CT Construction Digest Tuesday October 5, 2021
STAMFORD — Even for a gaggle of politicians, the hustle of Interstate 95 never stops.
Despite the cars rumbling above and trains whizzing by, federal and state officials gathered beneath a bustling highway overpass to stress the importance of a federal bill that deals with both the physical and human infrastructure, despite persistent roadblocks obstructing that goal in Washington.
“I think you’re going to find that after all these many years, now is the time to do more than a ‘state of good repair,’ which is what we do under our existing program,” Gov. Ned Lamont said over the din of traffic, surrounded by a swath of high-profile faces including U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal; U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, both D-Conn.; state Transportation Commissioner Joseph Giulietti; state Sen. Will Haskell, D-Westport; and state Reps. Ryan Fazio, R-Greenwich, Caroline Simmons, D-Stamford, Matt Blumenthal, D-Stamford, and David Michel, D- Stamford.
Connecticut is set to receive $5.3 billion for highways, bridges and everything in between from the federal infrastructure package, but a topline number on the final federal package, which could push forward expansions to health care, child care, infrastructure and education, is still in flux.
Though the specific future of the federal funds remains uncertain, the state has a litany of site-specific projects shovel-ready for when funding comes in, according to Giulietti, especially along I-95. Improvements include adding an additional northbound lane to the highway from the state line to Exit 9.
The improvements aren’t limited to the interstate highway, either. Giulietti said adding an extra lane on Interstate 84 near Danbury could ease another vehicular chokepoint for local drivers.
“That will take care of that entire pinpoint that occurs and the fact that all those people in Danbury have to use the highway to get through the city,” he said.
Once federal funding comes through, Connecticut will need to match the money. The state may be asked to match “40 or 50 percent” — up to $461 million — of what the federal government ultimately provides, according to Haskell, who is the state Senate Transportation Committee Chair.
Lamont put forth a litany of ways the state could pay for its match, including the recently-passed Highway User fee, which he said could generate between $90 and $100 million over time. There’s also bonding, he said, but that strategy means tighter purse strings in other parts of the budget.
“We can bond for that — that’s what people like to do,” he said, albeit he was quick to bring up the downsides of bonding. “That means a little bit less affordable housing. That means a little bit less (for) schools.”
After weeks of negotiations in the federal seat of power over which infrastructure plan becomes law, officials at the press conference reaffirmed their commitment to getting something done and underscored how important physical infrastructure is to Connecticut, which has 248 bridges and 2,100 miles of highway that the White House deemed to be in “poor condition” in April.
But getting past a “state of good repair” is more complicated than it sounds. Though $1.1 trillion in infrastructure spending cleared hurdles in the U.S. Senate, its future relies on what 10-year spending plan — also known as a budget reconciliation plan — the U.S. House of Representatives agrees to pass.
A vote Friday fell through on the bipartisan infrastructure deal after the House failed to reach a consensus on reconciliation.
“The House of Representatives was under scrutiny last week because we’re doing what is known as the ‘sausage making process,’” Himes said Monday.
“I wouldn’t put too much consequence on the negotiations and the back and forth and all the media that occurred last week,” he said, before suggesting that the infrastructure saga could conclude by the end of October. Democratic Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer also put forth that deadline in a letter to his caucus Monday.
“I am confident that sometime around the end of this month, we’re delivering the resources and we’ll make this, once again, an essential artery for the economy in this region,” Himes said.
Aquarion starts fall water main replacement project in Stamford's Cove neighborhood
Veronica Del Valle
STAMFORD — Water company Aquarion is expected to start work on a new water main replacement project in the Cove, according to a company spokesperson.
From Monday until the end of December, crews will be in place along Cove Road, Avery Street and Euclid Avenue. Other replacement projects are slated for George Street, Hale Street, Martin Street, Houston Terrace, Van Buskirk Avenue and part of Sachem Place.
Aquarion said it expects work on the projects to conclude in 2022. Westport-based A.J. Penna and Son Construction will serve as contractor for the initiative.
Overall, Aquarion — which is owned by Eversource Energy and serves the majority of residents in Stamford — expects to replace 10,330 feet of water main.
Construction is expected to run from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. During construction, the company warned that customers could expect traffic delays and detours.
“We greatly appreciate residents’ patience during this project,” project manager Art Bradshaw said in a statement. “We will work closely with our customers, contractors and city officials to coordinate the work and minimize any disruptions.”
The infrastructural upgrade is part of Aquarion’s larger push to “improve (its) water distribution program,” and safeguard against leaks or water main breaks, company officials said.
For questions on the projects, contact Bradshaw at 203-337-5851. For service or water-related issues, customers can call Aquarion Customer Service at 1-800-732-9678.
What's your vision for Middletown riverfront? The city wants to know.
MIDDLETOWN — Community input and information gathering will be an essential component of the city’s plan for revitalizing the Connecticut Riverfront as a “vibrant, accessible mixed-use district,” officials said.
The city will hold an online visioning workshop, “Return to the Riverbend: Planning Our Future Together” Oct. 12, the first of two such large forums. The results will be incorporated into the master plan created by New York-based architectural firm Cooper Robertson.
Another component of the project — which has been decades in the making — includes a storefront at Main Street Market, 386 Main St., that will be continually updated as the project moves along, according to Director of Economic and Community Development Joseph Samolis.
It will open next to Perk On Main after the Oct. 12 session. “We want to spread the word about it, and get information that will help steer what goes in there,” he said.
The space will provide details on the development, something suggested by Cooper Robertson that impressed Mayor Ben Florsheim, he has said.
City officials encourage the public to offer suggestions, opinions and other feedback that will help during the planning process, Samolis said. Eventually, models of the work will be part of the presentation.
“In this virtual workshop, the City of Middletown and our consultants want to hear from YOU — the Middletown community — about your vision for this area,” the Economic and Community Development Department said in advertising the event.
Future outreach will include pop-up, one-day public events, in the form of booths or kiosks, to elicit more comments from the public, Samolis said.
The “riverbend” refers to Middletown’s located on the “big bend” in the river, which was formerly a thriving port. The area is roughly bordered by Route 9 and includes Eastern Drive and River Road.
Florsheim recently signed a $1.57 million contract with the New York City-based architecture and urban design firm Cooper Robertson to create a long-awaited redevelopment plan for the riverfront.
The master plan is being funded from the $55 million 21st Century Infrastructure Bond approved by voters at the last election.
Cooper Robertson’s plan reimagines nearly 200 acres of Middletown’s riverfront as a “vibrant, accessible mixed-use district, with the historic legacy of the city centered in the planning process,” the firm said in a statement.
The proposal will create new recreational, economic and environmental opportunities for Middletown residents in an “equitable and inclusive way,” the architectural group said.
It will tie in with several projects already underway at Harbor Park, including extensive renovations and the eventual occupation of the former canoe club at 80 Harbor Drive.
The owners of Eli Cannon’s tap room envision a snack shack run by Middletown High School students, coffee and ice cream bar, brewery and restaurant.
Fiber network underway will connect East Hartford to fastest internet in the country
EAST HARTFORD — A $40 million private investment will make East Hartford a fiber optic hub for the fastest internet speed available in the nation, government officials announced Monday.
Surveying and engineering work is underway, and SiFi Networks will start installing lines underground throughout town, making connections available to every home and business by late 2023, Mayor Marcia Leclerc and company officials said at a press conference in the newly renovated senior center.
The 10-gigabyte East Hartford FiberCity network promises better and more widely available connections for town residents and a boost for local economic development. Gov. Ned Lamont, whose business background is in the cable TV industry, said fast, reliable connectivity is a priority for business owners considering a move or expansion in the state. His pitch to those businesses, Lamont said, “has a new paragraph” — promoting East Hartford as a center for blazing fast Internet access.
The governor and other officials said connectivity also is vital to students, workers and health care patients and providers. Lt. Gov. Susan Bysewicz said the local network promises to transform the “digital divide” between poor and minority students and their better-off counterparts.
“Broadband,” Lamont said, “is not just a way to stream movies or scroll through social media on your phone. Access to affordable and high-speed broadband is what allows families to have uninterrupted internet when their children have homework to complete, and it allows mom or dad to have a reliable connection for their job interview.”
While acknowledging the local benefits, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said public investment is the only way to make such broadband widely available. The coronavirus pandemic, the senator said, proved that connectivity is crucial to everyone. The $65 billion broadband package in the infrastructure bill before Congress includes $42.5 billion for unserved and underserved areas of the nation.
East Hartford was chosen for the project, SiFi representatives said, in large part because of Leclerc’s engagement and persistence in bringing high-speed internet to the town, which the state designates a “distressed municipality” due to its poverty level, unemployment and other factors.
“From the beginning, East Hartford shared our vision for a connected community,” SiFi CEO Ben Bawtree-Jobson said.
Leclerc said the town had been part of the CT Gig Project, a statewide discussion on high speed internet access launched in 2014. When that project withered, Leclerc pressed forward and issued a request for proposals for local high speed internet, an unusual RFP, she acknowledged, because it sought service with no public funds involved.
Bawtree-Jobson said the company plans to recoup its investment over a long period by attracting internet service providers of all sizes. Company representatives said the shared network will be “open access” to promote competitive services and pricing.
The first service provider to sign on was Flume Internet, a New York-based company that will connect homes and businesses to the main fiber optic lines, SiFi officials said. Asked how much individual homeowners will pay for a connection, company officials said they did not have that information yet, but 3,000 East Hartford homes will get deeply discounted connections.
The pandemic slowed the rollout of East Hartford FiberCity, officials said, but the first customers should have access by next year. A “micro-trenching” machine will cut a 1 1/4-inch-wide by 1 foot-deep incision in the street near the curb to lay the fiber line, company officials said.
SiFi also is building FiberCity networks in Fullerton and Placentia, California, and is due to start construction in Salem, Massachusetts and Saratoga Springs, New York, officials said.
MICHAEL PUFFER
WATERBURY — A selection committee formed to weigh proposals from developers for 150 acres of city-owned land is scheduled to begin meetings this week.
The proposals are potentially so lucrative and the negotiations so sensitive, that Mayor Neil M. O’Leary declined even to name the people involved in the review, at least for now.
O’Leary said he doesn’t want to name the selection committee while reviews are ongoing to avoid even the appearance of potential for outside influence on the process.
“It’s the biggest deal to hit Waterbury in a generation,” O’Leary said of the proposals. “This is a huge investment.”
The city has been trying to find a use for 150 wooded acres it owns on either side of its border with Naugatuck for decades. Various proposals have faltered in large part due to steep and difficult terrain, making an approach from Waterbury’s South Main Street cost prohibitive.
O’Leary and Naugatuck Mayor N. Warren “Pete” Hess reached a tentative agreement in 2017 allowing a road and utilities to be cut into the property from the Naugatuck side. In 2018 the state granted $2.8 million to defray the eventual cost of putting through the access and utilities. Leaders in both municipalities agreed to evenly split any new tax revenue. Waterbury would keep proceeds of any sale of its land.
O’Leary has been cautious not to upset vetting of the proposals, declining to say even how many were submitted.
O’Leary said his selection committee extends beyond the usual cast of city staff and officials with legal, financial and development expertise. O’Leary said he has been able to bring in experts in construction and development with experience in challenging topography.
This is the O’Leary administration’s second attempt to seal a deal on the property.
The land was first advertised and a preferred developer picked last year. R.D. Scinto Inc. of Shelton, had proposed a 500,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, promising 300 jobs and $4.5 million in tax revenue, with further expansion to follow.
O’Leary canceled negotiations and re-advertised the property after a year passed without a finalized deal with Scinto.
Officials tout improvements to Waterbury branch of Metro-North, federal infrastructure bill
ANDREAS YILMA
NAUGATUCK — Officials say improvements to the Waterbury branch of Metro-North Railroad are critical to spur economic development in the Valley, and federal funding can be a catalyst for those enhancements.
“What is in the bipartisan infrastructure framework, what’s in the appropriations bill are all going to be revenue and resources that Naugatuck, that Waterbury, that the Valley can access in terms of rail and transit,” said U.S. Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Conn., during a news conference on the pending federal bipartisan infrastructure bill Monday at The Station Restaurant.
The U.S. Senate has approved a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, but a House vote is being held up by disagreements between Democratic progressive and moderates over a $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package that is the centerpiece of President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda.
The spending and tax bill includes an assortment of longtime Democratic priorities, including education, health care, child care and climate change. To pay for the proposed spending, it would raise the corporate tax rate on businesses earning more than $5 million and the top income tax rate on incomes of $400,000 a year and up.
Officials on Monday touted the impact the infrastructure bill can have on the Waterbury branch line, a 28.5-mile passenger railroad that runs between Waterbury and Bridgeport.
“We’ve concluded that passenger trains and freight trains are the pathway to the future and we made a lot of progress,” Mayor N. Warren “Pete” Hess said. “Right now, we’re on the verge of having, for the first time, a real commuter line where we’re going to have more trains and real commuter service, and what we need is a way to enhance this project with additional improvements that are all in the cards in the new infrastructure bill.”
The bill includes $30 billion in competitive grants that will be available for the Northeast Corridor to improve rail performance, as well as $100 billion in national competitive grants that Connecticut could apply for to fund infrastructure projects.
DeLauro said the framework of the bill dedicates $5.38 billion for Connecticut over the next five years, which is about $1.6 billion more than a transportation bill passed in 2015. She said officials are on track to pass both bills before an Oct. 31 deadline.
The state has invested recently in the Waterbury line. The state budget includes $1.2 million to increase the number of daily trains from 15 to 22 starting in 2023.
The state is also wrapping up a $116-million upgrade to the single-track railroad that will allow trains to pass in both directions. The project, which officials said is expected to be completed by the end of the fall, includes signalizing the branch, three passing sidings, and Positive Train Control – a system that automatically enforces safety rules, such as speed limits, if the engineer fails to act.
Hess and Waterbury Mayor Neil M. O’Leary said improvements to the rail line will spur economic development on land along the railroad.
O’Leary, who is chairman of the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments, said there are projects underway in Derby and Waterbury along the rail line right now. He said it’s been a long journey, which started about a decade ago, to make improvements to the rail line a reality.
“This is a dream come true,” O’Leary said. “This is amazing.”
DeLauro said she’s confident the bills before Congress will pass. There is support from both sides of the aisle, she said, but the details still have to be sorted out.
“We are underway and on track,” DeLauro said.