Crews are preparing to use explosives to blast away up to a foot of rock as part of the construction of a new crucial pumping station that will help mitigate flooding near the banks of the Housatonic River, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The construction of the pump station is a key part of a new stormwater conveyance system that has been designed to handle what is expected to be a significant amount of rainwater runoff at the former Raybestos Memorial Field on Frog Pond Lane. The Environmental Protection Agency is using the once-abandoned softball field to consolidate tens of thousands of cubic yards of contaminated soil that was dumped across town by Raymark Industries, a defunct automotive parts manufacturer. The conveyance line is expected to be finished by this summer and the pump station is expected to be completed by mid-2024.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/blasting-construction-stratford-pumphouse-last-18131795.php

On May 19 the cargo ship Claude A. Desgagnes arrived from Denmark to a State Pier in New London. It carried both the first components for offshore wind turbine construction and the promising possibilities that this will become a major new industry, benefiting the region and state while combating climate change. The turbine parts are destined for the South Fork Wind project, the first undertaken in U.S. federal waters. But the ship’s arrival at a pier still under reconstruction was a sobering reminder that much work remains and that significant uncertainty still surrounds the undertaking. Just how vast this industry will grow, and how big will be the pier’s part in supporting it, remains an open question. A week later Eversource confirmed what had long been expected. The New England utility giant is selling its share in a 187,000-acre wind-power lease area off Massachusetts to partner Ørsted for $625 million. It is also seeking buyers for 50% stake in three other planned wind farms.

https://www.theday.com/editorials/20230603/plowing-through-rough-seas-toward-offshore-wind/

The National Coast Guard Museum Association announced last week it is ready to go to bid this week on the work to create the foundation for the more than 80,000-square-foot, six-story museum that will occupy a prominent place on the city’s waterfront. The upcoming work will include the installation of about 240 micropiles, essentially rods that will be drilled into the ground and into the bedrock below to provide the structural stability needed to support the building, said retired Coast Guard Capt. Mark Walsh, chief operating officer for the National Coast Guard Museum Association. Walsh and Pulver walked the grounds of the construction site last week, pointing to where a pedestrian walking bridge will span the railroad tracks and Water Street to connect with the third floor of the city’s parking garage. The state has pledged $20 million for construction of the 400-foot bridge. The city continues to seek sources for $25 million needed to expand the parking garage and help accommodate what museum association officials estimate will be 300,000 visitors a year to the city.

https://www.theday.com/local-news/20230603/national-coast-guard-museum-second-phase-set-to-go-to-bid/

A judge this week sided against the city in the ongoing lawsuit surrounding development around Dunkin’ Park, further delaying long-discussed plans for major developments in the area before a trial set for April 2024. The ruling, issued Tuesday by Superior Court Judge Cesar A. Noble, denied a motion to strike or dismiss a part of an amended complaint submitted last year by Centerplan Construction Co. and DoNo Hartford LLC, the two companies who are suing the city in a lawsuit that has been ongoing since 2016. But the developers did not meet the May 17, 2016 deadline, and Bronin fired them from the project. The city then hired RMS to finish the project and develop the rest of the area, part of a long-term plan to add mixed-use residential and commercial spaces throughout North Crossing. Last year, the state Supreme Court ordered a new trial after a jury had initially ruled in favor of the city. The trial is now set to begin on April 16, 2024, according to the Superior Court docket.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/capitalregion/article/dunkin-park-development-lawsuit-18128100.php

The Yale Peabody Museum building renovations are nearly done. For the next year, museum curators, staff and construction personnel will put the final touches on the building and re-install exhibits for the reopening in 2024. The lobby entrance, once a narrow gothic arch congested by school groups has been widened. A new freight elevator, rated for 15,000 pounds has been installed, perfect for moving large objects, or whole tour groups. Classrooms, community space and a second-story walkway ring the space. The old walls contain parts of an entirely new HVAC, mechanical and electrical system. The Yale Peabody Museum basically underwent reconstructive surgery while it was closed. The roof was removed for much of the construction. New HVAC and machine systems were inserted, like implants, underneath it. Thousands of miles of fiber optic cable were strung through the building, enabling centralized, networked, climate, lighting, and exhibit control. New energy-efficient, bird-safe windows were installed.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/education/article/the-yale-peabody-museum-enters-final-phase-18114528.php

President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy struck an agreement late Saturday to suspend the debt ceiling for two years. The result of their talks, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, will cut $136 billion in federal spending and avert a default, and most notably for the nation’s civil contractors, includes measures to accelerate environmental permitting. Provisions to speed projects such as some highways, bridges and pipelines include designating one lead federal agency to oversee environmental reviews and the use of a single “concise public document” for each project. Environmental reviews would have to be completed in no more than two years. Congress must pass the measure before June 5, when Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned that the United States will run out of cash.

https://www.constructiondive.com/news/debt-ceiling-deal-speed-environmental-permit-infrastructure/651547/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202023-05-31%20Construction%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:50915%5D&utm_term=Construction%20Dive

Haynes and O&G were granted another two-year mining permit by the Planning & Zoning Commission, but with conditions aimed to address complaints from neighbors about noise and idling vehicles. The Haynes materials quarry, a mining operation partnership with O&G Industries, has been running for more than 20 years, with trucks and machinery running from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays. The companies use the materials mined from the property for a variety of construction projects, such as roads, buildings and foundations. Every two years, the companies apply for a renewal of their permit to continue that work. In its permit renewal approval, the commission required the quarry owners to prohibit trucks from queuing outside the property gate before 7 a.m., and to adhere to the quarry hours that are included in the permit, on weekdays as well as Saturdays. While no blasting or transporting is done on Saturdays, materials such as gravel and stone are sold from the property.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/torrington-mining-operation-gets-permit-renewal-18119557.php

Springside Middletown will be one of the largest apartment complexes in Middlesex County when construction is finished, but that’s not why this project is being deemed “historic.” Following the May 16 groundbreaking on the planned 414-unit apartment complex off Newfield Street near the Cromwell line, Bob Dale, a principal of the real estate development firm PB Development, said the project is unique for several reasons. The developer’s active partnership with the city and its community groups also led to a notable tax abatement negotiation with the city, where the developer committed $1 million of the project costs as a set-aside, earmarked for minority contractors to bid work on the project. Marshall said the project is estimated to create $1.5 billion in total economic impact. “The one thing that I keep saying over and over again is this is a huge win for Middletown — it’s a cash- positive deal.” Construction is already in full swing, and has been going on for about a month. Both the first and second phases are estimated to take about 27 months to complete.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/414-unit-housing-complex-add-1-5b-middletown-ct-18117115.php

A long-awaited groundbreaking ceremony will signal the start of a facelift at Immaculate High School, with the focus on a new turf field and track along with upgrades in the building and parking lot. The groundbreaking is set for 12:30 p.m. June 6 on the field at Immaculate, which serves students from 28 communities in Connecticut and New York. “Turf fields typically are replaced every 10 years, and our turf is 13 or 14 years old,” he said. “Another possibility is we are also thinking of getting new lights for the fields.” The upgrades are part of a $4 million capital campaign marking the 60th anniversary of the private Catholic high school that includes $3 million in construction improvements. A total of $2 million will be used for campus capital improvements, which will include updating and replacing windows throughout the facility; repairing the parking lots and access areas; and improving the school building and grounds.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/danbury-s-immaculate-high-begin-work-replacing-18119821.php

A new site for a federal courthouse in Hartford emerged Tuesday outside of downtown that would be among the three under consideration to replace the 60-year-old Abraham A. Ribicoff Federal Building and Courthouse on Main Street. A state office building on 10 acres at 61 Woodland St. in the city’s Asylum Hill neighborhood is now among the sites being considered for the planned $335 million new federal courthouse. he site, at the corner of Woodland and Asylum streets, was included in an announcement Tuesday in advance of a public meeting on June 6 to present the three options and inform the public on how comments can be submitted to the federal government. In 2022, the GSA received authorization for $335 million to purchase a site, design and building a new, 281,000 square-foot federal courthouse. So far, $273.5 million has been appropriated by the U.S. Congress. A new federal courthouse in Hartford has been discussed for years, and in 2020, the courthouse was listed as the top one needing replacement across the country. A groundbreaking could still be several years away.

New Hartford site emerges as potential location for new, $335M federal courthouse