Mixed-use complex with river views planned in downtown Middletown

Cassandra Day

MIDDLETOWN — The firm chosen to develop a three-parcel plot behind Main Street has laid out a preliminary concept for a multi-level housing and retail complex on three-and-a-half acres of downtown land that eventually would connect to the riverfront. 

The Village at Riverside would be situated on a 228,000-square-foot lot behind the police station and bordered by Main Street and deKoven and Dingwall drives. 

The Spectra Construction & Development Corp. concept calls for 277 market-rate apartments and townhomes, with 45 studio, 156 one-bedroom, 57 two-bedroom and 19 three-bedroom units, as well as 38,000 square feet of retail shops, President Daniel Klaynberg said. “Our market-rate units look very nice and they have a lot of amenities, but they’re still within the typical affordable price range,” he explained.

An interior plaza will be 100 feet wide, Klaynberg said. “It will be cantilevered, so they’re going to offer a canopy for those retail stores, and we plan to be able to have outdoor seating for those areas.”

The project also incorporates a good deal of much-needed parking along the main corridor, something the city has been intent upon for years. “For them, that was the most important aspect of it, too — to solve the parking issue. The plaza, and all of that, was an added benefit,” he added.

The proposal also allows for 584 parking spots and 56 new on-street spaces.

The complex would have 18,500 square feet of additional areas, including event space, fitness and business centers, community and day-care facilities, a library, game rooms and rooftop common terrace with river views, according to the proposal. “Part of the plaza has an elevated platform, which could act as a stage,” and there are water features and landscaping throughout, Klaynberg said.

“We’re making the spaces very flexible, almost in bays all along the plaza, so, if a restaurant wants a large space, they can get five or six bays and put them together,” Klaynberg explained. Businesses looking for a 500- or 1,000-square-foot retail space also would be able to rent units. 

It would include a seven- to eight-story housing complex on deKoven Drive, parallel to Route 9 and the Connecticut River.

The idea is to connect the plaza to a future pedestrian bridge over Route 9 to Harbor Park, a key feature of the Return to the Riverbend master redevelopment plan. 

An 'impressive' partnership

Director of Economic and Community Development Bobbye Knoll Peterson said the plan is an “impressive” partnership between public and private spaces. “The development will include public space and event space in the downtown that will be a welcome addition for anyone looking for somewhere to read a book, eat a meal, or just enjoy being outside while creating much-needed downtown living, parking and retail/workspace.”

Public input is integral to the project, Peterson added.

Spectra has constructed a number of buildings in New York on a bit larger scale,  Klaynberg said, with a similar idea. “They have the center of the building as an open courtyard and buildings surrounding it," he said.

The company also developed four similar buildings in Hartford over the past seven or eight years, with amenities such as basketball courts, bocce courts, rooftop views and more, Klaynberg said.

Construction on Middletown's project would be done in phases, he said, with an  estimated timeline for completion between 39 and 49 months, according to project figures.

Discussions with the city include the possibility of affordable housing, said Klaynberg, who stressed that the project is in the conceptual stage and he expects there to be changes based on community and city input and coordination with the evolving riverside plans.

City officials are in the early stages of working with Spectra to arrive at a plan that serves both the needs of the city and vision of the development team, said Peterson, and a meeting is set for next week to start “ironing out” details.

Downtown renaissance

There are a number of other projects underway that incorporate downtown living, including a $65 million luxury apartment complex proposed on Newfield Street, near the Cromwell line. That developer is seeking a tax stabilization agreement from the city to allow project leaders to set aside $1 million for economically disadvantaged business owners.

The city is in the process of reworking its tax-fixing ordinance to make it more standardized, Peterson said. As a result, requests such as the stabilization agreement is on “pause,” she said.

Also, a highly anticipated private-public partnership at 545-47 Main St. to bring residential units and business space could be complete as soon as next summer.

Another initiative involves the revitalization of several Main Street buildings between Washington and Court streets, including a rooftop patio bar, gourmet grocery, Latin-style restaurant, ice cream parlor and more.

There also is development underway at 339 Main St., involving a proposed 48-apartment  affordable housing project in the 135-year-old building there. The parties are negotiating a tax abatement agreement with the city.

“Continued growth in Middletown will always be about finding the unique balance that Middletown needs of housing types,” Peterson said. “We remain committed to ensuring that Middletown continues to increase our affordable and supportive housing as well as our downtown housing.

“For decades, Middletown has been looking for opportunities to bring more housing downtown — it is exciting to see that finally coming to fruition. We have always had people living downtown, this will just afford that opportunity to more residents,” Peterson added.

“The feedback we’ve gotten so far from people who live there, the mayor and chief of staff and team have been super positive. The energy is amazing every time we go there,” Klaynberg noted. “Main Street in Middletown is something that we find extremely unique."

Torrington seeks $9.73 million for street, building improvements

Emily M. Olson

TORRINGTON —  City officials and private property owners and developers are looking to change the face of Water Street, Church Street and its surrounding neighborhoods, using a state grant program. 

Economic Development Director Rista Malanaca has developed a robust list of projects and is hoping the city will receive more than $9 million for those endeavors from the Communities Challenge Grant program, overseen by the state Department of Economic and Community Development.

The competitive grant supports multiple projects, "in in an effort to improve livability, vibrancy, convenience and equity of communities throughout the state," according to the DECD website. 

The program is intended to potentially create approximately 3,000 new jobs; the DECD will allocate up to 50 percent of the funds to eligible and competitive projects in distressed municipalities such as Torrington. The DECD defines "distressed municipalities" as those with the most fiscal and economic challenges, and the grants aim to support housing, insurance, open space, brownfield remediation and economic development programs. 

In the city's application, Malanca has included restoration of the historic railroad station on Church Street; development and improvements to a walking trail, sidewalks, roads and parking lot improvements on Water, John, Mason and Church streets; brownfield remediation of city-owned property at 160 and 168 Church St.; an outdoor recreational space at the YMCA on Prospect Street; and restoring 190 Water St., former home of the Register Citizen, for retail and office space. 

Torrington's total grant request is $9.731 million. 

Mayor Elinor Carbone said the initial grant application and project list was approved by the City Council in the spring, but the grant never moved forward, giving Torrington a chance to reapply. 

"In the spring, it was a very fast application deadline," the mayor said. "We literally had a matter of weeks to fill it out. That grant round didn't move forward, but we knew we could resubmit it in the fall and we revised it and added additional properties."

Malanca said she's working with local property and business owners on these projects, getting them interested in investing in their buildings in anticipation of the city's own improvements. "The biggest thing that happened is that we spurred conversations with the owner of the former Register Citizen building," she said. "Now that he knows we're making improvements to the area, he's interested. He's making a $30 million investment at 190 Water St. that will support growth, and the property owners (near) him are also making improvements to their buildings. So everyone's on board, and working on this.'

"When the public learns of the city's investments, they start reaching out to us and saying, 'Hey, we heard about the facade improvement grants,' for example. East Main Street and Franklin Plaza property owners are making improvements. Prospect Street property owners are also interested in improvements, now that we're doing it. These are examples of how this really works."

Torrington should know by early December whether it has received the Communities Challenge Grant. 

Multi-generational housing project eyed for Felician Sisters’ Enfield campus

Hanna Snyder Gambini

The Enfield Planning and Zoning Commission is expected to vote next month on a proposed zone change that would allow the Felician Sisters group to partner with developers on a 250-unit multi-generational housing complex.

The property at 1297 Enfield St., is currently zoned historical residential. The zone change, if approved, would create a special development district for the Felician Sisters of North American Real Estate to move forward with the multi-phase development plan, which would also need town approval.

The Felician Sisters would continue to own the 26-acre property, while partnering with The Community Builders on the project, which calls for senior and family housing units, 50%-55% of which would be age restricted to 62 years and older.

Plans call for 197 one-bedroom units and 54 two-bedrooms, and units would be deemed affordable, with family unit rents ranging from $1,000 to $1,400 a month, according to the application. 

The zone change would allow for a higher density than the existing regulations for the property, going from 5.3 units per acre to 9.3 units. 

New buildings would not exceed the height of existing buildings, and the project calls for amenities such as storage space, a fitness center and playgrounds. The plan would maintain roughly 75% of the property as open space.

The multi-phase plan has a 10-year timeline, and final concepts for the site and design plan “will be shaped by zoning,” and take into consideration feedback from stakeholders and community members to ensure the project meets the needs of the town, according to application documents.

Numerous letters from residents and a petition were against the zone change and the development plan, while some letters expressed support. 

According to the application, the project aims to meet the housing needs of Enfield while repurposing the underutilized campus and ensuring ownership and sustainability of the order and its ministries. There are 140 dwellings on the campus, with only 45 currently in use.

The project calls for the reuse of more than half the existing buildings on the property to reduce the amount of new construction. The development would also move onto the grand list as the property is currently tax exempt as a religious establishment.

Historic buildings on the property, including the Orrin Thompson Mansion, the convent, chapel, Montessori School, St. Felix Center and St. Francis residence, will be preserved and unchanged, the application said.

A public hearing was closed on Sept. 8, and a vote must take place by Nov. 12. The commission has a regular meeting scheduled on Nov. 10.

Buy Clean Initiative: Interagency Task Force Readies to Issue Instructions

LUCY PERRY

Instructions for integrating President Joe Biden's Buy Clean Initiative are on the way, compliments of an interagency task force overseeing the procurement program. Agencies will receive the instructions, which prioritize the purchase of steel, concrete, asphalt and flat glass that feature lower emission levels in their manufacturing, transportation, installation, maintenance and disposal.

These materials account for 98 percent of the government's purchased construction material, according to the task force.

"In addition to federal procurement, Buy Clean will cover federally-funded projects," said the task force.

The group pointed out that last year's infrastructure spending law included funds for GSA, Transportation and EPA to "designate and use construction materials and products that produce substantially lower levels of greenhouse gas emissions."

It also noted that the recently enacted Inflation Reduction Act provides funding for retrofitting industrial facilities and tax credits for clean technology manufacturing.

"The federal government is for the first time providing a market differentiation and incentives for lower-carbon materials," said the task force. "Companies across the nation will be rewarded for cutting carbon pollution across their entire value chains while supporting good American manufacturing jobs."

More than a dozen agencies that account for nine-tenths of federally-financed and purchased construction materials comprise the task force.

In the future, the group will continue to launch pilots, expand the scope of industrial pollutants and materials, engage industry and establish mechanisms for collection and public disclosure of the data.

From the Ground Up

In March, the General Services Administration (GSA) issued new standards for the concrete and asphalt used in nationwide GSA construction, modernization and paving projects.

These were the first standards in the United States to apply beyond a local jurisdiction.

So far, seven Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-funded paving projects have been completed using the new asphalt standards.

All of these projects were awarded to and completed by small or disadvantaged businesses, said GSA.

"The historic passage of the Inflation Reduction Act provides a boost to these efforts with $3.375 billion that will allow GSA to invest in federal buildings with lower-carbon materials and sustainable technologies," said the agency.

It also will allow for the leveraging of emerging clean technologies that help achieve greater carbon reductions and catalyze American innovation.

"These investments help boost the competitiveness of American manufacturers developing sustainable materials and technologies," said GSA.

"Using domestic, lower-carbon construction materials is a triple win — creating good-paying American jobs, reducing energy costs and tackling climate change," said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. "At GSA, we've already started deploying standards that help reduce emissions and advance sustainable projects with little to no additional cost — while supporting small businesses along the way."

Under GSA's concrete and asphalt standards, construction contractors are required to provide a product-specific cradle-to-gate Type III environmental product declaration (EPD).

An EPD is a third-party-verified summary of the primary environmental impacts associated with a product's extraction, transportation and manufacture.

GSA's asphalt standard requires at least two environmentally-preferable techniques or practices to be used during the material's manufacture or installation.

These options include bio-based or alternative binders, recycled content and reduced mix temperatures. They are considered best practices that reduce fossil fuel use and environmental impacts.

Under GSA's low embodied carbon concrete standard, according to FedWeek.com, contractors are asked to provide concrete that reflects a 20 percent reduction in the amount of "embodied carbon," associated with its production.

GSA also will ask to hear directly from manufacturers, including small businesses, on the availability of construction material and products with lower embodied carbon.

Findings from that request for information will help the government understand industry trends and opportunities.

The investments are intended to reduce carbon emissions from the federal supply chain by millions of metric tons per year, save millions of dollars in energy costs and support GSA's sustainability goals.

Buy-Clean Commitments

The White House explained that the Buy Clean Initiative is a part of President Biden's economic plan to usher in a manufacturing boom in America.

The economic plan includes the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS and Science Act.

"The initiative ensures that federal financing and purchasing power are creating good-paying jobs, protecting public health, enhancing American competitiveness and strengthening national security," said the White House. "Today's Federal Buy Clean actions build on Buy Clean commitments made earlier this year."

Those commitments include standing up the Federal Buy Clean Task Force, and complements Biden's comeback for American factories, which represents 668,000 added manufacturing jobs.

"The federal government is the largest direct purchaser in the world and a major infrastructure funder," said the White House. "By leveraging the U.S. government's purchasing power, President Biden is ensuring that American manufacturing is positioned to compete and lead, while catalyzing markets and accelerating innovation across the country."

The Inflation Reduction Act boosts the Federal Buy Clean Initiative with $4.5 billion in funding for GSA, DOT and EPA to use construction materials and products that substantially lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The Inflation Reduction Act also provides the DOE with billions to invest in retrofitting industrial facilities and tax credits for clean technology manufacturing.

Through the Federal Buy Clean Initiative and Task Force, the federal government is for the first time providing a market differentiation and incentives for lower-carbon materials.

"Companies across the nation will be rewarded for cutting carbon pollution across their entire value chains while supporting good American manufacturing jobs," said the White House.

In addition to prioritizing the purchase of steel, concrete, asphalt and flat glass, the federal government will purchase these materials when they have fewer emissions.

The Biden Administration anticipates prioritizing additional construction materials and pollutants for Buy Clean Federal procurement.

The administration will expand lower-carbon construction materials used in federally-funded projects.

In addition to federal procurement, Buy Clean will also cover federally-funded projects.

The initiative will jumpstart a new partnership between state governments and federal partners to align state-based Buy Clean policies with federal incentives.

The incentives will expand markets for clean manufacturing and low carbon materials across the nation's buildings and infrastructure.

Next month, the White House will convene states to share knowledge and build capacity for public construction projects that support American workers and lower carbon emissions, it said.

The initiative will increase data transparency through supplier reporting to help American manufacturers track and reduce emissions.

The administration plans to expand the reliability, transparency and verification of EPDs including GHG emissions reporting for actual supply chain production.

The initiative will launch pilot programs to advance federal procurement of clean construction materials.

"Federal Buy Clean Initiative pilots have already broken ground across the country — from Denver, Colorado, to Salt Lake City, Utah, to Champlain, New York, to Lukeville, Arizona — in partnership with regional contractors and subcontractors including engineering, architecture and materials firms, with technical support from DOE, EPA and USDA."

Agencies Join Effort

Together, the expanded Task Force agencies account for 90 percent of all federally-financed and purchased construction materials.

The Department of Agriculture is supporting innovations in construction materials made from sustainably-harvested and waste bio-materials

The goal is to integrate these materials into and potentially replace carbon-intensive materials. In grant program criteria, the DOT has incentivized the use of materials that reduce carbon emissions.

In June, the department's chief sustainability officer launched a lower carbon procurement pilot to increase utilization of EPDs and encourage the acquisition of products and materials with low embodied carbon emissions.

In April 2022, FHWA issued a climate challenge to reduce the lifecycle emissions in the design, construction and maintenance of pavements. The challenge received 40 submissions from 25 states.

FHWA also launched a tool, known as LCA PAVE, that can be used to assess environmental impacts of pavement material and design decisions.

The department's Embodied Carbon Working Group will support new efforts to ensure all of USDOT's modal administrations are prioritizing Buy Clean.

The DOE is supporting Buy Clean with training, technical assistance and innovation grants.

The Building Technology Office is building tools for whole building lifecycle analysis. The Advanced Manufacturing Office is supporting with tools to support standard-setting for specific products. The DOD and the military departments are analyzing modernization requirements for process, guidance, criteria and specifications to accelerate the transition to low-carbon building materials.

"This includes screening potential projects to implement Buy Clean specifications," said the White House.

It also involves coordinating with U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center's Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory and Construction Engineering Research Laboratory to analyze the life-cycle carbon footprint, costs, resilience and timeliness of low-carbon building materials.

The EPA is emphasizing the urgency of investing in energy efficiency across manufacturing facilities with access to the ENERGY STAR program. It will integrate energy performance benchmarking tools and enable facility-level industrial carbon emissions via facility benchmarking data. EPA also is working with external partners to standardize and improve EPDs guidelines.

GSA will require suppliers to provide environmental product declarations and meet low-carbon concrete and environmentally preferable asphalt standards informed by insights from industry.

The Department of State and U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate are aggregating corporate purchasing commitments of near- and net-zero materials through the First Movers Coalition.

The department also has launched a decarbonization initiative, focused on reducing embodied emissions in overseas construction at embassies and other facilities. CEG