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CT Construction Digest Monday April 1, 2024

Delayed, over-budget Bridgeport flood control project on track for $47M federal boost

Brian Lockhart

BRIDGEPORT — The federal government is expected to bail out a delayed, over-budget South End flood control initiative, but the release of the dollars, and actual construction, are still months away.

U.S. Rep. Jim Himes and a spokesman for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection last week confirmed the Resilient Bridgeport project has qualified for an additional $47.5 million, though there are still several steps to go for the grant to be finalized.

That $47.5 million is in addition to the $40.8 million previously set aside around eight years ago.

"Had that not happened this project would have been dead," said Himes of the funding boost, made possible by a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant program for the prevention of natural disasters.

The massive coastal flood risk reduction initiative was launched locally after the destruction Hurricane Sandy caused in the South End in 2012. Once installed, the infrastructure network of new pumping stations, flood walls, raised streets and other related improvements are not only intended to safeguard lives and property, but expected to significantly lower flood insurance costs, spurring more private investment in the area.

But the hope that Resilient Bridgeport initially inspired for the South End's future has over the years given way to some frustration with the slow pace of the ongoing design process and the subsequent spike in the originally estimated budget. 

"Everything that could go wrong, did, including a global pandemic," Himes said. 

He attributed some of the difficulties to having so many parties — the city, plus state and federal agencies — involved. 

"You have all these entities. Everybody has a little piece," Himes continued. "This would be a much easier project if it was a one-department or one-agency project. ... I think we're in a much better place than we were five years ago. But it pains me to just say, 'Five years ago.'"

Over a year ago state officials applied for the additional $47.5 million from FEMA. And the grant is not quite a done deal.

"That final approval may take some time, as there are many factors that need to be evaluated and boxes checked before we potentially receive the $47.5 million grant," Paul Copleman, media relations manager for the state DEEP, said this week. "We’re in the midst of a process where we supply FEMA with a lot of information and address questions they may have; in our experience, that’s not unexpected ... and should take several more months before a contract with FEMA is in place. The back-and-forth helps clarify the project execution and delivery."

Himes said FEMA wants to be sure the state can obtain access to several private parcels of land needed for Resilient Bridgeport's construction. He is aiming for shovels to be in the ground around next February. 

“Were hoping to have all of the pre-construction activities — land acquisition, easements, design, all of the permitting, updating of the initial environmental impact statement, contracting, bidding — all tied up properly in 10 months or so," he said.

Maisa Tisdale, president of the Mary and Eliza Freeman Center, has spent years working to preserve the Mary and Eliza Freeman houses. The two South End homes are remnants of Little Liberia, a 200-year-old community founded by free African Americans and Paugusett Indians.

Tisdale said she is "really excited" that Resilient Bridgeport is moving forward and that the FEMA money is being made available. But, she said, given so much time has passed she hopes the plan will accommodate more recent major changes since Sandy struck a dozen years ago. Those include the planned demolition of the former coal-fired power plant, which went off-line a few years ago, and construction of the new Bassick High School, which state officials had initially urged be delayed until Resilient Bridgeport's completion.

"Could it have gone faster? There's no need to look back to see about that," she said of the slow pace of Resilient Bridgeport. "What I think we really have to be wary of now ... is to make sure it's now updated to reflect the circumstances. ... If it takes a little more time to really update and revisit those plans, I think it's better to get it right than do it fast."


Stratford approves updated plans for 100-unit Lordship apartment building

Richard Chumney

STRATFORD — A developer who sought to increase the size of an already approved apartment building planned for Lordship Boulevard has agreed to keep the structure at 100 units, but has been allowed to tweak the number of affordable apartments. 

The Stratford Zoning Commission on Wednesday voted unanimously to approve updated plans from Stamford-based Empire Residential to construct the building next to an old hotel at 225 Lordship Blvd., which the company previously converted into an apartment building

The vote was held more than seven months after the developer applied to revise the initial plans for the building, which were approved in 2022, to increase the total number of units from 100 to 127 and raise the number of floors from four to five. 

But Chris Russo, an attorney representing Empire, said the developer instead agreed to maintain the originally proposed size of the structure in exchange for increasing the number of affordable units from 30 to 36 while changing the eligibility requirements. 

“It's obviously a property that has high visibility and a great location with access to Interstate 95,” Russo said Friday. “We think it's a perfect spot for apartments.”

The application was filed under state statute 8-30g, which allows developers to bypass local zoning laws and regulations — including height restrictions — if at least 30 percent of the project’s units are set aside for affordable housing. 

Towns and cities can only deny the project if it could cause a significant health or safety concern. Developers, meanwhile, can only take advantage of the law if less than 10 percent of a municipality’s housing units are designated as affordable. 

Under the originally approved plan, half of the 30 affordable units would have been rented to residents who make 60 percent of the area median income while the other half would have been rented to residents who make 80 percent of the area median income. 

The changes approved by the zoning commission increased the number of affordable apartments in the 100-unit building to 36. Additionally, each of those units will be rented to tenants who make 80 percent of the area median income. 
 
According to site plans, the building will include a mix of studios, one-bedroom units and two-bedroom apartments. Representatives for the developer have said the market-rate studios would likely be rented at $1,200 to $1,400 a month, while the deed-restricted units would go for around $800 to $900 a month. 

The structure will also feature a gym, a parking garage on the first level and more than 1,000 square feet of commercial space, the plans show.  

The building is part of a larger redevelopment of the once-dilapidated 4.7-acre site. The structure is set to be built directly adjacent to a relatively new 69-unit apartment building that previously housed the Stratford Hotel and Conference Center.

Empire purchased the old hotel, which was once a Radisson, and the surrounding site in 2016 for $4.2 million. In addition to converting the hotel into apartments, the company built a 120,000 square-foot self-storage facility in the rear of the property, providing a buffer between the residential buildings and the town’s nearby waste transfer station. 

“Before my client bought the property, it was a significant headache for the town,” Russo said. “It was blighted and the fire marshal and cops frequently had to visit there. It was a real eyesore with a lot of problems. Since then, my client has really done a complete revitalization.” 

Russo said the developer will likely begin work on the building sometime during the start of next year. He said it could take 18 to 24 months to complete the building, but noted that a firm timeline for the construction process was not yet available. 


Four wind power developers submit new plans to CT, two other neighboring states

Luther Turmelle

Connecticut energy officials and their counterparts in Massachusetts and Rhode Island have received offshore wind project proposals from four developers: Avangrid RenewablesOrstedSouthCoast Wind and Vineyard Offshore.

The developers submitted their bids on Wednesday, and Connecticut officials say they are reviewing the proposals. Details of the plans were not immediately available.

The first project developer, Avangrid Renewables, is a subsidiary of the Orange-based energy holding company Avangrid, while Orsted is a Danish energy company. SouthCoast Wind is a joint venture by EDP Renewables, a Spanish energy company and ENGIE, which is based in France.

Vineyard Offshore is a subsidiary of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, a Danish investment company focused on renewable wind projects. That company has proposed a 1,200-megawatt offshore wind project to the three states, which recently joined in a historic agreement allowing potential coordinated selection of offshore wind projects.

The proposal Orsted made to the consortium is a project call Starboard Wind, which would deliver 1,184 megawatts of wind power to the three states. SouthCoast Wind's proposal calls for providing 1,200 megawatts of power to the consortium members, while Avangrid Renewables is proposing a pair of projects — the 791-megawatt New England Wind 1 project and 1,080 megawatt New England Wind 2 project.

Officials in the three states announced last October they would form a consortium to evaluate wind power proposals from developers. Collectively, the three states are seeking 6,800 megawatts with Connecticut looking for up to 2,000 megawatts of that total.

Now the consortium has the bids in hand, its members will evaluate the proposals through the beginning of the third quarter of this year, said Paul Copleman, spokesman for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Some time during the third quarter, Copleman said the three states will announce if any of the wind projects will advance to negotiations with electric utilities for power purchase agreements. Any agreements made with Connecticut electric utilities would be subject to review and approval by the state's Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, or PURA.

The 2,000 megawatt of new offshore wind that Connecticut is seeking would be in addition to the 304 megawatts of offshore wind power that Connecticut will be receiving from the Revolution Wind project. That project is now under development and was jointly selected by Connecticut and Rhode Island energy officials in an earlier procurement.

Connecticut DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said Wednesday that state officials "look forward to evaluating the submitted proposals received."

"(We will be) coordinating reviews of any multi-state proposals received with Massachusetts and Rhode Island, as we explore opportunities to bring more clean, affordable, and reliable energy sources online for Connecticut residents," Dykes said.

The affordability of these new wind power proposals may benefit from an announcement made last week by the Biden Administration. Federal officials provided updated guidance to ensure that more offshore wind and other renewable energy projects are eligible to receive federal tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act. 

New London Mayor Michael Passero said the city will benefit from Vineyard Offshore's proposal, which may make land fall there and include underground transmission lines.

"I am confident that we can capture that benefit for our community," Passero said.

Avangrid Chief Executive Officer Pedro Azagra said the two New England Wind projects will create up to 9,200 jobs and $8 billion in direct investment across the three southern New England states.

“At this historic turning point for climate action, New England Wind answers the region’s call for projects that reflect the urgency, ambition, and certainty the moment demands,” Azagra said. "New England Wind 1 in particular builds on this momentum by offering a shovel-ready project that is prepared to start construction as soon as next year. With nearly all local, state, and federal permits in hand, all interconnection rights secured, and a project labor agreement signed with a skilled, local, union workforce, Avangrid is ready to go.”

New England Wind 1 is a revamped version of the Avangrid Renewables project that was formerly known as Park City Wind. Avangrid pulled out of Park City Wind last October saying it was no longer financially feasible.