CT Construction Digest Wednesday November 10, 2021
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut, Governor Kathy Hochul of New York, and Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey today announced an agreement on the suballocations of extraordinary federal emergency relief funding apportioned to the region by Congress to mitigate the historic pandemic-related losses in transit system ridership and revenues.
After negotiations, the states agreed that approximately $10.85 billion of the funding will be for New York, $2.66 billion will be for New Jersey, and $474 million will be for Connecticut.
This funding, provided from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), recognizes that the tristate area was among the hardest hit by the pandemic and provides the resources necessary for the nation’s largest subway, commuter rail, and bus services located in these states to avoid layoffs, furloughs, and severe service reductions. These transit agencies ensured essential workers could be where they were needed most, and this funding will help support their longer-term recovery and sustainability.
“The agreement reached by Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey is great news for our region,” Governor Lamont said. “It ensures critical federal funding is now available to support the recovery of our states’ public transportation systems that suffered tremendous financial losses resulting from the pandemic. I thank Governors Hochul and Murphy for their collaboration to achieve this.”
“I want to thank President Biden, Senate Majority Leader Schumer, Senator Gillibrand, and Speaker Pelosi for securing this much-needed transportation funding,” Governor Hochul said. “The New York City and tristate region can’t fully recover from the pandemic without our transit agencies effectively and efficiently moving millions of people in and out of New York City each day. As a result of a series of productive conversations with my fellow governors, I’m glad that we have reached an agreement that is beneficial to all.”
“Nothing is more critical to our region’s economic recovery than our mass transportation system,” Governor Murphy said. “With this agreement, we ensure a reliable and safe commute as workers return to their offices. I thank President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Schumer, and the New Jersey congressional delegation for their leadership on this issue, and Governors Hochul and Lamont for working with New Jersey to strengthen our region’s transportation networks.”
Excitement spreads as New Canaan Library breaks ground on new building
NEW CANAAN — As workers broke ground on the new library project last week, Executive Director Lisa Oldham said she is hearing a “constant refrain of excitement” from the community.
Library officials had originally wanted to break ground on a new 42,642-square-foot modern library in June, but that desire was held up due to calls to memorialize the 1913 portion of the building by preservationists. Even the final few steps to obtain proper permits took longer than anticipated, according to Paul Stone, the COO for Karp Associates, the project’s construction and contracting company.
But now Stone said he is “super excited,” for the new library which “will be a hub” for people.
The $38.5 million project touts a children’s library three times the size of the present one with a dedicated tween section; many experiential co-working meeting areas; and a large living room with a fireplace designed similar to one built by Harvard Five architect Eliot Noyes.
“I am thrilled to see construction underway,” First Selectman Kevin Moynihan said Monday. “I look forward to seeing steel in the air by mid-winter and a glass enclosed structure by Spring 2022.”
A large mound of dirt sits on the corner of South Avenue and Cherry Street as topsoil is being piled. Fencing is being erected around the perimeter and a staging area for construction workers is being cleared at the northwest corner of the Center School parking lot.
The new building will be built around the current one, with sections from 1913 to 1979. The current library will be used until the new one is built.
The project was delayed as the Planning and Zoning Commission met eight times to address concerns from preservationists who wanted to keep the 1913 library. Now, the library is working to meet a December deadline imposed by the commission to design a memorial of the antique portion of the building.
The New Canaan Preservation Alliance filed an appeal in the state Superior Court late this summer on the P&Z decision to proceed with the new library. According to the lawsuit, the alliance is seeking the court to “enter an order finding the commission’s action in issuing the approval to be unlawful and null and void, and directing the commission to deny the applications.”
The appeal process did not, however, prohibit the project from beginning construction.
“We will work with Planning & Zoning and Centerbrook Architects to develop options to respectfully and meaningfully preserve parts of the legacy building,” library Board of Trustees President Robert E. Butman states on the library website, while they “determine its location so it is thoughtfully integrated” in the campus.
In August, the Town Council approved $10 million and a loan for the project, and then preservationists failed to get enough signatures for a referendum, to stop the use of town funds.
The foundation will start being poured next month and steel framework will be constructed from January to March, Stone said.
The architectural plan “references modernism” to celebrate the legacy of the Harvard Five Architects, who settled in New Canaan in the 1940s and still have an influence on architecture, Margaret Russel, the editor-in-chief of Architectural Digest, said in an online video for the library. “(It) navigates everything we need for the present.”
The new library will be “a modern, future-focused platform for community learning,” Oldham said.
As one enters the new library, plans call for foot traffic to flow through the concourse, which Oldham calls the “heart” of the building, acting as a “busy place of connection.” There will be an art gallery at one end of the concourse and a children’s library at the other with stairs leading to the expansive living room on the second floor.
The plans call for “a rich and varied learning ecosystem,” with an “infrastructure for the imagination,” Oldham said.
Childrens rooms are designed to include a cozy story time room and a mess-proof, carpet-free room with a sink for arts and crafts and STEAM learning. The books will be also be placed on a level where small children can engage with them.
There will be also private meeting rooms for teenagers upstairs.
Oldham showed plans for a business center and a maker-space where people with common interests such as computers, technology, science, digital art can meet and collaborate. Additionally, a 600 square-foot conference room has been designed for a wide range of digital learning that will accommodate 30 people, various personal computer hookups and a large monitor for instruction.
An auditorium upstairs will be able to seat 300 people and will have “floating” walls, so a number of smaller meeting rooms can be made to accommodate nonprofits and other community organizations. There will also be demonstration kitchen for cooking classes.
“Personally, I am delighted that after years of exhaustive planning and hard work, the New Canaan community will son get the New Library they so richly deserve,” Moynihan said.
Newtown rezones 40 acres of industrial land to allow 170 age-restricted apartments for seniors
NEWTOWN — A Greenwich developer’s plans to build 170 age-restricted apartments for seniors on town-owned industrial land took an important step forward when Newtown agreed to rezone the property, clearing the way a final detailed review of the multimillion-dollar deal.
“This is the culmination of a 15-year effort by the town,” said Don Mitchell, chairman of Newtown’s Planning and Zoning Commission during a public hearing last week. “A previous proposal was for 12 or 15 industrial buildings on this spot — which is right near the stream and good water sources … and through the Hubbard facility, which is all flowers and animals and children and stuff — so I hate to lose industrial land, but this is a very difficult spot to put industrial in.”
Mitchell is referring to a 42-acre property on Commerce Road that Newtown has been trying to sell for economic development for two decades. It is next to the 34-acre Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary, a nonprofit founded in the memory of a girl killed in the Sandy Hook shooting.
Newtown in August reached a deal to sell the property to Teton Capital Co. of Old Greenwich to develop about eight acres with three- to four-story apartment buildings, and to preserve the rest of the land as open space.
William Donohue, managing member of Teton Capital, said during the public hearing that blueprints would likely change, but the spirit of the vision was to preserve as much of the land’s natural character as possible.
“I caution that is this is a preliminary concept (because)…we are in the midst of doing technical analyses on the site, but the idea is to have multiple buildings on the site and for each of the buildings to have parking underneath it,” Donohue said. “We want to preserve as much of the open land as possible because it is such a beautiful site — and we don’t want the view of cars to ruin that.”
Newtown’s five-member Planning and Zoning Commission gave its unanimous backing for the zone change, clearing the way for Teton to submit a detailed site plan, when issues such as traffic, safety and aesthetics will be debated.
“I had asked before where you you will be able to see this from,” Mitchell said during the Nov. 4 public hearing. “Unless you are passing by on Commerce Road on your way to the Hubbard (sanctuary) it is not that — I mean, this is big, but it is not in your face, unless you’re down there.”
Town leaders in August praised the agreement as a good deal for Newtown and a good fit for the Commerce Road corridor, just south of Interstate 84’s Exit 10.
Depending on the number of apartments approved, the sale would bring Newtown between $3 million and $4 million.
The developer has agreed to split the cost with the Hubbard nonprofit of building a $1.2 million driveway from Commerce Road to both sites.
“This is a tough parcel, and I can’t imagine an efficient industrial use on it … that would be as good for this spot or as consistent with the development of that area,” Mitchell said. “And this has a gigantic piece of conservation land, which is important, especially in that area with all the wetlands.”
The rezoning approval is the latest development in a string of commercial proposals in Newtown.
In July, a Boston developer won the bid to convert two Fairfield Hills buildings into a mix of apartments and commercial use. That same month an Ohio distributer of automotive, electrical and chemical supplies announced it would establish its northeast headquarters in the 140,000-square-foot former Hubbell factory off Route 25.
In April, a Vermont RV dealer with plans to convert a former warehouse site into a $7 million showroom and service center was granted a tax-break package as an incentive.
White House rushes with infrastructure fixes for U.S. economy
JOSH BOAK, Associated Press
BALTIMORE — The Biden administration is relying on infrastructure dollars to help fix the clogged ports and blanket the nation with internet access — but a series of initiatives rolled out on Tuesday show that the urgent pace might not be fast enough to address the immediate needs of an economy coping with a supply chain squeeze and a shift to remote work.
President Joe Biden spoke with the CEOs of Wal-Mart, Target, UPS and FedEx on Tuesday about how to relieve the supply chain challenges as ships are still waiting to dock at some of the country's leading ports. The key problem is that these ports are experiencing record volumes of shipping containers as the economy has recovered from the pandemic.
Biden received updates from the CEOs on how deliveries are being sped up to ensure that store shelves will be well-stocked this holiday season, according to a White House official. Bloomberg News first reported Biden's conversations with the corporate leaders.
Yet the concrete policy steps being discussed by the administration show that there is no quick fix to supply chain issues that are still hurting smaller businesses and causing consumers to face higher prices. Nor can the administration build out a national broadband network fast enough as more Americans are pivoting toward remote work.
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo highlighted at the White House briefing the $65 billion for broadband access in the the $1 trillion infrastructure package that cleared the House on Friday. She said that jobs would be created and poorer Americans would receive “affordable” internet service, though she did not spell out a precise dollar amount on what the monthly bills could be.
The plan involves careful logistics that would take time to implement. Each state would receive at least $100 million to help lay fiberoptic cables and ensure its citizens can access the internet. This process would occur as jobseekers are increasingly requesting remote work where they can work from home on their computers.
“The president wants us to get it right,” Raimondo said. “And if it takes a little longer to lay the groundwork for fiber and broadband, then we’re going to do that.”
Similarly, the administration announced plans on Tuesday to identify and pay for possible upgrades to U.S. ports within the next 90 days — hoping to ultimately tamp down the inflation being caused by ships waiting to dock and a shortage of truck drivers to haul goods.
As the U.S. emerges from the coronavirus pandemic, the economic recovery has been hampered by congested and aging ports. The mix of inflation and the potential for empty store shelves during holiday shopping has created a sense of frustration for many Americans and hurt President Joe Biden and Democrats politically.
Senior administration officials said Tuesday that the Transportation Department would allow port authorities to redirect any leftover money from grant projects to address the supply chain issues. For example, the Georgia Ports Authority will use $8 million to convert its inland facilities for the port of Savannah into container yards, freeing up dock space and speeding the flow of goods to their final destinations.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the forthcoming plans, which come on the heels of the House backing the bipartisan infrastructure package late Friday. The package includes $17 billion to improve coastal and land-based ports that can help to tackle the challenges in the longer term.
Biden's team is moving straight ahead in promoting the possible benefits from the broader infrastructure package, though they've largely shied away from claiming that Americans could see clear and demonstrable changes to their lives before the 2022 midterm elections. The focus, instead, has been on how the spending on roads, bridges and broadband will help the U.S. economy compete against the rest of the world.
The president in remarks to Democratic supporters on Tuesday signaled that he will look to remind voters in the months ahead of the infrastructure win. He noted “the last president” promised to pursue legislation but failed to deliver.
“So it was left to us,” Biden said at the virtual event hosted by the Democratic National Committee. “We got the job done.”
Administration officials said the ports initiatives being announced Tuesday would make the supply chain faster, more efficient and environmentally friendly in the medium to longer term.
Biden will highlight the administration's efforts by visiting Baltimore's port on Wednesday. It's part of a broader effort to show that the administration will tackle the inflation that has left Americans feeling more pessimistic about the economy. Updated figures for the consumer price index will be released Wednesday, with the previous report showing prices were 5.4% higher than a year ago.
The Baltimore trip is designed to highlight the types of investments that the administration believes will help unclog the supply chain. The port in Baltimore is adding container cranes and adding a 50-foot berth where ships can be unloaded. The administration has also approved grants so that the Howard Street Tunnel — a train artery that opened in 1895 — can be expanded to ferry double-stacked containers on railcars.
The Biden administration earlier helped broker an agreement to increase the hours of operation at the Port of Los Angeles, but it's been difficult to immediately fix this challenge.
Additional steps include launching a $240 million grant program in the next 45 days to modernize ports and marine highways. Within 60 days, the government wants to identify repair projects and opportunities to deepen harbors for larger ships that can be a guide for more than $4 billion in construction by the Army Corps of Engineers.
The government will also look over the next 90 days at which ports of entry should be upgraded and expanded as part of a $3.4 billion investment. It also plans within 90 days to open the first round of more than $475 million in grants for ports made possible through the newly passed infrastructure package.
The Transportation Department intends to publish a playbook for states on freight movement and issue guidance on best practices, so that the value of the infrastructure investments can be maximized. There will also be a request for information by the Transportation Department to improve data collection and sharing to improve the efficiency and transparency of the supply chain.
$100 million in federal funds to go toward restoring, preserving Long Island Sound
New London — With the passage of a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure deal last week, $106 million has been allocated to restore and preserve Long Island Sound.
Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, New London Mayor Michael Passero and environmental stakeholders held a news conference Tuesday at Ocean Beach Park to discuss projects the money will fund.
The $106 million will supplement the Long Island Sound Geographic Program, which supports the Long Island Sound Study. The study is funded by federal and state dollars through a joint effort from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Connecticut Sea Grant and New York Sea Grant, and it focuses on improving water quality and restoring the Sound’s ecological balance, among other initiatives.
“Today we’re here to talk about Long Island Sound, which is going to receive $106 million for an infrastructure upgrade for stormwater technology to make sure that the overflows that happen with storms are not going to soil Long Island Sound and degrade the water quality and environment,” Courtney said Tuesday. He credited Connecticut U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3rd District, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, for making sure the states on the Sound would secure the funding.
Meant to be spent over five years, the $106 million is in addition to yearly federal allocations, including $40 million for the upcoming fiscal year. The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection will manage Connecticut's share of the money, though it has not been determined yet how much of the funding the state will receive. Organizations and municipalities will be able to apply for grants.
Blumenthal said the more than $100 million is “the most significant single investment in Long Island Sound in our history.”
“It’s not only about the money. It’s about the federal commitment. It’s a recognition that the entire nation has a stake in Long Island Sound,” Blumenthal said Tuesday. “This is also about climate change. We’re going to see more flooding, more erosion. The purpose of this $106 million is not only to protect wildlife and Long Island Sound but to prevent flooding and erosion.”
Gesturing to a nearby cove, Passero said the money for the Sound will have a local impact. “I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Alewife Cove, which is right here to the west, which is a very, very important estuary that feeds the Sound and really needs money to help us to dredge it.”
Long Island Soundkeeper Bill Lucey said that while the state and its environmental groups have had to work with limited budgets for a long time, the infrastructure deal funding is “real” and “long-term money.”
“We want to have hundreds of acres of restored coastal wetlands, eelgrass beds. Everyone wants to enjoy abundant local seafood that’s clean, that’s healthy. Nobody wants to be swimming around in sewage-strewn beaches,” Lucey said.
“We’re going to construct miles of dunes and living shoreline," he added. "We are going to restore coastal wetlands. And we’re going to protect the wildlife as well as our homes and businesses with this type of funding. We need state-of-the-art wastewater treatment systems so that while we do all this work to clean up the Sound, we’re not putting the pollution right back in.”
Blumenthal said New York also must enhance its efforts to preserve the Sound.
“You cannot keep Long Island Sound clean if you don’t treat the wastewater, and it isn’t just Connecticut, it’s New York as well. I’m going to be very blunt: New York is the environmental bane of our existence. Its wastewater plants are decrepit, degraded and ineffective, and we are the victims,” Blumenthal said.
“No one should think this $106 million is going to solve this problem for every town and city along the shore in Connecticut or Long Island, for that matter," he added. "It’s going to take additional investment from the state and localities. The reason we’re here today is because New London has done it right and is at the forefront of trying to keep the Sound clean.”
New London remains the only municipality in Connecticut with a stormwater authority. Meant as a way to address consistent flooding on Bank Street, the utilities department, as the result of the creation of the Stormwater Authority in 2019, took over operation of the pump station from the Public Works Department and has been mapping the city’s entire stormwater system and investigating the causes of flooding in parts of the city.
Gov. Ned Lamont earlier this year signed Public Act 21-115, “An Act Concerning Climate Change Adaptation,” which allows municipalities to establish a stormwater authority.