Manchester library grows beyond budget, with schematic estimated at $53.6 million

Joseph Villanova

MANCHESTER — The town's "21st century library" has grown in cost — and size — since voters approved the project over a year ago.

Residents approved a $39 million bond referendum in November 2022 for a new main library branch to be located at 1041 Main St., intended to help revitalize Main Street while modernizing and expanding the town's offerings beyond the cramped Mary Cheney Library at 586 Main St. At the time, town officials said the state had already committed some funding to the project.

Work continued on the project in 2023, with an architect selected in August and design work and public input beginning shortly after. The town also applied for grants, including for as much as $9.5 million from the state Community Investment Fund.

In total, Manchester has secured $5 million from a federal treasury grant, $1.5 million allocated from American Rescue Act Plan funds, and $500,000 from the state legislature.

Most recently, state representatives for Manchester announced Tuesday that $3.5 million had been secured from the Community Investment Fund for the project, bringing the total funding to $49.5 million.

A presentation from the Library Building Committee to the Board of Directors last Tuesday had estimated the schematic for the project at roughly $53.6 million, leaving the budget roughly $4.1 million short.

Town Manager Steve Stephanou said Wednesday that increased estimated construction costs are a major contributor to the higher price tag, with supply chain issues and inflationary pressures across the building industry. 

Stephanou said the planned size of the library has also grown since design work began in an effort to keep with Manchester's growing population.

"Best practices for library size are 0.75 to 1.25 square feet per capita," Stephanou said. "In Manchester, with a 60,000 population ... our original estimate figured anywhere between 60,000 and 70,000 square feet. The current building design is at 75,000 square feet, which is to accommodate for future growth of the community."

Mark Sedensky, pre-construction manager with O&G Industries, said last Tuesday that the company will continue to generate estimates as the project design is developed further. He said O&G Industries, the architects, and town officials will work through "value management ideas" to help get the project within the budget.

"We'll fine-tune as we move forward," Sedensky said.

Stephanou said Wednesday that the Library Building Committee has looked at possibly pulling back the size to fit the funding, as even a "5 to 10 percent reduction" would bring the estimate in line with the budget.

"It is important to note that we are close enough with available funding that no matter what reduction options are considered by the Library Building Committee, the Manchester community will have the 21st century library it deserves," Stephanou said.

Director Zachary Reichelt, one of the members of the Library Building Committee, said last Tuesday that his major concern is trying to get the project within that budget, but he is optimistic about the end result.

"The more I work on this project and the more I see the pieces coming together ... I think it's a good building," Reichelt said.

The Board of Directors voted unanimously to formally express support for the Library Building Committee's design and decision making on the project, regarding both the interior and exterior of the building.

Director Dennis Schain, another member of the Library Building Committee, said the presentation marked "a really critical moment in the life of this project, and the perfect time for the board to express its support."

Sedensky said he expects the library will go out to bid this summer, and begin construction in mid- to late October.

Stephanou said Wednesday that the town is still working with Webster Bank on transitioning to a new location, but the hope is that construction will begin by the end of the year and completed after 15 to 16 months.

"Assuming no unanticipated challenges, which can happen with any project of this size and complexity, the current anticipated opening is the first part of 2026," Stephanou said.

Plainville residents to vote on $61M middle school renovation project

Ciara Hooks

PLAINVILLE — Residents will decide on a $61 million middle school renovation project when it heads to referendum on Tuesday. 

The vote is on whether to approve the total budget and authorize the issuance of bonds and notes to finance the portion of the project not covered from grants.

While the total estimated cost of the project is $61,913,393, the estimated local cost to the town is $25,712,663. This is due to the project meeting the state's "renovate as new" criteria, making 65.36 percent or $40,466,593 of the project cost eligible for reimbursement.

Participating in this state reimbursement program allows the local taxpayers to use state-wide funding dedicated to improving educational facilities.

The referendum will be held on March 19 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. with voting taking place at the Plainville Firehouse.

The Middle School of Plainville Building Project will include upgrades such as a secure entrance with updated camera and communication systems; Classrooms designed for programs related to STEAM (Science Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) and Visual & Performing Arts; Sports fields; Physical education facilities and equipment; Media Center/Library; Roofing, windows, doors, HVAC, and mechanicals.

With these extensive upgrades the renovated Plainville Middle School will have an overall enrollment per the updated enrollment projections of 554 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students.

The Academic Core Programs will be housed in approximately 25,121 square feet. The classrooms will each be approximately 665 square feet in size for a total of 12,635 square feet.

The development of these educational specifications were in collaboration with Superintendent Steven LePage and Plainville Middle School administration and staff.

A Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Condition Report was done as well. With a few exceptions the building's mechanicals were found to be the original and was estimated to no longer be operating efficiently.

Plainville Middle School building was built in 1992. While the main structure is masonry and in good condition, the infrastructure and most of the building’s original components are not. There is also a lack in fundamental needs in most of the programmatic spaces such as security, technology, power distribution and quality building controls.

The Plainville Board of Education commissioned a facility study of the school back in August 2021. The board selected Construction Solutions Group, (CSG) which, in turn, hired Antinozzi Associates to assist with certain aspects of the study.

The district contemplated making all the repairs over the next 5-7 years but has determined that approach would be inefficient, expensive and highly disruptive to the educational program. Consequently, the recommendation of the consultant was for the district to apply for a school construction grant to renovate the building “as new."

In May 2022 the BOE approved that option to move forward to the Town Council. After a series of meetings and public hearings the referendum will now being voted on. If approved, the project is expected to be completed in the fall of 2028.

Could expanding Abbott Tech help ease overcrowding at Danbury High? Student demand is high

Michael Gagne

DANBURY — As the local school district grapples with surging student enrollment and overcrowding at Danbury High School, local leaders have considered whether expanding Henry Abbott Technical High School could help resolve the issues. 

Expansion is possible, according to the leader of the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System, which oversees Abbott and 16 other technical high schools statewide. However, several factors need to be considered — including the costs of construction and additional staffing — if that were to become a reality. 

“It costs millions of dollars to expand space, to buy property to expand and build space, or to build from new,” said Ellen Solek, CTECS’s executive director. “So those dollars are distributed throughout the state of Connecticut.”

The technical high school system receives “solid support” from Gov. Ned Lamont, whose “initiative around workforce development translates directly to what we’re doing,” Solek said. But the statewide school system isn’t the only recipient of state funding. 

“We know that is not a never-ending funding source for anyone,” Solek said. 

Staffing is the “most expensive line item” in the CTECS budget, she said, and expanding the program would require additional staffing. 

Abbott Tech towns

Henry Abbott Technical High School is located in Danbury and has students from 20 different towns.

Those towns are: Bethel, Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Brookfield, Danbury, Easton, Kent, Middlebury, Monroe, New Fairfield, New Milford, New Preston, Newtown, Redding, Ridgefield, Roxbury, Sherman, Southbury, Washington and Woodbury. 

It is part of the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System. 

In the Danbury area, data from CTECS leaders suggests there is high demand from students to enroll at Abbott Tech. More than two-thirds, or about 440, of the 615 students whose families applied for a seat next fall will go on the waitlist, according to data reported by CTECS.

Abbott Tech’s four-year graduation rates consistently rank among the highest across the system. For the 2021-2022 school year, the most recent year reported, 98.8 percent of Abbott Tech students who entered four years earlier graduated on time. 

Abbott Tech principal Kevin Durkin attributes those graduation rates to students’ dedication. 

“They’re committed to being in the culinary program or any of the other 11 shops that we have here. They make a commitment to the program,” Durkin said. 

Danbury is the largest of the more than 20 municipalities Abbott Tech serves, with New Milford as the second largest. In comparison, Danbury High School’s graduation rate for the 2021-22 school year was 80.8 percent, according to the most recent state data. 

Auto collision repair, advanced manufacturing and other workforce training

Last Tuesday morning, students in all 12 of Abbott Tech’s trades were either working on their shop floors or receiving theory instruction related to those trades. In its automotive collision repair and finishing shop, students wore goggles and gloves as they repaired dents and buffed out scratches from damaged car doors and fenders — preparing them to be refinished. 

Several vehicles, including a motor boat, motorcycles and a Nissan Murano with a partly caved in roof, sat on the shop’s floor. That roof, along with the SUV's heavily damaged front end, windshield, siding and rear were evidence that it had rolled over multiple times in a crash. 

Shop instructors explained that students will not be tasked with repairing the unsalvageable vehicle. However, they will do a forensic study of it — assessing its frame, airbags and other safety features, to learn how those features helped prevent injuries in the accident. 

Elsewhere in the school, culinary students in its Thyme Cafe prepared meals for lunch, an offering that included multiple salads, strawberry cheesecake, stuffed French toast and brick oven pizza. 

In precision manufacturing, students were engaged in theory instruction before they would head out to the shop’s computer numerical control lathe and milling machines.

Leaders acknowledged that industry demands for a skilled workforce outpaces local enrollment. Still, there are opportunities for students to gain experience on job sites through Abbott Tech’s work-based learning program, which Durkin said is available to juniors and seniors.

The majority of those businesses are local to Danbury and Abbott Tech’s other sending communities, Durkin said. As a sign of the program's success, many of the students are later hired by the companies they are placed at after graduation. 

“The vast majority continue with the company they’re hired with from work-based learning,” Durkin said. 

For example, in automobile collision repair, there is “absolutely” a need for employees, instructor William Pavlinksy said.

“We’ve met with several vehicle shops and everybody keeps asking for employees,” Pavlinsky said. 

On this day, students were learning about the components of refinishing equipment, in particular spray guns and their components.

Students in the shop start out learning the manufacturing trade using manual lathes and milling machines. Then they move over to computer numerical control machines — similar to the ones used in the advanced manufacturing industry. 

Manufacturing instructor Tim Mills explained that students learn the basic uses of the manual machines and then learn programming with the computerized machines, which are capable of carrying out “more advanced and more intricate work” that can’t be done with manual machines.

The advanced manufacturing industry has a high demand for skilled workers, Mills said, with two-dozen companies looking to hire Abbott Tech graduates. “It’s a good time to be in manufacturing,” he said. 

"I think not enough parents know how valuable our state technical high schools are"

But even with high graduation rates and trade credentials, not all graduates will enter the trades they study at Abbott Tech, school leaders acknowledged. Many will go on to further their education in other fields. 

CTECS leaders seek feedback from its business and industry partners, executive director Solek said, so that its schools “can stay relevant and current with trades and skill sets that are most valuable to those businesses and industry partners.” CTECS leaders also seek input from local leaders. 

For example, Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves and Connecticut Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz recently toured the high school. Solek said the trio discussed the city’s needs, including educational ones, over the next five years. 

“So we can offer programming that is most relevant to their needs,” Solek said.

Bysiewicz, in a recent interview with Hearst Connecticut Media, described Abbott Tech as an “impressive” school, which affords its students opportunities for not only immediate employment, but also for post-secondary learning opportunities. Through partnerships, potential employers can help finance the students’ community college education while they are employed, for example, she said. 

Leaders are asking how workforce programs like the school can be expanded, because they are needed, Bysiewicz said. 

“This is an opportunity to earn while you learn,” Bysiewicz said. 

“I think not enough parents or students know about how valuable our state technical high schools are, in terms of providing really great training,” she said.

The purpose of the visit, Alves said, was to highlight what he called a “great program” and to start the conversation about what can be done to expand Abbott Tech. 

Adding seven to 10 classrooms to its capacity — and serving potentially another 150 students — would help the community, he said. 

“Those kids are really bright, they are really motivated,” Alves said. 

The jobs in the trades that students learn, whether it be carpentry, heating, ventilation and cooling, hairdressing, health technology, and other fields, are not going to disappear, he said. 

The mayor promised more conversations about growing the programs such as at Abbott Tech. 

“That alleviates pressure on local schools and increases our workforce,” he said.

354-unit Stamford development on Long Ridge Road gets OK from Planning Board

Ignacio Laguarda

STAMFORD — The latest proposal to convert an empty office complex on Long Ridge Road into a multi-unit residential development got the unanimous approval of the Planning Board Tuesday night, but not before some members voiced concerns about the size of the project.

"I think four stories is a little out of character with this area," said Theresa Dell, the chair of the Planning Board.

Developer Building and Land Technology wants to convert a four-story office building on a 25-acre site into a 354-unit residential complex at 800 Long Ridge Road. The development would include 618 total parking spaces, spread out over existing surface lots and an underground garage. The project also includes about 9,400 square feet of commercial space.

Fellow member Michael Totilo echoed some of Dell's comments.

"I'm concerned about the height of the buildings themselves and density," he said, later adding, “I'm just not sure at this point that we’re trying to put too much into this area."

The project to demolish and replace the current building at 800 Long Ridge Road — a four-story, 300,000-square-foot structure that was built in 1978 and served as the corporate headquarters for the Xerox Corporation from 1996 until 2006 — has rankled some nearby neighbors as well.

Many have already sent in letters to the Planning Board in opposition to the proposal, arguing that it is too big and inappropriate for the site.

However, the city's own master plan, developed in 2015, calls for redeveloping underused office space into mixed use projects.

“The proposed project is clearly aligned with these implementation strategies," said Lindsey Cohen, associate planner for the city.

Further, the Zoning Board approved a text change in 2021 that would allow multi-family housing on large commercial sites with a special permit.

Lisa L. Feinberg, partner for law firm Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey, representing BLT, said the 800 Long Ridge project conforms to the zoning requirements for the area.

“It’s also my firm belief that transitioning the site from a commercial use to a low density multi-family use is 100 percent appropriate for this area, and that’s exactly what is proposed here,” she said.

Board members Jennifer Godzeno and William Levin were seemingly more receptive to the project as proposed.

They each responded to suggestions from some neighbors that the site be comprised of townhouses instead of a large apartment complex. 

Godzeno argued that if the development were entirely comprised of townhouses, it would still roughly equal the same amount of units as the current proposal.

"A lot of the letters that we've gotten that have said, 'Couldn’t we do town homes?' have assumed that there would be fewer units and that it would generate less traffic," she said.

Building town homes on the site would also require a more sprawling footprint than the current proposal, which member Bill Levin was opposed to.

"The concept of town homes would require eliminating all vegetation on site and would be much more harmful environmentally and ecologically even with somewhat fewer units," he said. “I think this is a better solution to concentrate all the development where we already had pavement and development for the last 40 years."

The board approved the project with two requirements: that additional sidewalks be added to the project and that the commercial use be limited only to a use that services the residents.

A public hearing with the city's Zoning Board will be scheduled at a future date.

The city's Zoning Board rejected the residential conversion of an office park at 900 Long Ridge Road about three months ago.

That project was the first to test Stamford's regulations allowing residential conversions of office parks. It called for the creation of 508 apartments and commercial space to replace two four-story office buildings, but some board members felt it was too large for the area.

The proposed development at 800 Long Ridge would be spread across two main structures that would have parking underneath. One building will include an outdoor pool. In total, the complex would contain 186 one-bedroom units, 148 two-bedroom units and 20 three-bedroom units.

The below-market-rate requirement is 10 percent, so the developer proposed providing 35 of the units at 50 percent of the area median income. 

Stamford Awarded $17M as State Wins $21.8M to Reconnect Communities Split by Legacy Infrastructure

Gregory Stroud,

STAMFORD – Connecticut has received $21.8 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation as part of an effort to boost communities that fail to thrive because they are cut off by highways, rail lines and other infrastructure.

Most of the federal money to Connecticut, $17 million, has been awarded to Stamford, where it will be used to connect the struggling West Side to the prosperous downtown and growing South End. The aim is to ease travel from the West Side to downtown jobs, bus transit, shopping, services, and recreation.

The city will use the construction grant to expand the Mill River Greenway from Tresser Boulevard to the Metro-North Commuter Railroad tracks, and to create a safer trip for pedestrians crossing Tresser Boulevard, Greenwich Avenue, and Richmond Hill Avenue on their way to the train station and South End. 

The next-highest of the six grant awards went to the Connecticut Department of Transportation, which received $2 million to begin engineering and environmental review for the Greater Hartford Mobility Study. The plan is to correct the city divide created by Interstate 91, and build connections between downtown Hartford and surrounding neighborhoods, install a pedestrian boulevard along the Connecticut River, and construct a bridge to East Hartford.

The third-highest award, $1 million, went to the Western Connecticut Council of Governments to support a regional transit study that will look at the reasons for low ridership on public transit and increasing road traffic. Inadequate transportation service has been identified as a barrier to economic development and travel to outlying towns such as New Milford and Newtown, and connections to city hubs such as Bridgeport and Waterbury. 

The Borough of Naugatuck got $652,800 for planning its Eastside-Westside Community and Rail Mitigation Project. Aims include connecting Metro-North Commuter Railroad to downtown Naugatuck, and improving access to the Naugatuck River Greenway Trail and Route 8. A pedestrian bridge is planned for the Naugatuck River. 

The Norwalk Redevelopment Agency received $600,000 for planning a community connection project in the Martin Luther King Jr. Corridor in South Norwalk. The goal is to better connect 

the corridor to South Norwalk, Wall Street, and the rest of the city. The area is challenged by busy junctions that include Interstate-95 and Route 7, and the plan is to use art, lighting and landscaping to ease traffic and make pedestrians safer. 

The Connecticut Metropolitan Council of Governments got $600,000 for its Gateway to the East End Study in Bridgeport. Officials are seeking ways to connect the East End, which is split in two by a portion of Interstate-95 and cut off from downtown and Bridgeport Harbor. 

The grants come from the U.S. DOT’s Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods program, which in fiscal 2023 awarded $3.3 billion to 132 communities nationwide. 

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the grant recipients Wednesday. The grants were established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which President Biden signed in 2021.

The grants are to be used to plan or build transportation projects that improve access to jobs, education, health care,  food, and recreation; foster economic development in disadvantaged communities; and reconnect neighborhoods by removing barriers created by roads, highways and other transportation structures.

The five-year Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods program began in fiscal 2022, when $185 million was awarded to 45 U.S. communities, though none in Connecticut.

Federal DOT officials have characterized it as “the first-ever federal program dedicated to reconnecting communities that were previously cut off from economic opportunities by transportation infrastructure.”

Requests for grant money have “greatly outpaced the level of available funding,” the U.S. DOT said in a statement.

Five grant requests from Connecticut, in fact, were not granted, according to the U.S. DOT website:

The City of New Britain asked for $12.5 million for construction of a neighborhood access and equity project.

Bridgeport sought $22 million for construction of a Congress Street bridge project.

The Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments requested $3.2 million to plan a project that would connect neighborhoods to stimulate economic revitalization.

The City of Bridgeport requested $1 million to plan a neighborhood access and equality project.

The Town of Winchester sought $320,000 to plan a similar project.

To qualify for a planning grant, communities had to show how the anticipated project would improve traffic patterns, transportation networks, safety, health, mobility, development opportunities, and public engagement, and employ alternative road designs.

Construction grants, such as the $17 million that went to Stamford, were awarded to communities that completed studies and planning needed to launch a project.

According to a summary of Stamford’s application, officials sought to ease movement across Interstate-95, the railroad tracks, South State Street, and Mill River. 

The project would allow residents to safely cross such barriers “and improve access to employment centers, education, transit, parks, and other community destinations,” Stamford officials wrote in the application. Barriers include a 3,000-foot gap in the greenway through Mill River Park, they wrote.

The project will expand the Mill River Greenway between Tresser Boulevard and Metro-North rail tracks, building a 12-foot-wide path with lighting. It will enhance pedestrian safety by upgrading sidewalks, raising crosswalks, building bump-outs to slow traffic, and improving traffic signals and signs, they wrote.

Stamford Director of Operations Matt Quinones said Wednesday that the grant application was processed through the city’s Transportation, Traffic & Parking Department, and submitted a few months ago.

“Thanks to this award, we will launch a comprehensive design and construction process within the West Side of Stamford to enhance green space, improve connectivity, and invest in pedestrian safety improvements,” Quinones said. “We’re grateful for being the recipient of a 100 percent federally funded grant, and look forward to engaging the West Side community” in deciding details of the plan.

Over 1 million-square-foot warehouse proposed in Plainfield. What we know

Connor Linskey

Plainfield Pike LLC wants to build a 1,253,914-square-foot warehouse along with associated parking and drainage in Plainfield. 

The space would be located at 143-151 Plainfield Pike Road and house a Uline warehouse. Uline is a company that distributes shipping, industrial and packaging materials throughout North America. 

Scannell Properties originally received approval to build a 1 million-square-foot warehouse at 143-151 Plainfield Pike Road in 2022. Plainfield Pike LLC purchased the property in August 2023 and now has to seek approval to build a larger warehouse there. 

“We had purchased property from Scannell and intend to expand it for our growing business and to better service the community and surrounding areas in the Connecticut and New England markets,” Tony Ferro, senior construction project manager at Uline, said to the Plainfield Planning and Zoning Commission at a meeting Tuesday night.

Currently, Uline’s closest warehouse to New England is in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The company wants to build a warehouse in Plainfield to better service its customers in New England and fulfill its promise of next-day deliveries. 

Ferro said the Plainfield warehouse would bring 200 jobs to the area the day it opens, with about 170 of them being filled locally. He said the facility would provide 400 full-time positions long term.

“We bring good-paying jobs with full benefits, tuition reimbursement, full medical,” Ferro said. 

Next steps 

Plainfield Pike LLC will seek approval to build the Uline warehouse at the Plainfield Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission meeting on Tuesday, March 19, and then request a site plan review at the Plainfield Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on April 9. A construction timetable has not yet been set.