Amazon center hearings postponed
Bluewater Property Group has postponed hearings at the
Inland, Wetlands and Watercourse Commission on Wednesday and the Inland
Wetlands Commission in Naugatuck on Thursday to have more time to study a
third-party review from consultant Tighe & Bond of a planned multistory
Amazon distribution center on the Waterbury-Naugatuck line.
”As part of the Inland Wetland submission, the city and the
borough of Naugatuck hired a third party to review all the information
Bluewater submitted,” said Tommy Hyde, executive director of Waterbury
Development Corp. “Because it is a massive project, as many sets of eyes on it
the better.”
Waterbury, Naugatuck and Bluewater entered into an agreement
on May 17, 2022, hoping to create up to 1,000 permanent jobs. The facility
would cover 650,000 square feet and stand four-and-a-half stories high,
including a two-story parking garage.
Christina Bernardin, vice president of Bluewater, said
postponement of the hearings to Nov. 6 in Waterbury and Nov. 7 in Naugatuck
will allow the firm time to address all of Tighe & Bond’s comments and
incorporate them into Bluewater’s response.
An ambitious plan mixing upwards of 1,000 apartments and
condos with retail and amenities along the Connecticut River in East Hartford
has gained fresh momentum with the recent acquisition of the last privately
held properties needed for the 28-acre project.
The "Port Eastside" development partnership
acquired a 5.7-acre parking lot at 321 Pitkin St. this week.
“We have just cleared the most significant milestone in this
project’s early lifespan to date,” said Bruce Simons, principal of Simons Real
Estate Group in West Hartford. “With the acquisition of the parcel at 321
Pitkin St., we can now say that the four key building blocks that will make up
the Port Eastside project are now under our control and ownership.”
“Port Eastside” will blend 1,000 housing units — mostly
apartments and a “small number” of condos — with a transportation center,
6.1-acre greenway and 400,000 square feet of entertainment, restaurant and
retail space, according to a statement released by Port Eastside LLC.
On Sept. 20, the Port Eastside team finalized an uncontested
foreclosure of a 19-story, 270,106-square-foot office tower at 111 Founders
Plaza.
Port Eastside bought a $17.49 million mortgage note on the
office tower from M&T Bank with the intention of foreclosing.
The plan is to convert the tower into 240 residential units.
It will be one of the first steps in the broader redevelopment of the
struggling, roughly 50-year-old Founders Plaza office park.
Last summer, Port Eastside paid $4 million for the
182,890-square-foot former Bank of America office building on 7.34 acres at 20
Hartland St., also known as 99 Founders Plaza.
This summer, the partners paid $7 million for a vacant,
70,350-square-foot “flex” office building on 6.5 acres at 300 East River Drive.
Connecticut Children’s Medical Center has signed a long-term lease in the
building for use as a distribution hub. Excess land on that property will be
incorporated into the larger development.
The partners are still working with the town of East
Hartford to close and incorporate a stretch of East River Drive into the
development. This will allow direct access to the riverfront near Great River
Park.
The Port Eastside team includes Bruce Simons and his
brother, Harris, as well as Manafort Brothers Inc. President Jim Manafort;
Peter S. Roisman, head of Houston-based proptech company, REV Leasing; Nicholas
Michnevitz III, president of West Hartford-based MBH Architecture; Hoffman Auto
Group Co-Chairman Jeffrey S. Hoffman; Chris Reilly, president of Hartford-based
Lexington Partners; and Alan Lazowski, chairman and founder of LAZ Parking.
Harris Simons, who is also a principal at Simons Real Estate
Group, said the group is in “very early stages” of a development that seeks to
complement cultural, entertainment, recreational and retail offerings that can
be found on the edge of downtown Hartford, just across the river.
“Now we can turn our attention to implementing the phases of
what will be a multi-year permitting and development process,” he said.
The first tangible signs of the redevelopment will begin
with the demolition of the former Bank of America office building at 99
Founders Plaza and a parking garage attached to the office tower. East Hartford
officials are contributing $6.5 million in state bond funds to the demolition,
which is expected to move forward in the first quarter of 2025.
In return, Port Eastside has pledged to secure permits for
construction of a building with at least 150 apartments within four years of
the first disbursement of grant money.
A representative of the development team, earlier this year,
told East Hartford officials that, while his team could only commit to 150
units in the first new building due to an uncertain financing climate, it is
aiming for closer to 300.
Torrington city planner offers a different take on solar array plan, suggests ways to lessen impact
TORRINGTON — City Planner Jeremy Leifert has asked the Connecticut
Siting Council to consider safeguards and conditions before it rules
on whether to approve a solar
farm proposed for a site on Lovers Lane in Torrington.
The deadline was Oct. 3 for submitting public comments to
the CT Siting Council, which is the state's regulatory authority for solar
projects and cell towers. Residents of the neighboring Country Woods
condominiums are fighting
the plan to install more than 7,500 solar panels directly next door to
their homes.
Mayor
Elinor Carbone also sent
a letter to the CT Siting Council detailing her concerns about the
project, saying three
solar farms have been already been approved for the city. A fourth one
would be excessive because it would use developable land that would result in
lost tax revenue for Torrington, she said.
In his memo, Leifert echoed the mayor's position but
offered suggestions on ways to reduce the proposed solar farm's impact on
neighbors and the environment.
"However, the Planning Office, including both the
Planning and Zoning Commission and the Conservation Commission would recommend
the following items for inclusion in any approval conditions," Leifert
said in his memo.
Leifert recommended that the entire area be screened, with a
minimum of 25-foot boundary between the solar site and the condominiums. He
recommended frequent inspections for erosion because of the steep slopes
adjacent to Country Woods, which would be affected by any runoff, he said. He
also recommended erosion control fencing and sacking to prevent runoff.
Since Lodestar Energy plans to use Lovers Lane as an access
road for its trucks, Leifert said the company should be responsible for
any damage to local roads. "Similar projects in the city of Torrington
have caused major damage to local city-owned streets that have required
significant repairs," he said.
He also suggested that the company should clear the property
and install any fencing in the winter to protect wild animals and their
habitats.
Leifert also asked Lodestar to consider Torrington's energy
needs and its loss of land in the project. The project's power is slated to go
to Hartford, not Torrington, according to the plans.
"We see no direct benefit to the city
of Torrington or its residents in developing alternative energy and
utilizing land within our municipality where the energy production and use of
the land does not directly benefit the city or its residents," Leifert
said in his memo. "We ask that at least a portion of the energy produced
by the installation be directed back for use within the boundaries of the city
of Torrington for its residents."
The project, proposed by Lodestar Energy, would be built on
a 54-acre property adjacent to the 80-unit condominiums on the west side
of Torrington. The residents recently requested, and were granted, an
extension of the public comment period on the project from Sept. 4 to Oct.
3.
Residents of the seven-building development appealed to the
City Council at its Sept. 3 meeting for support, saying the construction and
noise would disturb their neighborhood and would displace wildlife from the
property. They also said that removing acres of trees could cause runoff and
soil loss.
Country Woods is located off Allen Road on Lovers Lane, a
winding, steep roadway that ends on Route 4. The development, built into the
hillside, is surrounded by woods on every side. If the project were approved,
the neighboring land would be cleared to make way for the installation.
In the proposal, the owner plans to build a
"3.0-megawatt AC solar photovoltaic electric-generating facility and
associated equipment," according to the Siting Council's online records.
Two arrays of solar panels would be installed separately on
a total of 17 acres within the property. The array would include the panels,
"transformers, electrical switchgear, monitoring equipment and access
roadways," according to the application. The array would have 7,570
panels, according to the application.
Torrington also has solar installations on East Pearl Road
near Torrington Middle School, which was built by Verogy, based in West
Hartford; and another on Vista Drive, the location of the city's
landfill.
Another solar farm is under construction in Torrington and
Litchfield on Rossi, Town Farm and Wilson roads, consisting of 55,000 panels on
six parcels of property. The project, owned by Silicon Ranch, was approved by
the Siting Council in 2021. Construction began in February.
Plans Unveiled for 125-Acre Park on Site of Former Power Plant in Norwalk
Sophia Muce
NORWALK — A vacant power plant will be given a “second life”
by way of a 125-acre park, local philanthropists announced on Tuesday.
Located behind a residential neighborhood in South Norwalk,
Manresa Island served as the home of a coal-fired power plant and later an
oil-powered plant since the 1950s, until it was permanently shut down in 2013.
Before its closure, the power plant sprinkled soot across
the surrounding neighborhoods. However, under the latest plan from Norwalk
residents Austin and Allison McChord, the once-hazardous site will be
transformed to include nearly two miles of waterfront, a pedestrian bridge, a
pier, and a 250,000-square-foot recreation center.
With Gov. Ned Lamont, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and U.S.
Rep. Jim Himes in attendance, the Tuesday event marked the first time in nearly
75 years that the island has opened its gates to the public.
According to Manresa Island Corp., the nonprofit
organization created by the McChords, the 125-acre park is scheduled to open in
2030. A representative from the organization said it will acquire the property
from the current owner, real estate firm Argent Ventures, in the fall.
Argent Ventures purchased the island from NRG Energy for
$4.6 million in October.
Over the next six years, Austin McChord said the project
group has a lot of remediation work, community outreach and traffic planning to
do.
Home to the multistory plant, oil tank farm, wastewater
treatment facility and an office building, a 2018
analysis by the city outlined metals, petroleum and aromatic
hydrocarbons as key areas of environmental concerns on the island.
The site underwent environmental remediation for groundwater
pollution and sediment found in 1999, but the city recommended further
remediation work in its analysis to bring the property into compliance with
state standards.
Blumenthal said the new privately funded project will
transform a “source of pollution scarred by man” into a model for future
environmental restoration projects.
“What they’ve done here is establish a unicorn natural
resource, and it is profoundly important — not just to Connecticut, but to the
whole country — because they are giving this island a second life,” he said.
Austin McChord, a Norwalk native who founded and sold a
billion-dollar cybersecurity company, did not disclose the total project cost
on Tuesday. However, a previous remediation plan presented to the city
totaled $31
million for excavation alone.
Lamont noted that the project will also bring the state
closer to its goal of preserving at least 20% of Connecticut’s land as open
space. In an urban area like South Norwalk, the governor said the preservation
work is especially important.
“We’ve got a lot of people per square mile. Everything’s
getting developed. There’s not a lot of open space, and you’ve got to be really
creative and thoughtful,” Lamont said.
Katie Dykes, commissioner of the state Department of Energy
and Environmental Protection, said she is especially excited to see a
revitalization project in an area like Fairfield County, where asthma rates are
elevated.
Dykes added that her department will be working with the
McChords to secure coastal permitting fees and restore coastal habitats at the
“complex site.”
In addition to coordinating the redevelopment with state
departments like DEEP and the Department of Transportation, the McChords
announced that Norwalk’s Maritime Aquarium is the first in a series of partners
which will provide “top-tier programming” for children.
Standing in front of the 20-floor building, project team
members said the bulk of the programming and preservation work will take place
in the vacant office space, which the McChords said they spent the last six
months cleaning up.
Daniel Sundlin, a partner at the architecture firm BIG, said
the building is expected to feature lab, educational, recreational and event
spaces. His renovation plans include preserving elements of the 1960 structure,
such as converting the old boiler hall into a water playroom.
Sundlin and Kate Orff, the founder of SCAPE Landscape
Architecture, called the project a “fever dream” for an architect.
The project team said the island will also include a meadow,
a public beach, play places, swimming pools, walking paths and a boat launch.
According to the organization, SCAPE will begin a community
engagement process early next year before finalizing a design. While residents
have criticized power plant operations for years, the Manresa Neighborhood
Coalition has been leading the charge in monitoring the site.
Describing itself as a group of concerned residents and
business owners, the
coalition seeks proper remediation, little disruption to wildlife, sea
life and birds and an adequate traffic plan in future development.
Austin McChord acknowledged resident concerns on Tuesday,
but ensured attendees that the project team will work to address them.
“In Norwalk, everyone is concerned about traffic, and we’ve
got a lot of thoughts on how we can best work through that,” he said. “And
that’s where having this team is so important, because they’re really the best
and they understand and are willing to work through all of this.”
Officials like Mayor Harry Rilling, State Senate Majority
Leader Bob Duff, State Reps. Dominique Johnson, Kadeem Roberts, Tracy Mara,
Lucy Dathan and Jonathan Steinberg, and members of the city’s Common Council
attended the event as well.
Rilling, who was first elected the same year that the power
plant was decommissioned, said he immediately began brainstorming ideas for the
island. After spending more than 10 years and thousands of dollars studying the
site, the mayor said the organization is “getting it right” at last.
“Finally, something is being done, and we are just
thrilled,” he said.
Eversource officially exits offshore wind business
Greg Smith
Eversource Energy on Monday announced it had completed the
sale of its 50% stake in two offshore wind projects being marshaled at State
Pier in New London, formally ending its foray into the offshore wind industry.
The $745 million sale of Eversource’s stake in 132-megawatt
South Fork Wind and 704-megawatt Revolution Wind to New York-based Global
Infrastructure Partners was what Eversource President and CEO Joe Nolan, in a
statement, called a milestone in the company’s “commitment as a pure-play
regulated pipes and wires utility that delivers superior service and value to
our customers.”
Massachusetts-based Eversource is suffering major losses
with the sale. Eversource had predicted the sale of its stake in Revolution
Wind and South Fork Wind to be $1.12 billion, $375 million more than the final
sale price. Eversource said in a statement the lower revenue from the sale was
in part due to recently announced delay in the start of operations of
Revolution Wind.
In total, Eversource said it expects to incur an aggregate
net loss of $520 million in the third quarter of 2024 due to its divestiture in
the offshore wind industry, it said in a statement.
Eversource had partnered with Danish company Ørsted on both
projects and had contributed to the $310 million reconstruction of State Pier
into a staging and assembly area for offshore wind projects. Ørsted is
currently leasing the pier.
Eversource announced more than a year ago it planned to
withdraw from the offshore wind business to concentrate on its core utility
business. It previously sold to Ørsted its stake in the yet-to-be built Sunrise
Wind project in New York and an undeveloped wind lease area off the New England
coast.
Ørsted had since taken full ownership of what had been a
50-50 partnership with Eversource at State Pier in New London, along with the
Port of Providence, the Port of Davisville and Quonset Point in Rhode Island.
Eversource remains a contractor in the onshore construction
associated with Revolution Wind, which is being built off the coast of Rhode
Island, and a tax investor with South Fork Wind.
Ørsted, following Eversource’s announcement, issued a
statement calling the new partnership Skyborn Renewables, which is owned by
Global Infrastructure Partners, a reaffirmation of its commitment to the
buildout of the offshore wind industry in the U.S.
“We’re excited for our new partnership with Global
Infrastructure Partners and Skyborn on South Fork Wind and Revolution Wind, two
projects that are historic as well as central to America’s energy priorities,”
David Hardy, Group EVP and CEO Americas at Ørsted, said in a statement.
State Pier, which is owned by the Connecticut Port
Authority, is expected to see activity associated with the offshore wind
industry over the next several years despite the state’s recent decision not to
join its neighbors Rhode Island and Massachusetts in bidding on a new project.
Following the completion of Revolution Wind, State Pier is
expected to host components from Sunrise Wind, a 924-megawatt wind farm 30
miles east of Montauk. With 84 turbines, it will be Ørsted’s largest project to
date