Norwalk's old IMAX theater is dismantled brick by brick as massive CT train bridge project ramps up

Alexander Soule

NORWALK — For perhaps the most eye-grabbing demolition project underway in Connecticut, no one has a better seat to the show than Linda Vinci, whose Braach's Flowers is across the street from the old IMAX Theater at the Maritime Aquarium.

Work crews are dismantling the structure to make way for construction of a new train bridge spanning the Norwalk River.

But plenty of others are taking notice of the painstaking brick-by-brick deconstruction of the former movie theater, Vinci says. The hope is that the $1 billion-plus Walk Bridge Program will cause minimal disruption to businesses and residents in South Norwalk's historic core, as well as the fish, seals and other denizens at the Maritime Aquarium next door.

The Walk Bridge is among the biggest infrastructure projects in New England — and one of the most complex, at the intersection of rail, vehicle, marine and pedestrian traffic amid the tight streets of SoNo. That includes visitors to the Maritime Aquarium, one of Connecticut's busiest tourism venues. 

Any disruptions could also impact rail schedules for Amtrak and Metro-North, with a possible ripple effect for riders along the larger Northeast Corridor, where the 127-year-old Walk Bridge is the oldest moveable span.

The Federal Railroad Administration lists four other Connecticut train bridges as "priority" projects — those spanning the Connecticut, Housatonic, Saugatuck and Mianus Rivers.

After five years of preparatory work on utility lines, tracks and catenary systems that continues today, the IMAX demolition represents the most dramatic milestone yet for the project, with the interior of the old theater exposed like a cutaway of a conch shell. On the opposite bank in East Norwalk on Friday, crews were erecting perimeter fencing alongside the tracks, in anticipation of construction work to replace the aging structure.

But a permit from the U.S. Coast Guard was still pending before any "in-river" construction can occur,  a spokesperson with the Connecticut Department of Transportation said.

"The first phase of construction for the Walk Bridge project is expected to begin next month with staging and foundation work ahead of the major track, tower and superstructure work," said DOT spokesperson Josh Morgan, in an email response to a Hearst Connecticut Media query on the timeline.

After staging areas are established on each bank of the river, preparatory drilling will occur for a "micro-tunnel" to accommodate power and communications lines, in advance of deconstruction of the catenary towers over the Norwalk River.

As with the construction of the SoNo Collection mall at the gateway to South Norwalk, the Walk Bridge replacement has raised concerns about the impact of street closures, noise and other interruptions on area businesses. North Water Street will be restricted to a single lane this month as the IMAX demolition is wrapped up.

The Walk Bridge's swivel architecture will be replaced with a pair of spans with four tracks total that will be lifted vertically to allow boats to pass below. The new bridge is designed with 27 feet of clearance at normal operation, and 60 feet with the tracks raised.

Construction could last until 2029, according to Morgan. The Walk Bridge Prorgram is currently updating its estimate of the project's price tag.

On nearby Washington Street, there's a mix of stalwart commercial businesses and a revolving door of new ones, with one prominent vacancy surfacing at the end of last year with the closure of Beadworks at the corner to North Water Street. Across the street next to Donovan's, Los Remolinos is among the newest arrivals as the replacement for Bistro Appetit, with other newcomers including Burger Bar and Ciao Ristorante below the rail overpass heading toward the Walk Bridge.

In addition to a recent boom in apartment construction in the area, the nearby Residence Inn Norwalk is planning to add a new hotel wing. That will bring more construction crews, but also more visitors in the long run.

Braach's Flowers uses a rear courtyard for deliveries, and Vinci said she does not anticipate any major disruptions for SoNo businesses as the Walk Bridge Project ramps up this summer.

Given that many of those businesses are veterans of SoNo Collection construction, she said the neighborhood should be able to weather the work on the Walk Bridge.

"I'm optimistic," Vinci said. 

Part of Chapel Street to close for 16 months as work starts on apartments in downtown New Haven

Richard Chumney

NEW HAVEN — Motorists who frequent Chapel Street in downtown New Haven will need to adjust their commute. 

Starting Sunday, eastbound traffic between Church and Orange streets will be closed for the next 16 months to allow crews to build a pair of new apartment buildings along the block. 

Eastbound traffic will be rerouted to Elm Street while westbound traffic will not be affected by the construction work, according to Lenny Speiller, a spokesperson for Mayor Justin Elicker. 

Additionally, the sidewalk on the south side of Chapel Street will be closed and pedestrians will be directed to the sidewalk on the north side. There will be no changes to the public bus route during the construction work, which is slated to end in mid-2024. 

“Once completed, these two long-standing vacant lots will be redeveloped to provide over 160 new housing units, ground-floor retail space, additional parking, and an improved streetscape along a key commercial corridor,” Speiller said. 

Lamont tours housing boom in New London

Johana Vazquez

New London ― Gov. Ned Lamont Friday walked the dilapidated grounds of the Garfield Mill complex, looked out into the waterfront from a future luxury apartment on Bank Street and stood in a finished one-bedroom apartment along Howard Street.

Lamont toured the multiple housing development sites, totaling about 416 units, across the city to see for himself the housing boom taking place here.

“More housing is being developed than ever before,” Lamont said. “People want to move to New London.”

He was joined by Mayor Michael Passero and the city’s Director of Economic Development and Planning Felix Reyes, among others.

Passero emphasized throughout the tour that developers in the city are building for all economic sectors.

The tour started at the Garfield Mill Complex at 90 Garfield Ave. which will be redeveloped by Litchfield-based Park Lane Group into 86 units. Passero said 20% of the units will be affordable and the rest will be workforce housing.

Workforce housing is for households earning between 60% and 120% of the area median income and target middle-income workers such as police officers, teachers and military members. A household of four in New London at 60% AMI earns $67,560 and at 120% AMI earns $123,240 based on 2022 HUD median incomes.

Reyes said renters will have to qualify for the affordable units which is generally for those earning 80% of the AMI or less. He said the remediation of the building has been going on for two months and will continue before construction can start. The state has contributed $1 million towards the remediation.

Lamont was then lead to 123 Bank St. to one of three neighboring buildings on Bank Street that will make up The Riverbank, a development of 32 luxury loft apartments and commercial space.

There Passero explained to the governor how he and Reyes sought developers from Boston and other places to get more housing in the city. Passero said there was a misconception from developers that rents in the area could not support development, based on census data. He said development companies like RJ Development + Advisors saw the potential to build with the influx of hiring from Electric Boat.

“New London has become a job center,” Reyes said. “Jobs attract people and people are coming as you see with the housing boom.”

Barry Levine, chair of the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission, was invited to join the tour and saw projects he once approved in their various stages of development.

“One of the very few pleasures of serving for any commission is seeing the fruits of your efforts appear,” Levine said.

Lamont also got to see the first vertical paneling go up across the street at 174 Bank St. where a five-story, 30-unit modular apartment is being built from the ground up. Reyes said the development is the first its kind by New York-based company Vessel Technologies in the state.

Reyes said unlike conventional development, the building material is pre-fabricated which allows it to be built much quicker and in a sustainable fashion. He said construction takes three to six months as opposed to two years or more.

Lamont was in disbelief when Reyes said the development would be ready sometime by the end of the summer.

Neil Rubler, founder and CEO of Vessel Technologies, was present visiting the site. He said he was drawn to building in New London after he met Passero and Reyes who share his commitment to expand the supply of housing.

Rubler said Vessel’s mission is to supply housing priced at attainable prices. He said the unit prices would be in the range of $1,600 a month as opposed to other developments seeking $2,000 or more for a one-bedroom.

Lamont and his entourage then headed to The Beam, a 203-unit apartment complex, at 221 Howard St. The building, nearing completion and already housing some tenants, was developed by RJ Development. A studio apartment there costs $1,500 a month or less.

Reyes said The Beam had 750 applicants.

Passero said the city has never had this type of inventory and having it would mean EB workers and others would not be taking more affordable units that others could use.

At the end of his tour, Lamont stood briefly outside a building in the middle of construction at 433 Bayonet St. which will be 28 mixed-income apartments. Nine will be leased at market-rate rents while the rest are a mix of varying rents based on income. Six units will be set aside for individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism.

Eastern Connecticut Housing Opportunities is leading its development and will construct a second building with 36 units.

$4M bond for sewer facility upgrade set to go before Plainfield residents

John Penney

PLAINFIELD —Town officials are preparing to ask residents permission to bond up to $4 million to fund two major upgrades to an aging wastewater treatment plant. 

The bonding package, if approved at a May 9 referendum, would pay for the replacement of a main generator and two secondary clarifier tanks at the Water Pollution Control Authority’s North Treatment Plant off Black Hill Road. 

The 51-year-old facility, along with the Village Treatment Plant and the pair’s associated 13 pump stations, is capable of taking in and treating up to 1.8 million gallons of wastewater each day. But many of the North plant’s components, such as the generator and clarifiers, have been on-line since the plant opened in 1972, said Stephanie Baldino, Water Pollution Control Authority supervisor.

“That means finding replacement parts can be challenging and expensive,” she said. “The generator might be good for years or fail tomorrow.” 

In August 2020, roughly 100,000 gallons of partially treated wastewater were dumped into a tributary of the Quinebaug River after extended power outages due to Tropical Storm Isaias caused a 50-year-old pump station generator to fail.

The bonding would cover the cost of purchasing and installing a new 225- to 250-kilowatt generator that will replace the 300-kilowatt model currently housed in a large room at the plant.  

The new version would be an outdoor model outfitted with a “belly” fuel tank able to run for roughly 24 hours if main power to the plant was interrupted. Baldino said the current model, which is fueled by a separate tank, can run for about 12 hours without being refueled. 

The two secondary clarifiers up for replacement are large round pits near a bank of ground-mounted solar panels. The mechanisms further clarify bio-matter leaving a clear liquid effluent through the use of large circulating rakes.  

Both the generator and clarifiers were noted as areas of concern in a 2021 engineering report authored by the Fuss & O’Neill firm. The report noted one tank’s rake was deteriorating and a baffle skirt showed sign of pitted corrosion.

The report recommends building two 50 foot diameter clarifier tanks to replace the pair of 25 foot circular ones now in use. Baldino said the same report recommended installing a replacement main generator with a lower kilowatt output in place of the current version.  

Selectmen this week approved forwarded the bonding request to the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of Finance for scrutiny. If both bodies sign-off on the proposal, residents will be asked to vote on the matter at a special Town Meeting on April 25 before it is sent to the May machine vote. 

ARPA funds initially designated for project used for other sewer-related work

In August, selectman approved earmarking $3.2 million in American Rescue Plan Act for generator and secondary tank replacement at the North Plant. First Selectman Kevin Cunningham said that money has since been re-allocated for other sewer project-related work, including a roof replacement at the main facility and upgrade work at pump station sites. 

If the bonding proposal is approved, the net cost increase to users is pegged at approximately $35 more per year over the course of the debt repayment schedule with $10 of that billing jump expected to be enacted this year. 

Plainfield sewer costs remain low compared to neighboring communities

Cunningham said the average sewer user in town - the system also serves a small number of Sterling residents - pays about $412 a year in wastewater costs. He said less than half the town’s population, estimated at just less than 15,000, according to latest U.S. Census data, and businesses are sewer system users.  

“And other residents along the northeast corridor pay double what we charge,” he said. “This is the kind of project, like those involving schools or police, that make a community attractive from an economic development perspective.”  

Cunningham said he’s seeking out grant opportunities, including through the state Clean Water Fund, that will likely reduce the final project cost. The work will take approximately two years to complete and no interruption of service is expected.  

Construction’s labor gap could bring a hiring evolution

Zachary Phillips

This year’s spring construction season could see a change in how firms hire new workers.

Despite January data implying the demand for construction jobs was slowing, the number of open positions for which contractors were hiring grew again in February, according to a report from Associated Builders and Contractors.

So, contrary to how things looked earlier this year, construction’s labor shortage remains elevated.

These renewed hiring numbers are an optimistic sign as the industry faces high interest rates, recession fears and “slow implementation of America’s infrastructure rebuilding program,” said Anirban Basu, ABC’s chief economist. 

Nevertheless, there simply aren’t enough people available to fill those jobs. In fact, a large number of firms opt to not bid on some projects, as they do not have the staffing to deliver the work, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.

Contractors on the ground are seeing the same thing, and say that the industry has a healthy amount of projects, but little staff to deliver them.

“In North Texas we are extremely busy,” said Keyan Zandy, CEO of the Skiles Group, a Richardson, Texas-based contractor primarily specializing in healthcare projects. 

Zandy said the shortage of experienced labor is obvious, as tradesworkers with five or more years on the job are increasingly rare. As construction’s most experienced field workers retire, there’s a lack of new blood stepping in to fill those spots.

“Our nation’s builders, they have a strong project pipeline, they need a strong talent pipeline,” said Fraser Patterson, founder and CEO of Skillit, a construction recruiting platform. 

Economists and construction execs say that resolving that issue requires a massive shift in the way the industry finds, recruits and retains talent.

A potential return to self-perform

“There’s a huge amount of the craft workforce knowing its worth and expecting benefits commensurate,” Patterson said. Skillit — which counts Brasfield & Gorrie, Haskell and JE Dunn among its clientele — has begun to see a shift toward workers who desire full-time, “W-2” positions, as opposed to seasonal or project-based work, he said.

“Ultimately the labor shortage means you either continue to rely on subcontracting … or take control of your own destiny,” Patterson told Construction Dive. Hiring more full-time tradesworkers is something Patterson said he sees major players doing in the near future.

Bottom of Form

Zandy said he has seen some of that practice in the North Texas region, with major GCs trying to self-perform more concrete work or other similar site preparation work, to enhance their margin, lower their bid price and win more projects. 

“GC’s used to do everything, but over the years we’ve become construction managers,” Zandy said, a sentiment Patterson echoed.

But tradewsorkers increasingly know their worth, and have begun to have a bad taste left in their mouth by hiring practices like seasonal furloughs, which leave them with lack of job security, Zandy said.

Wages aren’t the biggest sticking point right now and job hunters want a career that will help support them in the long term, according to Garrett Johnson, director of regional talent for Suffolk Construction’s Northeast region.

Johnson said workers seek a company that can help them upskill and find a clear career path and future.

“A lot of it has to do with training opportunities, that’s a big one,” Johnson said. “A lot of cases they’re looking for you to provide a career path or career ladder.”

Meanwhile, Zandy, who is a proponent of lean building practices, said a major aspect of lean and successful recruiting is respect. Firms instill a sense of respect and belonging when they improve tradesworker amenities like dining areas and ensure restrooms are clean and separate from the workplace, he said.

Continuing to fill the gap

On a recent visit to his son’s school for career day, Zandy said he asked the fourth graders what they wanted to be when they grew up. Everyone had the same response: a YouTuber. 

“So I share that story with people in our industry, because I try to explain like, we’re not just competing against each other as general contractors, or trade contractors for talent, we’re competing against every other profession,” he said.

Is it time to ring the alarm bells about the labor shortage? Johnson says yes.

“We definitely are moving to a point where this is becoming critical,” he said, adding he meets with Suffolk’s leadership team to regularly discuss the labor gap. “It’s been sort of at its boiling point for a while.”

Although it may be a time to change how employers hire and retain workers, there are still factors playing to the industry’s advantage, such as the high wages that construction offers — some positions like ironworkers, electricians and plumbers can earn a median salary of $27 per hour, or $57,000 a year.

The pandemic spurred companies to hire remote workers, and in some cases that led to jobs to move overseas. Patterson said the good news is that could lead to a “blue collar resurgence,” as most construction jobs must be done in person.

At the same time, a potential recession could provide some contractors with an opportunity, Zandy said.

Particularly on healthcare projects, major parts and materials like generators have 60-week lead times, which means projects simply cannot begin on time, he said. As reports like the Dodge Momentum Index continue to track economic headwinds, projects could halt or be canceled. That could bring those lead times down and help contractors deliver projects faster.

Still, the demand for labor could dip, which builders could take advantage of — potentially as a time to evolve their hiring practices. 

“The firms that provide more value than what it costs to use them always seem to prevail,” Zandy said.