Amtrak builds permanent pier at Eagle Landing State Park in Haddam

HADDAM —A new pier at Eagle Landing State Park in Haddam is now open for anglers, nature lovers, and other members of the public to enjoy scenic views, fishing and more.

Built by Amtrak and owned by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the permanent pier provides an alternate fishing location while the Ferry Landing pier / boardwalk in Old Lyme is closed to make way for Amtrak’s construction of a new Connecticut River Bridge between Old Lyme and Old Saybrook, according to a press release.

Construction is underway to replace the 118-year-old bridge with a modern, moveable bridge that will improve the customer experience by eliminating delays, providing faster journeys, and modernizing another critical infrastructure asset that benefits the entire Northeast corridor, the statement continued

With construction of the new bridge underway, the Ferry Landing pier / boardwalk is now closed.

It is one of several passenger rail investments underway in Connecticut, including the WALK Bridge Replacement in Norwalk, Devon Bridge repairs in Milford, new stations in Windsor Locks and Enfield, and more projects led by the state Department of Transportation.

The new pier resulted from feedback Amtrak solicited from the public and state/federal agencies during the environmental review phase of the bridge project.

The park is located at 14 Little Meadow Road, Haddam. 

Once the new Connecticut River Bridge is in service and the old bridge has been demolished in 2029, Amtrak will build a new and improved, fully accessible 1,000+ foot long observation deck and stairway at Ferry Landing State Park that would open in 2030/2031.

The new Ferry Landing Pier/Boardwalk will upgrade the overall experience for everyone, featuring a 50% wider walkway with improved accessibility, a location slightly west of the existing site that will provide anglers better access to deep water, and stronger, more durable concrete piles for more support compared to the wooden piles used for the original structure.

New $19 million headquarters for Wilton Police Department faces construction delays

Erin Kayata

WILTON — Construction of the new Wilton police station is now slated to finish at the end of the year, with communication issues on the work prompting a delay of the $19 million project.

The contractor, A. Secondino & Son Inc. of Branford, has asked about a completion date in the fall, Department of Public Works Director Frank Smeriglio said at a recent meeting. The town has not yet approved that nor discussed the implications of a later finishing date, he said.

But DPW Assistant Director/Facilities Manager Jeff Pardo said the new police station is more than 50% complete and will likely take even longer than Secondino predicts.

“I’ll be completely honest with you: I think September, October is a long shot,” Pardo said at the Board of Selectmen meeting on April 22. 

“I don't see it happening. I think they'll be closer to November, December. ... Who knows, maybe they do get it done. I just don’t see that happening. There’s so much work to do,” he said. 

The original schedule called for the project to be done this summer, but there is still work to do on the roof and the interior, where 90% of the sheetrock is up but is not ready for paint. The windows are still covered in plastic.

Wilton broke ground on the nearly 19,000-square-foot new building on an 11.17-acre site near the current police station in October 2023. 

Pardo said a lack of communications with the staff he’s working with at Secondino has led to delays on the project.

“One of the major issues I've found … this super does not like to hold coordination meetings,” Pardo said. “I don't know why. I've asked for them, trades have asked for them. He doesn't want to hold them. It’s poor communication.”

Despite the consistent work force on the site, he said the lack of coordination has resulted in delays. For example, two workers will show up in the same place, Pardo said. The electrician came in to install conduits before work was complete on the sheetrock, he said. 

“If you had coordination meetings, you’d have all that figured out and everyone would know where they’re going to be,” Pardo added.

Pardo said he’s tried to express his concerns and talk to the project manager from Secondino, but the project manager shows up only to virtual meetings “maybe once a month” and never walks through the building.

“It’s not a good thing,” he said. “I’ve never had a project manager not walk through the building.”

The architecture firm, Tecton, has also not been present frequently and has only done walk-throughs every two weeks, Pardo said. Their drawings also lack information Secondino needs, and Pardo said going back to them for more information prompted further delays.

“I hate to say this publicly, but I’ll say it: the drawings are very vague,” he added. “They were incomplete. That should never have gone out to bid. It’s a battle every day.”

The cost of the project is also subject to change, Pardo said. The contractor has only billed for about 50%, and it’s not always clear from their requisitions if it is charging for work that's already done.

“(I told them) I can't let you bill for something that's incomplete,” Pardo said. “If you're 75% complete with a certain item, I can't let you bill more than that. … That’s one of the battles I have every single month. Things are just very vague, but that’s the way they want to do the requisition.”

The discussion on the project will continue at the May 20 meeting in executive session because they involve contracts, First Selectwoman Toni Boucher said. 

“We want to put pressure on them, but we want to do it right,” she added. “Not fast, but right.”

The current police facility, which was built in 1974, is considered too small, outdated and in poor condition. The new building will offer double the amount of space to accommodate a much larger police force than when the current building was constructed, along with many modern features.

Deputy Police Chief Robert Cipolla echoed the sentiment, saying the force is OK where they are — for now.

“We just want the building to be done right,” he said. “We’re comfortable where we are now. We’re excited for the new building when it’s done but I don't see any real negative implication from an operational standpoint if its delayed.”

Major improvements coming to Fontaine Field thanks to the state's Community Investment Fund

Matt Grahn

Norwich is one step closer to turning the Rose City Senior Center and the nearby athletic areas into the RecPlex.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont visited Norwich Friday to recognize the $5.1 million in state funds from the Community Investment Fund (CIF) 2030 program that was announced in March, and the city officially got two weeks ago.

The lion’s share, $4.9 million will go toward improving Fontaine Field and its accessibility to the neighboring Rose City Senior Center. Another $250,000 will go toward redevelopment plans for the Norwich portion of the former Norwich State Hospital.

“I’m so happy to be here and see the continuing progress here in Norwich,” Lamont said. “Hang tough; I love what you’re doing.”

The Fontaine Field work could start as soon as the week of April 28, and will be finished by the end of 2025. Fontaine Field will be closed in the fall, and alternate arrangements are being worked on with the schools and permittees, Norwich Human Services Director Kate Milde said.

CIF 2030

In this round of CIF funding, round six, $77 million was awarded to 35 projects in 21 municipalities. Over the life of CIF, the site has given $500 million in grants to 171 different projects across Connecticut, Department of Economic and Community Development Deputy Commissioner Matt Pugliese said.

“This is a transformational investment in our communities,” he said.

However, the state receives $1 billion in CIF requests each year, Lamont said.

Master plan

Transforming Fontaine Field has been a priority for Norwich Human Services for a few years. Work on Fontaine Field will include replacing the field with synthetic turf, adding spectator stands, enlarging the parking area, and adding accessible walkways to the senior center, Milde said.

The Fontaine Field improvements will lead to twice as much usage, due to fewer closures in the future. The city can also host more athletic events there, which will bring people in from neighboring towns and help the local economy, Milde said.

“This is the final piece of the puzzle to make this area fantastic,” she said.

This work relates to other work Human Services has done in that part of the city, from improving accessibility to the pavilion at Fontaine Field to adding pickleball courts and restoring the Armstrong Tennis Court, Milde said.

As a coach for Integrated Day Charter School and Kelly Middle School, State Rep. Derell Wilson sees the value in improving Fontaine Field. Also, as his special needs siblings visit the field, there needs to be more spaces in the city with handicapped accessibility, he said.

“It really shows that we are focused on not only economic development, but the quality of life of every single person in the City of Norwich, and around the State of Connecticut,” Wilson said.

Norwich State Hospital

The 49-acre Norwich portion of the former Norwich State Hospital represents an untapped opportunity. Improving the site would help both Norwich and The Mohegan Tribe, which has worked on redeveloping the Preston side of the property into the Preston Riverwalk for many years now, Norwich Mayor Peter Nystrom said.

What’s next?

Norwich still has plenty of projects that would benefit from CIF money. This includes apartments and the pocket park on lower Broadway, the Occum Industrial Park, and the proposed Norwich Police Station in the Chelsea Groton Bank building, State Senator Cathy Osten said.

Nystrom is thankful for Lamont encouraging the state to invest into municipalities, he said.

“A governor who invests in municipalities that are looking to lift themselves up and bring resources themselves; that’s a governor you can believe it,” Nystrom said. “That’s a governor who believes in us.”

The state will start accepting round seven applications on Monday, and will be due in early June, Puglisse said.