuesday May 9, 2023
Greenwich developer floats 10-story hotel next to Curley's Diner in downtown Stamford
STAMFORD — Over the years, as tall residential buildings and a parking garage rose up to dwarf the old diner facing Columbus Park, one neighboring patch of asphalt remained untouched.
On multiple occasions, Stamford officials made plans to redevelop the 0 West Park Place parcel next to Curley's Diner. But none of them materialized, leaving the city-owned property as a de facto parking lot fitting about 34 cars for nearby businesses.
An early-stage proposal being discussed with the Stamford Zoning Board would change that in a big way.
Wellbuilt Company, a developer headquartered in Greenwich with two projects already in Stamford, has filed a pre-application with the Land Use Bureau to explore building an extended stay hotel on the property. Preliminary designs include a 10-story building with 95 rooms and ground-floor space reserved for retail or a restaurant.
Amenities would be located on the second floor, as well as on an open-air rooftop deck. The design would also preserve an existing shortcut connecting the property to Columbus Park-area businesses.
Parking would be off-site in the Bell Street garage. According to the pre-application, the concept is common for urban hotels and it was reviewed favorably by the city's Transportation, Traffic and Parking Department.
An extended stay hotel would serve a variety of customers in and around Stamford's downtown, Wellbuilt Company co-founder Mitch Kidd said. As examples, he listed travel nurses, parents of University of Connecticut-Stamford students and people moving to Stamford looking for an in-between place to stay.
"There's just a high demand for it, and (it's) ever growing," Kidd said.
The developer has yet to submit a formal Zoning Board application, opting instead to file a pre-application. The process has "not historically been utilized," said Lisa Feinberg, the attorney representing Wellbuilt Company. But it allows the developer to explore the feasibility of a project without committing extensive funds to the process, she said.
Feinberg said the pre-application process is especially useful with the proposed site because of its size — just under 12,000 square feet with existing businesses on both sides.
"There are challenges, so being able to get that feedback without investing in civil engineering and full architectural drawings and all of the soft costs that go into processing an application — paying for me, paying for all of the consultants to sit at the Zoning Board and the (Urban Redevelopment Commission) — then, it's certainly worthwhile to do that," Feinberg said.
Acquired by the city in 1966, the parcel was one of the plots designated by officials for Stamford's urban renewal era. As a result, the Urban Redevelopment Commission was given authority to "acquire, manage, demolish and dispose of designated parcels," according to a 2021 URC memorandum.
A contract is in place to transfer the property from the URC to Wellbuilt Company, Feinberg said. In order for the deal to close, though, the developer must secure zoning approval for the project.
It marks the third time in the past three decades that the URC has moved to develop the property.
In 1997, the URC authorized a developer to seize properties on the block to build multiple high-rises. One of those properties was Curley's Diner, a downtown fixture since 1941.
But the diner's co-owners, Maria Aposporos and her sister Eleni Anastos, blocked the city's condemnation attempt in a 2002 landmark state Supreme Court case. In 2006, a revised agreement aimed to build around Curley's, but it was also stopped by continuing litigation and the 2008 financial crisis.
Eventually, in 2012, development firm Trinity Financial stepped in to take over the project. Under the firm's direction, two residential buildings in the area were built — 66 Summer and Vela on the Park.
Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media
At the diner on Wednesday, Aposporos looked over a preliminary rendering of the proposed hotel. The blue-ink sketching shows the hotel standing high over the diner — the two buildings separated by a drop-off lane and loading dock.
It's too tall, she said. Nonetheless, Aposporos said the hotel is "a good idea." She said it could be good for business at the diner.
She said she hopes the project has a first-floor bathroom, as people at Mill River Park frequently ask to use hers. She also said she hopes the building is properly soundproofed, so hotel guests can fall asleep when nearby bars and restaurants play music late at nights.
"Me, I don't care what they put there. I just don't want (patrons) to bother the police all the time because the police are very busy," Aposporos said.
Aposporos said she's open to having new neighbors, but she wants to be treated fairly. She said when another urban renewal building, 66 Summer, was under construction, crews used her building's water supply without paying her back.
"I said, 'I don't want to make money from you guys. We will call the water company, how much I paid last year, and you pay the extra.' And then they left (without) paying," she said.
Trinity Financial, the developer of 66 Summer, did not respond to an immediate request for comment. In 2017, the company sold the 200-unit building to an out-of-state company for $67.5 million.
Owners of Acuario, a Peruvian restaurant that would be the hotel's other nextdoor neighbor, did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
No takers for town-owned site in Manchester, but officials expect developer to come forward soon
MANCHESTER — A town-owned Main Street building that has been called an eyesore but could be a key to downtown redevelopment failed to attract any formal bids in a recent request for developers' proposals.
But the high construction costs and interest rates that deterred bids for the Tong Building site are temporary, Town Manager Steve Stephanou said Monday, and officials expect a developer to come forward as plans progress for a Main Street renewal.
The town bought the Tong Building at 942 Main St. earlier this year for $1.75 million. Together with the adjacent town-owned Forest Street parking lot, the site being marketed to developers totals 2.38 acres. The town's plan is to demolish the building by February 2024 to open the block-long site for mixed-use development that will complement the planned $39-million public library to be built directly across Main Street.
Although no official bids came in, the town received "substantial interest" from developers for the Tong site, Stephanou said, and as temporary market conditions improve, "we have confidence this is a desirable site in a downtown that has seen a lot of recent investment and increased interest in new and expanding businesses."
The Tong Building, named for its former owners and parents of current state Attorney General William Tong, has been partially vacant for many years. Town leaders and residents have called it an eyesore. In 2015, town officials discussed a proposal to buy the building, tear it down and build a new library on the site, but the board of directors shelved the proposal in part because of the $20 million price tag, which at the time did not include the purchase price and demolition costs.
When town directors were discussing downtown development three years later, Minority Leader Cheri Eckbreth said they should not allow the building to be "the turd in the punch bowl." But discussions to buy the building faltered again and were not revived until recently.
The town will issue another request for proposals for the site, Stephanou said. The request that expired sought proposals that included one or more buildings that could accommodate a "traditional downtown mix of uses," with ground floor retail and apartments and offices above. The request also stated that the development must include a 2,000-square-foot space for the Webster Bank branch that is to be torn down to make room for the new library across the street.
Desirable, but not required elements included accommodation of current tenants, a transit stop and affordable housing units. The town prefers to sell the site, but is open to a lease agreement, according to the request.