CT Construction Digest Tuesday May 24, 2022
State Pier Costs Continue Upward as Port Authority Officials Race to Meet March Timeline
HARTFORD – As the cost to redevelop the New London State Pier continues to escalate, lawmakers are being asked to approve another $20 million in bonding to fund the project – which now carries a price tag of $255.5 million.
Hailed in 2019 as a $93 million project to redevelop the pier into a hub for offshore wind construction – with the offshore wind partnership of Eversource and Ørsted paying $57.5 million of the cost – the state’s investment now stands at $160.5 million, and the State Bond Commission will decide Thursday whether to approve another $20 million in funding.
The cost of the project has increased repeatedly since it was first announced in 2019 – jumping to $157 million after a redesign to accommodate the Cross Sound Ferry, then to $235.5 million as officials said the design was completed. The cost of the project was most recently estimated in March at about $250 million – an increase blamed on permitting delays that sped up the construction timeline.
Asked what caused the increase to $255.5 million, and if that was the guaranteed maximum price of the project, Connecticut Port Authority spokesman Andrew Lavigne said the Authority’s board would be discussing the price at its meeting at noon on Tuesday.
State Rep. Holly Cheeseman, R-East Lyme, the lone lawmaker of the Bond Commission who represents a part of southeastern Connecticut, said she was concerned that the price continued to increase after she was assured there would be no need for additional funding.
When the Bond Commission approved an additional $55 million for the project last April, Cheeseman pushed then-Office of Policy and Management Deputy Secretary Kosta Diamantis to say that $235.5 million was the “actual figure” for the project – which Cheeseman said she understood to mean the cost would not go any higher.
Cheeseman said she has not heard an explanation behind this request for $20 million in additional funding, and said she was interested to hear the reasoning from Gov. Ned Lamont and his staff at the Bond Commission meeting on Thursday.
“I find this very worrying,” Cheeseman said. “I understand there are supply chain problems, but to receive repeated assurances that there will be no need for additional funds, and to have that not be the case, I don’t think it shows good stewardship, good oversight.”
Cheeseman said she understood that Eversource and Ørsted might not want to contribute more than they originally agreed to, but she said that could have been a conversation to have considering the companies have been “fairly flexible” in working with the Port Authority on the project.
She noted that the companies did not pull back any of their contribution to the project, even though they could have withdrawn their support as permits were delayed last year.
But she said the project seemed to be an “ideal use” for federal infrastructure funding, and that U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm’s visit to the State Pier on Friday highlighted the commitment of President Joe Biden’s administration to offshore wind.
“I know there are very strict guidelines from the Treasury on what the infrastructure funding can be used for,” Cheeseman said. “On the other hand, I would have thought [Granholm’s visit] was an excellent argument for demonstrating the federal government’s commitment to this kind of project, and perhaps a favorable view of using infrastructure money for just that purpose.”
Lavigne said the Port Authority applied for federal funds for the project in 2020 when Donald Trump was president, and was denied. He said that the current administration is more supportive of offshore wind, so the project might be more competitive for federal funding now, but the authority can’t wait for federal funding if State Pier is to be ready as a staging area for Eversource and Ørsted’s South Fork Wind Project in March 2023.
Torrington school project partnership ready to start building
TORRINGTON — Architects of the new middle and high school building project, approved by voters in 2020, are nearly ready to begin a three-year presence on Besse Drive this summer.
The S/L/A/M Collaborative, architect, working in partnership with city and Torrington Public Schools officials, Construction Solutions Group of East Hartford, and construction manager Torrington-based O&G Industries, said they expect to begin construction in October. But there’s a lot to do before the first shovel hits dirt.
Amy Samuelson, principle architect with SLAM, has been involved with the project’s development since her firm was hired in 2021. “It’s going to transform how the city educates its young people,” she said.
SLAM designers have worked with the public school district, the Board of Education and the school building committee throughout the design phase to ensure the learning environments and configuration of the new school will reflect the needs and expectations of the Torrington community. Designers also included some of the city’s industrial past as they planned the building.
The project originally was approved by voters in November 2020 for $159 million. In January 2022, voters approved adding an additional $20 million to the project. School building committee Co-Chairmen Mario Longobucco and Ed Arum came to the City Council in December 2021 asking for approval to add the $20 million, citing increased enrollment and rising costs for construction and materials.
The biggest challenge for SLAM, Samuelson said, was to design a 310,000-square-foot building that prioritized and balanced the district’s existing educational programs with the latest trends and innovation.
“For example, we’re providing an engineering lab, which is meant to complement what they already have,” she said. “Balancing new technology with what’s already there has always been a big part of this plan, while keeping reimbursement in mind. It’s always a balance.”
Another challenge, she said, is managing the project “to have room for a real, transformative design while keeping the old school up and running.”
“Right away this summer, people are going to see how we’re separating the construction zone from the high school, which will still be open, of course,” Samuelson said. “We’re rerouting traffic away from the buses, because we’re adding another layer of vehicles and traffic to the site. This summer, we’ll set it all up so when the students start school in the fall, they’ll be safe.”
The other big hurdle for SLAM and its partners is moving the middle school students to the new building once it’s completed.
“We had to keep in mind additional parking for middle school staff and faculty, and more room for their athletic fields,” Samuelson said. “The high and middle school students will share some of the fields, but we’ve been able to site additional fields on the property, once the old building is demolished.
“But it’s still a challenge, because we have to fit more than what was originally there,” she said. “So it’s not like other places, where we replace a building in kind. Its much larger.”
The combined middle-high school building will be constructed on the existing campus on the 31-acre Besse Drive property. The old building will stay open during construction and eventually will be razed.
“It will be up to the school district, and the middle school administration, to decide when the middle school students move in,” Samuelson said. “The high school will have to move out, but the middle school students are in their current building and it’s working fine for them. They might move the middle school in August 2025.”
Preparation of the area is expected this summer, including relocating utilities, and construction is scheduled to begin in October, with an opening date of February 2025, SLAM officials said. Demolition of the old building and construction of the new gym and athletic fields will begin in March 2025, with a planned completion date of January 2026, they said.
According to SLAM, the building has been designed with separate entrances and wings for a three-story middle school and a four-story high school. Those wings will be connected by shared facilities on the main floor — an auditorium and performance stage, two separate dining rooms, two gyms and support spaces for student athletes.
The middle school, according to SLAM, will have two STEM classrooms and a computer coding lab. Classrooms for grades 7-8 and some administrative spaces and support service offices will be on the two upper floors.
Torrington High School has a career pathways program that provides hands-on training opportunities for education, health and wellness, business, military/JROTC and STEM/technology. The project design includes additions to that program such as a culinary lab, health classrooms and a sports medicine-athletic trainer room. In addition, the school will include various new learning areas for special education students.
Other program improvements in the new building are an automotive shop, construction technology lab and an engineering lab; a 480-seat auditorium with a courtyard; a band room for up to 125 people for high and middle school students, and orchestra, chorus and music technology spaces; as well as video production, art and ceramics labs.
“The industrial and performing arts culture of Torrington was an inspiration for our design,” said Julija Singer, AIA, design principal, SLAM. “We enjoyed working with the community and sharing their passion for designing spaces for students where exploration, openness, and creativity will flourish. The new building is a place that offers that and much more.”
Central administration offices will be located on the fourth floor of the high school wing and will have a separate entrance. Those offices now are housed in a building on Migeon Avenue.
SLAM Communications Director Marie Bonelli sees the new high school as a landmark for the city.
“It will be like a flagship,” she said. “I think people will have a sense of pride in it.”
Samuelson said she is confident about the timeline established by SLAM and O&G Industries. “O&G controls the construction schedule, and I think it’s accurate to assume that a building of that size can go up in 30 months,” she said. “When we say ready for occupancy in February 2025, that’s when the high-schoolers will move into their new building, and then they’ll tear down the old one.”
Factors including the economy, supply line challenges and the rising cost of living all will play a part in the project.
“We’re hoping for a crystal ball, but we don’t have one,” Samuelson said. “The economy is unpredictable right now. ... We’re designing, and keeping tabs on everything. We’re hoping for the best.”
Officials: Norwalk Hospital plans $250M expansion, but hasn’t yet submitted zoning application
NORWALK — Norwalk Hospital has announced the facility’s largest expansion ever — worth more than $200 million — but has not yet submitted its plans to the city’s zoning department, officials said.
Last summer, Nuvance Health, which owns and operates Norwalk Hospital, announced plans for a $220 million expansion of the hospital, with an emphasis on the facility’s maternity services.
This month, a New Canaan couple donated an additional $20 million to the project. The total estimated cost of the project is about $250 million, according to a hospital statement.
To construct the seven-floor, 188,000-square-foot addition, the hospital plans to demolish the Tracey and community pavilions, which were constructed in 1918 and 1953. The new pavilion will be located at the southeast corner of the hospital campus.
With hundreds of millions invested and plans for the new facility to open within four years, Nuvance has yet to apply with the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission to acquire permission for construction to commence.
Norwalk Hospital spokesperson Amy Forni confirmed that while hospital administrators have met with city officials, the application hasn’t been submitted.
“Our planning, design and construction team has met with all the city departments to review the plans,” Forni said. “They will be submitting final construction plans for final review and approval.”
The hospital staff met with at least six departments and agencies from the city to discuss the project, Forni said.
“As with any other large project, we have had preliminary discussions with public works, fire, zoning, water department, WPCA and TMP to gather information, so the project, applications, plans and reports meet or exceed various standards,” Forni said. “This project will be thoroughly vetted by these departments and others, and by the Planning & Zoning Commission, once a formal submission has been made.”
Forni did not specify when the hospital intends to submit the project plans.
The new building is anticipated to open in winter 2025, according to the project announcement.
As of last week, no project proposed for Norwalk Hospital was listed on the Zoning Department’s database of approved and pending developments.
Norwalk spokesperson Michelle Woods Matthews said a meeting between city officials and hospital representatives occurred four months ago. Woods Matthews was also unaware of when Nuvance plans to submit the hospital expansion application.
“Staff members of the city met with members of the Norwalk Hospital, including Peter Cordeau, president of Norwalk Hospital, in early February for an update on the timing and plans,” Woods Matthews said. “Norwalk Hospital let the city know they would be submitting something to Zoning shortly. We're unsure of when the hospital plans to submit the zoning application materials, but expect it in the near future.”
Woods Matthews said the city is looking forward to the Norwalk Hospital expansion.
“We are supportive of having a world-class medical facility in Norwalk and are excited to see what they propose,” she said.
Hartford, Waterbury, New Haven, New Britain and 41 additional “historically underserved” communities in Connecticut can now apply to an $875 million state grant pool for community investments.
The taxpayer-funded “Community Investment Fund 2030” could help eligible municipalities and their economic development agencies pay for infrastructure upgrades, brownfield remediation, public facilities, new affordable housing and small business assistance programs.
Application materials are available now and are due by July 25 for a first round of funding that will distribute up to $75 million. The investments – to be paid through future state bonding – must win approval from a 21-member review board, then the governor and, ultimately, the state Bond Commission.
“Our administration is continuing to make historic investments in improving the economic vibrancy of our neighborhoods, with a focus on helping those that have been historically underserved gain access to good-paying jobs and benefits,” Gov. Ned Lamont said through a release. “The Community Investment Fund 2030 is another way that we are encouraging impactful development and small business support for areas of Connecticut that have been left behind for too long.”
The minimum grant request is $250,000. There is no upper limit.
Thomas Hyde, CEO of the Naugatuck Valley Regional Development Corp., said the fund is exciting because it offers the prospect of getting enough money to finish a brownfield cleanup through a single round of funding and work.
Traditional state brownfield grants provide up to $2 million, often not enough to clean up massive industrial sites in Waterbury that were abandoned by metals manufacturers decades ago.
That has left Waterbury to clean as far as eligible moneys allow on some sites, then halt to wait for more funding.
New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart said her community will apply any grants received toward transforming its most needy neighborhoods. Her administration is eager to learn more about the process.
“The influx of opportunities for funding quality of life projects for Connecticut’s municipalities could be transformative for our future,” Stewart said.
The fund will be administered by the state Department of Economic and Community Development and overseen by a 21-member board co-chaired by House Speaker Matt Ritter (D-Hartford) and Sen. President Pro Tempore Martin Looney (D-New Haven).
“These capital funds will be critically important for projects, especially in urban areas that have infrastructure needs that haven’t been adequately met for some time,” Looney said. “They’ll also be a benefit to nonprofits and municipalities.”
Ritter described the eight-year grant program as “a major priority.”
“This funding can be a driver of transformational economic change and growth in communities across Connecticut,” Ritter said.
In addition to promoting economic or community development, projects must be designed to further consistent, fair, impartial treatment of all individuals, including those belonging to underserved and marginalized communities, including people of color, religious minorities, rural residents, members of the LGBTQ+ community and people impacted by poverty and inequality.
Additional information and application materials can be found at portal.ct.gov/communityinvestmentfund.