Connecticut lawmaker wants to make 'pipeline' for construction workers
Ken
Dixon
HARTFORD — Legislation
aimed at helping non-college-bound students and workers train for
Connecticut's construction trades won overwhelming approval last week in the
legislative Labor Committee to create a group of professionals to look into
existing entry-level programs and increase access to various apprenticeship
programs.
The bill, which next heads to the House of Representatives,
is aimed at increasing awareness and creating additional financial incentives
and tax incentives for employers, said Rep. Tim Ackert, R-Coventry, an
electrical contractor who is the chief proponent of the bill, backed up by
House GOP leadership.
"These are good-paying jobs, but you need to get on the
first rung," Ackert said in a recent interview. "Home builders are
struggling to find people who can wire and plumb houses."
He would like an eventual program to mirror the state's
tuition-free Eastern
Connecticut Manufacturing Pipeline, in which students at community colleges
enrolled in two-month programs to learn skills that can be transferred to jobs
at Electric Boat in Groton, including welding, ship fitting and other
skills. Manufacturers
can receive $7,500 tax credits for hiring apprentices.
Ackert said he developed the proposal after speaking with
home builders and remodel contractors who complained about the lack of trained
help in trades such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning. A group of
professionals has met occasionally over the last year. Ackert said he has been
in communication with the state Office of Workforce Strategy on
the issue and would like to see similar tax benefits for businesses. "We
should say that you're investing in them and here's a credit toward your
business taxes. "Energy efficiencies, infrastructure upgrades, workforce
housing, and any of these construction opportunities are important,"
Ackert said.
While Ackert's original proposed bill would have created a
new construction pipeline emulating the manufacturing program, the legislative
process so far has turned it into a study. As currently written, the study
group would examine opportunities in existing public high school curriculums
and include pre-apprenticeship programs and avenues to higher education
including college degrees in construction management.
The group would make recommendations to the General Assembly
and would include representatives of statewide trade associations including
electricians, HVAC technicians and plumbers, statewide businesses, residential
construction, high school and higher education. The group would have a December
31 deadline to report findings to the Labor and Public Employees Committee.
There are a variety of apprentice
programs available through the state Department of Labor that
registers young workers who can earn while they are being trained. Some of the
programs can take one to four years for young workers to complete. But workers
can earn portable credentials; certificates of completion; can confer
"master of their craft;" and make them eligible to take appropriate
occupational licensing examinations.
Some of the state's unionized worker forces, such as
the International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 488 of Western Connecticut has
a free apprenticeship program.
State Sen. Julie Kushner, D-Danbury, said the working group
legislation needs some redrafting before debate in the House, then Senate.
"We certainly appreciate that we have a very vibrant, existing work force
in the construction trades and we want to make sure that all voices are heard
on the construction workforce pipeline," she said during a brief
committee discussion.
Bridgeport should build new schools before closing old ones, acting superintendent says
Richard
Chumney
BRIDGEPORT — Acting Superintendent of Schools Royce
Avery believes the school system must first secure the funding and construct
new school buildings before it moves forward with a proposal
to shutter several old facilities.
A recently completed study found the district’s aging
buildings will need $702.5
million in upgrades over the next decade and recommends closing seven
aging schools to save money on costly repairs.
But Avery said during a community forum Tuesday that the
schools should stay open until new buildings have been erected to replace them
— a process he noted could take three to four years to complete.
“We can’t close buildings until we get new facilities,”
Avery said. “So until that happens we’re not even going to talk about school
closures because we have nowhere to put the kids.”
The spectre of school closures was raised earlier this month
when consultants hired to study the conditions of each of the district’s 37
buildings delivered a long-awaited report recommending the city shutter seven
buildings, construct four new ones and perform major renovations on eight
others.
The report notes many of the schools were originally built
more than a century ago and that replacing badly rundown facilities with brand
new ones could help the cash-strapped district save millions of dollars in
maintenance costs.
Avery’s comments were made in part to assure parents that the district does not
plan to revive a
since-abandoned proposal by former Superintendent Carmela Levy-David
to quickly close several neighborhood elementary schools.
The controversial plan sparked
backlash from scores of parents, students and teachers who protested
the decision and helped contribute to a breakdown in the relationship between
Levy-David and the school board that ultimately resulted in her departure last
fall.
In contrast to last year, Avery said the school system will
use the new recommendations to develop a 10-year master plan for the district’s
facilities and hopes to incorporate the public’s feedback into the
yet-to-be-finalized document.
The district is holding three public forums this spring
about the future of
the facilities. The first will take place on March 31 at Harding High
School, while the second will be on April 1 at Central High School and the
third will be on April 2 at Bassick High School.
“We understand that neighborhood schools are near and dear
to a lot of folks,” Avery said. “And we don’t want to just tear that apart. We
want to make sure that we have a plan for new facilities before we even do
anything with any other facility.”
Avery said the district is working to secure funding from
the state for future construction projects, but noted it is not yet clear how
much money the school system can obtain and when the funding could become
available.
Tuesday’s discussion was held at the Charles F. Greene Homes
on Highland Avenue as part of the first in a series of community forums
scheduled at a handful of public housing complexes across the city.
Avery and other district officials spent about an hour
answering questions from the residents about the state of the school system,
including a looming
budget deficit in the upcoming fiscal year and the proposal to close
some schools.
“I need to be able to connect with the community,” Avery
said. “One of the most important pieces is making sure the community really
understands everything that is happening. So being able to have these forums
gives me the opportunity to bring clarity.”
Flora Vazquez, the mother of a third grader and a fifth
grader, was among the handful of parents who attended the forum. She said she
appreciated that Avery took time to speak with her about security measures
inside the schools.
“I think these meetings are good because we can meet the
staff and learn what they’re planning,” Vazquez said. “It's good to know that
they are trying to improve the schools and want to listen to the community.”
The district plans to hold two additional forums at public
housing complexes. The second will take place on April 15 at P.T. Barnum
Housing on Bostwick Avenue and the third will be on May 9 at Beardsley Terrace
Housing on Trumbull Avenue.
Jillian Baldwin, the chief executive officer for the city’s
housing authority, praised Avery for organizing the forums. She noted the
authority serves more than 5,000 residents and about 12,000 voucher recipients,
including hundreds of parents and students.
“I think it's important to meet people at home where they’re
at, especially if you have critical information that the community needs to
hear,” she said. “Transportation is often an issue in our communities, and
sometimes parents work two jobs and their availability window is very short.”
Wallingford approves Choate Rosemary Hall building pedestrian bridge over Christian Street
Christian Metzger
WALLINGFORD — An elevated pedestrian bridge will now be able to
connect Choate Rosemary Hall’s north and south campus along Christian
Street.
The proposal was brought before the town council last year
when the school sought an air easement to construct the 17-foot-tall wooden
bridge, which is planned to be located just south of Rosemary Lane. It was
recently approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
It will have a crosswalk and ramp so it's wheelchair
accessible and will connect parking lots primarily used by students and
families with the sports facilities across the road.
"We do not have a construction timeline for the bridge
yet; we need to finalize the design before we can estimate when it might be
installed and open for use," said Allison Cady, the school's communication
director. "However, we are excited and eager to move forward with the
project."
The bridge was proposed as a means of preventing traffic
backups along Christian Street and potential hazards to students and visitors
trying to cross when cars have the tendency to speed there.
It will take the form of an elevated wooden boardwalk that
extends over the road, with a crosswalk on the opposite end across Rosemary
Lane and a ramp to make it wheelchair accessible.
“What this linear connection, the pedestrian access, seeks
to do is provide a connection for the formalized parking here in Colony Hall
and also other uses during the regular school day,” said Darin Overton, project
manager with SLR consulting.
The designers said the bridge would be a largely unobtrusive
feature of the surrounding landscape, with trees hiding portions of the 66-foot
span on either side of the road.
Officials said the project would have limited environmental
impact due to the narrow footprint and the porous asphalt that will be used for
the overflow parking area. While twice as expensive as normal asphalt, it would
allow the water to seep into the soil directly beneath the paved area and
wouldn’t require a catch basin, which would likely come at a greater expense
for the school to maintain in the long term.
Officials said the landscaping and railings would discourage
unsafe crossings.
“The way we’re designing this is so that people use
it," said Patrick Durbin, chief financial officer at Choate. "We have
no interest in building a bridge that won’t get used or that people will find a
way to bypass."
The bridge had been a cause of discussion between Chaote and the town, with some town
council members wondering if the school should provide a greater fee to the
town for the requested air easement to build the bridge as compensation for
properties that have been taken off the tax rolls in recent years. Others felt it was located
too far away from the other main crossings or central campus facilities to be
of use.
A majority of the members did agree the project was
worthwhile however, if just as another means to ensure pedestrian safety at a
dangerous crossing that’s often busy during the school’s sporting events in the
spring.
Choate officials also said they were considering adding a
road sign with the speed of approaching vehicles so they slow down in proximity
to the bridge. While members of the commission also suggested putting in a
speed bump, Choate representatives said they’d collaborate with the police
department to assess available options to continue to moderate traffic
safety.
Torrington company lands contract for Railroad Square Revitalization project
Sloan Brewster
TORRINGTON — The approximately $4.2 million Railroad
Square Revitalization project has been awarded to Yield Industries.
Officials are now awaiting approval by the Connecticut
Department of Economic and Community Development, said City Engineer and
Deputy Public Works Director Paul Kundzins.
“Construction will begin as soon as we can mobilize,” he
said. “The project is required to be completed by the end of this calendar
year, so we’re going to be done. Busy, busy summer.”
At $4.1 million with $207,355 for contingencies and quantity
fluctuations, the Torrington-based Yield Industries' bid was the
lowest, Kundzins said.
“The bids came in very favorably, actually under the
engineer’s estimate. Bids came in 6% under and were even under the DECD
funding,” Kundzins told the City Council. “So we were very pleased with the
results.”
The project will be funded by a DECD Community Challenge
Grant, the City of Torrington Pavement Management Program Bond Fund and the
state Department of Transportation Town Aid Road program.
The overall project includes the replacement of the railroad
platform and construction of a canopy at Railroad Square, the $632,967 contract
for which was awarded to Millennium Builders Inc. in January.
The newly awarded portion constitutes the remainder of the
effort, which encompasses facelifts on Water Street from Prospect Street to the
railroad tracks, John Street from Water Street to Mason Street, Mason Street
from Prospect Street to Church Street and Church from Mason Street to Migeon
Avenue.
Greenway trail to expand to Chrismas Village
The effort will include the extension of the Sue Grossman
Greenway from Water Street to 160 Church St., along railway tracks beside
Christmas Village to a new parking lot behind Christmas Village, Kundzins
said. The greenway will just about link to the greenway at Riverview Parking
Lot, behind the library with only a small gap along a portion of Prospect
Street.
John Street will also get road, sidewalk, and crossing
upgrades.
A 10-foot-wide trail will be added on John and Mason streets
and a pedestrian promenade will be installed at 136 Water St. resulting in a
public walkway between the train station, greenway and green spaces with
benches, trees and landscaping.
When passengers get off the train from Thomaston, they will
be able to use the walkway to link to John and Mason Streets, Kundzins said.
Project will include expanded parking
The effort will include some road reconstruction, the
installation of sidewalks, lighting and drainage fixes. John Street will be
converted to a one-way street with new granite curbing, sidewalks and lighting.
Mason and Church Streets will also be partially reconstructed and get new
curbing.
The project also includes a new parking lot behind Christmas
Village with 70 parking spaces. The new parking lot will be used by teachers at
Vogel-Wetmore School, who currently park in a lot on Mason Street, next to the
Northwest Connecticut YMCA. The new lot will free up the one on Mason Street
for public use, Kindzins said.
Mayor Elinor C. Carbone, at the City Council meeting, noted
that she is always hearing about the need for more parking downtown, including
from management at Torrington Savings Bank, who bemoan the lack of spaces
whenever she meets with them.
“There is such a high demand for parking spaces,” she said.
She noted that if the Yankee Pedlar Inn is redeveloped, it
too will need parking.
The project also includes a small pocket park next to
Christmas Village, with areas for food trucks, at the intersection of Church
and Mason Streets.
Construction of the train platform and canopy should be
starting soon, Kundzins said.
State cites downtown Bridgeport renovation project for labor violations
Brian
Lockhart
BRIDGEPORT — State officials recently temporarily
halted renovations
to the former American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T) building downtown over
labor law violations.
Juliet Manalan, a labor department spokesperson,
confirmed that agency's wage and workplace standards division issued stop work
orders to a trio of businesses involved in the project for misclassifying
workers and not having workers' compensation insurance: Odysseus Multi-tech
and Pillar Management, both of New York, and a J. Gonzalez, of
Connecticut, which had the insurance but not for the correct amount of
employees or type of work.
Odysseus was also cited for having unlicensed personnel
performing plumbing.
According to the
U.S. Department of Labor's website, "Misclassification occurs when an
employer treats a worker who is an employee under the Fair Labor Standards Act
as an independent contractor. Misclassifying employees as independent
contractors is a serious problem because misclassified employees may not
receive the minimum wage and overtime pay to which they are entitled ... or
other benefits and protections to which they are entitled under the law."
The state's stop work orders were lifted for J.
Gonzalez and Pillar in early March after they took corrective actions, Manalan
said, while Odysseus' remains in place. She also said fines were issued but
could not immediately provide those specifics, along with more details about
the respective businesses like addresses, as of press time Friday.
Of the three, only Pillar, run by Kiumarz Geula, could be
reached for comment. Pillar purchased the old AT&T site at 430 John St. and
the rear parking lot fronting Fairfield Avenue in December 2021. Geula had
proposed 77 artists lofts and two restaurants for the former address, and 60
housing units for the Fairfield Avenue property, and received a pair of state
loans totaling $1.98 million to help fund the necessary environmental cleanup.
"Approximately two weeks ago, state agencies visited
the site and issued a stop-work order based on their findings," Kiumarz
acknowledged Friday in a statement. "Since then, we have worked closely
with our contractors to address most of their concerns and have adjusted our
site to meet their expectations. Our goal remains to collaborate with all
agencies and continue developing innovative and dynamic spaces in
Bridgeport."
Geula
is also the new owner of three other significant downtown properties —
the former State Street location of the Connecticut Post, the Bijou Theater on
Fairfield Avenue and the Downtown Cabaret Theater on Golden Hill Street. Geula
also owns an East
End brewery that opened last summer at 800 Union Ave.
A pair of construction unions — the Fairfield County
Building Trades and Carpenter’s Local 326 — scheduled a 10 a.m. rally Saturday
at 430 John St. to protest the violations. Their announcement noted this is the
second high profile redevelopment in Bridgeport where stop work orders were
issued over workers' compensation and misclassification issues.
The first occurred earlier
in the winter at the construction site for new luxury apartments on
the Steelpointe harbor front project off of Interstate 95.
Miguel Fuentes, a representative with the Carpenter's, said
such issues are proving to be "an epidemic in the City of Bridgeport, in
the state of Connectuct and throughout the United States."
Dan McInerney, president of the Fairfield County
Building Trades, claimed more local contractors need to be employed on these
major redevelopments.
“As someone born and raised in Bridgeport who graduated from
Bullard-Havens (Technical High School), I want more residents to get an
opportunity to rebuild Bridgeport and build a career the way I did,” McInerney
said.
Vote to Restore Bridge Traffic Heads to Stamford Reps
Angela Carella
STAMFORD – A historic iron bridge has taken people over Mill
River since 1888, but it is proving unable to cross a deeper divide.
It’s the gap between the struggling West Side and the
thriving downtown; between longtime residents and newcomers; between the haves
and the have-nots.
The breach was on display last week, when the Board of
Representatives’ Operations Committee held a public hearing before voting on
what to do with the intricate 125-foot West Main Street bridge, one of the few
of its kind left in the country.
Through its stages of deterioration, the bridge has been
closed to cars, shored up as a pedestrian crossing, replaced with a “temporary”
prefabricated walkbridge, and now abandoned in a sorry state.
West Side residents and their supporters say no one cared
about the West Main Street bridge before the then-deteriorating downtown was
turned around. Luxury apartment high-rises went up, and city officials began
spending millions of dollars to reroute the stagnant Mill River and rebuild
what had been a neglected, crime-ridden Mill River Park.
A recent engineering study resulted in five options for the
bridge, which connects the West Side to the park. But the choice appears to
have come down to two.
One is to restore the historic elements of the bridge and
rebuild it to support two lanes of car traffic. The prefabricated walkbridge
would be removed. Estimated cost: $6.7 million.
The other is to take down the iron bridge and remove the
trusses, installing them as a historic artifact in the park. The prefabricated
walkbridge would remain. Estimated cost: $1.2 million.
A rare safe crossing
Downtown resident Zach Oberholtzer explained during the
hearing why he favors a pedestrian-only bridge.
Reopening it to car traffic “takes one of the few car-free
places in the city and it plows cars through it,” Oberholtzer said, asking city
representatives to consider downtown’s Bedford Street, which is lined with bars
and restaurants that set up tables on the sidewalks.
“It’s very nice to sit on Bedford Street in the summer,
except then you have these noisy, polluting cars driving by while you are
trying to have a nice night out eating dinner,” Oberholtzer said. “The same
principles apply to the West Main Street bridge. … It’s one of the few safe
places for crossing Mill River where you don’t have to interact with
cars.”
Angelo Bochanis, another downtown resident, said he walks
the area every day and doesn’t understand why representatives would consider
allowing traffic on a bridge that is near a park, a playground, and an
apartment house for seniors.
“The roads were built to accommodate as many people as
possible, driving as fast as possible,” Bochanis said. “Drivers are careless.”
He likes the West Main Street bridge because “it’s quiet and
safe and pleasant … I don’t have to worry if a car is coming; I don’t have to
worry about waiting for the light or a signal,” Bochanis said. “People don’t
want roads running through their parks.”
Chris Dawson of North Stamford, a volunteer with People
Friendly Stamford, which advocates for bicyclists and pedestrians, said the
same.
“I’ve run around the West Side for exercise … I helped
paint street murals outside the Yerwood Center … as part of People Friendly
Stamford, I promote walkable neighborhoods,” Dawson said. “West Side residents
tell me they are fed up with bad driver behavior. They want drivers to slow
down and actually stop at stop lights and stop signs.”
Most West Side residents “won’t speak at a public hearing …
they are busy with their lives,” Dawson said. “I’m sharing what they’ve told me
so you have a more complete picture of resident perspectives.”
Some West Side residents did call into the meeting, held
over Zoom.
Let the West Side decide
Lifelong West Sider Cynthia Bowser said “let West Side
residents speak for the West Side.” The neighborhood has long endured the
traffic and pollution resulting from Stamford’s growth, Bowser said.
“We on the West Side have paid enough for the good
intentions that have not had equitable outcomes,” Bowser said. “Those with high
incomes control the quality of life,” but those decisions should be “for the
people who live on the West Side, not for new people coming in and trying to
impose their will on those of us who live here.”
The bridge needs to be reopened to cars because “we have
excessive traffic … we can’t get up and down West Main Street, and more
apartments are being built,” Bowser said. “Let’s begin to make Stamford an
equitable city, listening to low- to moderate-income residents as well as those
with high incomes. Stamford is a wonderful place to live, but it is more
equitable for you if you have more money.”
West Sider Renee Brown said people who live in North
Stamford, one of the city’s wealthier neighborhoods, and other areas made
inaccurate statements during the hearing.
“They are saying our kids use the bridge. That’s not true.
The kids do not walk that way,” Brown said. “It always seems like it’s not
about what we want on the West Side, it’s about the ones who live in North
Stamford. They come down here when they want to fight for what they want to
fight for. The mayor preaches diversity – then let us speak about the bridge.
We live it every day. The people in North Stamford … want to fight for what
they see as a pretty project. It’s not about that. It seems like we’re nobody.
It’s just, ‘OK, I got money, this is the way it’s going to be.’”
West Sider Debbie Joyner said people from outside the
neighborhood made it sound like a restored bridge would draw heavy traffic.
“There was never major traffic. It was a very nice shortcut
for the neighborhood,” Joyner said. “And I jog in Mill River Park, but I only
jog on the bridge to get home. People don’t jog on the bridge. They jog in the
park.”
She asked people from outside the neighborhood to not “use
your resources to disagree with us … let us have something on the West Side
that we can decide to have, not … have it decided for us,” Joyner said.
‘The real issue is gentrification’
After the public hearing was closed, city representatives
discussed the bridge options. Like the residents who called in, they were
divided.
City Rep. Sean Boeger said groups such as People Friendly
Stamford and the Mill River Park Collaborative undertook a letter-writing
campaign urging representatives to vote against restoring car traffic to the
bridge.
“They are the newer, more connected, more organized, more
wealthy voices,” Boeger said, but “marginalized voices don’t have an organized
platform.”
Boeger, a police officer, said fears of cars speeding on the
West Main Street bridge are unfounded.
“I don’t understand how people could come here and paint
that picture … when traffic, sometimes in excess of 50 miles an hour, is flying
on Tresser Boulevard” 50 feet from the park, Boeger said.
He supports the park renovations – that’s not the problem,
Boeger said.
“Turning Mill River into a lush park … is a wonderful idea.
It’s a thousand times better than what it used to be,” he said. “The real issue
is gentrification” – the process by which a low-income area changes as
wealthier people move in and displace the original residents.
Boeger said he cannot back those who do not live on the West
Side and are advocating for a walkbridge.
“I would not expect the West Side to march into my
Springdale neighborhood and tell us what to do,” he said. “I support a vehicle
bridge for the residents of the West Side.”
City Rep. Chanta Graham said she grew up on the West Side
and has family there. She sees seniors leave the West Side with their walkers
on the dangerous trek across Washington Boulevard and its speeding traffic, on
their way to Atlantic Street to catch a bus.
“I take offense that people are worried that they can’t jog
without traffic, when the people of the West Side have to struggle to get to
the doctor’s office,” Graham said.
To make things worse, seniors can’t sit at the bus stop
because the downtown business district removed the benches to prevent homeless
people from gathering on them, Graham said.
“The people of the West Side are definitely being
disenfranchised,” she said. “Closing the bridge created a dead end where crime
has increased, especially drug activity. We are being beyond selfish in not
giving West Side residents what they need.”
Crime in the dead end
City Rep. Vanessa Williams said she “fell in love with
Stamford” after her job had her commuting to First Stamford Place from
Litchfield County. She purchased a home on the West Side and raised her family
there, Williams said.
“I am not marginalized, but I have witnessed the challenges
of my neighbors,” Williams said.
She was dismayed by comments during the hearing that many
West Side residents don’t own cars. She owns a car and so do all of her
neighbors, Williams said.
“The volume of residents has increased … now 110 luxury
units are going up … and things will get more congested,” she said. “Opening
the bridge won’t create speed-based risks – that’s Tresser Boulevard.”
She refuted comments from those who don’t live on the West
Side that the spot near the prefabricated walkbridge is safe.
“I do not feel safe … because of the dead-end area – there’s
garbage, broken glass, little Baggies, condoms. I have seen narcotics exchanges
at 7:45 in the morning on my way to work,” Williams said. “It spills over into
the park.”
Allowing cars back on the bridge would “alleviate the
increased congestion and create healthier thoroughfares connecting the West
Side to downtown,” Williams said.
The two ‘no’ votes
City Rep. Don Mays of North Stamford reminded fellow
representatives that the mayor’s office did a survey of West Side residents a
few years ago, asking whether they wanted car traffic restored to the bridge.
“There was no definitive answer, kind of like what we heard
tonight. It was split,” said Mays, who was voting to close the old iron bridge.
If that happens, “what can be done to enhance the quality of life in that
area?” he asked.
He didn’t appear to agree with what West Side residents said
about the bridge drawing limited traffic.
“I’m about child safety; that was my career,” Mays said. “If
we intersect a park with a busy road, it increases risk.”
City Rep. Ashley Ley, also from North Stamford, said that,
as an urban planner, she thinks a pedestrian-only bridge would be safer,
especially since restoring a car bridge would create a five-way intersection at
Main, West Main, Greenwood Hill, Smith and Mill River streets.
Recognizing the “criminal element” that resulted when the
bridge was closed, forming a dead end, Ley said “creating eyes on the street
makes a neighborhood safer,” but “that can be done in ways other than adding
vehicles” on the bridge.
“I support … reusing the historic bridge as an art element
in the park … and improving the dead end,” Ley said.
At the end of the discussion, six members of the Operations
Committee supported restoring the iron bridge and opening it to two-way car
traffic. Mays and Ley were opposed.
The recommendation of the majority goes before the full
Board of Representatives for a vote on April 7.
Study: Costs to prep Hartford’s 80-acre former trash-burning site for residential redevelopment range up to $333.87M
Michael Puffer
An 80-acre site in Hartford’s South Meadows received garbage
from most of Connecticut for decades, processing it in a massive facility that
burned trash for energy.
The quasi-public Materials Innovation and Recycling
Authority shut the faltering plant down in 2022, and local officials have been
pushing to prep the large site in Hartford’s industrial South Meadows
neighborhood for redevelopment.
That preparation will take years and cost anywhere from
$27.87 million to $333.87 million, depending on how many of the existing
buildings are demolished, and what sort of future development is pursued,
according to a recently completed study.
“That study is basically setting the groundwork for a
starting point for a future development of the site,” said Mark T. Daley,
president and chief financial officer of the MIRA Dissolution Authority. “This
is everything under those various scenarios that would need to be done to turn
the site over to a future developer and put the site into a future use, whether
it’s commercial or residential or industrial.”
Those cost estimates are also based on a 2026 start date,
and rise sharply with delay.
The dissolution authority was formed by state lawmakers in
2023 to oversee the winding down of MIRA operations and the disposition of its
various transfer stations and, most dauntingly, the South Meadows site.
The dissolution authority has sold two recycling properties
in Hartford and a transfer station in Watertown to companies tied to USA Waste
& Recycling. A sale of an Ellington property is in the works.
The dissolution authority also hired Rocky Hill engineering
and environmental company Weston & Sampson to outline the likely steps and
costs for getting the South Meadows property ready for various redevelopment
scenarios.
With that study, dated March 10, in hand, the authority is
nearly ready for its own dissolution, which is expected to be completed by June
30.
After that, management of remaining MIRA properties will be
in the hands of Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration and the state Department of
Administrative Services.
Lamont administration officials have asked staff at the
Capital Region Development Authority to consider if the agency can organize the
South Meadows site’s redevelopment preparations, CRDA Executive Director
Michael Freimuth said Thursday.
CRDA – a quasi-governmental agency responsible for economic
development efforts in Greater Hartford – is a logical choice for the job,
Freimuth said. But his 13-staff agency already has a hefty workload and would
need additional manpower and money to take on the South Meadows site, he said.
“We have been asked to assess whether CRDA can play a role,”
Freimuth said. “It would be a major undertaking of our staff and resources.
Hopefully, we would get more resources if that comes our way.”
Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam said his administration is
focused on getting the South Meadows site back into productive use to its
maximum potential, whether that means new housing opportunities or industrial
development that brings jobs. Arulampalam said he’s not set on any particular
use case.
“The city is 18.5 square miles, half of it untaxable, so it
is really important to maximize every bit of land that we have,” Arulampalam
said.
Long industrial use, hefty cleanup
The MIRA site in the South Meadows has seen more than a
century of heavy industrial use. Even with two decades of cleanup to
present-day industrial standards under MIRA and its predecessor agency,
preparing it for reuse isn’t a cheap or short-term prospect.
The Hartford Electric Light Co. completed a coal-fired power
plant on the site in 1921. The plant transitioned to petroleum fuels by the
1940s. The trash-to-energy plant began operations in the 1980s.
Today, the 80-acre site along the Connecticut River, just
north of Brainard Airport, hosts the repeatedly upgraded power plant and a
sprawling waste-processing facility. The waste-processing facility includes a
202,000-square-foot main building, 38,000-square-foot storage building and a
handful of smaller ancillary buildings and structures.
Getting the site ready for redevelopment would vary in cost
and time depending on future use. Containing or cleaning pollution to
accommodate the state’s residential standards, for instance, would be far more
costly than getting it ready for continued industrial use.
Daley expects the MIRA Dissolution Authority to wrap up with
about $50 million in reserves, which he notes would be enough to cover the cost
of preparing the site for continued industrial or commercial use.
The Weston & Sampson study considered several
redevelopment scenarios including:
Industrial or commercial use with demolition of the “power
block facility” alone. This scenario is estimated to take three years and cost
$47.7 million if work begins next year.
Industrial or commercial use with demolition of the waste
processing facility alone. This would require just over three years of effort
at a cost of $27.87 million.
Industrial or commercial use with demolition of all
structures. This would require three years and six months of effort at a cost
of $68.49 million.
Residential development with environmental land-use
restrictions in place to keep pollution undisturbed. This option would take six
years of effort and cost $250.84 million.
Residential development with 13 feet of imported, clean fill
over much of the site. This would allow much less restricted use of the site.
But it would also require eight years of effort and $333.87 million in expense.
The far higher costs of getting the site ready for
residential development is driven, in large part, by the cost ($178.54 million)
of moving an Eversource electrical substation in the middle of the property,
Daley noted.
It would have to be moved for residential purposes because a
required buffer from the high-voltage equipment would rule out a large section
of the best land for redevelopment, Daley noted. Also, he said the station
would be a huge aesthetic turn-off to potential residents.
“I would say the marketability of a large residential
development with a large switchyard right in the middle of it is diminished
greatly,” Daley said.
The study notes that its cost estimates could vary widely up
or down.
As a development scenario is picked and specific designs are
drafted, cost estimates will become more precise, noted Robert Carr, senior
technical leader with Weston & Sampson.
Massive off-campus housing development planned at UConn. Think pool, fitness center, walk to campus.
Sean Krofssik
A 738-bed student housing development is expected to break
ground later this year in Storrs just off of the University of Connecticut campus in an
effort to help alleviate the ongoing student housing crunch.
Landmark
Properties has closed on the property called The Mark Mansfield, which
will be located at 134 North Eagleville Road adjacent to the UConn main campus,
and will serve as the general contractor.
The 1.56-acre site was acquired in partnership with Peninsula Investments.
“The UConn market is one we have been attracted to for a
long time, particularly with this project,” said Landmark Properties’ senior
director of development Chase Powell. “We like to be as close to campus as
possible. It’s technically off-campus student housing, but this property is
surrounded by UConn on three sides. It’s a phenomenal location. Easily walkable
to the main academic core as well as the athletic facilities at UConn.”
This will be the second Landmark Properties project near the
UConn campus. In 2022, The Standard at Four Corners broke
ground at 1717 Storrs Road. That project includes 890 beds and 390 units and is
expected to be completed this August. The Standard at Four Corners will be
available to lease beginning at the start of the fall 2025 semester.
“That was the first housing project delivered in the UConn
market in over a decade,” Powell said. “What attracted us to the market is the
walkability to the campus, and it will be the best purpose-filled, student
housing project in the market in terms of location and amenities and offerings
to the residents.”
UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said student housing
options on UConn’s Storrs campus and nearby have been in flux, with large
additions that include the opening of Connecticut Hall and the addition of more
than 650 beds there at the start of the current academic year.
“However, we also recognize that increased enrollment
translates into increased need for student services, including on-campus
housing options, and continue to focus on ways to maximize availability without
compromising quality,” Reitz said.
Reitz said the UConn education is in high demand and that
there has been continual growth in enrollment.
The number of undergraduates enrolling in the school during
the fall has
steadily increased. In 2022, there were 18,768, in 2023, it was 19,147 and
2024, the number increased to 19,835. First-year students on the Storrs campus
have increased 6.9% from the fall of 2023 to the fall of 2024.
Reitz said UConn is increasing the number of off-campus beds it will lease for
students’ use at The Oaks on
The Square apartments complex in downtown Storrs, which will add more
than 600 beds in support of enrollment growth. These options will increase the
options available to UConn students as they decide whether they live on campus
or commute, added Reitz.
“First-year UConn students are guaranteed housing under the
university’s on-campus residency requirement,” Reitz said. “Additionally, UConn
guarantees housing for transfer and campus change students (those moving from a
regional campus to Storrs) if the application deadline is met.”
Reitz said students may apply for on-campus housing during
the defined residential application periods.
“Residential Life will notify students via email of their
status after the application is submitted. Students notified that they qualify
for housing selection will complete the housing selection process in April,”
Reitz said. “Although all students may apply for housing, eligibility to live
in residential housing is not guaranteed for rising sophomores, juniors and
seniors and is based on multiple factors including space availability, primary
campus designation and academic standing.”
Those students who are eligible for housing but do not
receive a spot are placed on a wait list. Offers for housing will depend on
availability, and the demand for housing and will occur through the spring and
summer months if possible, according to Reitz.
Reitz said UConn was able to offer housing to those on the
wait list this past year because beds became available.
“We anticipate the same trend this year, given the
off-campus options opening and the regular “melt,” or reduction of students,
that occurs at the start of a new semester,” she said.
Powell said Landmark is bullish on the UConn market due to
“continual enrollment increases coupled with the lack of supply in the market.”
Powell said The Mark Mansfield, from an off-campus
perspective, offers something that hasn’t been seen in the UConn market.
“We are offering a professionally managed property with
onsite teams with robust amenities packages with pools, hot tubs, club rooms,
study rooms and fitness centers. The majority of this supply at UConn is really
older, outdated products. We are going to be offering something compelling to
the market,” Powell said.
Powell said there will be three-, four- and five-bedroom
units “attracting students to the university that enjoy living with their
peers.”
The Mark Mansfield will break ground this summer and is
expected to be completed by the summer of 2028.
Huskies Tavern, which was previously located 134 North
Eagleville Road, will return and be located on the first floor of the property
in 7,000 square feet of retail space.
“As part of our new development, the restaurant will be
incorporated back into the project when we are open. It will be on the ground
floor, and they will have a fully operated space, and we are excited that
Huskies will reenter the property, and we think they will be a part of our
long-term success there,” Powell said.
Powell said Landmark, based in Athens, Georgia, is the
largest student-housing developer in the country. The company has $15 billion
in assets under management including 115 residential communities and 72,000
beds across the country. The company specializes in acquisition, development
and management of high-quality residential communities. Landmark has also
expanded its business out of the country as well.
This is the 22nd property that Landmark and Peninsula
Investments, headquartered in Miami as well as Montevideo, Uruguay, have
combined on.
“We are thrilled to expand our presence adjacent to this
prestigious campus with our second student housing development in the market,
providing high-quality living spaces designed to complement the university
experience,” Peninsula Investments managing director Juan Fernando Valdivieso
said in a statement. “This investment underscores our commitment to supporting
UConn’s vibrant community by delivering modern, thoughtfully designed
residences that meet the evolving needs of students.”
Mansfield town manager Ryan Aylesworth said the new building
will fit the character of the buildings near the UConn campus.
“The project is well supported for a few reasons. The
location is a high-density area that wouldn’t impede on lesser development
areas,” Aylesworth said. “We know there is a high demand for additional housing
at UConn.
“We want to see affordable housing built for all ages and
socioeconomic groups in town,” he added, “but this will be primarily
student-housing at this location.”
Aylesworth said with more student-housing available, other
housing units that were previously used by students may now become available to
non-students.
“The state has asked UConn to grow its enrollment, and any
additional students, faculty and staff will need housing,” Aylesworth said. “We
are very committed to working with UConn on shared housing on a few fronts.
Housing for the UConn workforce.
“We want people when they take a job at UConn and relocate
from somewhere else and move here. We would love them to find housing here in
Mansfield where it could be walkable or bikeable to their job. We want them to
live in Mansfield because recent trends have gone away from that. With students
scooping up off-campus housing, many UConn staff end up renting or buying in
another town.”
Amid major I-91 ramp reconfiguration and detours, plans in works for another nearby ramp
Sean Krofssik
Among its busy
schedule for work on state roads this spring and summer, the Connecticut Department of
Transportation is planning some Interstate 91 ramp work.
The DOT said it is developing plans to realign the Interstate 91 north and south
ramps at Exit 24 in Rocky Hill.
According to the DOT, the goal of the project is to address
the intersection at the I-91/CT 99 ramps. Slip ramps will be removed to create
shorter pedestrian crossings and ramps, according to the agency.
There will also be “full signal upgrades and integration
into the Computerized Traffic Signal System are also included,” the DOT said in
a statement.
The design will be completed in April of 2026, with
construction expected to start later that fall, “assuming acceptance of the
project, availability of funding, receipt of any required right-of-way and
environmental permits,” according to the CTDOT.
The project will be undertaken with 100 percent state funds,
according to the DOT.
There are 545 active capital projects planned for this year
on state highways, bridges and roads.
Two hundred of the projects, like Rocky Hill, are in the
planning phase and 171 are under construction.
Among the largest multi-year projects in the state
continuing this year: the East Lyme
Interstate-95 Interchange 74 Improvements at Route 161, the
I-91/I-691/Route 15 Interchange Project that spans Meriden and Middletown as
well as the Norwalk
Bridge Transmission Relocation Project in Norwalk.
“It’s going to be a busy construction season,” state
Department of Transportation Communications Director Josh Morgan said this
month. “We have a lot of major projects that are in the middle of the process
and years two, three and four is when that really picks up.
“There’s a lot of projects happening all over Connecticut.
We certainly hear the frustration from the residents in the state about getting
stuck in traffic because of a lane closing. But progress is going to take some
patience and there is a lot of infrastructure coming into the state in the
coming months,” Morgan added.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation also recently
noted that it has begun construction on the Dutch
Point Viaduct rehabilitation project on Interstate 91 southbound in
Hartford. That means detours to access the highway.
Viaduct work Detour Map (CTDOT)
The work means the closure of the State Street on-ramp to
I-91 southbound for approximately 18 months, according to the DOT.
The viaduct is an 1,800-foot-long elevated bridge structure
that carries three lanes of Interstate 91 southbound over the Connecticut
Southern Railroad and the I-91 northbound ramps to and from Whitehead
Highway in Hartford, according to the DOT. It is near the Connecticut
Convention Center and the Colt
Armory.
According to DOT, the viaduct work intends to “upgrade the
structural elements of the bridge to current safety standards. Improvements
include the replacement of the viaduct’s bridge deck, drainage system, and
installation of new barrier walls and highways lights, among other structural
enhancements.
The “reconstruction project will improve safety for
motorists, increase the viaduct’s load-carrying capacity, and extend the
viaduct’s service life until it is replaced as part of the Greater Hartford
Mobility Program.”
funds, according to DOT.
“The Dutch Point Viaduct is a vital artery for thousands of
commuters and visitors traveling through the Hartford region every day,” Gov.
Ned Lamont has said. “Modernizing this aging bridge is a crucial investment to
ensure the safety and reliability of this key stretch of highway. I appreciate
the hardworking Connecticut Department of Transportation crews and contractors
for their dedication to completing these upgrades.”
About the viaduct work:
One lane of I-91 southbound in the area will be closed for
approximately 18 months while work on the project is underway.
Temporary nighttime lane closures between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m.
and daytime shoulder closures between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. will occur throughout
the duration of the construction period.
Additionally, the State Street on-ramp to I-91 southbound
will be closed during all three stages of the project.
Motorists should anticipate potential delays during these
times but can rely on traffic control measures and signage to guide them
through the work zone.