Lamont: 'Extraordinary' new Norwalk High School is part of CT's 'secret sauce'

Kalleen Rose Ozanic

NORWALK — Through tears, state Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff said he is proud to be a Norwalk High School alumnus as he and other officials ceremonially broke ground on the school’s replacement.

“Hold your chin up and say it with pride,” Duff said, recounting how his late band director, Jeff Smith, told students to be proud of their hometown. “We will always be proud to be from Norwalk.”

Duff said he was especially proud at the groundbreaking Monday morning for the new Norwalk High School, a project for which he worked to earn 80 percent state reimbursement of the costs.

Mayor Harry Rilling and Superintendent of Schools Alexandra Estrella both described the high level of reimbursement as “unheard of" as they stood amid large excavators, mounds of dirt and metal beams at the rear of Norwalk High School, next to the turf field.

With that reimbursement rate, Norwalk’s taxpayers will be responsible for $47.8 million of the $239 million project's cost.

The city’s commitment to developments in its housing, transportation and education creates a desirable hub in Norwalk, Gov. Ned Lamont said at the ceremony.

“I think Norwalk gets it right,” the governor said.

With a new school in a developing city, Lamont said he hopes the "extraordinary school" will produce “amazing graduates who stay in Connecticut and make their home in Connecticut.”

Education is the state's "secret sauce" to developing the "most productive workforce in the world," he said. 

Lamont said that he is already seeing Connecticut’s appeal in action. A local real estate agent echoed that sentiment last summer: Norwalk is a hot city to move to.

“I think people are voting with their feet,” Lamont said. “They're coming to Norwalk, aren't they?”

And when more families move to the city, the new Norwalk High School and P-TECH campus will help educate those students, he said.

The school district anticipates that the new campus will accommodate over 2,000 students in the 332,628-square-foot space.

The new combined NHS and P-TECH campus will offer 56 classrooms, eight fewer than the current school. P-TECH will have 19 classrooms, one more than now, although the district’s website states that there are other expansions of educational spaces in the plans.

The new campus will include “an additional two computer science labs, eight small group/seminar rooms, four project areas and six breakout spaces which are not included in the general classroom count,” according to the project’s website.

The new campus will be leaps and bounds beyond the capabilities of the current campus, Estrella said.

Estrella said she is looking forward to “so many things” at the new school, but said the prospect of “having a state-of-the-art facility that would align to the instructional program that we are building around (future readiness) and being able to really have these spaces that are adequate to make that come to life” is preeminent.

Three senior students also spoke at the ceremonial groundbreaking, expressing their gratitude and excitement for a new campus.

They said they were only a little peeved that they won’t get to attend classes on the new campus — although none of the school’s current students will, given that the construction project is slated for completion in time for classes in fall 2027.

One of the student speakers, Christian Pierre, 17, was recently admitted to Harvard University, Yale University and Stanford University, among several other prestigious institutions, to study environmental engineering. 

“We have students who work hard and this has been coming for a while now,” Christian Pierre said.

Another NHS senior, Kiera Cunniffe, 18, who will attend the University of Wisconsin to study kinesiology in the fall, said the new campus will offer a wealth of opportunities for students.

“I can't wait to come back and visit,” she said. “I know that all the students are going to have a great place to learn.”

Future students will have new educational tools to bolster their experiences, said Aaron Charles, 17, a P-TECH senior.

“The new facilities and technologies will actually just be the best for what the students really need,” Aaron Charles said.

All three students groaned about the outdated school and its limitations, with constant roof leaks and poor WiFi connectivity topping their lists of complaints.

Duff provided other shortcomings in the school, which was completed in 1971: poor security features; HVAC systems that produce mold and leave some spaces overly cold or hot; a lack of ADA accessible spaces; and classrooms that only have two outlets, among a

The new school will alleviate the headaches on the current campus, Rilling said.

“It's going to be the envy of the state of Connecticut,” the mayor said. “It's going to be a state-of-the-art school.”

The new school will be constructed where the Testa Field Complex is currently located. A new athletic facility will be built on the site of the existing school, which will be demolished, according to the project website. 

Several new tenants, restaurants announced for Stone Bridge Crossing in Cheshire

Luther Turmelle

Several more new tenants that will be part of the retail component of the Stone Bridge Crossing mixed use development have been identified, Andrew Martelli, the town's director of economic development and grants, said Monday.

The latest tenants committed to be part of The Shops at Stone Bridge include upscale furniture retail Saybrook Home, Choice Pet and two restaurants that are part of the stable of brands operated by the Marketplace Hospitality Group, Martelli said. The two restaurants are Mercato Italian Kitchen & Bar as well as Market Place Kitchen & Bar.

Mercato has restaurants in Southbury, Canton and Shelton. Market Place has locations in Danbury, Avon and Shelton.

The owner and operator of the retail complex, Florida-based  Regency Centers, announced in February that The Shops at Stone Bridge would be anchored by upscale grocer Whole Foods Market and discount retailer TJMaxx.

Whole Foods has 11 stores in Connecticut and is nearing completion of another supermarket in Stamford. The Cheshire Whole Foods store is one of two in the development pipeline, with the other being proposed in Old Saybrook.

T.J. Maxx has two dozen Connecticut stores.

Since Regency Centers' initial announcement in February, Starbucks and two other restaurants, Birdcode and Chipotle, have been confirmed as tenants of the Shops at Stone Bridge.

Saybrook Home has stores in Old Saybrook and Glastonbury. Keith A. Bolles, president of Saybrook Home, said he has been eyeing the possibility of opening a Cheshire store for some time.

"Ever since the Furniture Barn in Cheshire closed, I've been thinking about it," Bolles said of the 2019 closing of the high-end furniture retailer that was located on West Main Street. "Nobody moved in to fill the void and the type of suppliers they had was very similar to ours. With a Whole Foods in this new location, we think it will be very attractive place to be."

Choice Pet is a Norwalk-based pet supplies and accessories chain with 19 stores, 14 of which are located in Connecticut.

"The tenants that have been identified thus far speak to the quality of the center and its ability to attract to consumers," Martelli said. "This retail center will attract customers from all over the region, not just Cheshire."

The residential component of Stone Bridge Crossing includes a 300-unit apartment complex as well as high end townhouses and condominiums. Martelli said 25 of the townhouses sold in 2023 and had an average sale price of $567,000.

Sale prices for the townhouses ranged from $434,000 to $725,000, he said.

Hartford HealthCare to use $150M in new debt financing for systemwide facility upgrades

David Krechevsky

Hartford HealthCare will use up to $150 million in new debt financing to fund significant upgrades at its various hospitals and a new proton therapy center it’s developing in Wallingford in partnership with Yale New Haven Health.

The debt is being issued through the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority (CHEFA), a quasi-public state agency that issues tax-exempt bonds and debt on behalf of nonprofit institutions.

CHEFA is involved in most debt issuances by Connecticut hospitals, whether they are traditional public bond offerings or private placement deals with banks.

Since nearly all Connecticut hospitals are nonprofit organizations, they have access to tax-exempt debt issuances, which makes borrowing cheaper and more affordable.

CHEFA’s board of directors in December voted unanimously to approve Hartford HealthCare’s financing request, which includes two separate direct placements with Morgan Stanley, according to CHEFA and HHC.

One direct placement of up to $35 million is expected to close by the end of April, HHC said, and will be used to help finance the planned proton therapy center, which is slated to be built in Wallingford, at 932 Northrop Road.

Yale New Haven Health, Hartford HealthCare and Proton International announced in April 2022 that they secured final approval to build and open the $75 million Connecticut Proton Therapy Center, which will provide an advanced form of cancer radiation treatment.

There are just over 40 proton therapy centers in the U.S., but none in Connecticut. The closest centers are in New York and Massachusetts.

The partners originally planned to open the 25,000-square-foot facility sometime in 2025, but that timeline got delayed by the pandemic, hospital officials have said.

Their new goal is to break ground on the project in the coming months and have it completed in 2026.

Another direct placement of up to $115 million closed in January, HHC said, and will be used to finance equipment purchases and property upgrades at Hartford HealthCare’s seven hospitals and other facilities.

The planned funding allocations, records show, will include:

Up to $80 million for Hartford Hospital, which has 867 licensed beds.

Up to $20 million for Backus Hospital in Norwich (233 licensed beds).

Up to $20 million for the Hospital of Central Connecticut in New Britain (446 licensed beds), the Bradley Memorial campus in Southington and Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute in New Britain.

Up to $15 million for St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport (520 licensed beds).

Up to $10 million for Windham Community Memorial Hospital (144 licensed beds).

Up to $10 million for Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington (122 licensed beds).

Up to $10 million for MidState Medical Center in Meriden (156 licensed beds).

Up to $8 million for HHC Medical Group, with locations throughout the state, including Avon, Bridgeport, Bristol, Cheshire, Derby, Enfield, Farmington, Glastonbury, Guilford, Manchester, among others.

Up to $1 million for medical offices in Stamford, Trumbull and Fairfield.

Hartford HealthCare didn’t provide specific details about the new equipment purchases or types of facility upgrades it is planning.

However, in a statement to the Hartford Business Journal, Hartford HealthCare said its hospitals and healthcare systems face growing demands, so it is “making the necessary ongoing investments in the latest equipment that will allow our acute-care campuses to continue providing communities with world-class care at the most affordable cost.”

It added that the joint venture with Yale New Haven Health to develop the proton therapy center in Wallingford “will allow us to provide leading-edge, innovative treatment options for patients and further enhance the quality of cancer care in the future.”

Hartford HealthCare in fiscal year 2023 reported nearly $6 billion in operating revenue and an operating surplus of $96.6 million, according to data from the Office of Health Strategy.

HHC reported an overall surplus of $134 million in fiscal year 2023, and total long-term debt of $1.4 billion, according to OHS data.

Vineyard Offshore Submits Proposal For 1,200 MW Offshore Wind Project In New England

T&D World Staff

Vineyard Offshore, an offshore wind development company, has submitted a proposal, Vineyard Wind 2, for a 1,200 MW offshore wind project to Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island responding to the New England states’ solicitation for up to 6,800 MW of offshore wind capacity.  

The proposal includes more than 200 letters of support from local officials, suppliers, and stakeholders for all three states to witness positive economic impact from the proposed project. It is also supported by an offshore wind tribal benefit agreement signed with the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.

The proposed project will deliver 1,200 MW of clean, reliable energy to the New England grid, enough to power more than 650,000 homes, beginning 2031. It will also avoid 2.1 million tons of CO2 emissions per year across the region, equivalent to removing 414,000 cars from the road, as well as improve air quality and reduce pollution-related health costs and environmental impacts. 

The project will be located 29 miles south of Nantucket in lease area OCS-522, which is held by funds managed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), for which Vineyard Offshore serves as U.S. development partner.

Vineyard Offshore has proposed a comprehensive multi-state project to provide substantial investments in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, responding to the New England solicitation’s aim of creating cross-cutting regional economic impact. These investments include:

Offshore construction in Salem, MA: Salem Offshore Wind Terminal will be the staging site for wind turbine installation, providing union jobs and boosting an emerging offshore wind workforce and supply chain on the North Shore.

Foundation components in Providence, RI: Vineyard Offshore plans to source secondary steel components for foundations, internal and external platforms, boat landings, etc. from Riggs Distler, working at its current operation in the Port of Providence (ProvPort) or at a new site being developed in East Providence, utilizing union labor and regional subcontractors.

Grid interconnection in Montville, CT: Export cable from Vineyard Wind 2 Wind will make landfall in New London and interconnect with the New England power grid in Montville, employing hundreds of union workers for construction of the onshore cable route and substation.

Operations and Maintenance in New Bedford, MA: Operations and Maintenance (O&M) for the completed offshore wind facility will be located at the New Bedford Foss Marine Terminal, providing long-term jobs and strengthening the city of New Bedford, which is currently hosting construction of Vineyard Wind 1, as a regional hub for the offshore wind industry.

The project will generate approximately $2.3 billion in direct expenditure and 3,800 job-years of employment across New England, with over $1.5 billion realized in Massachusetts, along with 80% of regional employment. 

Electricity market impacts and other benefits of about $4.8 billion over 20 years from adding 1,200 MW of offshore wind to the New England grid include $600 million from reduced wholesale electricity market rates and avoidance of winter price spikes.

It will also provide up to $37.5 million in directly funded initiatives to promote an inclusive offshore wind workforce and supply chain, position the region as a global climate innovation lab, address energy burdens in low- and moderate-income households, and advance regional research efforts in fisheries and the environment.

“Our project will deliver more than $2 billion in economic benefits, create opportunities for workers and local businesses, and build on partnerships with local governments, organizations, and institutions across all three states, and we have the local support to show for it,” said Vineyard Offshore CEO Alicia Barton. “By making effective use of ports, facilities, and interconnection points throughout the region, Vineyard Wind 2 offers the most economic project configuration possible while delivering economic benefits for all three states.”