CT Construction Digest Wednesday June 8, 2022
WINDSOR LOCKS — With the summer air travel season in full swing, Bradley International Airport said Tuesday it will open its new, $210 million transportation center in mid-July, concentrating all its rental car businesses in one place and adding 850 new parking spaces.
“It’s a very exciting addition to the airport,” Kevin A. Dillon, executive director of the Connecticut Airport Authority, said during a press conference at Bradley announcing a new nonstop route on Frontier Airlines to Las Vegas. “It’s going to house all the rental car companies that today are scattered in and around the airport.”
Dillon said the transportation center, which will open July 13, will allow passengers to walk from the terminal to pick up rental cars, rather than having to hop on a bus juggling luggage.
There also will be dedicated spaces for mass transit options, particularly buses. The center also was designed to accommodate future rail service to Bradley from the Hartford Line.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for June 30.
Frontier will begin flying nonstop daily from Bradley to Las Vegas on Aug. 7, joining JetBlue, which has offered the route since 2020, and Breeze Airways, which will launch the route Sept. 7.
Frontier, which returned service to Bradley in 2019 after an eight-year absence, will fly to seven destinations from Bradley. With the addition of Las Vegas, they include Atlanta, Cancun, Denver, Orlando, Raleigh Durham and San Juan. The recently announced Dallas-Fort Worth is not yet booking and Miami has been temporarily suspended.
Frontier’s new route comes a week after Air Canada resumed flying out of Bradley and Breeze launched six new, previously announced destinations.
Dillon said Bradley is expecting a “heavy summer travel period” at Connecticut’s largest airport which could match — or even exceed — pre-pandemic levels between now and Labor Day.
The recovery is driven by leisure travelers, who put off vacations during the height of COVID-19, Dillon said. Business travel, he said, is still lagging but is showing signs of strengthening.
Bradley expects to see 10,000 passengers a day, flying out of Bradley this summer, Dillon said.
On Tuesday, Bradley offered these tips for a smooth, less stressful start to a vacation. For starters, face masks are no longer required, though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends wearing them during travel, and some airlines may still require them.
“We’re expecting people to be at the airport 90 minutes in advance of their departure and that means being at the ticket counter 90 minutes [ahead of time], Dillon said. “If you do that, you’ll have no problems navigating through Bradley Airport, and you’ll likely have some time enjoy our concessions.”
“It’s very disconcerting if you get to the airport and then you have to figure out, ‘Do I go to the parking garage? Do I use surface parking? Do I park off-site?’,” Dillon said.
More information available at https://parkbradleyairport.com
Bradley now offers the option of ordering food before arriving at the airport and the opportunity to skip waiting in line.
Wait times with pre-check offered by the Transportation Security Administration can be under five minutes, compared to 15-20 minutes with standard screening, or longer during busy travel times, according to Bill Csontos, federal security director for TSA Connecticut.
“It’s a much shorter line,” Csontos said. [You’ll be able to] “keep your shoes on, light outer clothing and you’ll be able to keep all of your property in your bag.
Csontos recommends signing up online for TSA pre-check at least two weeks before a flight because it will require an appointment at Bradley’s TSA enrollment center.
The cost is $85 for five years, Csontos said.
“Countless times, we see people who repurpose bags from the gym or firing range and they forget things are inside,” Csontos said. “When you come through, and we see it through the X-ray, it’s too late.
Larger water bottles are commonly detected, but only bottles holding 3.4 fluid ounces are allowed. One exception: bottles of sanitizer containing up to 12 ounces are permitted.
Csontos advised fully emptying bags before packing, going through every storage pocket.
State police dogs, Csontos said, have been trained to assist with passenger screening and can help shorten wait times in line.
Danbury voters approve $208M educational bond package
DANBURY — The $208 million borrowing package to meet the city’s surging enrollment passed Tuesday’s referendum.
“Today is a great day for the city of Danbury and the future of the Danbury Public Schools,” Mayor Dean Esposito said Tuesday evening, calling the outcome of the referendum a “win” for the entire city.
“I am so honored by the overwhelming support that the residents have shown for our children,” he said.
With about 7 percent voter turnout, the referendum passed with 2,641 votes in favor and 433 against the educational bond package.
The package includes $164 million for a career academy on the city’s west side and $44 million for other school infrastructure projects like a new building to house a centralized, standalone pre-kindergarten program.
Tuesday’s referendum was the latest step in a race to build enough classroom space for Danbury’s burgeoning student enrollment, which jumped 5.6 percent in 2019.
The career academy will accommodate about 1,040 high school and 360 middle school students, and make Danbury the first in the state to incorporate a career-academy model of workforce training for all high school students.
The hope is to open the academy on the first day of school in August 2024, when high school enrollment could jump as much as 10 percent — from 3,400 to 3,750.
Esposito said Danbury’s new career academy model will “revolutionize” the city’s education system and broaden opportunities for all the city’s students.
According to the mayor, the districtwide model will contain six academies: emerging technologies and entrepreneurship, scientific innovation and medicine, information and cyber security, professional and public service, communication and design, and art, engineering and design.
At least $27 million of the $208 million borrowing package will go toward the construction of a 16-classroom early childhood education center at Great Plain Elementary School. Officials say the pre-kindergarten addition will not only free up space in the city’s elementary schools, but get Danbury out of expensive leases.
“I want to thank Superintendent Kevin Walston for his partnership and support during this entire process, as well as state Rep. David Arconti and our entire state delegation for securing the 80 percent reimbursement rate on eligible costs,” Esposito said.
Westport superintendent wants new elementary school
WESTPORT — Superintendent Thomas Scarice is recommending the district build a new school instead of renovating Long Lots ahead of a vote from the school board on the options for the elementary school.
The Board of Education is expected to vote next week on whether to take the next steps for renovating Long Lots or build a new structure on the same site — most likely where the athletic fields are. That vote would only give officials the go-ahead on the needed preliminary studies for that approach, not actually commit the district to building new or renovating. Officials stressed there are still more steps and public involvement before that point.
“It’s not a good candidate for renovation,” Scarice told the board Monday.
He listed a number of reasons, many of which are tied to the age of the building.
Long Lots was built in the 1950s. This means there is the potential for hazardous material, such as asbestos or lead paint, like any structure built at that time.
John Koplas, senior project manager at Colliers, the project management firm working with the district, said the state doesn’t allow abatement at elementary schools while children are in school and so there would have to be a phased approach if renovating.
“That also extends the timetable,” he said, adding new construction would take about 14 to 16 months and the phased approach would add eight to 14 months to that.
“You don’t really have swing space to relocate the children too,” he said.
Scarice said the district was on schedule. If approved next week, the environmental, and likely the traffic studies would be done this summer, with the education specifications and enrollment projections in the fall. The district would likely file a grant application in June 2023 with an expected opening of September 2026.
He noted, Long Lots likely wouldn’t be eligible for the grant reimbursement if renovated based on the state’s criteria.
The building’s age also leads to older HVAC and electrical systems that are harder to replace as the parts become harder to find. Long Lots has multiple mechanical systems so Scarice it was not simple to replace it. The windows, aging roof and other exterior features also lead to insulation issues, which can affect the temperatures and ability to maintain them.
Officials are doing things in the meantime to address these issues to ensure the temperatures and humidity are in the appropriate range for the current use. This includes taking readings every 15 minutes and alerting school staff if a problem arises, especially with humidity, so someone can get ahead of it. There are also dehumidifiers throughout the school.
Mold concerns have previously been raised at the school, but Scarice said on Monday that all of the readings were good.
Long Lots was also originally built as a middle school, which means the classrooms are smaller than the current standards Connecticut has for elementary schools. This makes it difficult for students to move around and collaborate with each other.
Renovating likely wouldn’t increase classroom sizes, officials said Monday.
Long Lots Principal Kimberly Ambrosio said the classrooms are generally less than 600 square feet and the state guidelines are for about 900 to 1,200 square feet. She also said there are lighting issues and the kindergarten classrooms lack their own bathrooms and space for all of the supplies and equipment usually found at the grade level.
“We want them to be able to explore and play,” she said.
Officials said the current building was inefficient with a bigger auditorium and gym than an elementary school needs, leading to other areas being crowded and leaving the district to still heat these large spaces.
“It’s not negatively impacting our students, but wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could have that extra space,” Ambrosio said of getting the larger classrooms.
Neighbors again raised drainage concerns about the proposed new site for the school, saying it would worsen the flooding conditions they already experience with the nearby Muddy Brook and athletic fields.
Officials said those will be examined throughout the process and addressed by engineers.
The ongoing studies will also help determine the cost of the project because it will show what remediation or design work needs to be done to address any current issues, including the environmental ones. The preliminary draft ranges from about $80 million up to $102 million with the proposed size of the building ranging from 101,000 gross square feet to 108,000 gross square feet.
“The last thing you want is to find a $1 million problem after the town has voted on it,” said Marc Sklenka, managing director with Colliers.
Scarice cautioned the current inflation could affect the cost of the project.
“It is a problem we’re all facing,” he said.
But, he added, the district and community have also faced challenges at Long Lots for about a decade and were close to getting a long-term solution.
“We’re on the doorstep of that,” he said.
Wilton approves $785K for next phase of police HQ project
WILTON — The Board of Selectmen approved $785,000 Monday to move to the next phase of the new police headquarters project and extend the contract with vendor Tecton Architects.
“We contracted with Tecton to do the design studies and a lot of the preliminary design. They did an amazing job, and that contract was for $481,750,” Facilities Director Chris Burney told the selectmen Monday. “So now what we are looking for is approval to extend that contract.”
The good news, per Burney, is that all facets of the project are moving along as they should with lower contingency hits than anticipated.
The overall percentage of design fees and administration on the project have come in currently at just under 7.5 percent. Burney said they “start with numbers like 10 percent for design costs and 20 percent for contingencies” on projects like this that don’t have immediate known specifications on design or price.
Burney shared that those initial default estimates seemed to have been high, as contingency costs have come in considerably lower and a lot of the design work has already been done with the money allocated.
“So we’re no longer looking at unknowns, and unknowns scare people in construction,” Burney said.
He said Tecton and the town are certain about what the building will look like and there aren’t any more opportunities for changes. Burney said he and Police Chief John Lynch are pleased with the progress of the long-discussed police headquarters project.
Burney told the selectmen that the total project cost is “all locked” at $17 million — the price that was presented and overwhelmingly approved at an annual town meeting vote in April.
“That is construction, design, extras, anything that has to go into legal fees, we’re locked at $17 million,” Burney said. “We have all made a commitment that we will not go above $17 million.”
Conditions and verbiage of the contract’s next phase continue to be subject to the approval of Town Counsel Doug LoMonte.
As for the process, Burney said that the new building will be built just steps in front of where the current headquarters is located. Once the building is erected, police will be moved into the new space, but that is not where the project ends.
Many features in the rear of the new design, including parking bays, pavement and rear-facing building grading, can only be completed when the old building is taken down. All of that is included and anticipated in the current contingency costs, Burney said.
Construction is expected to start “as we get out of the worst of the next winter,” Burney told the selectmen.
“I will say, every time I go into the police department now, there’s a level of excitement,” First Selectwoman Lynne Vanderslice said.
Bristol's Department of Public Works begins reconstruction of several local roads
BRISTOL – The Department of Public Works began the reconstruction of several local roads Tuesday.
Road repairs began on Sherman Street, Mills Street, Putnam Street, Walnut Street, Grove Street and Westwood Road from house 72 to house 244.
The project is expected to take approximately four weeks. The roads will remain open during construction; however residents are encouraged to take alternate routes to avoid delays. Access to residential properties will be maintained.
Mayor Jeff Caggiano said that it was time for many of these roads to be fixed.
"I think the people of Bristol love seeing well-maintained roads," he said. "These are some roads that need greater attention and our great Public Works Department is attending to those needs."
According to a project summary from the Public Works Department, "the work is being performed due to the deteriorated condition of the roadway surface. The existing horizontal and vertical alignment of the road will not be substantially altered."
The work will consist of reclaiming (pulverizing) the existing roadway pavement and installing a new bituminous roadway surface and curbing.
First, the city will paint marks on the roadway indicating the location of public utilities in the project area. From there, the curbs will be removed and the existing roadway surface will be pulverized. The roadway surface will remain passable and access to properties will be provided.
This process may create dust, but water will be applied to the surface to reduce the impact. The pulverizing process may also cause vibrations. Residents of nearby homes are advised to relocate and safeguard items that may fall as a result.
Following the pulverizing of the previous surface, the road will be re-graded and reshaped. The roadway will be excavated and lowered by approximately 8 inches to install a roadway base of reclaimed pavement or new process stone. During this time, access to driveways may be temporarily reduced during daytime hours.
Once the roadway base is established, the first layer of asphalt will be installed. New curbing will then be installed on the initial pavement layer. From there, new driveway aprons may be installed.
Lawn areas that were disturbed during construction will also be loamed and seeded. Property owners are encouraged to water these areas to encourage grass growth.
Finally, asphalt will be applied within four weeks after the initial laying of pavement.
The city advises that mailboxes in the area may be temporarily disturbed, but they will be reset to maintain the delivery of mail. If mail is not delivered, residents are advised to contact the city.
Residents with sprinkler heads located between the curb and front of concrete walkway are advised to remove them from the area or contact the city engineering department so that they are not disturbed. The city suggests moving them 1.5 feet behind the curb or edge of the road. The city will not be held responsible for damage to sprinklers inside of this area.
Property owners with invisible dog fences along the road are asked to notify the city and move them 1.5 feet behind the curb or edge of the road as well. The city will also not be responsible for damage to dog fences in this area.
For questions or concerns, residents may contact Nancy Levesque or Jason Morrocco in the City Engineering Division at 860-584-6125.
Berlin experiencing a burst of multifamily development interest
Bulldozers are moving earth in a field behind Acura of Berlin, preparing the land for a 72-unit apartment development tied to the dealership and neighboring shopping plazas along the Berlin Turnpike.
The luxury Turnpike Ridge Apartments — the work of Executive Auto Group owner John Orsini — is one of several multifamily developments underway in Berlin, a largely suburban, upper middle-class town of about 20,000.
Two additional multifamily projects approved by the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission in May will add dozens of additional units.
“So, now, for the first time we have market-rate apartments coming,” said Berlin Economic Development Director Chris Edge. “It is a somewhat rapid pace, no question. I think it’s important because we will have a place for people to not just work in town but also to live in town. People who grew up in Berlin can now come back and live somewhere that’s not their parents’ basement.”
Edge predicts the influx of apartments will also provide space for empty nesters to downsize, which in turn will bring more houses onto the market, creating additional work for remodelers.
A 16-unit apartment building of the Steele Center development along Farmington Avenue will be ready for tenants in July or August, according to Anthony Valenti, a partner in the mixed-use development by the town’s rail station.
Supply chain problems have put the first building of Steele Center months behind schedule, but high demand has kept the project moving.
There is a waiting list for the apartments, Valenti said.
He expects to begin building a nearby 13,000-square-foot mixed-use building with four apartments and first-floor retail space in the fall, about the same time site work begins on a 55-unit apartment building.
Supply chain issues also slowed down the Turnpike Ridge development.
The first of three, 24-unit apartment buildings was originally targeted for completion two years ago. Instead, ground was recently broken in mid-May. The apartments — in whole or a portion — are now anticipated to be ready for occupancy in late fall, according to Helene Cavalieri, sales executive with Berkshire Hathaway New England Properties Commercial Group.
The two-bed, two-bathroom luxury apartments will come outfitted with appliances. There will also be a clubhouse. Cavalieri said she is receiving a steady stream of callers interested in the first-come, first-served waiting list.
Cavalieri said Berlin’s central location, easy access to highways and other transport, along with well-developed retail and restaurant amenities have made it an attractive destination. She’s also seen a good deal of interest in residents looking to downsize.
Vibrancy and desirability
Farmington-based Metro Realty Group in April broke ground on an 88-unit multifamily development on 11 acres at 883 Deming Road. Thirty percent of the development will be affordable. It is slated for completion in late summer of next year. Metro’s plans were made possible by changes in zoning regulations two years ago.
Zoning changes also paved the way for the Turnpike Ridge and Steele Center developments.
Berlin Town Planner Maureen Giusti credits affordable land costs, a desirable location and the town’s flexibility with the burst of development.
“It’s indicative of the vibrancy and desirability of the town,” Giusti said.
Rocky Hill developer Peter D’Addeo broke ground late last year on a mixed-use development that will feature a gas station, convenience store, fast-food restaurant and 200 apartments on a 36-acre property along the Berlin Turnpike. Forty of the apartments will be affordable.
Berlin also has a full pipeline of developments yet to break ground.
In May, Berlin’s Planning and Zoning Commission approved 104 dwellings on a 20-acre portion of a 110-acre property carved off the Shuttle Meadow Country Club in the west side of Berlin. The development — dubbed “The Preserve” — will include 28 single-family homes and 76 multifamily units in 48 buildings of two- and four-family design.
The commission also approved adding five, three-family dwellings on a 6.8-acre property at 309 Main St. in East Berlin, which currently hosts a two-family house.
Avangrid tells Connecticut it's on-track with Park City Wind project
Avangrid Renewables will give $2.5 million to the University of Connecticut to study the effect the construction and operation of the Park City Wind project will have on nearby fisheries.
Atma Khalsa, the company’s offshore environmental manager, said these research commitments are important to understand the environmental impact of offshore wind projects.
“So really again, [we're] trying to think about, before, during and after we install these wind farms, what effects does it have on the really base layer of the fisheries,” Khalsa said.
The Park City Wind farm is planned to be located off the coast of Massachusetts, but is projected to generate almost $900 million in economic benefits and create thousands of jobs in Connecticut. The on-land operations and maintenance will be based in Bridgeport.
Marcus Brown, the workforce development and local content coordinator with Park City Wind, said collaboration with the state could help drive future clean energy projects to Connecticut.
“Avangrid Renewables, through our partners with [the state Department of Economic and Community Development], worked very hard over several months to comb together various partners and project opportunities to develop the industry here in Connecticut, and not just benefit the one single project, but how we elevate the industry for all the projects to come,” Brown said.
Brown said they are on-track with the permitting process.