CT Construction Digest Monday November 11, 2024
HARTFORD — Officials have narrowed the sites they are considering for a new federal courthouse in Hartford to two, a 2.2-acre Allyn Street parking lot and a 10.2-acre site at the corner of Asylum Avenue and Woodland Street now occupied by 74-year-old state government office building.
The U.S. General Services Administration has issued a 381-page draft Environmental Impact Statement on the courthouse project, for which Congress has appropriated $335 million. The GSA is seeking public input on the siting issue at a hearing Wednesday and in written comments that can be submitted until Dec. 16.
The U.S. District Court would move its Hartford operations to the new building from the Abraham A. Ribicoff federal building and courthouse at 450 Main St.
The court areas of the Ribicoff building, named for a former Connecticut U.S. senator, governor and U.S. representative, are spacious compared to many state courthouses, such as the criminal courthouse at 101 Lafayette St. in Hartford.
But the draft environmental statement says, “For the past several years, the Federal Judiciary Courthouse Project Priorities List included the identification of a new courthouse in Hartford as a top priority across the country.”
One of the Ribicoff building’s shortcomings is that it “does not have adequate blast protection setbacks from the adjoining streets,” the draft statement says.
Another is that it lacks separate corridors for movement of prisoners, meaning that U.S. Marshals have to escort them to and from court through public areas, the draft says.
Not enough space
And a third shortcoming, according to the draft, is that it just does not have enough space for the court’s anticipated needs. The Ribicoff building has eight courtrooms and 10 judges, the draft says, while a new courthouse would have 11 courtrooms and 18 judges’ chambers, expected to meet needs for 30 years.
The headquarters of Connecticut’s U.S. District Court would be moved to the new courthouse from the Richard C. Lee Courthouse across the street from the New Haven Green. In addition, some judges, staff and other personnel would be moved from the federal courthouses in New Haven and Bridgeport to the new Hartford courthouse, the draft says.
The Allyn Street site is a parking lot a block north of Bushnell Park, bounded by Allyn, High and Church streets, with mixed-use buildings and St. Patrick-St. Anthony Roman Catholic Church filling the rest of the block to Ann Uccello Street.
The site is between Union Station and the XL Center and is very near the William R. Cotter Federal Building. The building envisioned for the Allyn Street site would include two levels of secure underground parking, the draft says.
“There appears to be adequate public parking in proximity to the Allyn Site, however, GSA may pursue options to provide additional parking such as entering into a lease with a commercial parking operator,” it continues.
Too much parking in Hartford?
One advantage cited for the Allyn Street site is that it would eliminate some of Hartford’s excess parking space.
The draft says the city “has approximately twice as much downtown parking relative to the average U.S. city, and as a result, the city is encouraging different development patterns in the downtown area.”
The other site under consideration, on the southwest corner of Asylum Avenue and Woodland Street, is now occupied by a six-story structure built in 1950 for the Phoenix Insurance Co. and renovated by the state in 1974 for use as Greater Hartford Community College, the draft says. Its address is 61 Woodland St., and multiple state agencies now use it, the draft adds.
The draft says the existing buildings on the site may be demolished or re-used. The secure parking needed for a courthouse may be underground or surface-level, the draft says.
There are several parking lots on the site, and the draft says, “GSA would incorporate some of the existing surface parking into its landscape plan. GSA would pursue options to provide additional parking such as entering into a lease with a commercial parking operator.”
The site borders the North Branch of the Park River, and one of the lower parking lots has a sign warning of flooding.
“Construction would be limited to areas outside the floodplain,” the draft says.
Other options scrapped
Possibilities that were considered earlier but have been rejected include a site straddling Hudson Street between Capitol Avenue and Buckingham Street, and renovation of the Ribicoff building.
As to the renovation options, the draft says, Ribicoff building tenants not affiliated with the court would need to be removed temporarily to provide “swing space” for the court during the project, which would involve “major structural work.”
In addition, it says, the court would need to remain in operation during multiple phases of construction, hampering the ability of the U.S. Marshal Service “to keep all parties safe and secure throughout the extensive renovation project.”
Wednesday’s public hearing is to run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The Lyceum Center, Conference Center 1, 227 Lawrence St., Hartford.
Written comments can be submitted at the hearing, emailed to HartfordCourthouse@GSA.gov, put in a drop box at the main entrance to the Ribicoff building, or mailed to General Services Administration, Attn.: Robert Herman, Project Manager, Abraham A. Ribicoff Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, 450 Main St., Suite 435, Hartford, CT 06103.
Naugatuck moves forward with downtown revitalization
ANDREAS YILMA
NAUGATUCK – The borough is paving the way to finish remediation and develop Parcel B downtown.
The Board of Mayor and Burgesses last Wednesday approved a work order for Parcel B, Phase 1 construction services and Phase 2 design services in the amount of $42,920.
Pennrose, a real estate development company from Philadelphia, and Cloud Co. of Hartford are set to develop 7.75 acres at the corner of Maple Street and Old Firehouse Road, known as Parcel B. The development is broken into three phases that will include three four-story buildings with 60 units in each structure, consisting of 29 one-bedroom and 31 two-bedroom units.
Phase 1 would be closest to Maple Street, phase two closest to the Naugatuck Event Center, which is also being repurposed into another apartment complex, and phase three in the middle as Department of Transportation would need staging area for the new proposed train station that is expected to move from near The Station Restaurant to the middle of Parcel B.
“This is for the remediation soil stability work that’s being done on Parcel B, Phase 1 of the Pennrose (project),” public works Director Jim Stewart said.
The borough board also approved to enter into an agreement with Down-To-Earth Consulting for an amount not to exceed $155,200 for environmental services for remediation of Parcel B.
The town previously received a $1.3 million Department of Economic and Community Development grant for the downtown revitalization project which will cover the costs of remediation, Stewart said.
Part of this work will also help with the foundation of the property.
“This is essentially the digging of the foundation and the utility areas for Pennrose, Phase 1,” Mayor N. Warren “Pete” Hess said.
The work from Down-To-Earth Consulting will include supplying inspection services, testing and asbestos air monitoring during the period and remedial action plan for the DOT property, Stewart said.
“This is one of many moving parts in the project and we received a grant and our grant is covering all of our costs, Hess said.
Deputy Rocky Vitale inquired about any voids underneath the property that may have to be addressed.
“Right now we’re doing the extension of Rubber Avenue,” Stewart said. “We hit one of the tunnels which we knew were there and they excavated it out and they’re filling it back in with soil.”
Hess said the borough collapsed a tunnel and are filling it in which will be used partly form the Connecticut Communities Challenge grant and the town TIF money for the construction of Rubber Ave.
“They are excavating for the foundation for the Pennrose building and processing the material and putting it back in there compact so they can build a building on top of it and they’re also going through the utility corridors and doing the same thing so that when they dig, everything’s easier and they’re not going hit anything on the,” Stewart said.
The voids or tunnels mainly on Phase 2 of the Pennrose project haven’t been addressed yet, Hess said.
The Zoning Commission continued a hearing to Nov. 20 for the special permit application for phase two of the proposed residential and commercial development for the property at 90 Old Firehouse Road. It did approve the architectural renderings for phases one and two of the buildings and a revised landscaping plan for phase one.
The commission previously approved a special permit for Phase 1 of the transit-oriented project at the end of 2022. Construction for phase one is expected to begin next year.
Stamford's much-delayed Cedar Heights Road bridge built too low and now needs fixing, officials say
STAMFORD — The completion date of a project to rebuild a bridge on Cedar Heights Road has been pushed back, again.More
The goal was to get the bridge, rated in “Serious” condition by the Connecticut Department of Transportation, rebuilt by the end of November after a string of delays. However, City Engineer Lou Casolo said the hope now is to open the bridge to traffic by April 2025 after it was discovered the new bridge was built too low.
Tony Vitti, president of A. Vitti Excavators, which is building the bridge, said his company will pay to fix the height discrepancy.
Completing the project any later could delay replacement of a bridge on Wire Mill Road, which is completely supported by federal funds. Tthe Wire Mill Road project must be completed by the end of 2025 or those federal funds could be reduced or revoked, Casolo said.
“There can't be any hiccups,” Casolo said.
Cedar Heights Road, which is just south of the Merritt Parkway, has been closed to traffic during the project. A detour takes cars along High Ridge Road and Wire Mill Road.
Bids were put out for contractors to take on the Wire Mill Road project with a commitment from the city to get work started on it April 1.
Casolo said both bridges cannot be closed at the same time.
“It would be a real impact to the city,” Casolo said. “That would be a problem.”
Casolo previously told The Stamford Advocate that about 3,800 vehicles passed over the Cedar Heights bridge on a daily basis before it closed.
Casolo said A. Vitti Excavators will work through the winter to make sure the replacement for the more-than-90-year-old bridge on Cedar Heights Road can be completed.
He described the time the contractor for the Wire Mill Road project will have to complete the project, including filing paperwork, getting materials and building, as “razor thin,” even if the the bridge on Cedar Heights Road is completed by April.
Board of Representatives member Don Mays, D-19, called the most recent delay “an embarrassment for the city” in an Operations Committee meeting. He also critiqued the contractor for having to go through multiple rounds of review for permits and approvals.
“It tells me that the contractor may be unfamiliar with the requirements of the job or is perhaps a bit over his head,” Mays said.
Vitti said the delays were the fault of third-party contractors that took too long to sign off on designs and permits.
“I'm getting punished and they're dragging their feet on submittals,” Vitti said.
The original goal was to complete the project by Nov. 30, 2023. A. Vitti Excavators then committed to working during the 2023 winter to get the job done by May 31. That was also pushed back to June 30.
The completion date was then pushed back to the end of November after A. Vitti Excavators submitted documents on how it would handle the flow of the Rippowam River, demolition of the bridge and supporting utility lines to an inspection firm before moving from one stage of construction to the next.
The documents went through multiple rounds of reviews that resulted in more delays.
SOUTHINGTON— The Southington Public Library is almost ready for the community to enjoy an improved experience as it moves into a new state-of-the-art building in the next few weeks.
The move from the current library location at 255 Main St. to the nearly 30,000-square-foot new building next door will begin on Nov. 18, with the reopening scheduled for Dec. 2.
“Just please plan accordingly,” said Town Manager Alex Ricciardone during the Oct. 17 Town Council meeting. “And we're waiving all fees. So, no need to worry.”
The Library Building Committee had planned an original opening date of Nov. 28 or even a little sooner but decided to hold off until after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, according to Town Council Vice Chair Jim Morelli.
But except for minor delays involving fixtures, completion of the new construction is on schedule.
“I have been part of five library renovations, and I can say that this process has been transparent, collaborative, professional and efficient," said Southington Public Library and Barnes Museum Executive Director Thomas Piezzo. "I greatly appreciate the efforts, and this has truly been a team effort of which I am glad to have been a part. The whole team has been mutually supportive, and the results will speak for themselves.”
As of early October, crews were finishing built-in bookcases and running wiring. Some of the glass doors were installed last week, and once the rest come in, they will also be installed.
“I think the architect (DRA) and the building manager (Whiting-Turner) did a phenomenal job," Morelli said. "They worked really well together for the town, and Turner managed the budget like it was their own money. They were able to really get a lot more things into the building than we thought we would originally, and it's still all on budget.”
The new building will have two floors incorporating different color schemes, including pastel blue, navy blue, and off-white. The first floor will include a program room, circulation workroom, lobby, friends' workroom, book sales, and more. The second floor will have an information office, teen room, study areas, books, and seating.
“The place looks fantastic; it really does,” Morelli said. “The colors blend well, and there's a lot of natural light in the building, which was by design. It's a beautiful facility.”
The current library location will be shut down for about two weeks to accommodate the move to the new building. The lower level and mezzanine will be closed beginning Tuesday to prepare for the start of the move on Nov. 18. Morelli said a professional mover was hired without going over the budget.
No books should be dropped in the book drop or donations left during this time, and items checked out after Nov. 15 through the temporary closing are due Dec. 5.
The library’s address will remain 255 Main St. and reopen to the public on Dec. 2. All fees will be due starting on Dec. 5.
“I think this is a pretty monumental project,” Morelli said. “I'm very proud of the building. I think the residents will be really proud of it, too. I think they'll use it a lot, which is great. It was designed to be flexible, modular, and really usable for the public for the long haul, and I think it's a great addition to our town."
Construction began in July 2023 after Southington voters approved a $16.9 million referendum in 2021 to fund construction of the new library and demolition of the existing facility.
The library board organized a capital campaign to raise funds for furniture, fixtures, and equipment. The campaign's goal was $1 million. In August, the campaign entered its public phase giving community members the opportunity to be recognized for their support of the project with their name on a plaque to be displayed in the new building as well as on benches, study areas, and rooms. Customized bricks will be installed on the patio next spring.
“We were able to reach our goal, and all public spaces have the new furniture, fixtures, and equipment needed,” Piezzo said. “And staff furniture, which is in good condition, will be reused.”
An official ribbon cutting for the new library facility is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 7.
Garfield Mills owner expects to begin apartment construction in coming weeks
John Penney
New London ― The owner of a dilapidated, long-vacant former mill property said he expects to begin turning the sprawling structure into apartment units before Thanksgiving.
Ted Lazarus, a principal of the Litchfield-based Park Lane Group, said Friday remediation at 90 Garfield Ave., former home to the Edward Bloom Silk Co business, is about 90% complete and he expects construction of 87 apartments ― 20% of which will be set aside as affordable housing ― to be finished by the first quarter of 2026.
The Park Lane Group, operating as Garfield Mills LLC, bought the 97,000-square-foot mill building, which has sat unused for decades, for $239,000 in 2019.
The company, with the aid of a $1 million state brownfield remediation grant, began cleaning the property about eight months ago. Lazarus said the former factory was rife with contaminants, including lead-painted walls and chemical-laden caulk in window sealants.
“But we’re in good shape and are enormously excited for the next steps,” Lazarus said.
In addition to the state’s contribution, the city has also extended its support in the form of a $2.16 million tax break agreement approved by the City Council in October 2023.
Garfield Mills will pay an annual tax bill of $20,000 for the first four years of the 20-year agreement during the construction phase, with those amounts increasing by 2.5% annually in most subsequent years.
The city currently collects about $20,000 in annual taxes from the building and 3.5-acre site but officials anticipate that figure will jump significantly after its redevelopment.
If the mill site remained unused, the city could expect to take in $510,893 in taxes from the property over a two-decade period. But that figure leaps to $1.3 million when the project, with its anticipated $4.8 million assessment, is completed, Finance Director David McBride previously said.
The city, in exchange for signing the agreement, will get a new housing complex expected to spur economic improvements in the surrounding area.
The mill, also known locally as the Faria Mill, is located in the city’s Tax Increment Financing Garfield Mills District, an incentive zone created by the council in 2022 that allows a portion of any increase in tax revenues from rising property values to be set aside for infrastructure improvements in that area.
Under that plan, 50% of tax revenue realized by increases in assessed value in the district will be “recycled” back into the neighborhood for various improvement projects, including new sidewalks, parks and lighting, with the remainder funneled into the city’s general fund.
Felix Reyes, the city’s director of planning and economic development, described the former mill – and the surrounding block – as an almost textbook case of blight.
“It’s been a long, drawn-out process with the remediation at that brownfield site, which was a factory for a long time,” he said on Friday. “But it’s encouraging to hear they plan to start construction in the near future.”