HARTFORD — Officials have narrowed the sites they are
considering for a new
federal courthouse in Hartford to two, a 2.2-acre Allyn Street parking
lot and a 10.2-acre site at the corner of Asylum Avenue and Woodland Street now
occupied by 74-year-old state government office building.
The U.S. General Services Administration has issued a
381-page draft
Environmental Impact Statement on the courthouse project, for
which Congress
has appropriated $335 million. The GSA is seeking public input on
the siting issue at a hearing Wednesday and in written comments that can
be submitted until Dec. 16.
The U.S. District Court would move its Hartford operations
to the new building from the Abraham A. Ribicoff federal building and
courthouse at 450 Main St.
The court areas of the Ribicoff building, named for a
former Connecticut U.S. senator, governor and U.S. representative, are spacious
compared to many state courthouses, such as the criminal courthouse at 101
Lafayette St. in Hartford.
But the draft environmental statement says, “For the past
several years, the Federal Judiciary Courthouse Project Priorities List
included the identification of a new courthouse in Hartford as a top priority
across the country.”
One of the Ribicoff building’s shortcomings is that it
“does not have adequate blast protection setbacks from the adjoining streets,”
the draft statement says.
Another is that it lacks separate corridors for movement of
prisoners, meaning that U.S. Marshals have to escort them to and from court
through public areas, the draft says.
Not enough space
And a third shortcoming, according to the draft, is that it
just does not have enough space for the court’s anticipated needs. The Ribicoff
building has eight courtrooms and 10 judges, the draft says, while a new
courthouse would have 11 courtrooms and 18 judges’ chambers, expected to meet
needs for 30 years.
The headquarters of Connecticut’s U.S. District Court would
be moved to the new courthouse from the Richard C. Lee Courthouse across
the street from the New Haven Green. In addition, some judges, staff and other
personnel would be moved from the federal courthouses in New Haven and
Bridgeport to the new Hartford courthouse, the draft says.
The Allyn Street site is a parking lot a block north of
Bushnell Park, bounded by Allyn, High and Church streets, with mixed-use
buildings and St. Patrick-St. Anthony Roman Catholic Church filling the rest of
the block to Ann Uccello Street.
The site is between Union Station and the XL Center and is
very near the William R. Cotter Federal Building. The building envisioned
for the Allyn Street site would include two levels of secure underground
parking, the draft says.
“There appears to be adequate public parking in proximity to
the Allyn Site, however, GSA may pursue options to provide additional
parking such as entering into a lease with a commercial parking operator,” it
continues.
Too much parking in Hartford?
One advantage cited for the Allyn Street site is that
it would eliminate some of Hartford’s excess parking space.
The draft says the city “has approximately twice as much
downtown parking relative to the average U.S. city, and as a result, the city
is encouraging different development patterns in the downtown area.”
The other site under consideration, on the southwest corner
of Asylum Avenue and Woodland Street, is now occupied by a six-story structure
built in 1950 for the Phoenix Insurance Co. and renovated by the state in 1974
for use as Greater Hartford Community College, the draft says. Its address is
61 Woodland St., and multiple state agencies now use it, the draft adds.
The draft says the existing buildings on the site may be
demolished or re-used. The secure parking needed for a courthouse may be
underground or surface-level, the draft says.
There are several parking lots on the site, and the draft
says, “GSA would incorporate some of the existing surface parking into its
landscape plan. GSA would pursue options to provide additional parking such as
entering into a lease with a commercial parking operator.”
The site borders the North Branch of the Park River, and one
of the lower parking lots has a sign warning of flooding.
“Construction would be limited to areas outside the
floodplain,” the draft says.
Other options scrapped
Possibilities that were considered earlier but have been
rejected include a site straddling Hudson Street between Capitol Avenue and
Buckingham Street, and renovation of the Ribicoff building.
As to the renovation options, the draft says, Ribicoff
building tenants not affiliated with the court would need to be removed
temporarily to provide “swing space” for the court during the project, which
would involve “major structural work.”
In addition, it says, the court would need to remain in
operation during multiple phases of construction, hampering the ability of the
U.S. Marshal Service “to keep all parties safe and secure throughout the
extensive renovation project.”
Wednesday’s public hearing is to run from 6 p.m. to 8
p.m. at The Lyceum Center, Conference Center 1, 227 Lawrence St., Hartford.
Written comments can be submitted at the hearing, emailed
to HartfordCourthouse@GSA.gov, put in a drop box at the main entrance to
the Ribicoff building, or mailed to General Services Administration, Attn.:
Robert Herman, Project Manager, Abraham A. Ribicoff Federal Building and U.S.
Courthouse, 450 Main St., Suite 435, Hartford, CT 06103.
Naugatuck moves forward with downtown revitalization
ANDREAS YILMA
NAUGATUCK – The borough is paving the way to finish
remediation and develop Parcel B downtown.
The Board of Mayor and Burgesses last Wednesday approved a
work order for Parcel B, Phase 1 construction services and Phase 2 design
services in the amount of $42,920.
Pennrose, a real estate development company from
Philadelphia, and Cloud Co. of Hartford are set to develop 7.75 acres at the
corner of Maple Street and Old Firehouse Road, known as Parcel B. The
development is broken into three phases that will include three four-story
buildings with 60 units in each structure, consisting of 29 one-bedroom and 31
two-bedroom units.
Phase 1 would be closest to Maple Street, phase two closest
to the Naugatuck Event Center, which is also being repurposed into another
apartment complex, and phase three in the middle as Department of
Transportation would need staging area for the new proposed train station that
is expected to move from near The Station Restaurant to the middle of Parcel B.
“This is for the remediation soil stability work that’s
being done on Parcel B, Phase 1 of the Pennrose (project),” public works
Director Jim Stewart said.
The borough board also approved to enter into an agreement
with Down-To-Earth Consulting for an amount not to exceed $155,200 for
environmental services for remediation of Parcel B.
The town previously received a $1.3 million Department of
Economic and Community Development grant for the downtown revitalization
project which will cover the costs of remediation, Stewart said.
Part of this work will also help with the foundation of the
property.
“This is essentially the digging of the foundation and the
utility areas for Pennrose, Phase 1,” Mayor N. Warren “Pete” Hess said.
The work from Down-To-Earth Consulting will include
supplying inspection services, testing and asbestos air monitoring during the
period and remedial action plan for the DOT property, Stewart said.
“This is one of many moving parts in the project and we
received a grant and our grant is covering all of our costs, Hess said.
Deputy Rocky Vitale inquired about any voids underneath the
property that may have to be addressed.
“Right now we’re doing the extension of Rubber Avenue,”
Stewart said. “We hit one of the tunnels which we knew were there and they
excavated it out and they’re filling it back in with soil.”
Hess said the borough collapsed a tunnel and are filling it
in which will be used partly form the Connecticut Communities Challenge grant
and the town TIF money for the construction of Rubber Ave.
“They are excavating for the foundation for the Pennrose
building and processing the material and putting it back in there compact so
they can build a building on top of it and they’re also going through the
utility corridors and doing the same thing so that when they dig, everything’s
easier and they’re not going hit anything on the,” Stewart said.
The voids or tunnels mainly on Phase 2 of the Pennrose
project haven’t been addressed yet, Hess said.
The Zoning Commission continued a hearing to Nov. 20 for the
special permit application for phase two of the proposed residential and
commercial development for the property at 90 Old Firehouse Road. It did
approve the architectural renderings for phases one and two of the buildings
and a revised landscaping plan for phase one.
The commission previously approved a special permit for
Phase 1 of the transit-oriented project at the end of 2022. Construction for
phase one is expected to begin next year.
Stamford's much-delayed Cedar Heights Road bridge built too low and now needs fixing, officials say
STAMFORD — The completion date of a project to rebuild
a bridge on Cedar Heights Road has been pushed back, again.More
The goal was to get the bridge, rated in “Serious” condition
by the Connecticut Department of Transportation, rebuilt by the end of November
after a string of delays. However, City Engineer Lou Casolo said the hope now
is to open the bridge to traffic by April 2025 after it was discovered the new
bridge was built too low.
Tony Vitti, president of A. Vitti Excavators, which is
building the bridge, said his company will pay to fix the height
discrepancy.
Completing the project any later could delay replacement of
a bridge on Wire Mill Road, which is completely supported by federal funds.
Tthe Wire Mill Road project must be completed by the end of 2025 or those
federal funds could be reduced or revoked, Casolo said.
“There can't be any hiccups,” Casolo said.
Cedar Heights Road, which is just south of the Merritt
Parkway, has been closed to traffic during the project. A detour takes cars
along High Ridge Road and Wire Mill Road.
Bids were put out for contractors to take on the Wire Mill
Road project with a commitment from the city to get work started on it April
1.
Casolo said both bridges cannot be closed at the same
time.
“It would be a real impact to the city,” Casolo said. “That
would be a problem.”
Casolo previously told The Stamford Advocate that
about 3,800
vehicles passed over the Cedar Heights bridge on a daily basis before it closed.
Casolo said A. Vitti Excavators will work through the winter
to make sure the replacement for the more-than-90-year-old bridge on Cedar
Heights Road can be completed.
He described the time the contractor for the Wire Mill Road
project will have to complete the project, including filing paperwork, getting
materials and building, as “razor thin,” even if the the bridge on Cedar
Heights Road is completed by April.
Board of Representatives member Don Mays, D-19, called the
most recent delay “an embarrassment for the city” in an Operations Committee
meeting. He also critiqued the contractor for having to go through multiple
rounds of review for permits and approvals.
“It tells me that the contractor may be unfamiliar with the
requirements of the job or is perhaps a bit over his head,” Mays said.
Vitti said the delays were the fault of third-party
contractors that took too long to sign off on designs and permits.
“I'm getting punished and they're dragging their feet on
submittals,” Vitti said.
The original goal was to complete the project by Nov. 30,
2023. A. Vitti Excavators then committed to working during the 2023 winter
to get
the job done by May 31. That was
also pushed back to June 30.
The completion date was then pushed back to the end of
November after A. Vitti Excavators submitted documents on how it would handle
the flow of the Rippowam River, demolition of the bridge and supporting utility
lines to an inspection firm before moving from one stage of construction to the
next.
The documents went through multiple rounds of reviews that
resulted in more delays.
SOUTHINGTON— The Southington Public Library is
almost ready for the community to enjoy an improved experience as it moves into
a new state-of-the-art building in the next few weeks.
The move from the current library location at 255 Main St.
to the nearly 30,000-square-foot new building next door will begin on Nov. 18,
with the reopening scheduled for Dec. 2.
“Just please plan accordingly,” said Town Manager Alex
Ricciardone during the Oct. 17 Town Council meeting. “And we're waiving all
fees. So, no need to worry.”
The Library Building Committee had planned an original
opening date of Nov. 28 or even a little sooner but decided to hold
off until after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, according to Town Council
Vice Chair Jim Morelli.
But except for minor delays involving fixtures, completion
of the new construction is on schedule.
“I have been part of five library renovations, and I can say
that this process has been transparent, collaborative, professional and
efficient," said Southington Public Library and Barnes Museum Executive
Director Thomas Piezzo. "I greatly appreciate the efforts, and this has
truly been a team effort of which I am glad to have been a part. The whole team
has been mutually supportive, and the results will speak for themselves.”
As of early October, crews were finishing built-in bookcases
and running wiring. Some of the glass doors were installed last week, and once
the rest come in, they will also be installed.
“I think the architect (DRA) and the building manager
(Whiting-Turner) did a phenomenal job," Morelli said. "They worked
really well together for the town, and Turner managed the budget like it was
their own money. They were able to really get a lot more things into the
building than we thought we would originally, and it's still all on
budget.”
The new building will have two floors incorporating
different color schemes, including pastel blue, navy blue, and off-white.
The first floor will include a program room, circulation workroom, lobby,
friends' workroom, book sales, and more. The second floor will have an
information office, teen room, study areas, books, and seating.
“The place looks fantastic; it really does,” Morelli said.
“The colors blend well, and there's a lot of natural light in the building,
which was by design. It's a beautiful facility.”
The current library location will be shut down for about two
weeks to accommodate the move to the new building. The lower level and
mezzanine will be closed beginning Tuesday to prepare for the start of the move
on Nov. 18. Morelli said a professional mover was hired without going over the
budget.
No books should be dropped in the book drop or donations
left during this time, and items checked out after Nov. 15 through the
temporary closing are due Dec. 5.
The library’s address will remain 255 Main St. and reopen to
the public on Dec. 2. All fees will be due starting on Dec. 5.
“I think this is a pretty monumental project,” Morelli said.
“I'm very proud of the building. I think the residents will be really proud of
it, too. I think they'll use it a lot, which is great. It was designed to be
flexible, modular, and really usable for the public for the long haul, and I
think it's a great addition to our town."
Construction began in July 2023 after Southington voters
approved a $16.9 million referendum in 2021 to fund construction of the new
library and demolition of the existing facility.
The library board organized a capital campaign to raise
funds for furniture, fixtures, and equipment. The campaign's goal was $1
million. In August, the campaign entered its public phase giving community
members the opportunity to be recognized for their support of the project with
their name on a plaque to be displayed in the new building as well as on
benches, study areas, and rooms. Customized bricks will be installed on the
patio next spring.
“We were able to reach our goal, and all public spaces have
the new furniture, fixtures, and equipment needed,” Piezzo said. “And staff
furniture, which is in good condition, will be reused.”
An official ribbon cutting for the new library facility is
tentatively scheduled for Dec. 7.
Garfield Mills owner expects to begin apartment construction in coming weeks
John Penney
New London ― The owner of a dilapidated, long-vacant former
mill property said he expects to begin turning the sprawling structure into
apartment units before Thanksgiving.
Ted Lazarus, a principal of the Litchfield-based Park Lane
Group, said Friday remediation at 90 Garfield Ave., former home to the Edward
Bloom Silk Co business, is about 90% complete and he expects construction of 87
apartments ― 20% of which will be set aside as affordable housing ― to be
finished by the first quarter of 2026.
The Park Lane Group, operating as Garfield Mills LLC, bought
the 97,000-square-foot mill building, which has sat unused for decades, for $239,000 in 2019.
The company, with the aid of a $1 million state brownfield
remediation grant, began cleaning the property about eight months ago. Lazarus
said the former factory was rife with contaminants, including lead-painted
walls and chemical-laden caulk in window sealants.
“But we’re in good shape and are enormously excited for the
next steps,” Lazarus said.
In addition to the state’s contribution, the city has also
extended its support in the form of a $2.16 million tax break agreement
approved by the City Council in October 2023.
Garfield Mills will pay an annual tax bill of $20,000 for
the first four years of the 20-year agreement during the construction phase,
with those amounts increasing by 2.5% annually in most subsequent years.
The city currently collects about $20,000 in annual taxes
from the building and 3.5-acre site but officials anticipate that figure will
jump significantly after its redevelopment.
If the mill site remained unused, the city could expect to
take in $510,893 in taxes from the property over a two-decade period. But that
figure leaps to $1.3 million when the project, with its anticipated $4.8
million assessment, is completed, Finance Director David McBride previously
said.
The city, in exchange for signing the agreement, will get a
new housing complex expected to spur economic improvements in the surrounding
area.
The mill, also known locally as the Faria Mill, is located
in the city’s Tax Increment Financing Garfield Mills District, an incentive
zone created by the council in 2022 that allows a portion of any increase in
tax revenues from rising property values to be set aside for infrastructure
improvements in that area.
Under that plan, 50% of tax revenue realized by increases in
assessed value in the district will be “recycled” back into the neighborhood
for various improvement projects, including new sidewalks, parks and lighting,
with the remainder funneled into the city’s general fund.
Felix Reyes, the city’s director of planning and economic
development, described the former mill – and the surrounding block – as an
almost textbook case of blight.
“It’s been a long, drawn-out process with the remediation at
that brownfield site, which was a factory for a long time,” he said on Friday.
“But it’s encouraging to hear they plan to start construction in the near
future.”