CT Construction Digest Friday October 18, 2024
AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE STATE BOND COMMISSION 10:30 A.M. ROOM 1E LEGISLATIVE OFFICE BUILDING
State Bond Commission to consider $1.3B for statewide projects
The state Bond Commission is scheduled to meet next week to vote on $1.3 billion in general obligation and revenue bonds for dozens of projects across the state.
Click below to view the full agenda for Tuesday's meeting.
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The meeting begins at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday and will be chaired by Gov. Ned Lamont.
The agenda includes $5 million for improvements to the Department of Labor’s central office in Wethersfield, and $1.5 million for the city of Hartford’s streetscape improvements along Farmington Avenue.
The proposed bond authorizations also include $74.4 million for projects under the Department of Economic and Community Development’s (DECD) Community Investment Fund, which supports downtown revitalization, brownfield remediation and upgrades to cultural assets such as Hartford’s Stowe Center for Literary Activism.
The Community Investment Fund board last month approved numerous projects for funding, which will be considered by the bond commission.
The Department of Transportation is also requesting $44 million in special tax obligation bonds for continued improvements to the Mixmaster in Waterbury, which serves as the junction of Interstate 84 and Route 8, and the rehabilitation of the Gold Star Bridge in New London.
Other items on the agenda include:
$10 million in grants to municipalities through the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) for expansions and upgrades to solid waste facilities, including sorting equipment and associated infrastructure, composting systems and equipment related to waste diversion.
$10.9 million for improvements to state-owned Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services facilities, including repairs to electrical systems, roof leaks, code compliance and structural repairs. The work includes an elevator modernization at CT Valley Hospital Dutcher Hall and various elevator repairs at other facilities.
$4.3 million for renovations and improvements to the buildings and grounds at Judicial Department facilities across the state, including infrastructure projects such as HVAC, electrical, plumbing, masonry and unplanned emergency repairs to the state’s 38 courthouses.
$18 million for DEEP grants for the containment, removal or mitigation of hazardous waste disposal sites. The work includes post-closure maintenance and monitoring at the Yaworski Landfill in Canterbury.
$3 million for DEEP to test for PFAS contaminants, and to provide potable water to people affected by PFAS, and to buy back firefighting foam that contains PFAS.
$2 million for library construction, renovations and expansions, along with energy conservation and handicapped accessibility projects.
$30 million for renovations and construction at state parks and other recreational facilities, including improvements to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act.
More than $605.5 million in special tax obligation bonds for the Department of Transportation (DOT), including funding for the various programs to repair the state’s bridges and roads. Also included in the funding is $183 million for the DOT to acquire bus and rail facilities and equipment, including rights-of-way and other property acquisitions.
$11.5 million in grants through the Department of Administrative Services to fund school air quality improvements, including upgrades to HVAC systems, construction and installation of classroom air purifiers. The new funding, along with previous allocations, totals $300 million.
$40 million for the Department of Housing’s Time to Own program, which provides zero-interest loans to first-time home buyers up to $25,000.
$9.2 million for improvements to buildings and grounds at the state’s regional vocational-technical schools, including new and replacement equipment, tools and supplies to update curricula, vehicles and technology.
$724,000 for the Department of Correction to replace the chiller at Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center in Montville, and $234,000 to upgrade the phone system at Webster Correctional Institution in Cheshire.
$5 million for DEEP to design and construct improvements to high-hazard dams.
Reallocating $3 million for the borough of Naugatuck and the Naugatuck YMCA to renovate the vacant St. Francis Parochial School to house a childcare facility.
$6 million for DECD finance projects, programs and administrative costs under the Economic Development and Manufacturing Assistance Act. The funds will be allotted for selected projects and programs.
$10 million for the Department of Housing to create a loan program to assist homeowners whose homes have been impacted by a catastrophic event.
$2 million for the town of West Hartford to support affordable housing projects along the transit-oriented development zone.
$5 million for the city of Hartford to renovate and remediate the Hartford Public Library, bringing total funding for the project to $21 million.
$9.4 million for the Department of Agriculture to acquire development rights to Connecticut farms under the State Program for the Preservation of Agricultural Land. By acquiring these rights, the state will ensure farmland is preserved for agricultural use. Total funding for the initiative, including previous allocations, totals more than $165 million.
$250 million for the Department of Administrative Services to finance school building projects.
The bonding package also includes $5 million for DECD grants to minority and women-owned small businesses.
Stretch of Route 34 Reopens in Oxford After August Floods
OXFORD — State construction workers reopened a stretch of Route 34 on Wednesday that had been closed since severe flooding in August caused more than $300 million in damage.
The section of Roosevelt Drive near Loughlin Road and Eightmile Brook, south of the Stevenson Dam, was washed away in the storm. State Department of Transportation contractors completed a new bridge and major road repairs there on Tuesday, First Selectman George Temple said.
“It’s important because it takes the stress off of that end of our town,” Temple said Wednesday. “A lot of people have been using some of the hard-to-navigate roads that we have up there, you know, as a shortcut. That doesn’t work.”
Gov. Ned Lamont heralded the completion of the bridge work in a Facebook post, saying it was completed two weeks ahead of schedule.
“It was a big task,” he said.
The August storm killed three people, damaged 2,000 homes and 128 businesses and compelled the emergency rescue of hundreds of people from the floodwaters. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has been working for several weeks with municipalities, state officials and local councils of government to develop a federal aid package to pay for repairs.
The federal government approved the disaster declaration on Sept. 20.
“We’re very happy with the state’s work,” Temple said. “I can tell you it means a lot to us because now the neighborhoods, the nice, quiet, great neighborhoods up there, don’t have truck traffic going through them, so it’s something that I’m delighted to see done.”
Oxford arguably took the most damage from the storm — two of the three people killed were Oxford residents swept away by floodwaters that overwhelmed the Little River along Route 67, and dozens of Oxford businesses and homes were damaged or destroyed.
The damaged section of Route 34 became a roaring river during the height of the flooding. As much as 16 inches of rain fell within seven hours in some areas on Aug. 18.
Nearly all of the damaged property was uninsured. Hundreds of home and business wells were contaminated as well.
The cost of the repair work on Route 34 has yet to be finalized. Oxford town leaders met on Tuesday with officials from Seymour, Southbury and Woodbury to discuss the next phase of the work — clearing debris from Little River and upgrading it to lessen the likelihood of further flooding. The town officials will seek state or federal aid for that work, Temple said.
“That’s a very big project and very expensive. I don’t think it’s going to be the town’s responsibility when all is said and done,” he said. “We need to ensure that there’s a clear channel because if one town blocks us up, we’re all blocked.”
Two sections of Oxford roads near the dam and Route 34 — Loughlin and Coppermine — remained closed. The town continues to repair the Seth Den and Park Road bridges, Temple said, which could cost the town about $5 million.
Several roads in other municipalities also remain closed as of Oct. 9, including Route 67 between Kettletown Road and Community House Road in Southbury. Kettletown also remains closed between Route 67 and Kettletown State Park and North Georges Hill Road. In Oxford, Kettletown is closed at Georges Hill Road.
FEMA workers continue to collect paperwork from residents and businesses seeking federal aid to repair flooding damage. They will be at Oxford Town Hall until Oct. 18 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and at Southbury Town Hall on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
CT Airport Authority picks veteran executive Michael Shea to head agency overseeing Bradley
The Connecticut Airport Authority's board of directors has chosen an agency executive to replace Kevin Dillon, who will retire as executive director early next year.
Michael Shea is the deputy executive director for the quasi-public agency in charge of finance, business development, planning and engineering. He started working for the Authority as director of finance and chief financial officer in September 2013.
The agency oversees operations of Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks and the state's five other general aviation airports, including Danielson, Groton-New London, Hartford-Brainard, Waterbury-Oxford, and Windham. The CAA Board consists of 11 members with experience in aviation-related and other industries, as well as government.
Dillon had announced his retirement plans earlier this year, setting off a nationwide search that began in May. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont endorsed the board's selection of Shea in a statement Thursday morning.
"Mike is intimately familiar with the operations of Connecticut’s airports, and he is part of the team that over the last several years is responsible for transforming Bradley International Airport into one of the highest ranked airports in the United States,” Lamont said. “He understands that there is a direct connection between the strength of our airports and the strength of our economy, and his leadership will be a benefit to Connecticut’s airport system.”
Tony Sheridan, chairman of the agency's board, said Shea's "deep knowledge and management skills” will allow the agency to "continue the legacy of success" established under Dillon's leadership.
“Mike has been a respected, senior leader at the CAA for many years now, and we are proud to have him serve as the organization’s next executive director," Sheridan said.
Dillon said Shea “has been a valued member of the team ever since he walked in the door, and I am very proud of all that he has and will continue to accomplish with the organization."
Shea said he is "honored to serve as the CAA’s second executive director." The Authority was established in 2011 to run the state's commercial and general aviation airport operations.
"I look forward to continue building off the success and momentum that we have been able to achieve together over the past 11 years,” he said. “I am thankful for this opportunity, and I particularly would like to thank the CAA Board for its confidence and Kevin Dillon for his mentorship during my tenure with the organization.”
Airport officials said that non-airline revenue at Bradley International Airport has more than doubled during Shea's tenure, which allows the agency to keep airline costs low and spur growth in additional routes served. Shea has also helped negotiate and develop two new operating agreements with the airlines during his tenure, allowing the number of nonstop routes at Bradley International to increase from 29 to nearly 50.
General aviation airport revenues also more than doubled as a result of Shea's efforts along with his management team, agency officials said, significantly reducing operating losses at the five general aviation airports.
Shea played a significant role in the development of Bradley International Airport’s new, $210 million ground transportation center, securing the bonding necessary to build the facility and negotiating a 20-year agreement with the rental car companies to support the consolidation of their operations into the facility.
Shea and his team most recently completed design and initiated construction on Bradley International’s $187 million checked baggage inspection system facility and a $58 million project to reroute departing and arriving passengers through the concourse. They were able to secure over $170 million of funds from various federal grant programs with no new debt being issued.
Shea also played a major role in the negotiation of an agreement between the CAA and Sky Harbour Group Corp., a deal that secures a $30 million investment from the company to build a multi-hangar campus on eight acres of land at Bradley, according to agency officials.
Bradley is New England’s second-largest airport and has been recognized nationally by leading travel publications for its ease of travel. It's operations are entirely self-funded. The airport contributes nearly $3.6 billion to the regional economy.
Danbury voters asked to approve $49M bond for new west side fire station, road paving, police tech
DANBURY — City leaders promise a new fire station for the growing west side, a program to improve city roads and upgrades to the police department’s aging camera system, if voters approve a $49 million bond question on November’s ballot.
The referendum question itself states, “Shall the $49,000,000 appropriation and bond authorization for the planning, design, construction, engineering, purchase and acquisition of land, various public improvements, equipment and replacements be approved?”
Mayor Roberto Alves said the proposal addresses what he called a “decades-long need” for faster emergency response times in the city’s west side. It also allows the police department to upgrade its aging closed-circuit TV system with new technology.
And, the mayor said, it “will create a long term plan to start catching up” with road paving in the city.
“Our goal is to pave as many roads as we can in the upcoming years,” said Alves, adding he “would love to” accomplish paving 15 miles of roadway each year. “By passing this, we can start addressing our infrastructure.
“The reason we wanted it in November is we have a presidential election in November. The way we get this question in front of the most voters, so we know if Danbury residents want this,” Alves said.
Alves’ office said the addition of a new fire station “will improve emergency response times by up to eight to 10 minutes” in the city’s west side.
Danbury’s top firefighter said recently that the west side has not only become dense with housing, but increasingly heavy traffic on Interstate 84 is also challenging first responders’ ability to respond to emergencies to the areas between Exits 1 and 3 in a timely manner.
It takes emergency crews that leave from the Kenosia Avenue fire station anywhere from 10 to 14 minutes to respond to calls, Fire Chief Richard Thode said previously.
The fire chief said the addition of a new fire station would not only improve emergency responses for west side residents, but help the whole city.
“The time has come,” Thode said during a public hearing in August, when asked for his opinion regarding the bond request.
Those who had opposed advancing the bond proposal to a referendum at the time cited what they referred to as its lack of specifics, including the proposed site of the fire station, along with the unavailability of other details around the costs to acquire land and build that station.
Wall Street Place construction in Norwalk to begin Friday after years of delays
NORWALK — Construction on the Wall Street Place development officially begins Friday after over a decade of delays.
When completed, the project will provide 105 apartment units at 61 Wall Street and another 50 at the development’s 17 Isaacs St. sister building. The project is part of the larger revitalization effort that State Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk has said signals “The Year of Wall Street.”
For years, 61 Wall St. has been left covered in Tyvek wrapping, earning the building the name "Tyvek Temple" from those frustrated with the project's slow progress. Its former developer, POKO-IWSR Managers, abandoned its construction during the Great Recession and faced further delays when the company’s CEO died in 2017.
The original project’s property was split between two owners, Jason Milligan and Wall Street Recap Associates. The city challenged the property’s sale to Milligan, claiming it violated a Land Disposition Agreement. That legal entanglement was settled in April 2023, leaving the path clear for both Milligan and Wall Street Recap Associates to begin development.
The housing project that will provide 155 mixed-income studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom flats and townhouses began to move forward in earnest this summer, when developers Wall Street Recap Associates, LLC, and the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency secured financing through Citi Bank and Bank of America, public records show.
The Wall Street Place apartments would help address a local affordable housing dearth, as all of the units are for prospective residents making between 30 percent and 80 percent of the area median income. Accompanying the housing units are nearly 200 parking spaces and 10,000 square feet of commercial space.
The long-awaited housing development project comes on the heels of the city’s $25 million grant-funded investment into Wall Street’s revitalization, with an incoming first phase that will redesign the downtown area’s streets, expand sidewalks, add trees, improve lighting and raise crosswalks.
Westport looks to repair 40-year-old pond walkway and tide gate
WESTPORT — With an approval of over $5.5 million at a recent Board of Finance meeting, the town is making strides to repair the 36-year-old Old Mill Pond walkway and tide gate, which has fallen into disrepair.
Director of Public Works Pete Ratkiewich said most marine structures that involve pilings or concrete in the water last 20 to 25 years. He believes that because the town has performed maintenance on the tide gate each summer, workers were able to expand the life by 11 years.
"But now, it's beyond the point where we can extend the life any more," he said.
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Tide gates are used to control water flow between a tide area and drained upland area.
The gates are one foot three inches tall and swing in and out of a stop on a concrete slab. One side prevents sediment from moving out, and the other prevents it coming in, thereby improving water quality.
In 2019, the maintenance crew noticed a lot of the structure is falling apart, including the masonry.
This July, the department received a report from someone walking on the bridge who said it felt like walking on a trampoline. This meant that some of the poles holding the structure broke, Ratkiewich said.
The department temporarily repaired this, as construction on the permanent fix is expected to start in about a year with a delay in materials, with hopes to finish it in late spring 2026.
They repaired it once again after that to make sure the structure would survive the year before construction starts.
The idea is to repair the tide gates, taking every piece of hardware off and replacing it, Ratkiewich said. This will require going down to the foundation, removing the compromised concrete and repouring it.
A cofferdam will also need to be built around the foundations to create a dry work environment, as concrete can't be poured into water. Live wires are also located in the area.
A trestle will also need to be built so a crane can operate at the eastern tide gate to build the cofferdam. Most of the money in the proposal is for the mobilization and and demobilization.
The tide gates were first built in 1705, Ratkiewich said. From 1870 to 1954, the pond was well-maintained by a resident until his death in 1954.
After his death, the water quality in the pond and its tide gates started experiencing issues, from neglect of the tide gates to hurricanes that affected the area, he said.
The gates used to be manually operated, and the former operator and his crew understood the effects of opening and closing the tide gates on his oyster farm that used to exist in the area, Ratkiewich said.
From 1955 to 1982, pond water quality deteriorated. By 1982, the town began studying the water quality and hired consultants to approve the water and the gates there, he said.
It would have cost $1.6 million to replace the gates then, which is about the same price as they're asking for in today's money, Ratkiewich said.
The Board of Finance approved it, but the Representative Town Meeting did not because of the price. Another engineer suggested that the town replace the gates with what is there now.
"The tide gates don't hold out the tide," Ratkiewich said. "The tide goes right over the top of the tide gates."
RTM District Four member Clarence Hayes suggested finding other options for the area for its future, and reaching out to other engineering firms to find different solutions.
Andrew Colabella, another District Four representative, disagreed with finding another plan, as he believes Ratkiewich is an expert in this field.
$243M in projects underway at Bradley International Airport
Kenneth R. Gosselin
Two major projects at Bradley International Airport — including $185 million for streamlining baggage checking and screening — are expected to be completed by early 2026, setting the stage for future expansion at Connecticut’s largest commercial airport, officials said Wednesday.
Kevin A. Dillon, executive director of the Connecticut Airport Authority, which oversees Bradley, said the new system will remove baggage screening from the lobby and move it to a new addition. That will open up space to expand ticketing counters for airlines already at Bradley and make room for additional ones in the future.
“We are starting to run into some capacity problems in terms of our ability to accommodate airline growth and future airlines,” Dillon said. “So, this is a much-needed project to free up that capacity and free up that queuing space in the ticketing lobby.”
The CAA Wednesday opened up construction areas in Bradley’s terminal during a media tour, putting on display $243 million worth of work at the airport.
A companion project to the baggage screening system is the construction of two additions to the east and west ends of the terminal. Those additions will connect the concourse and baggage claim areas.
The $58 million project aims at the relieving the congestion at the existing central stairwell and will create a new lounge areas for people waiting for and seeing off travelers at Bradley. The central stairwell will be eliminated, allowing for an expansion of the Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, passenger checkpoint.
Both the projects broke ground in early 2023, with the additions expected to be completed in the fall of 2025 and the baggage handling system soon after in early 2026. Both are about 50% finished, as of Wednesday, Dillon said.
The 80,000-square-foot addition for baggage screening — tucked behind the Sheraton hotel — will also accommodate an expansion of the terminal on the addition’s upper floors with two new gates, concessions and restrooms. The gates are expected to open when the addition is finished, according to Bob Bruno, the airport’s director of engineering, planning and environmental.
The improvements will come less than four years after the opening of Bradley’s $210 million ground transportation center. The transportation center consolidated all rental car companies in one place and added more parking — all connected to the terminal. The project eliminated the need for time-wasting shuttle bus rides.
Dillon said Bradley has seen a major expansion in non-stop routes in recent years. The airport is now focused on adding to its options for international travel, Dillon said
“We do believe there is a lot of opportunity in the Caribbean for us,” Dillon said. “We also think there is more opportunity in trans-Atlantic services. One of the services that we are chasing very heavily right now is non-stop London service — by far and away, that would probably be the most successful trans-Atlantic route that we could bring to Bradley.
In the U.S., Bradley is focused on beefing up its non-stop routes to the West Coast.
Dillon said the two new projects will both modernize the airport and provide more convenience to travelers.
“It’s all with an eye towards improving customer service, right?” Dillon said. “We know, at the end of the day that’s really what Bradley is selling. We’re never going to have the route structure of a Boston or New York, but they’ll never have the convenience that we can offer here at Bradley, so we constantly want to stay ahead of that curve.”
The projects are being financed by nearly $100 million in federal grants, including funds from the federal infrastructure legislation. The balance of $143 million is being paid for by passenger facility charges. Those charges, up to $4.50 per passenger boarding an aircraft, are allowed at airports such as Bradley that are controlled by public agencies. The CAA is a quasi-public agency.
The expansion of terminal will also help put off the construction of an additional terminal that could cost more than $1 billion, Dillon said.
Dillon said Bradley is one of the last airports in country that screens baggage in the lobby.
With the new system, luggage will be sent to screening via the conveyor system at the ticket counter. Passengers won’t have to take the separate step of bringing them to the screening machines in the lobby.
“People are uncomfortable sometimes just leaving the bag in the screening location and walking away,” Dillon said. “So you get people standing there, waiting to see, ‘Does the bag go through here?’ ”
“What happens in the future is you’ll just go to the airline ticket counter,” Dillon said. “It’ll be tagged. The airline agent will take it away, put it on a conveyor system that will take it to a separate location.”
Port Authority Recommends $10.3M in Grants for Harbor Improvements
Francisco Uranga
The Connecticut Port Authority has recommended bonding $10.3 million for local harbors and marinas through the Small Harbor Improvement Projects Program, more than double the amount given during the last round.
Of the 17 proposals received before July 1, only one — a Guilford dredging project — was rejected. The two Old Lyme proposals were approved but with reduced funding, while the remaining projects were recommended for approval by the state Bond Commission.
Guilford’s $900,000 dredging project was turned down because it had been completed more than 18 months before the proposal was submitted. SHIPP doesn’t accept applications for finished projects.
“Going back in time and approving something was not the right way to go,” Port Authority Chairman Paul Whitescarver said at Tuesday’s board meeting. “It sets the wrong precedent.”
Meanwhile, Old Lyme’s $1.3 million request to dredge Four Mile River was trimmed to just $33,000 to cover permits and design, as the town hadn’t indicated matching funds.
"It is a pretty substantial project and they did not have matching funds indicated for that," said Eric Dussault, manager of marina development for the Port Authority. "We went ahead and are recommending to approve the permitting and design phase of that, which does not require matching funds."
Dussault later told CT Examiner that the town could submit a new proposal during the next round of SHIPP grants, but would have to come up with the matching funds for the construction phase.
A second project, to expand the town’s dock to accommodate small boats and emergency service vessels, received $228,500 out of a requested $280,000. The remainder will be paid by the town, which was approved at a Board of Selectmen meeting last week.
These projects are part of the fourth round of funding through SHIPP, a program launched in 2017 to improve small ports, harbors and marinas across the state.
This year’s recommended $10.3 million exceeds previous rounds, which awarded $4 million in 2017, $3 million in 2021 and just over $5 million in 2023.
The largest grant recommendation in the latest round was $3.5 million for a Norwalk project to renovate Veteran’s Memorial Park and Marina. If approved, it would be the biggest SHIPP grant since the program began.
East Hartford’s $1.5 million request for Great River Park improvements to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act was also among the top recommendations, along with Middletown’s nearly $1.5 million proposal to replace and relocate an aging harbor emergency response dock and a public recreation dock.
The remaining proposals were less than $1 million each.
$800,000 for Stony Creek Wharf repairs in Branford
$600,000 for dock improvements at Mortensen Riverfront Plaza and Riverside Park in Hartford
$480,000 to replace pilings and docks at Howard T. Brown Memorial Park and another $192,000 for Heritage Riverfront Park and Walkway maintenance, both in Norwich
$440,000 to dredge the Essex Harbor Channel and begin restoration of Thatchbed Island
$250,000 for the design and engineering of a new public access point and dock to allow water taxis in downtown Mystic
$200,000 to repair the Duck Island breakwater and another $75,000 for rehabilitation and raising of the dock and parking area, both in Westbrook
$170,000 for a new concrete floating fuel dock for Compo Marina in Westport
$153,000 for April Street boat ramp renovations in West Haven
$143,000 for enhancing Clinton’s boat dock, including a pier at Esposito Beach.
The towns will be notified when the Bond Commission formally approves the projects.
Waterbury receives proposals to redevelop 16-acre brownfield
The city of Waterbury has received multiple proposals for redevelopment of a roughly 16-acre brownfield that used to house the Anamet brass manufacturing company, and officials hope to pick a preferred developer by the end of this year.
Waterbury officials aren’t willing to say how many proposals were received Oct. 8 in response to a request for proposals released in early July. They did confirm more than one response was submitted.
This is the city’s third search for a development partner for 698 South Main St. in a little more than two years. Over the past seven years, the city has invested about $9 million from federal, state and local coffers to prepare the long-blighted site for redevelopment.
Under former Mayor Neil O’Leary, a company created by the city bought the property for $650,000 in 2017. The city has spent millions of dollars in state brownfield funding demolishing dilapidated buildings. It spent another $2.8 million from city taxpayers to replace the roof of a roughly 190,000-square-foot, high-bay industrial building on-site seen as ripe for reuse.
A tentative deal following the first search for a development partner fizzled as negotiations dragged on. Unsatisfied by responses to the second RFP round, current Mayor Paul Pernerewski called for a third.
Waterbury Development Corp. Executive Director Thomas Hyde confirmed this week a selection committee will be formed to sort through responses, hopefully picking a preferred developer by the turn of the year.