Vineyard Wind names Bridgeport location for headquarters and Park City Wind staging area

Luther Turmelle

Officials with wind power project developer Vineyard Wind announced Wednesday the company has selected office space at 350 Fairfield Avenue in Bridgeport to serve as its Connecticut headquarters and has leased space at Barnum Landing to use as a construction and staging area as its Park City Wind project takes shape.

The announcement by New Bedford, Mass.-based Vineyard Wind, which is a joint venture between a subsidiary of Orange-based Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, represents the first tangible step toward the 804-megawatt project becoming a reality. The Park City Wind project is slated to be built 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard.

Sy Oytan, Vineyard Wind’s deputy chief executive officer, said the project “can help transform Bridgeport’s waterfront into a hub for a new and growing industry... By taking important steps like this today, we can lay a larger foundation for the jobs of tomorrow.”

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said the headquarters opening in Bridgeport “represents some of the best examples of what we’re doing at the state level to invest in our cities and make our state a leader when it comes to our climate.”

“These investments will lead to good jobs and cleaner energy,” Lamont said in a statement. “It’s an exciting moment for Bridgeport and our state’s future.”

Bridgeport Mayor Joseph Ganim said the project will “offer immediate labor opportunities for our work force as they employ men and women in the construction trade at their Barnum Landing location.”

“We look forward to a ribbon cutting and welcome Vineyard Winds Headquarters to their new downtown offices,” Ganim said in a statement.

Park City Wind’s Connecticut headquarters will be home to more than a dozen employees focused on project development, community outreach and workforce development. The formal opening of the office is expected to occur sometime this summer.

Barnum Landing is a 15-acre piece of land located at 525 Seaview Avenue. It will be used during the construction phase of the Park City Wind project for storage and assembly of the portion of the wind turbines that anchor the body of the machines to the steel foundation.

The three-acre port location will serve as an operations and maintenance hub for the wind farm after the completion of the construction phase is completed. Vineyard Wind officials expect Park City Wind to have a lifespan of more than 20 years.

The Park City Wind project is expected to generate an estimated $890 million in direct economic development for Connecticut.

Torrington City Council members question school building project changes

Emily Olson

TORRINGTON — School building committee members overseeing the new middle-high school project want to renovate the old high school gym instead of building a new one, and that decision is troubling to City Council members.

The consternation became clear as City Council members discussed the change to the $159 million school building project, which was approved by voters in November 2020.

Councilman Paul Cavagnero said the city has a responsibility to the taxpayers to do the project as it was first proposed and approved.

Cavagnero said changing the project so early in the design process deserved more explanation.

The project hasn’t “even begun and there’s some complication to the plan,” he said. “We’re such a sports-minded town, and there was going to be a sports center and a new gym. I would like to hold someone’s feet to the fire to hear an explanation.”

But the change could save Torrington nearly $1 million, according to school building committee chairman and district Business Manager Ed Arum. Arum said this week that a final decision has not been made on keeping the old gym, but that “it is rather likely.”

“The footprint of the new gym fell right on top of the footprint of the existing gym,” he said. “Additionally, the state parameters for a completely new building would significantly reduce the size of the gym and the seating capacity.”

He said by renovating the gym. the savings could total $974,000.

“It is not a final decision until the complete school design is done,” Arum said.

Torrington chose Construction Solutions Group LLC of East Hartford as the project construction company. CSG will be in charge of the construction of the new middle-high school and central office administration at 50 Major Besse Drive, and will oversee demolition of the old high school building.

The building committee’s design team recommended that the gym be renovated instead, Arum said.

“Renovated means everything but the structural steel and the concrete slab would be removed,” he said. “Every wall, all the electrical, mechanical, plumbing etc. will be removed. Once it is completed, it will be 100 percent new except the steel and concrete slab.”

“The design team explained the options, the cost savings, etc., and the committee voted to follow their recommendation,” Arum said. “There has been no final decision, but it is very likely.”

But Cavagnero said, “voters approved this project for education, and I’m looking at this from an education standpoint.”

“I want to know who the decision maker is, who’s deciding this,” Cavagnero said. “This is poor project management ... I have a certain level of expertise. We need to step up and say we’re keeping an eye on this and we’re paying attention as to who’s making decision, up the line.”

Councilwoman Ann Ruwet agreed, saying that the City Council was “only invited” to three building committee meetings. “I have great concern, and I agree with Paul,” she said.

Councilwoman Sharon Waagner, who is serving on a building project subcommittee to discuss a Planned Labor Agreement that would make the building project available to local unions, was also concerned. “We promised the taxpayers we’d build this, and the plans are already changed,” she said. “We definitely need to hear why.”

Discussion on a Planned Labor Agreement for the building project has been ongoing. The subcommittee, with a membership of City Council and building committee members, have heard testimony from local residents who work in the building trades and a representative from non-union organizations. Waagner said the building committee is expected to make a presentation to the City Council on options for a PLA.

“The cost is the cost,” Waagner said. “Voters approved the cost as well as the presented plans. I want the best option for staying on budget and bringing 21st education to all students. In addition, the state-of-the-art school and program will draw more families to our community, (with) potential for economic growth. The give and take of good discussion with all of the facts is important. We cannot go to the table without hearing and asking questions.”

The school building committee is scheduled to meet Thursday May 20, at 5 p.m. Visit torrington.org for a link to the meeting.

Contamination adds nearly $2M to Fairfield berm project

Katrina Koerting

FAIRFIELD — The cost of a berm and pumping station project is now expected to cost triple the original $3 million budget, due in part to contamination found in soil during excavation of the site, officials said this week.

The latest increase to the project is expected to total nearly $2 million, bumping the entire cost to $9.6 million.

The town will pick up about $2.27 million, which includes the entire $1.88 million increase. The Water Pollution Control Authority will cover $3.7 million and grants will cover $3.63 million.

This is not the first increase the project has faced since funding was first approved back in 2015. The cost had already more than doubled in 2019 and further increased in 2020.

The project came about in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy when the wastewater treatment plant on Richard White Way almost flooded and the town realized it needed to protect it from future storms.

Contaminated soil was found during the excavation phase after construction began in January 2020.

“That needed to be remediated and dealt with,” said Jared Schmitt, the town’s chief financial officer. The contamination there isn’t connected to the fill pile scandal, though the precautions the town now has to take there are.

“When the fill pile issue emerged, the regulating agencies became involved and consequently, everything and anything we did down there became scrutinized,” said John Marsilio, the acting public works director. “There’s no choice anymore as to what we have to do.”

He said they’ve already increased testing in other parts of town.

Selectman Thomas Flynn said the fill pile scandal expanded the scope for projects across town, adding an additional level of scrutiny.

“The fill pile issue has raised the level of testing and raised the bar in all of these issues,” he said. “We have to be extra cautious.”

The contaminated soil at this site dates back to the 1940s, back when this type of fill was allowed. The issue was compounded in the decades after with wastewater from industrial sites going to the treatment plant from the 1950s to 1970s. During that time the discharge was processed and the sludge placed near the plant, according to town documents.

Work was paused when the contaminated soil was found so more testing could be done and the town could get direction from the Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, officials said.

“These findings contributed to the extremely costly methods the town now had to proceed in order to complete this critical project,” according to town documents.

This includes excavating, handling and disposing the contaminated soil, as well as modifying the landscaping. The work also requires more traffic control and the delay meant increased consultant fees.

The authority is now handling 62 percent of the non-grant costs and the town is handling 38 percent. Prior to the most recent allocation, the authority was handling about 91 percent and the town was responsible for 9 percent, or $385,000.

Schmitt said the town picking up the whole increase made sense because there are town assets that are also protected by the project, including the regional fire training school and animal control center. Putting the full burden on the authority would also affect rates and some board members felt the split should be even back when it was first approved.

“We thought this was fair,” he said.

The selectmen authorized bonds for the costs this week.

Ørsted and Eversource announce partnership with local fishermen

Greg Smith

Joint-venture partners Ørsted and Eversource, the companies working with the state on a $235 million overhaul of State Pier in New London, have announced a collaboration with Waterford-based marine services provider Sea Services North America and its partner fishermen in Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York.

Ørsted says the agreement marks the first time an offshore wind developer and a commercial fishing consortium have signed a substantial commercial contract in the history of U.S. offshore wind.

The partnership, Ørsted and Eversource said in a statement, supports scouting and safety work — safe navigation in and around the companies’ planned Northeast offshore wind farms projects, including the 704-megawatt Revolution Wind project serving Rhode Island and Connecticut, the 132-megawatt South Fork Wind serving Long Island and the 924-megawatt Sunrise Wind project serving New York.

“We believe strongly that offshore wind can coexist with all ocean users, including the region’s commercial and recreational fishing fleets,” David Hardy, chief executive officer of Ørsted Offshore North America, said in a statement. “Our expanded collaboration with Sea Services will help us as we strive to achieve that coexistence, with the valuable support from fishermen who know the area’s waters best.”

Sea Services North America was co-founded by Waterford attorney Gordon Videll and Gary Yerman, the founder and owner of New London Seafood Distributors in New London.

Separately, Ørsted also has begun discussions with Sea Services to expand this scope into its Ocean Wind and Skipjack Wind Farms, serving New Jersey and Maryland respectively.

Yerman, who serves as the fleet manager for Sea Services of North America, said the concept is to coordinate with the fishing industry and offshore wind for the benefit of all parties. He said the partnership will give fishing fleets more opportunities for work during slow periods.

“It’s a great concept where they’re using the knowledge of a lot of fishermen who have been working in these areas ... and a chance for the wind farm companies to capitalize on that knowledge,” Yerman said.

Over the last year, Sea Services’ fishermen have provided scouting vessels and monitoring services to assist Revolution Wind’s project research vessels in locating and avoiding fishermen’s gear during pre-construction marine surveys. Some of the work had included fishermen from New London Seafood.

“Our partnership with Ørsted and Eversource not only ensures enhanced safety and protection of the ocean environment, but also will support the region’s economy by creating new jobs and providing an economic opportunity for our fishermen,” Sea Services CEO and co-founder Gordon Videll said in a statement.

“When our vessels and crews are not fishing, we will be providing Ørsted and Eversource with 24/7 monitoring of all designated wind project assets, as well as monitoring and education for vessels traveling in designated areas. As wind farms mature grow, so will opportunities for the Sea Services consortium,” Videll said.

Matt Ritter’s urban revitalization pitch is based on UConn renewal program

Keith Phaneuf

The transformation of the University of Connecticut’s crumbling infrastructure into a vibrant, modern campus began when legislators gave the flagship institution top priority when it came to state borrowing.

Now House Speaker Matt Ritter wants to repeat the success of UConn 2000 with Connecticut’s poorest urban centers.

The Hartford Democrat this week unveiled a plan to reserve hundreds of millions of dollars in annual borrowing — possibly as much as $2 billion over the next decade — to invest in both infrastructure and programs to make Connecticut’s cities vibrant.

The proposal also is designed to break down gridlock between Gov. Ned Lamont and the legislature’s Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee over how best to assist some of the state’s most vulnerable communities.

 “There’s no question that people remember the program, remember what it did for UConn,” said Ritter, whose father, Thomas Ritter, was House Speaker when lawmakers launched the university’s rebuilding program in 1995.

Rather than compete every year for a share of the annual bond package — billions of dollars in proposed borrowing distributed among municipal school construction, state building maintenance, economic development programs, open space and farmland preservation and other programs — UConn had its separate financing program for the past two-and-a-half decades.

Legislators carved out a similar priority-borrowing plan for the regional state universities and community colleges in 2007.

And Ritter said that Connecticut’s urban centers, which were overwhelmed by poverty, oppressive property taxes and few economic opportunities even before the coronavirus hit them hard last year, have a “critical need” that deserves no less focus.

The goal is “to continue an annual investment of funds, both for infrastructure and investing in people and programs,” Ritter said, “not subject to the highs and lows” of the annual budgeting process.

Financing for the higher education capital programs typically is approved for eight years at a time or more. And while it has occasionally been adjusted mid-stream in very difficult economic times, governors and legislatures traditionally have not tampered with those initiatives once set in motion. Borrowing is a tool Connecticut and most other states use frequently to finance capital programs over multiple years.

But Ritter also has a political reason, as well as a pragmatic one, for looking to the state’s credit card.

Lamont and progressive Democrats on the tax-writing finance committee have been at odds for more than a month on urban assistance.

The committee, and Senate chairman John Fonfara in particular, has been pushing for a series of tax hikes on the wealthy and on large corporations to finance major investments in cities and also pay for an expanded state income tax credit for Connecticut’s working poor.

Fonfara, a Hartford Democrat, said he envisions a program that not only invests in capital projects but provides cities with revenues to support core services like health care, affordable housing and economic development.

But Lamont said he wouldn’t sign a state budget based on the tax hikes recommended by the finance panel. The governor, a Greenwich businessman, has said repeatedly that he opposes raising state taxes exclusively on the wealthy, arguing it would prompt them to flee the state.

The governor’s response to the pandemic largely has been financed with federal aid, while the state’s own fiscal reserves have swelled over the past year.

At a press conference earlier this year, Fonfara said the nearly $3 billion in federal funds that the state government will receive over the next two years through the American Rescue Plan Act, “substantial as they are, are not sufficient nor sustained to address the system challenges we face as a state.”

Connecticut’s cities have suffered for decades, Fonfara said, adding that “the status quo policy will produce status quo results.”

Ritter, who hopes to achieve middle ground, said his plan might not require as much in new taxes as Fonfara sought, though the speaker also was careful not to take any finance committee proposals off the table.

Ritter said his plan could easily be modified into a hybrid program that invests both borrowed dollars and revenue from new tax hikes to revitalize the cities.

And while the Lamont administration declined to comment, the speaker was optimistic all sides could find common ground.

“We’ve compromised some, but we also need him [Lamont] to meet us,” Ritter said.

The speaker’s proposal quickly drew endorsements from members of the General Assembly’s Black and Puerto Rican Caucus.

“I don’t care if it’s bonded money or money [raised] on taxes,” said Sen. Douglas McCrory, D-Hartford, who said he doesn’t want Connecticut to squander another opportunity to reverse racial inequalities in education, health care, housing and economic opportunity that have festered for decades.

 “That’s why we’re here today in 2021 with the same issues we had in 1968,” he said.

Rep. Geraldo Reyes, D-Waterbury, co-chairman of the caucus, noted the pandemic led the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates in 2020, making borrowing more affordable than it’s been in many years.

But both Reyes and McCrory said that even if legislators don’t tackle tax reform this year, it’s a debate that can’t be postponed forever.

“I also feel the burden is on the middle class,” Reyes added. “I believe the rich can pay a little more.”