Former Pawcatuck movie theater being torn down to make way for $80M project
Sarah Gordon
Stonington — A crowd gathered in the parking lot of the
former Regal Cinemas in Pawcatuck on Thursday as an excavator demolished the
entry to the vacant movie theater.
The groundbreaking marked the start of plan to turn a
section of the shopping plaza property into an $80 million mixed-use project
called Stonington Village Apartments.
The 232-unit housing complex, owned and managed by the Real
Estate Asset Development Co., will include studio and one-, two- and
three-bedroom apartments.
READCO, based in Old Lyme, has owned the plaza since 1995,
and built the theater as well as a Stop & Shop supermarket, McDonald’s,
Berkshire Bank and Stonington Medical Center offices there. The theater closed
in September 2022 when Regal went bankrupt. READCO President Michael Lech said
his firm sold its other movie theater locations but held on to the Pawcatuck
location.
“Growing up in a real estate family I learned location,
location, location,” Lech said. ”Over the years I’ve become more about
collaboration, collaboration, collaboration. It’s collaboration that really
makes a project great.”
Stonington First Selectwoman Danielle Chesebrough said this
project will be the first true mixed-use building in town.
“I’m so excited to see all the hard work through our federal
and private partnerships come together in this space for our community,” she
said to the crowd.
Twenty percent of the apartments in the complex will be
designated for middle-income tenants through Build For CT, a collaboration
between the state Department of Housing and the Connecticut Housing Finance
Authority that uses $200 million in state bonding to address the housing needs
of middle-income renters.
Nandini Natarajan, the CEO of the Connecticut Housing
Finance Authority, said that since its launch in late 2023 the program has
supported 16 projects throughout the state. Four of those projects are in
southeastern Connecticut, providing around 500 units.
“Reusing a site in this way defies all conventional wisdom,”
U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, said about the concept of turning a
movie theater into housing and multi-use space.
“We’re turning conventional wisdom on its head repurposing
this space, and I’m so proud that it’s happening in southeastern Connecticut,”
he continued. “It’s an amazing model of how to creatively approach housing.”
Work on the apartments will take place in three phases,
taking about three years to complete. The first set of approximately 77 units
is slated to be built in the next 12-16 months.
The facilities will include private and public garages and a
clubhouse, featuring a swimming pool, barbecue pit, golf simulator and
dog-washing station, as well as extensive outdoor walking trails, according to
READCO. The company has also acquired an adjacent property that contains a
house for future expansion.
“We need more housing and this is exactly the kind of
housing we need,” U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said as he gave
remarks during the ceremony.
“If it were up to me I might move in here,” he joked.
NORWALK — A project
to repave sections of Route 7 and the Merritt Parkway in the city will begin
Friday, officials say.
In a post on Facebook, Norwalk city officials said the
work on Route 7 and Route 15's north and southbound lanes is part of
the Connecticut Department of Transportation's pavement
preservation program.
On its wesbite, the DOT said the work will also be taking
place in Trumbull, Stratford and Milford. It said the contract was awarded to
Waters Construction Co. at a cost of $11,349,172.
Officials said Route 7 north and south will have lane
closures from Friday until Oct. 21 from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., with ramp closures
during that same span of months from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
They said Route 15 will also have lane closures from
Friday until late Oct. from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., as well as ramp closures from 9
p.m. to 5 a.m.
"This project will include milling, paving, and the
replacement of guardrails, curbing, sidewalks and intersection equipment,"
officials said. "We ask that drivers drive slowly through construction
zones and adhere to any onsite traffic personnel and detour routes. Traffic
signs and State Police will guide drivers through work zones."
Modifications of the timeline may be necessary due to
weather or other unforeseen conditions.
The work comes ahead of a larger project that aims to improve
the interchange of Route 7 and Route 15 in Norwalk.
Likely starting in 2027, it calls for five traffic signals
to regulate the flow of vehicles entering and exiting the highways; four new
bridges; a replacement bridge; and new roadways on Norwalk's Main Avenue and
Creeping Hemlock Drive; and new ramps that make Route 7, the Merritt
Parkway and Main Avenue more accessible to each other, according to DOT's
documentation from 2023.
State sues Meriden developer for allegedly encroaching on Lamentation Mountain State Park
MERIDEN — Attorney General William Tong filed an enforcement
action against Salvatore R. Carabetta and his LLCs for illegally encroaching
on Lamentation Mountain State Park property, according to a lawsuit filed
in Hartford Superior Court. Ad
The action alleges that since owning the property, Carabetta
has illegally clearcut acres of state forest, and has unlawfully built numerous
fixtures on state property, including guest a guest house, a basketball court,
two sheds, an animal shed, an asphalt driveway and a drainage system with
runoff into the state park..
The lawsuit also claims Carabetta took additional measures
to prevent public access to the state park lands, including padlocking the
access road with large “Private No Trespassing” signs affixed to state park
trees, according to the lawsuit.
State Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection
Katherine Dykes sought to begin legal proceedings after Carabetta failed to
respond to a 2023 effort to stop the encroachment and restore the state
property, according to the lawsuit.
"We have been working cooperatively with the state, and
we are confident that the matter will be amicably resolved," Carabetta's
attorney Domenic Aprile said.
Lamentation
Mountain is a state park on the border of Meriden and Berlin. Carabetta and
his series of LLCs control four parcels of land directly to the south of the
state park. Because one of the parcels lacks street access, the state in 1984
granted a prior property owner a limited easement allowing development of a
gravel drive into that parcel through a section of Lamentation Mountain State
Park.
The enforcement action, filed in Hartford Superior Court,
seeks a court order to restore Lamentation Mountain State Park to its original
condition, as well as declaratory and injunctive relief and damages up to five
times the cost of restoration. The action seeks to hold both the Meriden
Homestead LLCs, as well as Salvatore Carabetta personally liable under the
Responsible Corporate Officer Doctrine, according to a press statement from
Tong's office.
“The state has zero tolerance for unlawful encroachment on and destruction of
public lands,” Tong stated. “State parks such as Lamentation Mountain are held
in the public trust for the benefit of all. Private encroachments on public
property will not be tolerated.”
Efforts by the state to address these numerous violations out of court have
failed. Last year, Carabetta unsuccessfully sought state legislation to
transfer state parklands to his ownership to evade accountability, according to
Tong's statement.
DEEP claimed the sale would set a precedent allowing
property owners who build on state land the opportunity to buy their way out of
the consequences. The bill would have transferred the 2.7 acres at fair market
value.
A message left for Carabetta at the company's 200 Pratt St.
headquarters was not returned.
In testimony before the Government Administration and
Elections Committee last year, Carabetta told lawmakers the property has
been in his family for several decades.
"My family homestead is located at 2209 North Broad
Street (Berlin Turnpike) on the Meriden Berlin Town line," Carabetta
stated during the April 9, 2024 public hearing. "The property adjoins a
second parcel in Meriden that was added to the Homestead and is connected to my
original property."
Carabetta said the site abuts state land on the Berlin side
of the town line, and the Carabettas have the benefit of a 90-foot wide
easement that crosses the southwest corner of the state land and provides
access from the Berlin Turnpike to their property in Meriden, according to a
hearing transcript.
"If passed, this bill will resolve issues with the
Homestead property line and any possible encroachments from the Homestead onto
the state land," Carabetta said. "Through the years of owning
this property we have invested in maintaining and improving the road over the
easement on the state land; however, we have also experienced issues with
people dumping trash on both the state land and our Homestead."
Despite concerns from the DEEP and local conservationists,
the proposed bill passed a committee vote but never made it to the floor.
State halts work at Ponemah Mills site
Daniel Drainville
Norwich — State officials have stopped work on the Ponemah
Mills site in Taftville as they investigate whether excavated material there is
contaminated.
In an email to city planning and building officials, Uncas
Health District Director Patrick McCormack said he was contacted Tuesday by
Thomas Welch, the emergency response coordinator for the state Department of
Energy and Environmental Protection, about material that was being excavated
from the mill complex located on Norwich Avenue.
McCormack wrote that he and DEEP officials met Tuesday with
a representative of One Key LLC, the New Jersey developer in charge of
renovating the historical cotton mill complex into a combination of market-rate
and affordable apartments and amenities. The larger mill building on the site,
which contains 237 apartments plus 77 more in a rear wing, has already been
renovated and is currently housing tenants.
The second half of the renovation is still underway at the
south mill, where One Key is working on a $40 million project to create 146
apartments along with a restaurant in a smaller building to the west.
McCormack wrote that a One Key representative was told
Tuesday “to put a pause on the operation” because the representative was unable
to document the content of the material being stored on site and removed; who
removed it; and where it was taken.
Another meeting was held Wednesday at the site, with the
supervisor of One Key. Also Wednesday a city inspection team was on the site,
and it appeared crews were still working on the site. From Norwich Avenue,
large piles of fill could be seen behind the unfinished mill building, along
with two large piles on an adjacent property.
During a meeting of the Commission on the City Plan on
Tuesday night, city Director of Planning and Neighborhood Services Deanna
Rhodes said she spoke earlier in the day to project engineer Brandon Handfield
about the “stockpiled” material being stored on a parcel at 539 Norwich Ave.,
near Maria’s Treasures, a thrift store. She said One Key had not requested or
obtained a city permit to store the material there.
Rhodes proposed that the commission table One Key’s request
to modify the site plan for the south mill to accommodate the restaurant,
including adding a five-car parking lot and driveway, until DEEP could
investigate the excavated material. The commission agreed, in spite of Project
Manager Phil Biondo’s comments, that the question over the contents of the
excavated material was not related to the modified site plan, which the
commission determined should be approved.
Will Healey, DEEP’s director of communications, said in an
email Thursday that his agency was notified earlier this week that material has
been removed from the site. Since then, he said, various DEEP employees have
gone to the mill site, including members of the Emergency Response Unit. He
said that the unit so far has confirmed some of the locations where the
material was taken and is planning to sample the relocated material as well as
two large piles on an adjacent property at 539 Norwich Ave.
He said the unit, along with DEEP’s Waste Engineering and
Enforcement Division and its Remediation Division, would continue to gather
information and investigate.
“This will take a few days to a week before we complete the
work and obtain the sample results,” Healey added.
He said any request to reuse polluted soil on the site would
need to be authorized by the Remediation Division, which has not received such
a request. One Key officials could not be reached for comment Thursday.
McCormack said in his email that there have been reports
that trucks are removing the material from the site to sell as fill to
unsuspecting property owners. He said that in one instance, it’s alleged that
oil filters, shingles and other items were found in the fill.
Healey could not confirm Thursday whether there had been a
complaint, or who the source was.
Plans for crucial piece of new CT neighborhood suffers major setback. ‘More questions than answers.’
The preferred developer of a crucial piece in a new neighborhood planned in downtown Hartford is withdrawing from the project, a major setback for the redevelopment of a barren swath of parking lots near The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts.
The Michaels Organization, of
Camden, N.J., — chosen in late 2022 to develop the largest parking lot in
the envisioned
Bushnell South neighborhood — has reached an agreement with the Capital Region Development Authority to
step away from the project aimed at creating apartments and storefront space.
CRDA is overseeing the reshaping of the Bushnell South neighborhood.
The two sides were unable to assemble a project that could
obtain financing in times of high interest rates; deal with rising construction
costs; and arrive at a public subsidy — in the form of a low-cost loan — that
was in line with similar projects elsewhere in Bushnell South. As a result, the
project wouldn’t produce high enough revenues for Michaels to attract
investors.
“It just got to a point that there were more questions than
answers,” Michael W. Freimuth, CRDA’s executive director, said. “It’s
frustrating to have spent three years twisting and turning projects to make
them work. And this one, I had hoped that I could get it done earlier.”
A development such as Bushnell South has been envisioned for
decades along Capitol Avenue near The Bushnell. A
conceptual plan drawn up in 2021 called for as many as 1,000
apartments, restaurants, entertainment venues, “district parking” and public
spaces.
The new neighborhood also aims to create a strong, walkable
connection between Bushnell Park and the city neighborhoods to the south. At
the same time, the idea is to place Bushnell Park at the center of downtown
rather than at its outer, southern edge.
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The quasi-public CRDA will now have to decide whether to
seek new proposals for the nearly 3-acre site or potentially shift to a
different focus that could include a larger share of homeownership options.
In recent months, CRDA’s board has voiced support for the
possible development of more housing for purchase to better balance with the
3,500 rentals created in and around the downtown area in the last decade.
But any decision would likely be delayed until CRDA hires a
new executive director to replace Freimuth, who is expected
to retire at the end of June.
The departure of Michaels was discussed at CRDA’s board of
directors meeting Thursday.
“I was kind of sad to hear this,” Board member Joanne
Berger-Sweeney, president of Trinity College and chair of CRDA’s housing
committee, said, at the meeting. “I remember being on that selection committee
for Michaels. It’s always disappointing that after a number of years, we
basically have to go back to the start, but understood.”
As preferred developer, Michaels was obligated to come up
with a workable plan for the project. No formal development agreement had been
signed with CRDA.
“The numbers — they started difficult and got more and more
difficult as the economy kind of soured over the last couple of years, with
interest rates and things like that,” said Geoffrey S. Lewis, director of
development at Michaels, said. “This is a tough project in awesome times and
that’s not what we in right now, in real estate.”
Michaels was chosen from a field of four developers,
including two — Spinnaker Real Estate
Partners LLC of Norwalk and Spectra
Construction and Development of New York — that have been active in
mixed-use projects in downtown Hartford for years. The fourth proposal came
from Lennar Multifamily Communities (LMC) of Charlotte, N.C.
When selected, Michaels’ preliminary plan was for 360
rentals, including 20% affordable, primarily in two larger buildings over 2,500
square feet of storefront space, likely including performance space tied to the
arts, and some underground parking. The proposal also included 15 rowhouses
along Buckingham Street, which runs parallel to Capitol to the south in the
area, that could be rentals or be put up for sale.
Over the months that followed, the development was divided
into two phases. The project was redesigned several times, using different
approaches to construction and building materials, varying combination of
rental units and differing options for the storefront space. Underground
parking morphed into a surface lot and, at one point, some consideration was
given to including an
arts-themed magnet school.
The most recent plan called for 230 rentals in a 4-story
building with 10,000 square feet of storefront space. The cost was pegged at
about $80 million with tentative, public financing of about $15 million.
The development also was complicated by improvements needed
in the area’s sewer and storm water drainage systems to handle the scope of
development envisioned for Bushnell South. And an on-going parking study still
needs to determine the long-term parking needs of the area, including in what
sequence parking — most likely parking garages — would need to be added to
accommodate growth.
In addition, The
Bushnell has long expressed concern over parking for its patrons as
development unfolds in the future.
Some strides are being made in other parts of Bushnell
South, financed partly with CRDA taxpayer-backed, low-cost loans.
Spinnaker is renovating the former offices of the attorney
general and other Constitutional officers at 55 Elm Street — the
northeastern corner of Bushnell South — into apartments. Spinnaker also plans
new residential rental construction on the parking lots surrounding 55 Elm.
Spinnaker also has acquired the
parking lot just east of the 3-acre lot that Michaels had been working
on, also for future development.
And on the northwestern corner, developers
Philadelphia-based Pennrose LLC and
The Cloud Co., of Hartford, plan more than 100 units of rental housing in two
buildings, at 18-20 and 30 Trinity Street. The partners purchased the historic
structures — formerly state offices — for $1.1 million from the state in
January and are now seeking to close financing for the conversion.
Top construction-related podcasts
While it’s important for construction pros to stay up to
date on the latest trends and technologies, who has time for a class or book?
Another form of learning — podcasts — lets listeners absorb insights and tips
on the go.
Below, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite
construction-related podcasts, from new construction technology trends to
effective management topics. Did we miss one of your go-to downloads? Let us know.
ASCE Plot Points
Brought to listeners by the American Society of Civil
Engineers, ASCE Plot Points delves deep into contemporary engineering topics,
sometimes driven by the news. Recent episodes include what listeners need to
know about the aviation industry, what happens when a wildfire comes to your
neighborhood and how artificial intelligence is changing civil engineering.
Listen to the ASCE Plot Points Podcast here.
The Art of Construction
This show aims to help listeners build up their contracting
businesses, with the help of expert guests from a variety of backgrounds in the
industry. The podcast covers topics including leadership strategies, emerging
tools, financing, safety and more. Listen to the Art of Construction
Podcast here.
The Builders’ Table
A production of the National Center for Construction
Education and Research, The Builders’ Table urges listeners to inspire the next
generation of craftworkers. Hosted by Jennifer Wilkerson, NCCER’s vice
president of innovation and advancement, it features interviews with AEC
professionals from across the industry. Listen to The Builders’ Table here.
Buildings Podcast
Buildings Podcast touches on topics including facility
management, green issues, security and building performance, in segments
ranging from four to 30 minutes, making it a quick dive into the latest trends
in construction. Listen to Buildings Podcast here.
CONEXPO-CON/AGG Podcast
Launched in 2016, the CONEXPO-CON/AGG Podcast aims to expand
listeners’ construction knowledge with interviews and segments on the building
industry. The podcast is released twice a month. Listen to the CONEXPO-CON/AGG
Podcast here.
Construction Genius: A Leadership Master Class
For construction company owners and executives who want to
learn from their peers, this weekly podcast offers wisdom and practical
inspiration. The podcast talks with a different industry leader each week about
strategic planning, business development and more. Listen to the Construction
Genius Podcast here.
Construction Leaders Podcast
Produced by the Construction Management Association of America, the Construction Leaders podcast is helmed by Nick Soto, vice president of professional development at CMAA, along with Carly Trout, the organization’s senior manager of professional development eLearning. The podcast covers topics ranging from starting a construction firm to the economy and mentorship. You can listen to the Construction Leaders Podcast here.
The Construction Management Podcast
The Construction Management Podcast is for both new and
seasoned construction professionals who want to better understand how to
further their management career in the industry. The podcast shares knowledge
and ideas, and brings in special guests to discuss the intricacies of a career
in construction management. Listen to The Construction Management Podcast here.
Construction Revolution
This show from Canada-based Giatec Scientific covers the
practices, people and companies that are shaping the construction industry,
with an emphasis on materials and cutting-edge technology. The podcast
interviews people on a variety of topics ranging from drones, data and robotics
to ways to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint. Listen to the Construction
Revolution Podcast here.
Constructive Voices
For a European perspective, check out this podcast about
innovation in construction. The U.K.-based podcast produces a mix of reporting
and interviews with movers and shakers in the industry. They’ve covered
inclusivity, health, sustainability and more with their expert guests. Listen
to the Constructive Voices Podcast here.
The Contech Crew
Hosted by construction technologists who geek out on a
different topic each week, the Contech Crew podcast discusses news and current
trends within the construction and technology industries with special guests.
Listen to The Contech Crew Podcast here.
ICC Pulse
The ICC Pulse podcast offers a rotating cast of hosts from
the International Code Council and expert guests who bring the latest news and
new technology in the building safety industry. Every month or so, they
demystify safety, inspection, engineering and other code-related topics. Listen
to the ICC Pulse Podcast here.
Infrastructure Investor Podcast
Produced by Infrastructure Investor, a media outlet that
covers private equity in the infrastructure realm, the Infrastructure Investor
Podcast interviews leaders in the infrastructure investment space, along with
original reporting from the outlet’s team of journalists. Listen to the
Infrastructure Investor Podcast here.
Infrastructure Technology Podcast
The brainchild of infrastructure and construction news
outlet Roads and Bridges, the Infrastructure Technology Podcast is a
collaboration with Mass Transit magazine about the ways that technology shapes
infrastructure. Since launching in earlier this year, topics include the supply
chain and transit infrastructure. Listen to the Infrastructure Technology
Podcast here.
Labor Lounge Podcast
Co-hosted by labor leaders Anthony Abrantes and Cyndie
Williams, the podcast explores the world of construction labor and interviews
the people on the ground to learn about unions and life on the jobsite. The
podcast is for anyone who wants to learn more about the construction industry,
and those in the labor force. Listen to the Labor Lounge Podcast here.
Mass Construction Show
Hosted by Joe Kelly, an independent consultant at Mass
Construction Consultants, the Mass Construction show covers real estate, code,
risk management, technology and more, but with a bit of self-proclaimed
“Massachusetts bias.” Kelly talks to a range of construction professionals on
topics including how building materials affect the environment and health to
the ways modular construction is changing the industry. Listen to Mass
Construction Show here.
Talking Infrastructure
Talking Infrastructure discusses the industry’s most
important engineering and infrastructure topics, key projects and the
groundbreaking innovations that are helping to solve some of the world’s most
complex built-world challenges. Listen to the Talking Infrastructure
Podcast here.
The Weekly Take
Every week, this podcast from real estate giant CBRE offers
insight into a wide-ranging array of topics in the commercial real estate
industry, including building. The podcast brings on guests who are experts in
timber construction, the future of suburban and city planning and many other
trends. Listen to The Weekly Take Podcast here.
Women Talk Construction
The Women Talk Construction podcast, hosted by construction
veterans Angela Gardner and Christi Powell, aims to share stories and
experiences that they hope will encourage diversity in the construction
industry. Their episodes feature interviews with women across the industry and
in different roles, to spotlight different relevant topics each session. Listen
to the Women Talk Construction Podcast here.