CT Construction Digest Monday March 24. 2025
Connecticut lawmaker wants to make 'pipeline' for construction workers
HARTFORD — Legislation aimed at helping non-college-bound students and workers train for Connecticut's construction trades won overwhelming approval last week in the legislative Labor Committee to create a group of professionals to look into existing entry-level programs and increase access to various apprenticeship programs.
The bill, which next heads to the House of Representatives, is aimed at increasing awareness and creating additional financial incentives and tax incentives for employers, said Rep. Tim Ackert, R-Coventry, an electrical contractor who is the chief proponent of the bill, backed up by House GOP leadership.
"These are good-paying jobs, but you need to get on the first rung," Ackert said in a recent interview. "Home builders are struggling to find people who can wire and plumb houses."
He would like an eventual program to mirror the state's tuition-free Eastern Connecticut Manufacturing Pipeline, in which students at community colleges enrolled in two-month programs to learn skills that can be transferred to jobs at Electric Boat in Groton, including welding, ship fitting and other skills. Manufacturers can receive $7,500 tax credits for hiring apprentices.
Ackert said he developed the proposal after speaking with home builders and remodel contractors who complained about the lack of trained help in trades such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning. A group of professionals has met occasionally over the last year. Ackert said he has been in communication with the state Office of Workforce Strategy on the issue and would like to see similar tax benefits for businesses. "We should say that you're investing in them and here's a credit toward your business taxes. "Energy efficiencies, infrastructure upgrades, workforce housing, and any of these construction opportunities are important," Ackert said.
While Ackert's original proposed bill would have created a new construction pipeline emulating the manufacturing program, the legislative process so far has turned it into a study. As currently written, the study group would examine opportunities in existing public high school curriculums and include pre-apprenticeship programs and avenues to higher education including college degrees in construction management.
The group would make recommendations to the General Assembly and would include representatives of statewide trade associations including electricians, HVAC technicians and plumbers, statewide businesses, residential construction, high school and higher education. The group would have a December 31 deadline to report findings to the Labor and Public Employees Committee.
There are a variety of apprentice programs available through the state Department of Labor that registers young workers who can earn while they are being trained. Some of the programs can take one to four years for young workers to complete. But workers can earn portable credentials; certificates of completion; can confer "master of their craft;" and make them eligible to take appropriate occupational licensing examinations.
Some of the state's unionized worker forces, such as the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 488 of Western Connecticut has a free apprenticeship program.
State Sen. Julie Kushner, D-Danbury, said the working group legislation needs some redrafting before debate in the House, then Senate. "We certainly appreciate that we have a very vibrant, existing work force in the construction trades and we want to make sure that all voices are heard on the construction workforce pipeline," she said during a brief committee discussion.
Bridgeport should build new schools before closing old ones, acting superintendent says
BRIDGEPORT — Acting Superintendent of Schools Royce Avery believes the school system must first secure the funding and construct new school buildings before it moves forward with a proposal to shutter several old facilities.
A recently completed study found the district’s aging buildings will need $702.5 million in upgrades over the next decade and recommends closing seven aging schools to save money on costly repairs.
But Avery said during a community forum Tuesday that the schools should stay open until new buildings have been erected to replace them — a process he noted could take three to four years to complete.
“We can’t close buildings until we get new facilities,” Avery said. “So until that happens we’re not even going to talk about school closures because we have nowhere to put the kids.”
The spectre of school closures was raised earlier this month when consultants hired to study the conditions of each of the district’s 37 buildings delivered a long-awaited report recommending the city shutter seven buildings, construct four new ones and perform major renovations on eight others.
The report notes many of the schools were originally built
more than a century ago and that replacing badly rundown facilities with brand
new ones could help the cash-strapped district save millions of dollars in
maintenance costs.
Avery’s comments were made in part to assure parents that the district does not
plan to revive a
since-abandoned proposal by former Superintendent Carmela Levy-David
to quickly close several neighborhood elementary schools.
The controversial plan sparked backlash from scores of parents, students and teachers who protested the decision and helped contribute to a breakdown in the relationship between Levy-David and the school board that ultimately resulted in her departure last fall.
In contrast to last year, Avery said the school system will use the new recommendations to develop a 10-year master plan for the district’s facilities and hopes to incorporate the public’s feedback into the yet-to-be-finalized document.
The district is holding three public forums this spring about the future of the facilities. The first will take place on March 31 at Harding High School, while the second will be on April 1 at Central High School and the third will be on April 2 at Bassick High School.
“We understand that neighborhood schools are near and dear to a lot of folks,” Avery said. “And we don’t want to just tear that apart. We want to make sure that we have a plan for new facilities before we even do anything with any other facility.”
Avery said the district is working to secure funding from the state for future construction projects, but noted it is not yet clear how much money the school system can obtain and when the funding could become available.
Tuesday’s discussion was held at the Charles F. Greene Homes on Highland Avenue as part of the first in a series of community forums scheduled at a handful of public housing complexes across the city.
Avery and other district officials spent about an hour answering questions from the residents about the state of the school system, including a looming budget deficit in the upcoming fiscal year and the proposal to close some schools.
“I need to be able to connect with the community,” Avery said. “One of the most important pieces is making sure the community really understands everything that is happening. So being able to have these forums gives me the opportunity to bring clarity.”
Flora Vazquez, the mother of a third grader and a fifth grader, was among the handful of parents who attended the forum. She said she appreciated that Avery took time to speak with her about security measures inside the schools.
“I think these meetings are good because we can meet the staff and learn what they’re planning,” Vazquez said. “It's good to know that they are trying to improve the schools and want to listen to the community.”
The district plans to hold two additional forums at public housing complexes. The second will take place on April 15 at P.T. Barnum Housing on Bostwick Avenue and the third will be on May 9 at Beardsley Terrace Housing on Trumbull Avenue.
Jillian Baldwin, the chief executive officer for the city’s housing authority, praised Avery for organizing the forums. She noted the authority serves more than 5,000 residents and about 12,000 voucher recipients, including hundreds of parents and students.
“I think it's important to meet people at home where they’re at, especially if you have critical information that the community needs to hear,” she said. “Transportation is often an issue in our communities, and sometimes parents work two jobs and their availability window is very short.”
Wallingford approves Choate Rosemary Hall building pedestrian bridge over Christian Street
Christian Metzger
WALLINGFORD — An elevated pedestrian bridge will now be able to connect Choate Rosemary Hall’s north and south campus along Christian Street.
The proposal was brought before the town council last year when the school sought an air easement to construct the 17-foot-tall wooden bridge, which is planned to be located just south of Rosemary Lane. It was recently approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
It will have a crosswalk and ramp so it's wheelchair accessible and will connect parking lots primarily used by students and families with the sports facilities across the road.
"We do not have a construction timeline for the bridge yet; we need to finalize the design before we can estimate when it might be installed and open for use," said Allison Cady, the school's communication director. "However, we are excited and eager to move forward with the project."
The bridge was proposed as a means of preventing traffic backups along Christian Street and potential hazards to students and visitors trying to cross when cars have the tendency to speed there.
It will take the form of an elevated wooden boardwalk that extends over the road, with a crosswalk on the opposite end across Rosemary Lane and a ramp to make it wheelchair accessible.
“What this linear connection, the pedestrian access, seeks to do is provide a connection for the formalized parking here in Colony Hall and also other uses during the regular school day,” said Darin Overton, project manager with SLR consulting.
The designers said the bridge would be a largely unobtrusive feature of the surrounding landscape, with trees hiding portions of the 66-foot span on either side of the road.
Officials said the project would have limited environmental impact due to the narrow footprint and the porous asphalt that will be used for the overflow parking area. While twice as expensive as normal asphalt, it would allow the water to seep into the soil directly beneath the paved area and wouldn’t require a catch basin, which would likely come at a greater expense for the school to maintain in the long term.
Officials said the landscaping and railings would discourage unsafe crossings.
“The way we’re designing this is so that people use it," said Patrick Durbin, chief financial officer at Choate. "We have no interest in building a bridge that won’t get used or that people will find a way to bypass."
The bridge had been a cause of discussion between Chaote and the town, with some town council members wondering if the school should provide a greater fee to the town for the requested air easement to build the bridge as compensation for properties that have been taken off the tax rolls in recent years. Others felt it was located too far away from the other main crossings or central campus facilities to be of use.
A majority of the members did agree the project was worthwhile however, if just as another means to ensure pedestrian safety at a dangerous crossing that’s often busy during the school’s sporting events in the spring.
Choate officials also said they were considering adding a road sign with the speed of approaching vehicles so they slow down in proximity to the bridge. While members of the commission also suggested putting in a speed bump, Choate representatives said they’d collaborate with the police department to assess available options to continue to moderate traffic safety.
Torrington company lands contract for Railroad Square Revitalization project
Sloan Brewster
TORRINGTON — The approximately $4.2 million Railroad Square Revitalization project has been awarded to Yield Industries.
Officials are now awaiting approval by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, said City Engineer and Deputy Public Works Director Paul Kundzins.
“Construction will begin as soon as we can mobilize,” he said. “The project is required to be completed by the end of this calendar year, so we’re going to be done. Busy, busy summer.”
At $4.1 million with $207,355 for contingencies and quantity fluctuations, the Torrington-based Yield Industries' bid was the lowest, Kundzins said.
“The bids came in very favorably, actually under the engineer’s estimate. Bids came in 6% under and were even under the DECD funding,” Kundzins told the City Council. “So we were very pleased with the results.”
The project will be funded by a DECD Community Challenge Grant, the City of Torrington Pavement Management Program Bond Fund and the state Department of Transportation Town Aid Road program.
The overall project includes the replacement of the railroad platform and construction of a canopy at Railroad Square, the $632,967 contract for which was awarded to Millennium Builders Inc. in January.
The newly awarded portion constitutes the remainder of the effort, which encompasses facelifts on Water Street from Prospect Street to the railroad tracks, John Street from Water Street to Mason Street, Mason Street from Prospect Street to Church Street and Church from Mason Street to Migeon Avenue.
Greenway trail to expand to Chrismas Village
The effort will include the extension of the Sue Grossman Greenway from Water Street to 160 Church St., along railway tracks beside Christmas Village to a new parking lot behind Christmas Village, Kundzins said. The greenway will just about link to the greenway at Riverview Parking Lot, behind the library with only a small gap along a portion of Prospect Street.
John Street will also get road, sidewalk, and crossing upgrades.
A 10-foot-wide trail will be added on John and Mason streets and a pedestrian promenade will be installed at 136 Water St. resulting in a public walkway between the train station, greenway and green spaces with benches, trees and landscaping.
When passengers get off the train from Thomaston, they will be able to use the walkway to link to John and Mason Streets, Kundzins said.
Project will include expanded parking
The effort will include some road reconstruction, the installation of sidewalks, lighting and drainage fixes. John Street will be converted to a one-way street with new granite curbing, sidewalks and lighting. Mason and Church Streets will also be partially reconstructed and get new curbing.
The project also includes a new parking lot behind Christmas Village with 70 parking spaces. The new parking lot will be used by teachers at Vogel-Wetmore School, who currently park in a lot on Mason Street, next to the Northwest Connecticut YMCA. The new lot will free up the one on Mason Street for public use, Kindzins said.
Mayor Elinor C. Carbone, at the City Council meeting, noted that she is always hearing about the need for more parking downtown, including from management at Torrington Savings Bank, who bemoan the lack of spaces whenever she meets with them.
“There is such a high demand for parking spaces,” she said.
She noted that if the Yankee Pedlar Inn is redeveloped, it too will need parking.
The project also includes a small pocket park next to Christmas Village, with areas for food trucks, at the intersection of Church and Mason Streets.
Construction of the train platform and canopy should be starting soon, Kundzins said.
State cites downtown Bridgeport renovation project for labor violations
BRIDGEPORT — State officials recently temporarily halted renovations to the former American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T) building downtown over labor law violations.
Juliet Manalan, a labor department spokesperson, confirmed that agency's wage and workplace standards division issued stop work orders to a trio of businesses involved in the project for misclassifying workers and not having workers' compensation insurance: Odysseus Multi-tech and Pillar Management, both of New York, and a J. Gonzalez, of Connecticut, which had the insurance but not for the correct amount of employees or type of work.
Odysseus was also cited for having unlicensed personnel performing plumbing.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor's website, "Misclassification occurs when an employer treats a worker who is an employee under the Fair Labor Standards Act as an independent contractor. Misclassifying employees as independent contractors is a serious problem because misclassified employees may not receive the minimum wage and overtime pay to which they are entitled ... or other benefits and protections to which they are entitled under the law."
The state's stop work orders were lifted for J. Gonzalez and Pillar in early March after they took corrective actions, Manalan said, while Odysseus' remains in place. She also said fines were issued but could not immediately provide those specifics, along with more details about the respective businesses like addresses, as of press time Friday.
Of the three, only Pillar, run by Kiumarz Geula, could be reached for comment. Pillar purchased the old AT&T site at 430 John St. and the rear parking lot fronting Fairfield Avenue in December 2021. Geula had proposed 77 artists lofts and two restaurants for the former address, and 60 housing units for the Fairfield Avenue property, and received a pair of state loans totaling $1.98 million to help fund the necessary environmental cleanup.
"Approximately two weeks ago, state agencies visited the site and issued a stop-work order based on their findings," Kiumarz acknowledged Friday in a statement. "Since then, we have worked closely with our contractors to address most of their concerns and have adjusted our site to meet their expectations. Our goal remains to collaborate with all agencies and continue developing innovative and dynamic spaces in Bridgeport."
Geula is also the new owner of three other significant downtown properties — the former State Street location of the Connecticut Post, the Bijou Theater on Fairfield Avenue and the Downtown Cabaret Theater on Golden Hill Street. Geula also owns an East End brewery that opened last summer at 800 Union Ave.
A pair of construction unions — the Fairfield County Building Trades and Carpenter’s Local 326 — scheduled a 10 a.m. rally Saturday at 430 John St. to protest the violations. Their announcement noted this is the second high profile redevelopment in Bridgeport where stop work orders were issued over workers' compensation and misclassification issues.
The first occurred earlier in the winter at the construction site for new luxury apartments on the Steelpointe harbor front project off of Interstate 95.
Miguel Fuentes, a representative with the Carpenter's, said such issues are proving to be "an epidemic in the City of Bridgeport, in the state of Connectuct and throughout the United States."
Dan McInerney, president of the Fairfield County Building Trades, claimed more local contractors need to be employed on these major redevelopments.
“As someone born and raised in Bridgeport who graduated from Bullard-Havens (Technical High School), I want more residents to get an opportunity to rebuild Bridgeport and build a career the way I did,” McInerney said.
Vote to Restore Bridge Traffic Heads to Stamford Reps
Angela Carella
STAMFORD – A historic iron bridge has taken people over Mill River since 1888, but it is proving unable to cross a deeper divide.
It’s the gap between the struggling West Side and the thriving downtown; between longtime residents and newcomers; between the haves and the have-nots.
The breach was on display last week, when the Board of Representatives’ Operations Committee held a public hearing before voting on what to do with the intricate 125-foot West Main Street bridge, one of the few of its kind left in the country.
Through its stages of deterioration, the bridge has been closed to cars, shored up as a pedestrian crossing, replaced with a “temporary” prefabricated walkbridge, and now abandoned in a sorry state.
West Side residents and their supporters say no one cared about the West Main Street bridge before the then-deteriorating downtown was turned around. Luxury apartment high-rises went up, and city officials began spending millions of dollars to reroute the stagnant Mill River and rebuild what had been a neglected, crime-ridden Mill River Park.
A recent engineering study resulted in five options for the bridge, which connects the West Side to the park. But the choice appears to have come down to two.
One is to restore the historic elements of the bridge and rebuild it to support two lanes of car traffic. The prefabricated walkbridge would be removed. Estimated cost: $6.7 million.
The other is to take down the iron bridge and remove the trusses, installing them as a historic artifact in the park. The prefabricated walkbridge would remain. Estimated cost: $1.2 million.
A rare safe crossing
Downtown resident Zach Oberholtzer explained during the hearing why he favors a pedestrian-only bridge.
Reopening it to car traffic “takes one of the few car-free places in the city and it plows cars through it,” Oberholtzer said, asking city representatives to consider downtown’s Bedford Street, which is lined with bars and restaurants that set up tables on the sidewalks.
“It’s very nice to sit on Bedford Street in the summer, except then you have these noisy, polluting cars driving by while you are trying to have a nice night out eating dinner,” Oberholtzer said. “The same principles apply to the West Main Street bridge. … It’s one of the few safe places for crossing Mill River where you don’t have to interact with cars.”
Angelo Bochanis, another downtown resident, said he walks the area every day and doesn’t understand why representatives would consider allowing traffic on a bridge that is near a park, a playground, and an apartment house for seniors.
“The roads were built to accommodate as many people as possible, driving as fast as possible,” Bochanis said. “Drivers are careless.”
He likes the West Main Street bridge because “it’s quiet and safe and pleasant … I don’t have to worry if a car is coming; I don’t have to worry about waiting for the light or a signal,” Bochanis said. “People don’t want roads running through their parks.”
Chris Dawson of North Stamford, a volunteer with People Friendly Stamford, which advocates for bicyclists and pedestrians, said the same.
“I’ve run around the West Side for exercise … I helped paint street murals outside the Yerwood Center … as part of People Friendly Stamford, I promote walkable neighborhoods,” Dawson said. “West Side residents tell me they are fed up with bad driver behavior. They want drivers to slow down and actually stop at stop lights and stop signs.”
Most West Side residents “won’t speak at a public hearing … they are busy with their lives,” Dawson said. “I’m sharing what they’ve told me so you have a more complete picture of resident perspectives.”
Some West Side residents did call into the meeting, held over Zoom.
Let the West Side decide
Lifelong West Sider Cynthia Bowser said “let West Side residents speak for the West Side.” The neighborhood has long endured the traffic and pollution resulting from Stamford’s growth, Bowser said.
“We on the West Side have paid enough for the good intentions that have not had equitable outcomes,” Bowser said. “Those with high incomes control the quality of life,” but those decisions should be “for the people who live on the West Side, not for new people coming in and trying to impose their will on those of us who live here.”
The bridge needs to be reopened to cars because “we have excessive traffic … we can’t get up and down West Main Street, and more apartments are being built,” Bowser said. “Let’s begin to make Stamford an equitable city, listening to low- to moderate-income residents as well as those with high incomes. Stamford is a wonderful place to live, but it is more equitable for you if you have more money.”
West Sider Renee Brown said people who live in North Stamford, one of the city’s wealthier neighborhoods, and other areas made inaccurate statements during the hearing.
“They are saying our kids use the bridge. That’s not true. The kids do not walk that way,” Brown said. “It always seems like it’s not about what we want on the West Side, it’s about the ones who live in North Stamford. They come down here when they want to fight for what they want to fight for. The mayor preaches diversity – then let us speak about the bridge. We live it every day. The people in North Stamford … want to fight for what they see as a pretty project. It’s not about that. It seems like we’re nobody. It’s just, ‘OK, I got money, this is the way it’s going to be.’”
West Sider Debbie Joyner said people from outside the neighborhood made it sound like a restored bridge would draw heavy traffic.
“There was never major traffic. It was a very nice shortcut for the neighborhood,” Joyner said. “And I jog in Mill River Park, but I only jog on the bridge to get home. People don’t jog on the bridge. They jog in the park.”
She asked people from outside the neighborhood to not “use your resources to disagree with us … let us have something on the West Side that we can decide to have, not … have it decided for us,” Joyner said.
‘The real issue is gentrification’
After the public hearing was closed, city representatives discussed the bridge options. Like the residents who called in, they were divided.
City Rep. Sean Boeger said groups such as People Friendly Stamford and the Mill River Park Collaborative undertook a letter-writing campaign urging representatives to vote against restoring car traffic to the bridge.
“They are the newer, more connected, more organized, more wealthy voices,” Boeger said, but “marginalized voices don’t have an organized platform.”
Boeger, a police officer, said fears of cars speeding on the West Main Street bridge are unfounded.
“I don’t understand how people could come here and paint that picture … when traffic, sometimes in excess of 50 miles an hour, is flying on Tresser Boulevard” 50 feet from the park, Boeger said.
He supports the park renovations – that’s not the problem, Boeger said.
“Turning Mill River into a lush park … is a wonderful idea. It’s a thousand times better than what it used to be,” he said. “The real issue is gentrification” – the process by which a low-income area changes as wealthier people move in and displace the original residents.
Boeger said he cannot back those who do not live on the West Side and are advocating for a walkbridge.
“I would not expect the West Side to march into my Springdale neighborhood and tell us what to do,” he said. “I support a vehicle bridge for the residents of the West Side.”
City Rep. Chanta Graham said she grew up on the West Side and has family there. She sees seniors leave the West Side with their walkers on the dangerous trek across Washington Boulevard and its speeding traffic, on their way to Atlantic Street to catch a bus.
“I take offense that people are worried that they can’t jog without traffic, when the people of the West Side have to struggle to get to the doctor’s office,” Graham said.
To make things worse, seniors can’t sit at the bus stop because the downtown business district removed the benches to prevent homeless people from gathering on them, Graham said.
“The people of the West Side are definitely being disenfranchised,” she said. “Closing the bridge created a dead end where crime has increased, especially drug activity. We are being beyond selfish in not giving West Side residents what they need.”
Crime in the dead end
City Rep. Vanessa Williams said she “fell in love with Stamford” after her job had her commuting to First Stamford Place from Litchfield County. She purchased a home on the West Side and raised her family there, Williams said.
“I am not marginalized, but I have witnessed the challenges of my neighbors,” Williams said.
She was dismayed by comments during the hearing that many West Side residents don’t own cars. She owns a car and so do all of her neighbors, Williams said.
“The volume of residents has increased … now 110 luxury units are going up … and things will get more congested,” she said. “Opening the bridge won’t create speed-based risks – that’s Tresser Boulevard.”
She refuted comments from those who don’t live on the West Side that the spot near the prefabricated walkbridge is safe.
“I do not feel safe … because of the dead-end area – there’s garbage, broken glass, little Baggies, condoms. I have seen narcotics exchanges at 7:45 in the morning on my way to work,” Williams said. “It spills over into the park.”
Allowing cars back on the bridge would “alleviate the increased congestion and create healthier thoroughfares connecting the West Side to downtown,” Williams said.
The two ‘no’ votes
City Rep. Don Mays of North Stamford reminded fellow representatives that the mayor’s office did a survey of West Side residents a few years ago, asking whether they wanted car traffic restored to the bridge.
“There was no definitive answer, kind of like what we heard tonight. It was split,” said Mays, who was voting to close the old iron bridge. If that happens, “what can be done to enhance the quality of life in that area?” he asked.
He didn’t appear to agree with what West Side residents said about the bridge drawing limited traffic.
“I’m about child safety; that was my career,” Mays said. “If we intersect a park with a busy road, it increases risk.”
City Rep. Ashley Ley, also from North Stamford, said that, as an urban planner, she thinks a pedestrian-only bridge would be safer, especially since restoring a car bridge would create a five-way intersection at Main, West Main, Greenwood Hill, Smith and Mill River streets.
Recognizing the “criminal element” that resulted when the bridge was closed, forming a dead end, Ley said “creating eyes on the street makes a neighborhood safer,” but “that can be done in ways other than adding vehicles” on the bridge.
“I support … reusing the historic bridge as an art element in the park … and improving the dead end,” Ley said.
At the end of the discussion, six members of the Operations Committee supported restoring the iron bridge and opening it to two-way car traffic. Mays and Ley were opposed.
The recommendation of the majority goes before the full Board of Representatives for a vote on April 7.
An 80-acre site in Hartford’s South Meadows received garbage from most of Connecticut for decades, processing it in a massive facility that burned trash for energy.
The quasi-public Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority shut the faltering plant down in 2022, and local officials have been pushing to prep the large site in Hartford’s industrial South Meadows neighborhood for redevelopment.
That preparation will take years and cost anywhere from $27.87 million to $333.87 million, depending on how many of the existing buildings are demolished, and what sort of future development is pursued, according to a recently completed study.
“That study is basically setting the groundwork for a starting point for a future development of the site,” said Mark T. Daley, president and chief financial officer of the MIRA Dissolution Authority. “This is everything under those various scenarios that would need to be done to turn the site over to a future developer and put the site into a future use, whether it’s commercial or residential or industrial.”
Those cost estimates are also based on a 2026 start date, and rise sharply with delay.
The dissolution authority was formed by state lawmakers in 2023 to oversee the winding down of MIRA operations and the disposition of its various transfer stations and, most dauntingly, the South Meadows site.
The dissolution authority has sold two recycling properties in Hartford and a transfer station in Watertown to companies tied to USA Waste & Recycling. A sale of an Ellington property is in the works.
The dissolution authority also hired Rocky Hill engineering and environmental company Weston & Sampson to outline the likely steps and costs for getting the South Meadows property ready for various redevelopment scenarios.
With that study, dated March 10, in hand, the authority is nearly ready for its own dissolution, which is expected to be completed by June 30.
After that, management of remaining MIRA properties will be in the hands of Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration and the state Department of Administrative Services.
Lamont administration officials have asked staff at the Capital Region Development Authority to consider if the agency can organize the South Meadows site’s redevelopment preparations, CRDA Executive Director Michael Freimuth said Thursday.
CRDA – a quasi-governmental agency responsible for economic development efforts in Greater Hartford – is a logical choice for the job, Freimuth said. But his 13-staff agency already has a hefty workload and would need additional manpower and money to take on the South Meadows site, he said.
“We have been asked to assess whether CRDA can play a role,” Freimuth said. “It would be a major undertaking of our staff and resources. Hopefully, we would get more resources if that comes our way.”
Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam said his administration is focused on getting the South Meadows site back into productive use to its maximum potential, whether that means new housing opportunities or industrial development that brings jobs. Arulampalam said he’s not set on any particular use case.
“The city is 18.5 square miles, half of it untaxable, so it is really important to maximize every bit of land that we have,” Arulampalam said.
Long industrial use, hefty cleanup
The MIRA site in the South Meadows has seen more than a century of heavy industrial use. Even with two decades of cleanup to present-day industrial standards under MIRA and its predecessor agency, preparing it for reuse isn’t a cheap or short-term prospect.
The Hartford Electric Light Co. completed a coal-fired power plant on the site in 1921. The plant transitioned to petroleum fuels by the 1940s. The trash-to-energy plant began operations in the 1980s.
Today, the 80-acre site along the Connecticut River, just north of Brainard Airport, hosts the repeatedly upgraded power plant and a sprawling waste-processing facility. The waste-processing facility includes a 202,000-square-foot main building, 38,000-square-foot storage building and a handful of smaller ancillary buildings and structures.
Getting the site ready for redevelopment would vary in cost and time depending on future use. Containing or cleaning pollution to accommodate the state’s residential standards, for instance, would be far more costly than getting it ready for continued industrial use.
Daley expects the MIRA Dissolution Authority to wrap up with about $50 million in reserves, which he notes would be enough to cover the cost of preparing the site for continued industrial or commercial use.
The Weston & Sampson study considered several redevelopment scenarios including:
Industrial or commercial use with demolition of the “power block facility” alone. This scenario is estimated to take three years and cost $47.7 million if work begins next year.
Industrial or commercial use with demolition of the waste processing facility alone. This would require just over three years of effort at a cost of $27.87 million.
Industrial or commercial use with demolition of all structures. This would require three years and six months of effort at a cost of $68.49 million.
Residential development with environmental land-use restrictions in place to keep pollution undisturbed. This option would take six years of effort and cost $250.84 million.
Residential development with 13 feet of imported, clean fill over much of the site. This would allow much less restricted use of the site. But it would also require eight years of effort and $333.87 million in expense.
The far higher costs of getting the site ready for residential development is driven, in large part, by the cost ($178.54 million) of moving an Eversource electrical substation in the middle of the property, Daley noted.
It would have to be moved for residential purposes because a required buffer from the high-voltage equipment would rule out a large section of the best land for redevelopment, Daley noted. Also, he said the station would be a huge aesthetic turn-off to potential residents.
“I would say the marketability of a large residential development with a large switchyard right in the middle of it is diminished greatly,” Daley said.
The study notes that its cost estimates could vary widely up or down.
As a development scenario is picked and specific designs are drafted, cost estimates will become more precise, noted Robert Carr, senior technical leader with Weston & Sampson.
Massive off-campus housing development planned at UConn. Think pool, fitness center, walk to campus.
A 738-bed student housing development is expected to break ground later this year in Storrs just off of the University of Connecticut campus in an effort to help alleviate the ongoing student housing crunch.
Landmark Properties has closed on the property called The Mark Mansfield, which will be located at 134 North Eagleville Road adjacent to the UConn main campus, and will serve as the general contractor.
The 1.56-acre site was acquired in partnership with Peninsula Investments.
“The UConn market is one we have been attracted to for a long time, particularly with this project,” said Landmark Properties’ senior director of development Chase Powell. “We like to be as close to campus as possible. It’s technically off-campus student housing, but this property is surrounded by UConn on three sides. It’s a phenomenal location. Easily walkable to the main academic core as well as the athletic facilities at UConn.”
This will be the second Landmark Properties project near the UConn campus. In 2022, The Standard at Four Corners broke ground at 1717 Storrs Road. That project includes 890 beds and 390 units and is expected to be completed this August. The Standard at Four Corners will be available to lease beginning at the start of the fall 2025 semester.
“That was the first housing project delivered in the UConn market in over a decade,” Powell said. “What attracted us to the market is the walkability to the campus, and it will be the best purpose-filled, student housing project in the market in terms of location and amenities and offerings to the residents.”
UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said student housing options on UConn’s Storrs campus and nearby have been in flux, with large additions that include the opening of Connecticut Hall and the addition of more than 650 beds there at the start of the current academic year.
“However, we also recognize that increased enrollment translates into increased need for student services, including on-campus housing options, and continue to focus on ways to maximize availability without compromising quality,” Reitz said.
Reitz said the UConn education is in high demand and that there has been continual growth in enrollment.
The number of undergraduates enrolling in the school during the fall has steadily increased. In 2022, there were 18,768, in 2023, it was 19,147 and 2024, the number increased to 19,835. First-year students on the Storrs campus have increased 6.9% from the fall of 2023 to the fall of 2024.
Reitz said UConn is increasing the number of off-campus beds it will lease for students’ use at The Oaks on The Square apartments complex in downtown Storrs, which will add more than 600 beds in support of enrollment growth. These options will increase the options available to UConn students as they decide whether they live on campus or commute, added Reitz.
“First-year UConn students are guaranteed housing under the university’s on-campus residency requirement,” Reitz said. “Additionally, UConn guarantees housing for transfer and campus change students (those moving from a regional campus to Storrs) if the application deadline is met.”
Reitz said students may apply for on-campus housing during the defined residential application periods.
“Residential Life will notify students via email of their status after the application is submitted. Students notified that they qualify for housing selection will complete the housing selection process in April,” Reitz said. “Although all students may apply for housing, eligibility to live in residential housing is not guaranteed for rising sophomores, juniors and seniors and is based on multiple factors including space availability, primary campus designation and academic standing.”
Those students who are eligible for housing but do not receive a spot are placed on a wait list. Offers for housing will depend on availability, and the demand for housing and will occur through the spring and summer months if possible, according to Reitz.
Reitz said UConn was able to offer housing to those on the wait list this past year because beds became available.
“We anticipate the same trend this year, given the off-campus options opening and the regular “melt,” or reduction of students, that occurs at the start of a new semester,” she said.
Powell said Landmark is bullish on the UConn market due to “continual enrollment increases coupled with the lack of supply in the market.”
Powell said The Mark Mansfield, from an off-campus perspective, offers something that hasn’t been seen in the UConn market.
“We are offering a professionally managed property with onsite teams with robust amenities packages with pools, hot tubs, club rooms, study rooms and fitness centers. The majority of this supply at UConn is really older, outdated products. We are going to be offering something compelling to the market,” Powell said.
Powell said there will be three-, four- and five-bedroom units “attracting students to the university that enjoy living with their peers.”
The Mark Mansfield will break ground this summer and is expected to be completed by the summer of 2028.
Huskies Tavern, which was previously located 134 North Eagleville Road, will return and be located on the first floor of the property in 7,000 square feet of retail space.
“As part of our new development, the restaurant will be incorporated back into the project when we are open. It will be on the ground floor, and they will have a fully operated space, and we are excited that Huskies will reenter the property, and we think they will be a part of our long-term success there,” Powell said.
Powell said Landmark, based in Athens, Georgia, is the largest student-housing developer in the country. The company has $15 billion in assets under management including 115 residential communities and 72,000 beds across the country. The company specializes in acquisition, development and management of high-quality residential communities. Landmark has also expanded its business out of the country as well.
This is the 22nd property that Landmark and Peninsula Investments, headquartered in Miami as well as Montevideo, Uruguay, have combined on.
“We are thrilled to expand our presence adjacent to this prestigious campus with our second student housing development in the market, providing high-quality living spaces designed to complement the university experience,” Peninsula Investments managing director Juan Fernando Valdivieso said in a statement. “This investment underscores our commitment to supporting UConn’s vibrant community by delivering modern, thoughtfully designed residences that meet the evolving needs of students.”
Mansfield town manager Ryan Aylesworth said the new building will fit the character of the buildings near the UConn campus.
“The project is well supported for a few reasons. The location is a high-density area that wouldn’t impede on lesser development areas,” Aylesworth said. “We know there is a high demand for additional housing at UConn.
“We want to see affordable housing built for all ages and socioeconomic groups in town,” he added, “but this will be primarily student-housing at this location.”
Aylesworth said with more student-housing available, other housing units that were previously used by students may now become available to non-students.
“The state has asked UConn to grow its enrollment, and any additional students, faculty and staff will need housing,” Aylesworth said. “We are very committed to working with UConn on shared housing on a few fronts. Housing for the UConn workforce.
“We want people when they take a job at UConn and relocate from somewhere else and move here. We would love them to find housing here in Mansfield where it could be walkable or bikeable to their job. We want them to live in Mansfield because recent trends have gone away from that. With students scooping up off-campus housing, many UConn staff end up renting or buying in another town.”
Amid major I-91 ramp reconfiguration and detours, plans in works for another nearby ramp
Among its busy schedule for work on state roads this spring and summer, the Connecticut Department of Transportation is planning some Interstate 91 ramp work.
The DOT said it is developing plans to realign the Interstate 91 north and south ramps at Exit 24 in Rocky Hill.
According to the DOT, the goal of the project is to address the intersection at the I-91/CT 99 ramps. Slip ramps will be removed to create shorter pedestrian crossings and ramps, according to the agency.
There will also be “full signal upgrades and integration into the Computerized Traffic Signal System are also included,” the DOT said in a statement.
The design will be completed in April of 2026, with construction expected to start later that fall, “assuming acceptance of the project, availability of funding, receipt of any required right-of-way and environmental permits,” according to the CTDOT.
The project will be undertaken with 100 percent state funds, according to the DOT.
There are 545 active capital projects planned for this year on state highways, bridges and roads.
Two hundred of the projects, like Rocky Hill, are in the planning phase and 171 are under construction.
Among the largest multi-year projects in the state continuing this year: the East Lyme Interstate-95 Interchange 74 Improvements at Route 161, the I-91/I-691/Route 15 Interchange Project that spans Meriden and Middletown as well as the Norwalk Bridge Transmission Relocation Project in Norwalk.
“It’s going to be a busy construction season,” state Department of Transportation Communications Director Josh Morgan said this month. “We have a lot of major projects that are in the middle of the process and years two, three and four is when that really picks up.
“There’s a lot of projects happening all over Connecticut. We certainly hear the frustration from the residents in the state about getting stuck in traffic because of a lane closing. But progress is going to take some patience and there is a lot of infrastructure coming into the state in the coming months,” Morgan added.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation also recently noted that it has begun construction on the Dutch Point Viaduct rehabilitation project on Interstate 91 southbound in Hartford. That means detours to access the highway.
Viaduct work Detour Map (CTDOT)
The work means the closure of the State Street on-ramp to I-91 southbound for approximately 18 months, according to the DOT.
The viaduct is an 1,800-foot-long elevated bridge structure that carries three lanes of Interstate 91 southbound over the Connecticut Southern Railroad and the I-91 northbound ramps to and from Whitehead Highway in Hartford, according to the DOT. It is near the Connecticut Convention Center and the Colt Armory.
According to DOT, the viaduct work intends to “upgrade the structural elements of the bridge to current safety standards. Improvements include the replacement of the viaduct’s bridge deck, drainage system, and installation of new barrier walls and highways lights, among other structural enhancements.
The “reconstruction project will improve safety for motorists, increase the viaduct’s load-carrying capacity, and extend the viaduct’s service life until it is replaced as part of the Greater Hartford Mobility Program.”
funds, according to DOT.
“The Dutch Point Viaduct is a vital artery for thousands of commuters and visitors traveling through the Hartford region every day,” Gov. Ned Lamont has said. “Modernizing this aging bridge is a crucial investment to ensure the safety and reliability of this key stretch of highway. I appreciate the hardworking Connecticut Department of Transportation crews and contractors for their dedication to completing these upgrades.”
About the viaduct work:
One lane of I-91 southbound in the area will be closed for approximately 18 months while work on the project is underway.
Temporary nighttime lane closures between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. and daytime shoulder closures between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. will occur throughout the duration of the construction period.
Additionally, the State Street on-ramp to I-91 southbound will be closed during all three stages of the project.
Motorists should anticipate potential delays during these times but can rely on traffic control measures and signage to guide them through the work zone.