With new owner, Norwalk Hospital promises ‘transformation’ with $220M tower project back on track

Rob Ryser

NORWALK — The new owner of Norwalk Hospital will provide expertise and much-needed capital to begin working on a delayed $220 million patient bed tower — an expansion and renovation plan that represents a “transformation” for the medical center.

“The new tower and the renovation of existing space that’s a part of that … is going to modernize the space that we provide care in,” said Michelle Robertson, chief operating officer at Nuvance – the Danbury-based health care system that officially merged with New York health care giant Northwell at the start of the month.

“Northwell … is leading-edge with their construction. We will definitely benefit from their expertise,” Robertson told CT Insider recently as several hundred people gathered outside Danbury Hospital to cut the ceremonial ribbon on the $22 billion Northwell-Nuvance partnership.

“And capital, yes, absolutely. (Northwell’s) investment in Connecticut … is definitely something that is going to be important,” Robertson said. “The partnership absolutely is going to enable us to move quicker.”

Robertson was referring to Northwell’s promise to invest $1 billion in Nuvance hospitals – in Norwalk, Danbury, New Milford and Sharon in Connecticut, and three more in New York’s Hudson River Valley. The seven hospitals and scores of outpatient sites in western Connecticut formerly run by Nuvance are now part of the largest health care system in New York.

Gov. Ned Lamont was among the VIPs at a ceremony on May 15 at Danbury Hospital to tout the Northwell network, which now boasts 100,000 employees, 1,100 outpatient sites and 28 hospitals in two states.

One of the first signs of new ownership health care customers in western Connecticut will see, beyond the colorful Northwell logo on former Nuvance sites, is progress toward the twice-delayed Norwalk Hospital tower project.

“Everyone refers to it as a tower project, but it is a transformation of that campus,” Robertson told CT Insider. “What the community is going to see is our continued excellence in care, but they are also going to see more space that is dedicated to the family. Bigger rooms allow families to be comfortable … (and) to be part of the care. That’s critical. We are inclusive of our families in our patient care.”

Blueprints call for a 190,000-square-foot tower and 50,000 square feet of renovated space at the bend of Stevens Street. The tower would replace older sections of the hospital that date to 1918.

“For our medical surgical beds and our critical care beds, the care is very advanced, and we need to have the space that really matches that,” Robertson said. “To bring in some of that leading-edge technology we need bigger rooms than we needed in the past.”

Other renovations call for modernizing the hospital’s labor and delivery ward and its neonatal intensive care unit.

“We’re bringing in the latest technology for the care of those babies. And for the labor and delivery area, we’re increasing the room size, so it is more inclusive of the family,” Robertson said. “In terms of competitiveness, I think it is going to be hard (for other maternity wards) to compete with our view of the Long Island Sound.”

When will construction finally begin — and when will the new tower be completed? 

It is too soon to say, except that a previously announced opening date for the addition in the winter of 2025-26 was “ambitious,” Robertson said.

The reason: Norwalk Hospital is moving services out of the proposed building zone to new locations, to assure the medical center is fully functional during demolition and construction.

One example of a service that needs to relocate is the hospital’s behavioral health unit.

“We are in the process of moving that unit into new space,: Robinson said. “It is going to be completely modernized – a new behavioral health space.”

New drinking water treatment building underway in Southington with plan to get the lead out

Ciara Hooks

SOUTHINGTON— The Southington Water Department is moving forward with its new drinking water treatment building along with water main replacements and other upgrades that service all town residents and some Cheshire residents.

The new $3.5 million drinking water treatment building is being built over Well #10, a 120-foot-deep drinking water well that was added in 2022 next to Well #9.

The department was recently awarded a $2 million grant back in August 2024 for the PFAS treatment of Well #9, the town’s most productive well, following the change in regulations. Though high PFAS levels have not been an issue in town the department has been focusing on making the necessary adjustments for the regulation change, which is due for all water departments by 2029, and taking advantage of federal funding opportunities for the other necessary upgrades.

It is now seeking $1.3 million from the Connecticut Department of Public Health Drinking Water State Revolving Fund program (DWSRF) for the new treatment building and about $2.7 million for the lead goosenecks and water main replacement project. These projects are being funded through the DWSRF program at 2% low interest loan. This program provides long-term below market rate loans to community and non-profit, non-community public water systems (PWSs) to finance infrastructure improvement projects.  

The one-level concrete water treatment building will be very similar in appearance and operation to the Well #9 building. It will include an electrical room, water heaters and a big pump that sits on top of the well, which will pump the water through the piping that goes through the building, and back underground, which connects to the piping on site. 

The newer well will pump two million gallons of water a day, almost half of the water needed to meet normal demands, according to Southington Superintendent of Waterworks Douglas Arndt. 

“Having two wells there we hope to extend the life of both 9 and 10, because two wells working together at the same amount of output is going to add life and longevity to both of them,” Arndt added. 

According to Arndt drinking-water wells have a useful life between 30 and 50 years before losing their capacity to provide water and Well #9 is approaching its 30 years of use in 2030. Arndt shared that over time Well #9 has become clogged up with debris and sometime in the future they are hoping to do some minor upgrades including newer instruments and equipment.

The department will also be doing work on the lead gooseneck and FY 2024 water main replacement project. They will replace about 117 lead goosenecks and 100-year-old water mains on Vermont Avenue, Vermont Court, Vermont Terrace, Oak Street and Academy Lane totaling about $1,636,448. As well as different sections of Berlin Street, Celella Drive and Lacey Road totaling about $1,053,950. 

According to Arndt a gooseneck is “a short piece of lead pipe that is used to connect two ridged pipes.” It connects the water service line to a water main or meter.  Arndt said they are replacing the lead goosenecks because it’s part of the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s mandate to get all the lead out of the system.

They are also hoping to install a new section of water main on West Queen Street that will provide improved reliability and fire protection capabilities. 

“While all water mains have this capability as the system expands and grows, we upsize,” Arndt said. “So, if it used to be an eight-inch pipe it becomes a 12-inch pipe, if it’s a six-inch pipe it becomes an eight-inch pipe.”

 The larger diameter improves fire flow and allows the flow of more water underground from a distance.

The department received approval from the Town Council back on April 14 for about $13 million. This covered $3,586,730.10 for costs of the new treatment building, $3.5 million for costs related to design and construction of FY 2024 water main improvements, $3.5 million for costs related to design and construction of lead gooseneck and FY 2024 water main replacement Phase I and $3.5 million for costs related to design and construction of lead gooseneck and FY 2024 water main replacement Phase II.

Phase I includes water main and removal of 105 lead goose necks. Phase II includes water main and removal of 12 Lead goose necks. 

Though the department originally bonded $2,297,000 in 2021, which is going towards the new treatment building, Arndt said, they are required to request the total cost of the project from the Town to ensure the costs can be covered. The paperwork for the water treatment building has been sent over to the state. While the decision will be made in the next 60-90 days for the approval of the remaining $1.2 million Arndt said, they went ahead with beginning the project with the $2.2 million they have and are hoping to completed it in late 2025. The contractor for the project is D’ Amato Construction Co. out of Bristol. The department is looking to send over the paperwork for the lead gooseneck and water main replacement projects early next week and construction is slated to begin this summer and be completed by the end of 2025 or early 2026.