The UConn Board of Trustees unanimously approved $688,480 at its Dec. 7 meeting to replace the court. The project is slated to be completed in time for the start of the 2023 fall semester, officials said. The Gampel Pavilion, also home to UConn volleyball as well as career fairs, open houses, and commencement ceremonies, opened in 1990. UConn officials said due to its age and current thickness, the wood court can no longer be sanded as part of scheduled maintenance and is beyond its useful life. The project, though, will include the removal of the existing wood flooring, inspection and repair of the subfloor (the middle layer of a flooring system); installation of a new maple floor system; and sanding, finishing, and painting. The project, officials said, will begin after the spring semester ends and occur over the summer of 2023.

https://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/uconn-gampel-pavilion-to-see-major-overhaul

East Hartford’s 86-year-old Town Hall will be receiving a much-needed renovation to replace mechanical systems — think heating, air conditioning and more — that have “exceeded their life expectancy,” according to town officials. The goal now is to completely vacate the Town Hall facility so that the entire building can be renovated at once, versus renovating in phases, which could have increased the cost and the time it takes to complete the project, officials said. Town Chief of Staff Connor Martin said that “these renovations have been a long time coming and we are grateful to the East Hartford Town Council for approving this major project. The goal of these renovations is to provide Town Hall visitors and personnel a safe, revitalized, and sustainable environment to conduct the business of the Town.” The $21.6 million project is expected to be completed in about a year.

https://www.courant.com/community/east-hartford/hc-news-east-hartford-renovation-town-hall-20221213-mjs54luw4bd4hj44vomssjxvo4-story.html

The state Department of Transportation will hold an online-only public information forum Tuesday on a $7.5 million plan to replace the Lawler Lane bridge over Interstate 395 starting in 2024. The 165-foot-long bridge was built in 1958 and rehabilitated in 1992 and 2017. DOT inspectors deemed the bridge deck and superstructure to be in poor condition, with cracks and extensive rust. A recent inspection by the DOT Bridge Safety and Evaluation Unit showed a large area of concrete deterioration, prompting the agency to recommend replacing the bridge instead of rehabilitating the structure, DOT officials said in a posted notice on Tuesday’s meeting. The project is expected to take one construction season and will be funded with state dollars.

https://www.theday.com/local-news/20221209/dot-to-hold-online-public-meeting-tuesday-on-plan-to-replace-lawler-lane-bridge-in-norwich/

New Haven was supposed to begin construction earlier this year on the peanut — a new squooshed roundabout with a novel design at the treacherous intersection of Chapel Street and Yale Avenue near the Westville Music Bowl and Yale Bowl. A local contractor had won the bid for the project. But those high prices meant he could no longer afford to do the job. So New Haven had to delay the projects for months. It had to negotiate a new contract with a new company, finalize plans and approvals. As 2022’s end neared, a construction crew did appear at the intersection. Work got underway on the latest effort to make New Haven’s streets safer and save lives. HVAC parts and fire alarm strobes once available at local stores now require a 12 to 18-week ordering wait; electrical parts that used to come within 12 weeks can be delayed as long as a year. The Great Peanut also reflected the flip side of that 2022 coin: Infrastructure upgrades proceeded throughout town despite those obstacles.

https://www.newhavenindependent.org/article/roadblocks_bypassed_in_challenging_year_for_infrastructure

Voters overwhelmingly approved an additional $9.7 million for the construction of a new Farmington High School Thursday. The unusual December referendum passed 1,787 to 815 with 12.9 percent of the registered voters in Farmington showing up to the polls. This vote was the second time Farmington voters have been asked to approve money for the high school’s construction. In June 2021, voters passed the referendum for a $135.6 million appropriation for construction of a new 239,000 square-foot high school on Moneith Drive, including the demolition of the existing building and some site changes. As a result of the approved referendum, the tax burden caused by the project will increase from $466 over five years to $491 over that period for the average taxpayer.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Farmington-high-school-referendum-approved-17642459.php

Felipe and state Sen. Marilyn Moore, D-Bridgeport, sit on the 21-member board of legislators and other state officials set up to help distribute the CIF fund. That pot of money — $875 million total, spread out through 2030 — was established by Connecticut lawmakers in 2021 to funnel aid to projects/initiatives that will benefit underserved and marginalized communities; people who live in rural areas; and people otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality. The biggest of the Ganim administration’s three requests — funding for the theaters — was considered a long shot. Felipe and some City Council members in August expressed skepticism over it being made a priority and that the $100 million ask would be taken seriously by the CIF board. City Hall has since switched tactics, claiming public dollars must first be invested in restoring the Majestic and Poli Palace, which Bridgeport has owned for over three decades, in order to attract private interest.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Bridgeport-developments-state-funding-17642949.php

Members of the State Contracting Standards Board announced Friday that they plan to investigate how one construction company was able to recommend itself for more than $87 million in subcontracts for the renovation of the State Pier in New London. The board, which is responsible for scrutinizing state business deals and reviewing Connecticut’s procurement laws, said they received several formal complaints in recent weeks regarding Kiewit Corporation, which is serving as both the construction manager and a subcontractor on the state pier project. Public records reviewed by the CT Mirror showed that Kiewit recommended itself for five separate subcontracts under the project, including two instances where another construction firm submitted a lower-priced bid to the state. Those recommendations were then approved by the Port Authority and AECOM, another consultant hired by the state. Members of the State Contracting Standards Board said those circumstances raised concerns over the fairness of the bidding process and possible conflicts of interest.

https://www.theday.com/state/20221209/new-london-state-pier-construction-manager-contracts-to-face-state-scrutiny/

The Board of Finance on Wednesday awarded a $338,445 bid to Suchocki & Sons, Inc. of Preston to repair the South Anguilla Road Bridge. The five bids for the work ranged from $322,334 to $396,000, with the low bid coming from Old Colony Construction of Clinton. After the bids were reviewed and reference checks were completed by consultant WMC Engineers of Newington, the bid was awarded to the second lowest bidder, explained Town Engineer Christopher Greenlaw. The work Suchocki & Sons will perform includes milling and repaving the road, building new guide walls and installing new guide rails which will extend onto the shoulder before and after the bridge. Greenlaw said the work, which could take up to four months, should begin by March 15.

https://www.theday.com/local-news/20221208/stonington-to-repair-south-anguilla-road-bridge/

The city’s expansive plan to replace or add sidewalks along the East Main Street corridor took a step forward this week when the City Council awarded a bid to Costa & Son LLC, based in South Windsor, for $768,625.80. The project will include new sidewalks along the north side of Route 202/East Main Street, from Fern Drive easterly to Torringford West Street, totaling approximately 4,600 feet. The proposed improvements include traffic signal modifications, installation of ADA-compliant concrete sidewalks and sidewalks ramps, granite curbing, pavement markings and replacement of catch basin tops. The project is fully funded under the Responsible Growth and Transit-Oriented Development (RG/TOD) Planning Grant Program from the state Department of Transportation. Torrington conducted public input studies and forums on the sidewalk plan in 2021, inviting residents and business owners to participate. The plan was developed using that input, focusing on problem areas for pedestrians and traffic, officials said.

https://www.registercitizen.com/news/article/torrington-sidewalk-project-contractor-hired-17633498.php

The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday authorized seeking architectural and engineering firms to study the former Bantam School and determine how much it would cost to overhaul the 70-year-old building for continued municipal use. Proposals would show how much an architectural and engineering study of the building that was designed by famed modernist architect Marcel Breuer would cost. Preliminary estimates have ranged from $100,000 to $500,000. The committee, in its final report to the selectmen in the spring, recommended an extensive renovation of the former school after two years of discussion and study. According to the review committee, a $10 million renovation would be feasible because in 2024-25 the town will pay off $24 million borrowed for a school expansion and renovation project completed in 2009. A tax increase would not be required for the renovation, according to the committee.

https://www.rep-am.com/local/localnews/2022/12/07/litchfield-to-study-overhaul-cost-for-old-school/