Bradley International Airport will receive a $13.2 million federal aviation grant for taxiway enhancements, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will award Bradley the grant, part of a $3.18 billion funding package for airport improvements at runways, taxiways, aprons and terminals across the country.
FAA says airports in all 50 states and five U.S. territories receive annual funding based on activity levels and infrastructure needs.
"This grant is a down payment to ensure Bradley International Airport remains an economic engine as demand grows," U.S Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao said.
Bangor International Airport in Maine, receiving $6.4 million under the grant, is the only other New England airport to receive a chunk of the federal funds. Other grants will support airports in Texas, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Arkansas, Nebraska, Virginia and Canada, among others.
The funding comes after Bradley officials unveiled a $1.4 billion master plan that would allow the airport to serve millions of additional passengers.
It represents Connecticut Airport Authority's first master plan since it took over Bradley operations from the state Department of Transportation in 2013.
For the full list of federal aviation projects visit here.
Walk or drive: Fresh fuel for old bridge dispute in central Stamford
STAMFORD - The West Main Street bridge has been too decrepit to drive on for 16 years.
Yet the dispute rages over whether it should remain walkers-only.
City officials debated it for two and a half hours last week. Residents can have their say at a Board of Representatives meeting next week.The little metal bridge, only 125 feet long, was built in 1888 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It crosses Mill River at a narrow point, just where colonists built its wooden predecessor in the 1600s.
The story of the bridge is old but its importance to the city center is evergreen.
At issue now is its role connecting downtown to the West Side. Between the two neighborhoods - the first thriving and the second working to do so - is Mill River Park, a greenway with a carousel, fountain, skating rink and features still to be built in a $60 million renovation.
As the park gets new life, the bridge, which the state Department of Transportation designated for repair two decades ago, is falling into the river. City officials fear it soon will be unsafe even for pedestrians.
So they were happy when the Mill River Collaborative, a nonprofit group working with the city to remake the park, offered to spend a $2 million state grant to fix the bridge.
Mayor David Martin and members of his administration went before the Board of Representatives’ Operations Committee last week asking for approval of an agreement city engineers reached with a contractor to repair the bridge for that amount.
It seemed like a no-brainer. The collaborative, recognizing the importance of the bridge to the park, would provide the money, and the contractor, Wengell, McDonnell & Costello, has worked with city engineers for years to shore up the structure’s iron trusses and stone-and-cement piers. WMC also agreed to fast-track the project, since there’s a chance the structure will not survive the next hurricane.
But the old bridge tiff, vehicle vs. pedestrian, emerged.
The collaborative, city engineers and Martin’s office have decided the bridge should remain limited to pedestrians, and are moving fast, leaving residents behind, Rep. Elise Coleman, D-3, said during the committee meeting last Thursday.
“Residents are in the dark,” Coleman said. “The bridge wasn’t supposed to be just pedestrian. That was promised to them.”
The promises go back to 2002, when the DOT closed the bridge to cars because of safety concerns. A few years later, work on Mill River Park began, and the collaborative highlighted the importance of a walk-only bridge, in keeping with its goal to create a natural oasis.
West Side residents and business owners working to revitalize their neighborhood balked, saying closing the bridge to cars put them “in a no-man’s zone.” It was like the park was a buffer between downtown and the West Side, and they were being “ostracized,” they said. The result of the dispute was inaction. As the bridge crumbled, some began to think the controversy had quelled.
“There was testimony and there were hearings” before the Board of Representatives passed a resolution designating the bridge for walkers only in 2008, Martin’s chief of staff, Michael Pollard, reminded the committee last week.
“The conclusion was that it had not caused significant traffic problems and residents grew accustomed to it. It was not a main artery for vehicular traffic, only a shortcut to downtown, and a pedestrian-only bridge was a positive for the West Side,” Pollard said. Martin acknowledged the “longstanding disagreement.”
“There are people in the community who would still like to see a vehicular bridge,” the mayor said. “But leaders of an important West Side group approached me recently and said they’d had a change of heart after 16 years.”
Closing the bridge to cars has not increased traffic on other arteries linking the West Side to downtown, Martin said, and his public-safety director determined it has not disrupted the routes of ambulances and other emergency vehicles headed to Stamford Hospital up the hill.
Still, “there will never be a consensus,” Martin said. “If we try to achieve one, we will have no bridge to repair. It will be gone” in the next storm that swells Mill River and washes away the rickety bridge supports.
Despite the efforts of the mayor and his staff, some representatives had reservations about approving WMC’s contract to fix the bridge for pedestrians only.
“Bridges and roadways knit a city together,” said Rep. Virgil de la Cruz, D-2. “Whenever you have an opportunity to do something about (them,) you should think about it a hundred times.”
In a city that is growing like Stamford, infrastructure “provides economic and civic benefits,” de la Cruz said. “We are going to need every piece of roadway for the growth that is to come.”
Coleman said there should be a public hearing before representatives vote on whether to approve the contract.
“I think people should know exactly what you’re doing,” she told the committee.
But members voted 4-1, with three abstentions, to recommend that the full board approve the bridge-repair contract at its next meeting. Rep. Jonathan Jacobson, D-12, the committee chairman, said residents may speak during the public-comment portion of the board meeting.
It is scheduled for 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 6, in legislative chambers on the fourth floor of the Stamford Government Center, 888 Washington Blvd.
New Haven center receives $10 million for recovery facility
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut community health center has received $10 million in state funds to build a recovery center.
The New Haven Register reports Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center CEO Michael Taylor was joined by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and Mayor Toni Harp Tuesday in New Haven to announce the project. According to officials, the center will replace the Grant Street Partnership program.
The new 44,000-square-foot facility will house 52 beds for men and women along with a kitchen. It will offer outpatient therapy, mental health and drug counseling, life skills workshops and primary care medical services.
Malloy says community health facilities like the Cornell Scott-Hill Center have helped improve the public health system. He says the new facility will help underserved communities.
Bethel to hire owner’s representative for Rockwell, Johnson project
BETHEL — The town is seeking an expert to guide officials through the $65.8 million renovation of Rockwell and Johnson elementary schools.
The Public Site and Building Committee plans to hire an owner’s representative to help members oversee the schools project, which is meant to bring the aging buildings into the 21st century.“The more expert eyes we have looking all the aspects of this, the better off we’ll be,” First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker said.
The state also requires the town to hire an owner’s representative because a state grant is covering 45 percent of eligible costs of the renovations. “This is a very complicated project,” Knickerbocker said. “There's a lot of moving parts to it.”
Town officials are also trying to avoid a repeat of the problems encountered with the police station project.
The town did not have an owner’s representative for that endeavor, which is expected to be completed in August. The project went almost $889,000 over its $13.5 million budget.In hindsight, some residents had thought an owner’s representative could have helped the town keep the police station costs in line. But Knickerbocker said the building committee had felt this expert was unnecessary when the project began.
The schools’ representative will work for the town and independently from the construction manager and architect. The expert’s goal is to keep the project on schedule and within budget. He or she will also assist the town as it files for reimbursement from the state and keep the committee abreast of any changes, Superintendent Christine Carver said.
“Owner’s representatives are, by definition, the representative of the town and, subsequently, the district in advising on all aspects of the project,” Carver said.
This will be a big help for the committee members, she said.
“These are volunteers,” Carver said. “It is not their full-time job. Though they do have oversight over the project, they are not the person who is interacting with the [construction manager] and the architect on a day-to-day basis.”
Crews are conducting environmental tests this summer to prepare for construction. Asbestos and chemicals called polychlorinated biphenyl, or PCB, were found in both schools, which Carver had expected. These hazards will be abated.
Carver said the town plans to send out bids for the project in the fall, with construction beginning in the winter or spring. But preliminary site work, such as land clearing, will be conducted in the fall.
Rockwell is on budget, while Johnson is slightly under budget, Carver said. An estimate for the cost of hiring the owner’s representative was not immediately available.
Mayor offers update on New Milford roadwork
New Milford Mayor Pete Bass updated the public on upcoming and ongoing road projects in town with several recent posts to his Facebook page.
Drainage work started on Youngs Field Road this week, which included replacing old corrugated metal pipes with new high density polyethylene pipes. Replacing the catch basin tops at Railroad Street is slated for next week. Both roads will be milled, paved and re-marked with center lines, shoulder lines, parking spots and crosswalks.
There will be minor detours and drivers can expect delays.
Work is underway for Town Farm Road, which will be milled, partially curbed, paved and marked. There is also drainage work.
In August, the town will start milling Great Brook Road, Blue Bonnet, Sega Drive and Roadside Court, though not necessarily in this order. Milling is also expected to start soon on Youngsfield Road, Railroad Street, Carmen Hill #1 and #2 , Cedar Hill Road and Littlefield Road. A timeline has not been announced for these roads.
Construction is also expected to start in mid-August on Long Mountain and Squire Hill roads. The bids were recently awarded to M&O construction for about $2.8 million.
Work is continuing on the Still River rotary after the concrete testing passed. Traffic will soon switch to the opposite side of the rotary once that work is complete and following a meeting with the police department.
Dayton, the contractor for the Mill Street bridge project, is working on drainage and backfill of the abutments. It should take about another week.
Developer: Norwalk mall on track for 2019 opening
GGP stated its SoNo Collection mall under construction in Norwalk is on pace for a planned grand opening in 2019, with the company having previously targeted a date in late October that year.
GGP operates shopping malls nationally, with the company currently in the process of being sold to fellow real estate investment trust Brookfield Property Partners, with shareholders having an Aug. 21 deadline to elect to receive cash or stock for their equity.
In the second quarter, GGP earned $95.6 million on revenue of $583 million, with revenue up 5 percent from a year ago but profits down by a quarter. GGP storefronts were 94.2 percent occupied at the close of June.
Construction project on Columbus Blvd. enters final stages
NEW BRITAIN - Following more than a year of construction, a major part of Columbus Boulevard is beginning to shape up as a new and improved stretch of road in downtown New Britain.
Construction workers have been laboring since last spring to renovate major parts of Columbus Boulevard near Bank Street.
Construction workers have been laboring since last spring to renovate major parts of Columbus Boulevard near Bank Street.
The most significant elements of the project are the installation of the new traffic rotary and the relocation of the city bus hub from Bank Street to designated areas on Columbus Boulevard.
“There’s an adjustment period for sure, but it keeps traffic flowing rather than just standing at a light,” Public Works Director Mark Moriarty said of the new rotary.
The rotary is located just north of the Red Roof Inn parking lot and will accommodate traffic traveling east and west on Columbus Boulevard and Bank Street.
The sculpture that formerly sat in the water fountain in Leo A. Milewski Park, the small park where Columbus Boulevard intersects with Bank Street, will be relocated to the middle of the rotary.
The rotary has lights installed in it to illuminate the sculpture at night.
A new clock tower that reads “The City of New Britain” now sits in Leo A. Milewski Park. Grass and trees will soon be added to finish off the pocket park.
The new central location for city bus routes will be in designated lanes on both sides of Columbus Boulevard, just east of the Main Street intersection.
In addition to these changes, the Columbus Boulevard project also calls for widening sidewalks from Main Street to just past the site of the city’s former police station.
“This whole area was just dysfunctional,” Moriarty said of the old layout of the road. “This is creating a gateway into downtown, better traffic flow into downtown and better access to Szczesny Parking Garage.”
The beginning of the project has roots going back years. In January 2017, the New Britain Common Council authorized a contract of nearly $3.2 million with Morais Concrete Service out of Springfield, Mass., to oversee upgrades along a section of Columbus Boulevard.
The Columbus Boulevard project is expected to be fully completed by the end of fall 2018.
This project is the fourth phase of the city’s Complete Streets and Downtown Livability Master Plan
Bids open for $3.6 million Cromwell library renovation project
CROMWELL — After years of delays, the project to rehabilitate and expand the Cromwell Belden Public Library is moving forward.
Last week, the town called for an invitation to bid on the project, expected to cost approximately $3.6 million. Bids for the plan, funded in part by a $1 million state grant, are required to be submitted no later than 11 a.m. Aug. 10.
“The goal is to start this project in this calendar year,” Town Manager Anthony J. Salvatore said“It still has to be determined how the project will be funded,” he added. It is expected to take nine months to complete. The library opened in its present location in 1986 and is part of the Town Hall complex, which includes both the library and senior center, as well as town offices.
The renovation and expansion project has been in the planning stages for a decade. Previous Director Eileen Branciforte was successful in winning the state grant. But then the Great Recession hit, stalling the effort to renovate the library.
Now, it is back on track — and “definitely long overdue,” according to current library Director Kara S. Canney.
“It’s a vibrant space. And I expect the renovation and expansion will only make it more so,” she said.
As she spoke, the energetic Canney gestured from behind her desk at the interior of the library, bustling with activity on a muggy mid-week afternoon.
The library currently encompasses some 13,542 square feet. The expansion project, which involves “filling in what we call the courtyard,” will add another 3,449 square feet of space, Canney said.
The addition will enable the library to use the space for programs and meetings, she said. Those activities “could include book talks, a concert, or a class on how to use the latest technology,” which includes virtual reality — “the next big thing,” Canney added.
“Answering what is virtual reality in technical terms is straightforward. Virtual reality is the term used to describe a three-dimensional, computer-generated environment, which can be explored and interacted with by a person,” according to the Virtual Reality Society.“That person becomes part of this virtual world or is immersed within this environment, and whilst there, is able to manipulate objects or perform a series of actions,” the explanation said .
While the immediate focus is on the expansion of the library, Canney acknowledged, “the library itself is sort of dated.” The renovation “will make the library even more inviting, and fully ADA-compliant,” Canney said, referring to the Americans with Disabilities Act, which establishes requirements for access to buildings for people with handicaps.
That effort will involve widening the aisles between book shelves. The renovation will also “provide for more additional study and meeting space, which we desperately need,” Canney said.
She literally lives with the project: Canney shares space in her office with a rolled-up copy of the 68-page plan. The Hamden firm of Silver/Petrucelli & Associates is the architectThe firm has worked with Canney to incorporate a wide range of colors, some vivid, others muted, into the project.
Once the project gets under way, “There may be some very short periods of time where we may have to close because we have to speed the project along,” Canney said.
In addition, there will be issues involving both parking and routine construction noise as the project unfolds, she said “But basically we are getting a whole new building, and so these inconveniences are all for the greater good.”
Mystic developments may mean more sewage sent to Stonington Borough plant
Stonington — With more than $100 million in new development proposed in Mystic, town officials have begun work on a plan to increase the capacity of the Mystic sewer treatment plant by pumping sewage to the borough plant.
This would accommodate the new construction, which is expected to generate large amounts of new tax revenue at the same time as state aid to the town continues to drop.
At last week’s Board of Selectmen’s meeting, First Selectman Rob Simmons made the first public mention of the project, which likely will require residents to approve bonding for required upgrades to the existing pipeline, the two plants and the system of pumps at and between them.
Currently, the Mystic plant is nearing the point in its permit that triggers a requirement for developing a plan to ensure that it does not exceed its permitted treatment capacity.
The plant is permitted to treat and discharge a maximum of 800,000 gallons a day of sewage but the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection requires the town to begin planning how to handle additional capacity once it consistently reaches 90 percent, or 720,000 gallons — which Water Pollution Control Authority Director Douglas Nettleton said the town has come close to at times in the summer.
If the plant consistently nears or meets the limits in its permit, the WPCA would not be able to approve any new developments connecting to the sewer system. This essentially would create a moratorium on new development.
“This is important because (the capacity limit) could stifle growth. Stonington and Mystic are among the few communities in the state that are still growing. We want to keep it that way,” Nettleton said.
The Planning and Zoning Commission already has approved a three-phase project to turn the 70-acre Perkins Farm property on Jerry Browne Road into a $70 million medical and research campus with apartments and town homes. Seaport Marine in downtown Mystic has unveiled a plan to redevelop its property into a hotel, restaurant, commercial space, apartments, town homes, single-family homes and a public-access boardwalk. In addition, developers have discussed the construction of three new hotels in the so-called Golden Triangle area at Route 27 and Coogan Boulevard.
All those projects would produce large amounts of sewage that would needed to be treated at the Mystic plant.
“We have a lot of development planned for Mystic, so this is not something we want to wait too long to do,” Nettleton said.
He said the study is one DEEP would require the town to do eventually but waiting too long could result in a moratorium on new hookups.
Nettleton said he is developing a request for proposals from consultants to study the various options and costs of such a project. He said that if the town had a plan in place in 18 to 24 months, it would be able to seek bonding approval when the debt payments on the elementary school project begin to drop. It is unknown how much the sewer line project will cost.
“We’d like to be first in line for bonding at that point,” he said.
Nettleton said the existing pipeline between the two plants appears to be in good condition. But updates would be required to pumps in Mystic and along the pipeline, as well as to mechanical, electrical and technical equipment at both plants.
In addition, there would be added odor control measures and steps would be taken to ensure there is a steady level of flow to the borough plant.
Nettleton explained that sewer plants operate most efficiently and without problems when flow levels remain steady and do not fluctuate greatly.
Nettleton said he was sure the town could take steps to prevent odor problems at the borough plant and along the pipeline from the increased flow. The pipeline extends east along Route 1 and down North Water Street into the borough.
The pipeline was built about 25 years ago and at the time sewage was sent from the overburdened Mystic plant to the borough. That process was stopped when upgrades were made to the Mystic plant.
Klee decries slow progress on $229M waste-system overhaul
It's been seven months since the state selected a developer to overhaul the waste-to-energy plant in Hartford's South Meadows and its related network of recycling and transfer facilities, but there's still no contract in place.
State officials had hoped developer Sacyr Rooney Recovery Team and the plant's quasi-public owner, the Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority (MIRA), would reach a formal deal on the estimated $229 million redevelopment by Aug. 29, but Connecticut's top energy official recently expressed concern that negotiations are not on track.
Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Commissioner Rob Klee says the aging plant is in poor condition and that the state can't afford delays in the negotiating process. Even once a contract is reached, construction and permitting are estimated to take five years.
Sacyr Rooney has proposed to implement more cost-efficient waste incineration technology at the plant and reduce the amount of waste it burns by about half. It would also build anaerobic digestion technology, equipment to compost and process organic waste, and increase the amount of recyclables removed from the waste stream.
State officials estimate the modernized plant could help increase Connecticut's recycling and diversion rate from 35 percent to 63 percent.
At a July 26 MIRA board meeting, Klee urged the agency to act in "the spirit of cooperation" and to be good ambassadors to the cities and towns Sacyr Rooney will need to convince to sign long-term waste-hauling contracts in order to make the project financially viable.
Those towns have not yet seen "term sheets" showing what a contract with the new plant might look like, officials said.
Klee said he addressed MIRA in a public forum because he was feeling anxious about the negotiations, which began early this year. He said he left the meeting feeling reassured that MIRA wants the project to move forward.
"DEEP understands that both MIRA and Sacyr Rooney must complete the requisite diligence and take the time necessary to form a strong partnership, and we are open to considering a request for more time to complete this process, should it be necessary," Klee said. "But we urge a redoubling of efforts and the establishment of a firm timeframe for next steps."
Klee became DEEP's leader in 2014, the same year the legislature ordered the agency to secure a private developer to modernize the plant and its related facilities, which together are referred to as the Connecticut Solid Waste System Project (CSWSP).
MIRA President Thomas Kirk said he shares Klee's concerns about the negotiation timetable.
"I know [Klee] is very anxious to get this thing done," Kirk said. "He sees it as almost like a legacy project."
But Kirk, who has worked at MIRA since 2003, said it would be unfair to blame his agency for the slow pace. The negotiations are complicated and much is at stake, he said, adding that MIRA and Sacyr Rooney have a ways to go before they can agree on key provisions.
While negotiation terms are largely being kept secret, Kirk said one of his biggest concerns is that the state maintains some control over how much Sacyr Rooney would be able to charge customer towns to accept waste -- a per-ton charge known in the industry as a "tipping fee."
Sacyr Rooney has said it could charge $65 per ton with scheduled annual increases, which officials say is quite competitive. But Kirk thinks the developer's financial assumptions may be too rosy, which could force the need for higher tipping fees in order for the private company, which would fund the project mostly with debt, to achieve its desired return on investment.
However, Chris Magalhaes, a clean energy finance manager at the Connecticut Green Bank who analyzed Sacyr Rooney's proposal for DEEP, called its projections reasonable and said the $65 tipping fee was low enough that it would still be competitive, even if there were an increase.
Today, MIRA has 52 municipal customers under exclusive contract, down from about 70 in 2012, and several dozen private waste haulers, Kirk said. The competitive landscape is much different than when the plant was built three decades ago. A number of private companies now operate waste facilities here, which means municipalities have options.
However, the Hartford plant processes about one-third of the state's waste, meaning it provides needed capacity that's only becoming more important as landfills close in neighboring states.
"MIRA is optimistic we will find and agree to the structure that works. Doing so by August 29 will be difficult but not impossible," Kirk said. "The towns are the customers here. They have to have confidence they will not be left out to dry if things go poorly."
Sacyr Rooney President Kevin Moore, who attended the recent MIRA board meeting, declined comment for this story.
'Difficult but necessary' transition
Another wrinkle is that while MIRA is charged with negotiating terms of the plant redevelopment, the project is expected to lead to a smaller role for the agency moving forward.
Klee told board members there was a "difficult but necessary transition" ahead for the agency, which has about 32 people, some of which could be rehired by Sacyr Rooney or its operator, according to Kirk.
Kirk strongly denied that MIRA resents its role in negotiating what amounts to its own likely downsizing, and said the dynamic is not impacting how it negotiates with Sacyr Rooney.
MIRA has been aware of its future since the state's 2014 law ordering the CSWSP redevelopment.
"That's been understood by everyone here for years," Kirk said.
Construction Employment Increases In 272 Metros
Construction employment increased in 272 (76 percent) out of 358 metro areas between June 2017 and June 2018, declined in 44 (12 percent) and was unchanged in 42, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released July 31 by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that, for now at least, the growing economy and strong demand for construction services appear to be offsetting cost increases caused by significant labor shortages and newly-imposed trade tariffs.
“Increases in construction employment in the past year were widespread and strong, as employment increased in three-fourths of metro areas,” said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. “Workers in most metro areas are benefitting as firms keep pace with strong demand for construction services.”
Simonson noted that more metro areas added construction jobs in the past year than in any 12-month period since February 2015. The economist added that 64 metro areas set new construction employment highs for June, including San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif., where the previous high for June was set in 2001, and Midland, Texas, which exceeded its previous June peak by 20 percent.
The Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas metro area added the most construction jobs during the past year (19,300 jobs, 9 percent), followed by Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz. (13,100 jobs, 11 percent); Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (12,200 jobs, 9 percent); Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Ga. (8,400 jobs, 7 percent) and New York City (8,300 jobs, 5 percent). The largest percentage gain occurred in Merced, Calif. (700 jobs, 28 percent), followed by Midland, Texas (6,700 jobs, 24 percent); Weirton-Steubenville, W. Va. -Ohio (19 percent, 300 jobs); New Bedford, Mass. (18 percent, 500 jobs) and Leominster-Gardner, Mass. (18 percent, 400 jobs).
The largest job losses from June 2017 to June 2018 were in Middlesex-Monmouth-Ocean, N.J. (minus 3,400 jobs, minus 8 percent), followed by Newark, N.J.-Pa. (minus 2,800 jobs, minus 6 percent); Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, Tenn. (minus 2,300 jobs, minus 5 percent); Columbia, S.C. (minus 2,100 jobs, minus 10 percent) and St. Louis, Mo.-Ill. (minus 1,800 jobs, minus 3 percent). The largest percentage decreases — 10 percent each — occurred in Columbia, S.C., and Hanford-Corcoran, Calif. (minus 100 jobs), followed by Middlesex-Monmouth-Ocean, N.J.; Kokomo, Ind. (minus 8 percent, minus 100 jobs); and Bloomsburg-Berwick, Pa. (minus 8 percent, minus 100 jobs).
Association officials said strong economic growth, buoyed in part by lower tax rates and regulatory reforms, were helping drive demand for new construction projects in most parts of the country. Economic growth also appears to be offsetting the impacts of labor shortages and rising materials prices caused by trade tariffs for many construction firms, they added. But they cautioned that the benefits could be short-lived if materials costs continue to increase and labor becomes even more scarce.
“Tax and regulatory reform are helping put a lot of people into high-paying construction jobs across the country,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association's chief executive officer. “Finding ways to quickly resolve trade disputes and encourage more people to work in construction will help put even more people to work.”
Construction workers have been laboring since last spring to renovate major parts of Columbus Boulevard near Bank Street.
The most significant elements of the project are the installation of the new traffic rotary and the relocation of the city bus hub from Bank Street to designated areas on Columbus Boulevard.
“There’s an adjustment period for sure, but it keeps traffic flowing rather than just standing at a light,” Public Works Director Mark Moriarty said of the new rotary.
The rotary is located just north of the Red Roof Inn parking lot and will accommodate traffic traveling east and west on Columbus Boulevard and Bank Street.
The sculpture that formerly sat in the water fountain in Leo A. Milewski Park, the small park where Columbus Boulevard intersects with Bank Street, will be relocated to the middle of the rotary.
The rotary has lights installed in it to illuminate the sculpture at night.
A new clock tower that reads “The City of New Britain” now sits in Leo A. Milewski Park. Grass and trees will soon be added to finish off the pocket park.
The new central location for city bus routes will be in designated lanes on both sides of Columbus Boulevard, just east of the Main Street intersection.
In addition to these changes, the Columbus Boulevard project also calls for widening sidewalks from Main Street to just past the site of the city’s former police station.
“This whole area was just dysfunctional,” Moriarty said of the old layout of the road. “This is creating a gateway into downtown, better traffic flow into downtown and better access to Szczesny Parking Garage.”
The beginning of the project has roots going back years. In January 2017, the New Britain Common Council authorized a contract of nearly $3.2 million with Morais Concrete Service out of Springfield, Mass., to oversee upgrades along a section of Columbus Boulevard.
The Columbus Boulevard project is expected to be fully completed by the end of fall 2018.
This project is the fourth phase of the city’s Complete Streets and Downtown Livability Master Plan
Bids open for $3.6 million Cromwell library renovation project
CROMWELL — After years of delays, the project to rehabilitate and expand the Cromwell Belden Public Library is moving forward.
Last week, the town called for an invitation to bid on the project, expected to cost approximately $3.6 million. Bids for the plan, funded in part by a $1 million state grant, are required to be submitted no later than 11 a.m. Aug. 10.
“The goal is to start this project in this calendar year,” Town Manager Anthony J. Salvatore said“It still has to be determined how the project will be funded,” he added. It is expected to take nine months to complete. The library opened in its present location in 1986 and is part of the Town Hall complex, which includes both the library and senior center, as well as town offices.
The renovation and expansion project has been in the planning stages for a decade. Previous Director Eileen Branciforte was successful in winning the state grant. But then the Great Recession hit, stalling the effort to renovate the library.
Now, it is back on track — and “definitely long overdue,” according to current library Director Kara S. Canney.
“It’s a vibrant space. And I expect the renovation and expansion will only make it more so,” she said.
As she spoke, the energetic Canney gestured from behind her desk at the interior of the library, bustling with activity on a muggy mid-week afternoon.
The library currently encompasses some 13,542 square feet. The expansion project, which involves “filling in what we call the courtyard,” will add another 3,449 square feet of space, Canney said.
The addition will enable the library to use the space for programs and meetings, she said. Those activities “could include book talks, a concert, or a class on how to use the latest technology,” which includes virtual reality — “the next big thing,” Canney added.
“Answering what is virtual reality in technical terms is straightforward. Virtual reality is the term used to describe a three-dimensional, computer-generated environment, which can be explored and interacted with by a person,” according to the Virtual Reality Society.“That person becomes part of this virtual world or is immersed within this environment, and whilst there, is able to manipulate objects or perform a series of actions,” the explanation said .
While the immediate focus is on the expansion of the library, Canney acknowledged, “the library itself is sort of dated.” The renovation “will make the library even more inviting, and fully ADA-compliant,” Canney said, referring to the Americans with Disabilities Act, which establishes requirements for access to buildings for people with handicaps.
That effort will involve widening the aisles between book shelves. The renovation will also “provide for more additional study and meeting space, which we desperately need,” Canney said.
She literally lives with the project: Canney shares space in her office with a rolled-up copy of the 68-page plan. The Hamden firm of Silver/Petrucelli & Associates is the architectThe firm has worked with Canney to incorporate a wide range of colors, some vivid, others muted, into the project.
Once the project gets under way, “There may be some very short periods of time where we may have to close because we have to speed the project along,” Canney said.
In addition, there will be issues involving both parking and routine construction noise as the project unfolds, she said “But basically we are getting a whole new building, and so these inconveniences are all for the greater good.”
Mystic developments may mean more sewage sent to Stonington Borough plant
Stonington — With more than $100 million in new development proposed in Mystic, town officials have begun work on a plan to increase the capacity of the Mystic sewer treatment plant by pumping sewage to the borough plant.
This would accommodate the new construction, which is expected to generate large amounts of new tax revenue at the same time as state aid to the town continues to drop.
At last week’s Board of Selectmen’s meeting, First Selectman Rob Simmons made the first public mention of the project, which likely will require residents to approve bonding for required upgrades to the existing pipeline, the two plants and the system of pumps at and between them.
Currently, the Mystic plant is nearing the point in its permit that triggers a requirement for developing a plan to ensure that it does not exceed its permitted treatment capacity.
The plant is permitted to treat and discharge a maximum of 800,000 gallons a day of sewage but the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection requires the town to begin planning how to handle additional capacity once it consistently reaches 90 percent, or 720,000 gallons — which Water Pollution Control Authority Director Douglas Nettleton said the town has come close to at times in the summer.
If the plant consistently nears or meets the limits in its permit, the WPCA would not be able to approve any new developments connecting to the sewer system. This essentially would create a moratorium on new development.
“This is important because (the capacity limit) could stifle growth. Stonington and Mystic are among the few communities in the state that are still growing. We want to keep it that way,” Nettleton said.
The Planning and Zoning Commission already has approved a three-phase project to turn the 70-acre Perkins Farm property on Jerry Browne Road into a $70 million medical and research campus with apartments and town homes. Seaport Marine in downtown Mystic has unveiled a plan to redevelop its property into a hotel, restaurant, commercial space, apartments, town homes, single-family homes and a public-access boardwalk. In addition, developers have discussed the construction of three new hotels in the so-called Golden Triangle area at Route 27 and Coogan Boulevard.
All those projects would produce large amounts of sewage that would needed to be treated at the Mystic plant.
“We have a lot of development planned for Mystic, so this is not something we want to wait too long to do,” Nettleton said.
He said the study is one DEEP would require the town to do eventually but waiting too long could result in a moratorium on new hookups.
Nettleton said he is developing a request for proposals from consultants to study the various options and costs of such a project. He said that if the town had a plan in place in 18 to 24 months, it would be able to seek bonding approval when the debt payments on the elementary school project begin to drop. It is unknown how much the sewer line project will cost.
“We’d like to be first in line for bonding at that point,” he said.
Nettleton said the existing pipeline between the two plants appears to be in good condition. But updates would be required to pumps in Mystic and along the pipeline, as well as to mechanical, electrical and technical equipment at both plants.
In addition, there would be added odor control measures and steps would be taken to ensure there is a steady level of flow to the borough plant.
Nettleton explained that sewer plants operate most efficiently and without problems when flow levels remain steady and do not fluctuate greatly.
Nettleton said he was sure the town could take steps to prevent odor problems at the borough plant and along the pipeline from the increased flow. The pipeline extends east along Route 1 and down North Water Street into the borough.
The pipeline was built about 25 years ago and at the time sewage was sent from the overburdened Mystic plant to the borough. That process was stopped when upgrades were made to the Mystic plant.
Klee decries slow progress on $229M waste-system overhaul
It's been seven months since the state selected a developer to overhaul the waste-to-energy plant in Hartford's South Meadows and its related network of recycling and transfer facilities, but there's still no contract in place.
State officials had hoped developer Sacyr Rooney Recovery Team and the plant's quasi-public owner, the Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority (MIRA), would reach a formal deal on the estimated $229 million redevelopment by Aug. 29, but Connecticut's top energy official recently expressed concern that negotiations are not on track.
Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Commissioner Rob Klee says the aging plant is in poor condition and that the state can't afford delays in the negotiating process. Even once a contract is reached, construction and permitting are estimated to take five years.
Sacyr Rooney has proposed to implement more cost-efficient waste incineration technology at the plant and reduce the amount of waste it burns by about half. It would also build anaerobic digestion technology, equipment to compost and process organic waste, and increase the amount of recyclables removed from the waste stream.
State officials estimate the modernized plant could help increase Connecticut's recycling and diversion rate from 35 percent to 63 percent.
At a July 26 MIRA board meeting, Klee urged the agency to act in "the spirit of cooperation" and to be good ambassadors to the cities and towns Sacyr Rooney will need to convince to sign long-term waste-hauling contracts in order to make the project financially viable.
Those towns have not yet seen "term sheets" showing what a contract with the new plant might look like, officials said.
Klee said he addressed MIRA in a public forum because he was feeling anxious about the negotiations, which began early this year. He said he left the meeting feeling reassured that MIRA wants the project to move forward.
"DEEP understands that both MIRA and Sacyr Rooney must complete the requisite diligence and take the time necessary to form a strong partnership, and we are open to considering a request for more time to complete this process, should it be necessary," Klee said. "But we urge a redoubling of efforts and the establishment of a firm timeframe for next steps."
Klee became DEEP's leader in 2014, the same year the legislature ordered the agency to secure a private developer to modernize the plant and its related facilities, which together are referred to as the Connecticut Solid Waste System Project (CSWSP).
MIRA President Thomas Kirk said he shares Klee's concerns about the negotiation timetable.
"I know [Klee] is very anxious to get this thing done," Kirk said. "He sees it as almost like a legacy project."
But Kirk, who has worked at MIRA since 2003, said it would be unfair to blame his agency for the slow pace. The negotiations are complicated and much is at stake, he said, adding that MIRA and Sacyr Rooney have a ways to go before they can agree on key provisions.
While negotiation terms are largely being kept secret, Kirk said one of his biggest concerns is that the state maintains some control over how much Sacyr Rooney would be able to charge customer towns to accept waste -- a per-ton charge known in the industry as a "tipping fee."
Sacyr Rooney has said it could charge $65 per ton with scheduled annual increases, which officials say is quite competitive. But Kirk thinks the developer's financial assumptions may be too rosy, which could force the need for higher tipping fees in order for the private company, which would fund the project mostly with debt, to achieve its desired return on investment.
However, Chris Magalhaes, a clean energy finance manager at the Connecticut Green Bank who analyzed Sacyr Rooney's proposal for DEEP, called its projections reasonable and said the $65 tipping fee was low enough that it would still be competitive, even if there were an increase.
Today, MIRA has 52 municipal customers under exclusive contract, down from about 70 in 2012, and several dozen private waste haulers, Kirk said. The competitive landscape is much different than when the plant was built three decades ago. A number of private companies now operate waste facilities here, which means municipalities have options.
However, the Hartford plant processes about one-third of the state's waste, meaning it provides needed capacity that's only becoming more important as landfills close in neighboring states.
"MIRA is optimistic we will find and agree to the structure that works. Doing so by August 29 will be difficult but not impossible," Kirk said. "The towns are the customers here. They have to have confidence they will not be left out to dry if things go poorly."
Sacyr Rooney President Kevin Moore, who attended the recent MIRA board meeting, declined comment for this story.
'Difficult but necessary' transition
Another wrinkle is that while MIRA is charged with negotiating terms of the plant redevelopment, the project is expected to lead to a smaller role for the agency moving forward.
Klee told board members there was a "difficult but necessary transition" ahead for the agency, which has about 32 people, some of which could be rehired by Sacyr Rooney or its operator, according to Kirk.
Kirk strongly denied that MIRA resents its role in negotiating what amounts to its own likely downsizing, and said the dynamic is not impacting how it negotiates with Sacyr Rooney.
MIRA has been aware of its future since the state's 2014 law ordering the CSWSP redevelopment.
"That's been understood by everyone here for years," Kirk said.
Construction Employment Increases In 272 Metros
Construction employment increased in 272 (76 percent) out of 358 metro areas between June 2017 and June 2018, declined in 44 (12 percent) and was unchanged in 42, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released July 31 by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that, for now at least, the growing economy and strong demand for construction services appear to be offsetting cost increases caused by significant labor shortages and newly-imposed trade tariffs.
“Increases in construction employment in the past year were widespread and strong, as employment increased in three-fourths of metro areas,” said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. “Workers in most metro areas are benefitting as firms keep pace with strong demand for construction services.”
Simonson noted that more metro areas added construction jobs in the past year than in any 12-month period since February 2015. The economist added that 64 metro areas set new construction employment highs for June, including San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif., where the previous high for June was set in 2001, and Midland, Texas, which exceeded its previous June peak by 20 percent.
The Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas metro area added the most construction jobs during the past year (19,300 jobs, 9 percent), followed by Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz. (13,100 jobs, 11 percent); Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (12,200 jobs, 9 percent); Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Ga. (8,400 jobs, 7 percent) and New York City (8,300 jobs, 5 percent). The largest percentage gain occurred in Merced, Calif. (700 jobs, 28 percent), followed by Midland, Texas (6,700 jobs, 24 percent); Weirton-Steubenville, W. Va. -Ohio (19 percent, 300 jobs); New Bedford, Mass. (18 percent, 500 jobs) and Leominster-Gardner, Mass. (18 percent, 400 jobs).
The largest job losses from June 2017 to June 2018 were in Middlesex-Monmouth-Ocean, N.J. (minus 3,400 jobs, minus 8 percent), followed by Newark, N.J.-Pa. (minus 2,800 jobs, minus 6 percent); Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, Tenn. (minus 2,300 jobs, minus 5 percent); Columbia, S.C. (minus 2,100 jobs, minus 10 percent) and St. Louis, Mo.-Ill. (minus 1,800 jobs, minus 3 percent). The largest percentage decreases — 10 percent each — occurred in Columbia, S.C., and Hanford-Corcoran, Calif. (minus 100 jobs), followed by Middlesex-Monmouth-Ocean, N.J.; Kokomo, Ind. (minus 8 percent, minus 100 jobs); and Bloomsburg-Berwick, Pa. (minus 8 percent, minus 100 jobs).
Association officials said strong economic growth, buoyed in part by lower tax rates and regulatory reforms, were helping drive demand for new construction projects in most parts of the country. Economic growth also appears to be offsetting the impacts of labor shortages and rising materials prices caused by trade tariffs for many construction firms, they added. But they cautioned that the benefits could be short-lived if materials costs continue to increase and labor becomes even more scarce.
“Tax and regulatory reform are helping put a lot of people into high-paying construction jobs across the country,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association's chief executive officer. “Finding ways to quickly resolve trade disputes and encourage more people to work in construction will help put even more people to work.”