April 11 CT State Bond Commission Agenda Click Here

CT eyes borrowing hundreds of millions for housing, marina upgrades, trans-Atlantic flight and other economic development efforts

Michael Puffer

The state Bond Commission, on Friday, will consider borrowing $680.7 million for a laundry list of economic development and other initiatives.

Housing is a leading theme, with officials set to borrow $192 million for various development and maintenance programs.

The state Department of Housing is up for $135 million for its “flexible housing program,” a key initiative to partner with developers, municipalities and nonprofits for the creation of affordable housing.

Another $5 million is being requested for forgivable loans to repair properties purchased through the state’s “Time to Own” program. Another $50 million would be funneled through the state’s “Build for Connecticut program,” which aids development of middle-income and “workforce” housing.

Friday’s agenda includes funding for a host of economic development efforts.

Hartford, for instance, is up for $5.4 million for a cleanup of a roughly 33-acre abandoned junkyard along Bartholemew and Flatbush avenues. This “Danny Corp.” site is owned by the city and has attracted tentative interest from possible users, but no private entity has been willing to tackle the deep expense of environmental cleanup, according to Hartford Economic Development Director Patrick Pentalow.

While the proposed state funding is unlikely to be enough to fully remediate the site, it would help move development efforts forward, Pentalow said.

“We are hoping we can clean it to industrial or commercial standards, and that would get us some interest (from developers),” Pentalow said.

There’s also  $1.36 million in revenue guarantees for Aer Lingus to ensure the airline continues its direct flight out of Bradley International Airport to Dublin, Ireland through 2026. 

Some additional proposals on the agenda include:

$5 million to subsidize “business and industrial development corporations,” which are small, private lenders that serve minority and women-owned businesses in underserved areas.

$19 million for building, safety and grounds repairs and upgrades at 12 community colleges, Charter Oak College and central offices.

$11 million for building and grounds upgrades at state college and university campuses, with most funding targeted at Eastern Connecticut State University and Western Connecticut State University.

$10.35 million for upgrades to various marina, dock and boat launch facilities in coastal communities.

$77.39 million to fund various obligations made by the state Community Investment Fund program, including redevelopment of the Enfield mall site.

Waterbury redevelopment projects to get $5.3M for downtown makeover, brownfield cleanup

Paul Hughes

WATERBURY — The State Bond Commission is poised to approve $5.3 million to support two ongoing redevelopment projects in Waterbury that figure prominently in the city's revitalization plans.

The agenda for the upcoming meeting Friday includes $4 million that the Community Investment Fund Board approved March 12 for funding the third phase on an ongoing project to transform the streetscape along West Main Street. In all, the CIF board approved $77 million for development projects across the state.

The bond commission is also slated to reallocate $1.3 million remaining from previously approved funding for the expansion of electric and
water capacity at Captain Neville Industrial Park to instead support the continued cleanup of the former Anamet brass manufacturing complex abutting the Naugatuck River on South Main Street.

Gov. Ned Lamont chairs the bond commission and his administration selects which allocations to fund, so an item's inclusion on the panel's agenda is generally tantamount to approval.

State legislators representing the city and Mayor Paul K. Pernerewski Jr. said the $4 million state grant for West Main Street project represents a crucial step toward revitalizing the downtown district, enhancing infrastructure, spurring business growth and attracting private investment in Waterbury.

“This funding will revitalize the downtown corridor with improvements to sidewalks, lighting, and roadways, creating a safer and more accessible environment for everyone,” said state Rep. Ron Napoli, D-Waterbury, the House chairman of the General Obligation Bonding Subcommittee of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee and a CIF board member.

The state funding will enable construction crews to upgrade approximately 4,440 linear feet on the street and underground, including water, sanitary, sewer, and storm drainage. 

The city will also be using some of a $23.1 million federal RAISE grant to support this work. The Federal Highway Administration approved the city's grant in 2022. The Waterbury Development Corp. and the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments assisted the city in applying for the RAISE grant, including $9.8 million requested for the West Main Street project.

The remainder of the federal funding is supporting the continued development of the Waterbury section of the Naugatuck River Greenway and the installation of three electric vehicle charging stations at the Waterbury train station.

The state and federal funds are being spent to redevelop West Main Street between Riverside Street and the Waterbury Green in the heart of downtown.

In addition to improving the city's appearance, Pernerewski said the West Main Street project will also make Waterbury more accessible, safer, and ready to support future growth.

West Main Street is a short but much-used corridor that connects downtown Waterbury with parts of the city that are on the west side of the Naugatuck River, but its condition and design present challenges for motorists, pedestrians, cyclists and transit users, according to planning documents.

The biggest component of the project is reducing the number of travel lanes on West Main Street to one through lane of traffic in each direction and making the road a uniform width. Other design features include a bus stop pull-off, a bicycle shared lane from Riverside Street to the railroad bridge, a green strip on the south side of West Main Street between Thomaston Avenue and the railroad bridge.

Brownfield cleanup at former Anamet site ongoing

The last round of state bond funding for the Anamet redevelopment project was approved in 2021, when the bond commission approved an additional $2 million allocation to the Waterbury Development Corp. for completing the demolition of remaining buildings on the former industrial property and further investigating the extent of contamination on the brownfield site. 

The WDC is the designated economic and community development agency for the city of Waterbury.

The WDC had received a $2.1 million bond allocation in 2022 to increase the supply of needed electricity and water to Captain Neville Industrial Park, but only spent $800,000 because bids for the project contract were significantly lower than anticipated, said James Nardozzi, the WDC executive director.

"The job has been successfully completed," he said.

The bond commission is expected to approve a request to reallocate the remaining $1.3 million to WDC to support the continued environmental cleanup of the Anamet property, which dates back to 2017.

Nardozzi said the extent of the remediation and the final cost will depend on the ultimate use for the site, and the redevelopment project's timetable, too.

"If it is going to be another industrial use that would cost a lot less than if was going to be a residential use or a school," he said. "It is all dependent on the final use."

How much longer the redevelopment project takes to complete is also contingent on the level and timing of funding, Nardozzi said.

Duffy defends DOT grants pause, pledges not to hold up projects

Julie Strupp

Lawmakers pushed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to speed up federally funded infrastructure projects in a recent Senate Environment and Public Works Committee meeting, as they begin developing the next multiyear Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill.

The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act added about $550 billion over baseline funding levels and included a five-year reauthorization of federal highway, transit and other infrastructure programs that is set to expire at the end of September 2026. That funding infusion helped improve the condition of U.S. infrastructure, but ongoing support is needed to maintain progress and meet new challenges, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers.

No one put forward a dollar amount for the next Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill in the April 2 hearing, although those who testified seemed to agree on the importance of infrastructure.

“Infrastructure is not partisan,” Duffy said. “We all use roads and bridges in blue and red states, and I’m committed to making sure we have a nonpartisan view as we move money.”

Concerns over grant review

Several senators asked Duffy about the status of infrastructure projects in their home states and why some already-approved projects are frozen while agencies review them for mentions of climate change, environmental justice or equity. President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 “Unleashing American Energy” order halted disbursement of IIJA and Inflation Reduction Act funds while federal agencies examine projects for compliance with his policy agenda.

Since assuming office, Duffy has authorized a series of actions to advance Trump’s directive to “rescind woke policies” and slash regulations. Last month, the U.S. DOT rolled back a Biden-era policy that included environmental and social considerations for projects it funds. Duffy testified that he is complying with the will of Congress in pulling them from federal grants.

“If you’re putting on additional requirements with regard to green or social justice, well that drives up the cost of a project. That takes a project a longer timeframe in which to complete,” Duffy said.

Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said in the hearing that some projects that were held up in his state due to the review are now proceeding. However, Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California said some of his state’s projects are still frozen, and Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said the review has caused “significant disruption” to some of the state’s infrastructure efforts, such as the 22nd Street Bridge replacement in Tucson. 

The transportation secretary said money that has been obligated is continuing to go out, but repeatedly emphasized that the DOT has a historic number of signed projects — currently about 3,200 — that are awaiting grant agreements. 

“Grant agreements are the work. I will get through that, but it will take me some time,” Duffy said. “We’re expeditiously moving through those grants and making sure we have funding for that which has been awarded.”

Duffy did not say whether grant awards that are not yet finalized could be rescinded, but promised to enact the will of Congress when it comes to funding infrastructure: “I’m not going to hold up any projects.”

Permitting changes ahead?

Several Republican members focused on issues with the project permitting process and claimed that environmental rules such as the National Environmental Policy Act can cause delays. Duffy agreed, saying these regulations have become a “weight around our neck as we try to build infrastructure.”

“We are going to work on NEPA reform in this administration,” Duffy said. “I think there is bipartisan support to do reform in this space so we can move projects faster and more cheaply.”

When Sullivan asked Duffy if he would support legislation that would exempt bridges being rebuilt in the same spot from NEPA review, Duffy responded, “100%.”

Duffy also expressed support for shifting regulatory power for projects from the federal government to states in order to speed up the building process.

“What is important for the [Transportation] Department is to streamline the process for the states, to take off as much weight as possible so they can build faster and spend more time turning dirt and less time doing paperwork,” Duffy said. “We’ve been trying to move more authority to states, because they move projects faster than have happened when going through the federal government.”

Meriden mayor strikes down senior center renovation plans in two tie-breaking votes

Mary Ellen Godin

MERIDEN —Mayor Kevin Scarpati recently used his tie-breaking power to effectively kill two votes that would have started the center renovation on West Main Street, while protecting the city's authority to pursue a new build at 116 Cook Ave. 

Scarpati broke a 6-6 tie to vote against a Finance Committee recommendation to develop plans for 22-28 W. Main St. He also broke a 6-6 tie on a Health and Human Services Committee recommendation to reject the renovation.

Monday's votes eliminates any discussion about enlarging and remodeling a facility that Scarpati and other city officials have described as inadequate. 

About 30 members of the public, primarily seniors, weighed in on the matter prior to the City Council's vote. Most of the seniors spoke about the dangers of parking in lots across Hanover Street and trying to beat the traffic in the crosswalk. Van drop-offs on West Main Street also create hazards as the doors open into traffic. The 80-year-old building is a former department store on two and a half floors. 

About 75% of the speakers supported the new center on Cook Avenue even if it meant more money and more time.

Those who supported the renovation pointed to significant cost discrepancies between the price tags. The new build is estimated at about $35 million and won't likely begin until after 2027. The renovation is expected to cost $13 million and construction can begin next year.

Council members and the public had numerous questions about final construction costs, price per square foot estimates and the impact of the debt service on the city's budget. A vote to move forward on the renovation would have authorized city officials to secure 60% of the design plans in time to apply for a Community Investment Fund grant. 

The city is using about $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to repair the roof and walls at 22 W. Main St. regardless of the future plans for the building. It is also spending roughly $15 million on renovating the city's Health and Human Services Department on Miller Street. 

Details about relocating seniors during a renovation caught Scarpati and several councilors off guard, as city officials discussed using the Agusuta Curtis Cultural Center and Gallery 53 for some art classes. 

"We heard about mobility concerns to two different locations that I believe is woefully inadequate for any seniors," Scarpati said.

Demcratic Councilor Larue Graham broke with party ranks and voted with the more conservative council members. Despite jokes over it being an election year, Graham said he was thinking of all the taxpayers in the city and supported the lower cost option. 

"We have not retained a professional third party to do a full analysis of our options at 116 Cook," Scarpati said. "We need to put those decisions back in the lap of our City Council."

He also addressed the seniors and thanked them for once again coming out to express their needs to the council and vowed to work with the new grants originator, and engineers into "making 116 Cook Ave. a reality."

"We're listening to you but I don't know if our staff is listening to us," Scarpati said. "We know, it's dangerous, it doesn't fit your needs. You want a new senior center. We did it with our high schools, that is $30 million, $40 million to help bring that neighborhood out of the depression it's in, and is worth it."