Amtrak builds permanent pier at Eagle Landing State Park in Haddam
HADDAM —A new pier at Eagle
Landing State Park in Haddam is now open for anglers, nature
lovers, and other members of the public to enjoy scenic views, fishing and
more.
Built by Amtrak and owned by the state Department of Energy
and Environmental Protection, the permanent pier provides an alternate fishing
location while the Ferry Landing pier / boardwalk in Old Lyme is closed to make
way for Amtrak’s construction of a new Connecticut River Bridge between Old
Lyme and Old Saybrook, according to a press release.
Construction is underway to replace the 118-year-old bridge
with a modern, moveable bridge that will improve the customer experience by
eliminating delays, providing faster journeys, and modernizing another critical
infrastructure asset that benefits the entire Northeast corridor, the statement
continued
With construction of the new bridge underway, the Ferry
Landing pier / boardwalk is now closed.
It is one of several passenger rail investments underway in
Connecticut, including the WALK
Bridge Replacement in Norwalk, Devon
Bridge repairs in Milford, new stations in Windsor Locks and Enfield, and
more projects led by the state Department of Transportation.
The new pier resulted from feedback Amtrak solicited from
the public and state/federal agencies during the environmental review phase of
the bridge project.
The park is located at 14 Little Meadow Road, Haddam.
Once the new Connecticut River Bridge is in service and the
old bridge has been demolished in 2029, Amtrak will build a new and improved,
fully accessible 1,000+ foot long observation deck and stairway at Ferry
Landing State Park that would open in 2030/2031.
The new Ferry Landing Pier/Boardwalk will upgrade the
overall experience for everyone, featuring a 50% wider walkway with improved
accessibility, a location slightly west of the existing site that will provide
anglers better access to deep water, and stronger, more durable concrete piles
for more support compared to the wooden piles used for the original structure.
New $19 million headquarters for Wilton Police Department faces construction delays
WILTON — Construction of the new Wilton police station is
now slated to finish
at the end of the year, with communication issues on the work prompting a
delay of the $19
million project.
The contractor,
A. Secondino & Son Inc. of Branford, has asked about a completion
date in the fall, Department of Public Works Director Frank Smeriglio said
at a recent meeting. The town has not yet approved that nor discussed the
implications of a later finishing date, he said.
But DPW Assistant Director/Facilities Manager Jeff Pardo
said the new
police station is more than 50% complete and will likely take even
longer than Secondino predicts.
“I’ll be completely honest with you: I think September,
October is a long shot,” Pardo said at the Board of Selectmen meeting on April
22.
“I don't see it happening. I think they'll be closer to
November, December. ... Who knows, maybe they do get it done. I just don’t see
that happening. There’s so much work to do,” he said.
The original schedule called for the project to be done this
summer, but there is still work to do on the roof and the interior, where 90%
of the sheetrock is up but is not ready for paint. The windows are still
covered in plastic.
Wilton broke ground on the nearly 19,000-square-foot new
building on an 11.17-acre site near the current police station in October
2023.
Pardo said a lack of communications with the staff he’s
working with at Secondino has led to delays on the project.
“One of the major issues I've found … this super does not
like to hold coordination meetings,” Pardo said. “I don't know why. I've asked
for them, trades have asked for them. He doesn't want to hold them. It’s poor
communication.”
Despite the consistent work
force on the site, he said the lack of coordination has resulted in delays.
For example, two workers will show up in the same place, Pardo said. The
electrician came in to install conduits before work was complete on the
sheetrock, he said.
“If you had coordination meetings, you’d have all that
figured out and everyone would know where they’re going to be,” Pardo added.
Pardo said he’s tried to express his concerns and talk to
the project manager from Secondino, but the project manager shows up only
to virtual meetings “maybe once a month” and never walks through the building.
“It’s not a good thing,” he said. “I’ve never had a project
manager not walk through the building.”
The architecture firm, Tecton, has also not been present
frequently and has only done walk-throughs every two weeks, Pardo said. Their
drawings also lack information Secondino needs, and Pardo said going back
to them for more information prompted further delays.
“I hate to say this publicly, but I’ll say it: the drawings
are very vague,” he added. “They were incomplete. That should never have gone
out to bid. It’s a battle every day.”
The cost of the project is also subject to change, Pardo
said. The contractor has only billed for about 50%, and it’s not always
clear from their requisitions if it is charging for work that's already done.
“(I told them) I can't let you bill for something that's
incomplete,” Pardo said. “If you're 75% complete with a certain item, I
can't let you bill more than that. … That’s one of the battles I have every
single month. Things are just very vague, but that’s the way they want to do
the requisition.”
The discussion on the project will continue at the May 20
meeting in executive session because they involve contracts, First Selectwoman
Toni Boucher said.
“We want to put pressure on them, but we want to do it
right,” she added. “Not fast, but right.”
The current police facility, which was built in 1974, is
considered too small, outdated and in poor condition. The new building will
offer double the amount of space to accommodate a much larger police force than
when the current building was constructed, along with many modern features.
Deputy Police Chief Robert Cipolla echoed the sentiment,
saying the force is OK where they are — for now.
“We just want the building
to be done right,” he said. “We’re comfortable where we are now. We’re
excited for the new building when it’s done but I don't see any real negative
implication from an operational standpoint if its delayed.”
Major improvements coming to Fontaine Field thanks to the state's Community Investment Fund
Matt Grahn
Norwich is one step closer to turning the Rose City Senior
Center and the nearby athletic areas into the RecPlex.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont visited Norwich Friday to
recognize the $5.1 million in state funds from the Community Investment Fund
(CIF) 2030 program that was announced in March, and the city officially got two
weeks ago.
The lion’s share, $4.9 million will go toward improving
Fontaine Field and its accessibility to the neighboring Rose City Senior
Center. Another $250,000 will go toward redevelopment plans for the Norwich
portion of the former Norwich State Hospital.
“I’m so happy to be here and see the continuing progress
here in Norwich,” Lamont said. “Hang tough; I love what you’re doing.”
The Fontaine Field work could start as soon as the week of
April 28, and will be finished by the end of 2025. Fontaine Field will be
closed in the fall, and alternate arrangements are being worked on with the
schools and permittees, Norwich Human Services Director Kate Milde said.
CIF 2030
In this round of CIF funding, round six, $77 million was
awarded to 35 projects in 21 municipalities. Over the life of CIF, the site has
given $500 million in grants to 171 different projects across Connecticut,
Department of Economic and Community Development Deputy Commissioner Matt
Pugliese said.
“This is a transformational investment in our communities,”
he said.
However, the state receives $1 billion in CIF requests each
year, Lamont said.
Master plan
Transforming Fontaine Field has been a priority for Norwich
Human Services for a few years. Work on Fontaine Field will include replacing
the field with synthetic turf, adding spectator stands, enlarging the parking
area, and adding accessible walkways to the senior center, Milde said.
The Fontaine Field improvements will lead to twice as much
usage, due to fewer closures in the future. The city can also host more
athletic events there, which will bring people in from neighboring towns and
help the local economy, Milde said.
“This is the final piece of the puzzle to make this area
fantastic,” she said.
This work relates to other work Human Services has done in
that part of the city, from improving accessibility to the pavilion at Fontaine
Field to adding pickleball courts and restoring the Armstrong Tennis Court,
Milde said.
As a coach for Integrated Day Charter School and Kelly
Middle School, State Rep. Derell Wilson sees the value in improving Fontaine
Field. Also, as his special needs siblings visit the field, there needs to be
more spaces in the city with handicapped accessibility, he said.
“It really shows that we are focused on not only economic
development, but the quality of life of every single person in the City of
Norwich, and around the State of Connecticut,” Wilson said.
Norwich State Hospital
The 49-acre Norwich portion of the former Norwich State
Hospital represents an untapped opportunity. Improving the site would help both
Norwich and The Mohegan Tribe, which has worked on redeveloping the Preston
side of the property into the Preston Riverwalk for many years now, Norwich
Mayor Peter Nystrom said.
What’s next?
Norwich still has plenty of projects that would benefit from
CIF money. This includes apartments and the pocket park on lower Broadway, the
Occum Industrial Park, and the proposed Norwich Police Station in the Chelsea
Groton Bank building, State Senator Cathy Osten said.
Nystrom is thankful for Lamont encouraging the state to
invest into municipalities, he said.
“A governor who invests in municipalities that are looking
to lift themselves up and bring resources themselves; that’s a governor you can
believe it,” Nystrom said. “That’s a governor who believes in us.”
The state will start accepting round seven applications on
Monday, and will be due in early June, Puglisse said.