Rosa DeLauro wins caucus fight for Appropriations chair

Mark Pazniokas  U.S. Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-3rd District, was chosen on a 148-79 vote by the Democratic caucus Thursday to become chair of the House Appropriations Committee, one of the most influential posts on federal spending.

The overwhelming vote came after one of her two rivals, Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, withdrew and endorsed DeLauro, leaving the New Haven lawmaker in a two-way contest with Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida.

Her choice makes a short stretch of I-91 in southern New England home to the two key congressional players on taxes and spending; along with DeLauro on appropriations, Richard Neal of Springfield will remain as chair of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee.

“This is a historic first for Connecticut. Not since Jonathan Trumbull was elected speaker of the House has Connecticut held such an important position in the United States Congress,” said U.S. Rep. John B. Larson, D-1st District.

Connecticut politicians rarely have reached the top echelons of leadership in Congress. 

Jonathan Trumbull Jr. was the second Speaker of the House, serving from 1791 to 1793. The last committee chair from Connecticut was one of DeLauro’s predecessors in the 3rd District, Robert N. Giaimo, who was House Budget Committee chair when he retired 40 years ago.

U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th District, a founding member of the centrist New Democrat Coalition, gave a seconding speech that emphasized DeLauro’s ability to establish working relationships with all corners of a caucus that will hold a narrow majority in January.

“We’re Democrats so we have have lots of different points of view and losts of disagreements,” Himes said. “The difference between getting a lot of really good stuff done, setting aside [GOP Leader Mitch] McConnell in the Senate right now, is us being very, very graceful and thoughtful in our disagreements, respectful of our different points of view, constructive in how we approach those disagreements.”

Himes said he reminded the caucus that he and DeLauro were on opposite sides of a major policy difference, fast-track authority for the Barack Obama administration to pursue the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal. Himes is a free-trade proponent, and DeLauro sided with organized labor in opposition.

“Every single day she checked in with me. She put me in touch with Joe Stiglitz, the Nobel Laureate [in economics]. She would  give me scholarly articles on this and that, introduce me to unions. Never pushed me. I said, ‘Look we’re going to disagree,’ and nobody disagrees more gracefully than Rosa DeLauro.”

The measure narrowly passed in the House, with Himes in support.

“The very next day she was like, ‘How you doin,’ baby? Everything good?“ Himes recalled, laughing.

Himes, who commutes to Washington by Amtrak and whose lower Fairfield County district relies on commuter rail, or at least it did before the pandemic, said he was thrilled to see a fellow rail commuter in a position to direct funding for transportation infrastructure.

“Rosa and I regularly see each other on the Amtrak,” he said. “I’m super excited about that.”

Gov. Ned Lamont, who has been desperate to see action on another COVID-19 stimulus package, applauded DeLauro’s election Thursday.

“Working families across the country will have a true champion ensuring that their voices are heard over the special interests, and that they have a seat at the table as we all work together with President-elect Biden and his administration to build back better from this pandemic,” Lamont said.

After months of inaction, Himes said, there is hope of a deal on a new package, with Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer embracing a scaled-down bipartisan measure as a good first step. With COVID cases spiking, restaurants and other small businesses are desperate for more aid, and unemployment benefits expire in January for many of the newly unemployed.

“There is a very strong and aggressive contingent of members whose position is that we do not go home without a deal. We just can’t go back to the American people,” Himes said. “I’m not telling you they are going to prevail. I’m just telling you it’s very strong movement.”

DOT: Traffic shift planned on Arrigoni Bridge as Stage 2 work begins

MIDDLETOWN — As work begins on the second stage of the $46 million rehabilitation of the Arrigoni Bridge, motorists can expected a traffic shift starting the week of Dec. 14.

Traffic will be moved to the outside lanes to replace portions of the inside lanes.

“The construction stage shift consists of placing a temporary concrete barrier on Route 17/Route 66 to facilitate work on the center lanes of the Arrigoni Bridge approach-spans,” the state Department of Transportation said in a statement.

“The placement of barrier will reduce the bridge to one travel lane in each direction, with periodic alternating traffic occurring in the overnight hours.”

Stage 2 work is anticipated to be completed by April 21, 2021, followed by Stage 3 activities, the DOT said.

The project was awarded to Mohawk Northeast, of Plantsville, at a cost of $46,289,385.

The work was broken down into separate projects: $3.25 million for adding four more lanes to the roadway that leads to the Arrigoni Bridge into Portland and also allows access to the downtown, and $43 million worth of repairs to the 82-year-old bridge.

The improvements at St John’s Square and Main Street intersections are scheduled to be completed this month. The Arrigoni Bridge project is scheduled to be completed by February 2022.

The DOT said the work involves “superstructure steel upgrades and repairs, as well as substructure repairs to improve the overall structural capacity, reliability and integrity of the bridge.”

Nearly 34,000 vehicles each day cross the Arrigoni Bridge over the Connecticut River between Middletown and Portland.

For additional information about the project visit www.arrigonibridgeproject.com

Norwich readies to move forward with Uncas Leap mill deconstruction

Claire Bessette  Norwich — The city received three bids this week to deconstruct an 1830 granite mill on the Yantic River as part of a plan to create the Uncas Leap Heritage Park at the historic rocky gorge and waterfall.

Wiese Construction of Norwich submitted the low bid of $349,752 for the proposal to remove the roof and upper story of the dilapidated mill building, shore up the exterior first-story walls to create a ruin and stack the granite blocks on site for future use as seating for a proposed amphitheater.

The other two bids were $398,375 from Stamford Wrecking Co. of Trumbull and $753,379 from Mattern Construction Inc. of Baltic.

The city plans to use part of a $500,000 grant from the state Department of Economic and Community Development to pay for the mill deconstruction. The grant already has paid for the design and construction of a public parking lot at the site and to engineer the bid specifications for the deconstruction, city Planner Deanna Rhodes said.

Rhodes and Public Works Director Patrick McLaughlin said they will review the submitted low bid and the project budget to determine whether there is enough funding for the demolition. McLaughlin said some money from another city demolition fund could be used to help cover the cost.

McLaughlin said city officials hope to award the bid for the deconstruction soon, because the building’s deteriorating condition has become a public safety concern. The granite building has been fenced off to prevent public access but stands very close to the adjacent Falls Mill apartment and condominium complex and sits close to the edge of the cliff overlooking the Yantic River gorge.

Another small brick mill adjacent to the granite building was demolished earlier in the park project, also by Wiese Construction.

City officials and representatives from the Mohegan Tribe have been working on the plan to create the Uncas Leap Heritage Park for the past several years. The project started coming into form in 2017, when the city used grant money and hired planning consultant Milone & MacBroom to design a master park plan at the 1.4-acre site along Yantic Street adjacent to the falls.

Project planners determined the cost would be prohibitive to try to save the granite mill. Instead, the plan calls for keeping the first-story exterior walls and window openings and creating a walking path through the ruins.

Another aspect of the plan called for creating a public parking lot outside the park perimeter so that the gravel ground at the site can be torn up and replaced with grass, plantings and a walking trail.

Once the parking lot was completed, the city blocked off vehicle access to the park area, which remains open to pedestrians.

“We’re looking for the project to continue to move forward,” Rhodes said, “and to improve that property for enjoyment and passive recreation.”

Submarine funding restored in final version of defense bill

Julia Bergman  House and Senate negotiators have reached a deal on a final version of a defense policy bill that restores funding for the construction of two Virginia-class submarines, built in Groton, and authorizes billions of dollars for Connecticut’s defense industry.

The full U.S. House and Senate are expected to vote on the bill, which authorizes $740 million in national spending, early next week. The bill is expected to easily pass both chambers despite a threat this week by President Donald Trump to veto the measure.

Trump said via Twitter this week that he would veto the bill if it did not include a repeal of Section 230 of a 1996 federal law that protects internet companies from being held liable for material posted by their users. Both Republicans and Democrats, including U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., pushed back against Trump’s threat, saying the law was a separate issue outside the realm of the defense policy bill.

Courtney, who helped negotiate the final version of the bill, was dealt a win with the restoration of funding to construct a second Virginia-class submarine, a fight he’s waged since earlier this year after the Trump administration cut the second submarine from its fiscal 2021 budget proposal.

“I’m proud of the bipartisan support to reverse the administration’s inadequate shipbuilding budget and authorize funding for a second Virginia-class submarine. This is a big win for our national security and for eastern Connecticut,” Courtney said in a statement issued Thursday.

The bill authorizes billions for the Virginia-class submarine program, built in partnership between Electric Boat in Groton and Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia, and for the Columbia-class program to build the next generation of ballistic missile submarines.

Blumenthal, in a statement issued Thursday, also applauded the restoration of funding for the Virginia program in the final version of the bill and its inclusion of several provisions he authored, including the creation of a joint Department of Labor and Navy taskforce to assess trends within the shipbuilding workforce and ensure shipbuilders can benefit from existing Labor Department programs.

“This bill’s critical investment in strategic defense tools — submarines, helicopters, and aircraft built in Connecticut — will keep our country secure, our troops supported, and our state’s economy strong. Securing funding for two Virginia Class submarines is a standout victory," Blumenthal said.

Hearing set on controversial West Hartford apartment complex

Liese Klein  est Hartford zoning officials are scheduled to hear from the public at 6 p.m. today about a controversial proposed 26-unit apartment complex planned for New Britain Avenue and Berkshire Road. 

Developer Joseph Calafiore has twice asked for rezoning of the 1.7-acre parcel at the northeast corner of the two streets to allow for the complex but has faced neighborhood pushback due to density, noise and traffic concerns.

The West Hartford town council rejected an earlier version of the project in 2018 and Calafiore has since redesigned the development and included units affordable by West Hartford standards.

Under the new plan, the complex would consist of two eight-unit buildings along Berkshire Road and a third 10-unit building on New Britain Avenue. Two of the one-bedrooms apartments would be deed-restricted to be rented only to those earning under 80% of the area median income.  

A petition circulated by residents against the zoning change was filed on Nov. 6 with 150 signatures.

Milford school updates could top $13 million; educators look at ‘post-COVID requirements’

Sandra Diamond Fox  MILFORD — Pumpkin Delight Elementary School is showing its age.

The gym is the smallest by far of any school in Milford, and it also serves double duty as the school’s cafeteria and after-school care space, according to the school system’s Chief Operations Officer Jim Richitelli. Two classrooms serve as the school library, and the building’s mechanicals were last updated 64 years ago, he said.

All of that could change within the next two years, according to a renovation plan that Richitelli said could reach $14 million.

Over the past few months, the permanent schools facilities building committee has been interviewing architectural firms.

“They completed first round interviews in September, and currently the architectural services piece of this is out to bid,” said Richetelli, adding that an architect would most likely be selected within the next month.

Once hired, the architect will start designing the building.

“They will sit down with central office administrators, the principal and teachers in the school,” Richetelli said. “They’ll sit down with parents to see what their expectations are.”

The next step is for the state to review the project and give recommendations. Then the construction can go out to bid, he said.

The renovation will include a new cafeteria and gym, a new media center, security updates, traffic and pedestrian safety improvements and general building updates. The project is being funded by the city and is expected to cost between $13 million and $14 million.

According to the renovation plan, the school’s current gym will be turned into a new media center. Currently, two classrooms serve as the school library.

“In the education world today, the media center is the hub of the school. Most of our elementary schools have dedicated media centers,” said Richetelli.

The project will be also incorporating COVID safety guidelines. Improved ventilation systems equipped with air filtration will be installed to new COVID standards. Other anti-virus features could be included too, Richitelli said.

“In this COVID world, where there has to be social distancing, we are looking at the possibilities of how we may be able to accommodate some of those post-COVID requirements that we’re going to have,” he said.

Some ideas include an outdoor classroom and courtyard where students could be outside for certain classes.

Improved traffic flow and pedestrian safety are also included in the project.

“Like most of our schools, Pumpkin Delight is situated in a residential neighborhood,” Richetelli said. “The streets get clogged up with traffic at drop-off time and pick-up time.”

Building a secondary entrance road to reduce congestion is one possible solution, he said.

Additionally, security upgrades — including a front entrance way with bulletproof glass that are now being installed in all Milford public schools — are also included in this project.

Funding for the project’s architectural and design phase has already been allocated. Once those phases are complete, the estimate for the construction will be requested to complete the project, Richitelli said.

“We anticipate that that will be late winter or early spring,” Richitelli said.

Once the funding is put in place and approved by the city, construction may begin next summer, with the bulk of the work taking place in the summer of 2022.

Pumpkin Delight is one of Milford’s oldest schools. It was built in 1950 and while it has received a new roof and windows and a new elevator over the years, its last major renovation was in 1956.

Ideanomics Closes on $5.2 Million Purchase Of Former UConn Campus In West Hartford

Mikaela Porter  WEST HARTFORD — Ideanomics, formerly Seven Stars Cloud Group, closed the deal on its $5.2 million purchase of the 58-acre former UConn campus, the company announced Wednesday.

The company looks to change the campus into a financial tech campus and the company’s global headquarters for technology and innovation, according to a media release from Ideanomics. The company plans to invest $283 million to develop fintech solutions through artificial intelligence and blockchain, and create 330 jobs.

“Fintech Village will stimulate the highest innovation by boasting the finest in urban design, sustainable and green technologies, and community connectivity factors,” the company said.

Ideanomics purchased the former UConn parcel for $5.2 million. Ideanomics, when it was known as Seven Stars Cloud Group, announced the purchase during a press conference at the Capitol in July.

Co-CEO and Chairman of Ideanomics, Bruno Wu, said the company looks to “expand upon the original campus’ dedication to excellence by enhancing the efforts to educate” and create a campus “to attract top tier academic talent, companies, entrepreneurs, and innovators from around the world.”

Wu said the company is excited to be in West Hartford after the town was recently named one of Money Magazine’s 50 Best Communities in the Country. “We know that our Fintech Village will continue to enhance the image of West Hartford as a unique and vibrant community,’’ he said.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy offered Ideanomics a $10 million incentive loan to renovate and retrofit existing buildings on campus. Similar loans have been provided to 17 other companies.

The greater Hartford region is emerging as a hub for high-tech and innovation industries,” Malloy said in a statement Wednesday. “A commitment by a company like Ideanomics to establish their global headquarters for technology and innovation here in our state makes Connecticut an even more attractive place to live and work and will have an impact far beyond this one location in West Hartford.”

UConn’s Executive Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer Scott Jordan said the university looks forward to working with Ideanomics on the transition of the property.

“It is fitting that the UConn West Hartford campus, which housed a renowned institution of higher education for decades, will soon become a world-class technology hub,” Jordan said. “We look forward to working with Ideanomics on the transition of this property and its exciting vision for the site becomes reality.”

Ideanomics hired Newman Architects, which renovated Hall and Conard high schools, to plan and design Fintech Village. Ideanomics said it will work closely with West Hartford officials so that the design and build-out of the property “is sensitive to the surrounding community and the environment.”

West Hartford Town Manager Matthew Hart said Wednesday that leaders are excited about Ideanomic potential.

“We’ve only heard broad concepts thus far but a lot of what we’ve heard sounds consistent with the vision and guiding principles that the town council adopted,” Hart said.

Hart said the town has not received formal plans from Ideanomics but met with development representatives, the architect, land use attorney, and owner’s representative for construction in August.

“We’re just looking forward to learning more and sitting down with the owner’s team, hearing more about their plans so we can talk about the various permitting scenarios that would be available to them,” Hart said.