Long-awaited plans to expand Hamden Middle School hit a snag after a cost analysis raised the estimated price tag by about $5 million, a funding increase the Legislative Council must approve before the project can go forward. District officials were quick to point out that while the town will need to borrow the money, the state is expected to reimburse 80 percent of the cost of the expansion.
The middle school expansion was approved in 2019 as a key part of the district’s Reimagine, Restructure, Results Initiative, also known as 3R. Kaplan said it is important that the council approve the additional funds for the project within the next six months — the timeframe provided by the state. When officials originally proposed adding a new wing to the middle school, they estimated it would cost about $11 million. By summer 2021, the figure was up to about $17 million; a couple of weeks ago, a construction manager put the cost at $22 million, according to Mayor Lauren Garrett.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Hamden-Middle-School-expansion-hits-snag-due-to-17601684.php

Jackson and other apprentices shared their experiences at a press conference Friday hosted by the Connecticut State Building & Construction Trades Council to bring awareness to unions’ extensive apprenticeship programs. About 100 people attended the event, including contractors, union officials, and state and federal lawmakers. Affiliates of the CT Building Trades provide 17 joint apprenticeship training programs to allow workers a pathway to career and financial stability. Union apprenticeships are paid, and graduates finish their programs without any debt. The programs, which include welding, HVAC, plumbing and pipefitting, are entirely run by their respective unions and at no cost to taxpayers, union officials said. The unions spend $21 million of self-funding to train thousands of workers annually, said business manager Michael Rosario. The council took in 60 new apprentices last week and more women are in training than ever before. About 3,400 employers employ 4,500 apprentices, said Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz.

https://www.myrecordjournal.com/News/Meriden/Meriden-News/Trades-seek-to-attract-more-women-minorities-in-apprenticeship-programs.html

The closure plan MIRA submitted to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) this spring would cart away remaining waste, clean the facility of oils and chemicals and secure the on-site properties. Sprawling industrial buildings would be left in place, as would a long conveyor and other equipment. Windsor consulting, engineering and construction management firm TRC Environmental Corp. developed MIRA’s plant closure plan, which estimates a $3.9-million cost, with a separate savings of $100,000 for the value of scrap metal. That would pay for cleaning and dismantling heavy equipment and floor and storm drains; removing coal ash from a pond; covering the coal area with soil; sealing water cooling intakes and discharges; and removing and disposing radioactive sources, among other things. In May, the General Assembly called for the formation of a task force to explore alternatives to exporting trash. A report of its findings is due by Jan. 1.

Hartford officials eye 80 acres of closed trash-burning plant site for redevelopment

If all goes according to the plans on paper, a new Greeneville school and a new John B. Stanton School will be constructed first in the $385 million school construction project approved by voters Nov. 8 and should open in January 2026. The multi-phase project is expected to cost city taxpayers $97 million to $149 million, depending on state reimbursement levels. Norwich Comptroller Josh Pothier said Friday the city will seek to bond the initial $9.5 million by Dec. 31, including $7 million for initial costs on the school construction project and another $2.5 million for other city infrastructure projects. The project calls for four new elementary schools, one at the grounds of the former Greeneville School and three on the grounds of the current Stanton, John Moriarty and Uncas schools. The Teachers’ Memorial Global Studies Magnet Middle School will be either renovated as new for an estimated $99 million or replaced. That decision has not yet been made.

https://www.theday.com/local-news/20221119/norwich-school-construction-project-will-start-with-new-stanton-greeneville-schools/

The thought process of creating a new Public Works Operation began back in 2014 when the city started their transit oriented development planning process. The new Public Works Operations Facility will be located at 665 Alton Brooks Way. “Every inch of this project has been carefully designed to ensure that it will allow our department to provide the highest quality of service to our residents,” Stewart said. “It’s going to minimize the need to contract out maintenance work on city vehicles and the salt shed will be large enough to hold the amount of salt that we need to keep our roads safe throughout the entire winter. But most importantly our city staff will finally have the facility they need to perform their jobs at the highest level possible and I hope that it becomes a huge sense of pride for you.” The contractor for the $20 million project is Millennium Builders Inc. Stewart is hoping the facility will be done in a year but there is no definitive date as of yet.

http://www.newbritainherald.com/NBH-New+Britain+News/410613/new-britain-breaks-ground-on-new-20-million-public-works-operation-facility

Public records show the Connecticut Port Authority selected Kiewit Corporation to serve as the construction manager on the multimillion-dollar infrastructure project, which is expected to operate as a launching point for offshore wind turbines. According to records from the Port Authority, Kiewit captured a large portion of the money being spent on the State Pier project, which has become the focus of a federal investigation and has seen its budget balloon from an estimated $93 million to more than $255 million. The Port Authority selected Kiewit to do everything from installing new electrical lines, building new drainage systems, demolishing the old pier and driving new steel pilings into the edge of the Thames River. Kooris and other officials with the Port Authority told the CT Mirror that Kiewit’s recommendations on the subcontracts did not present a conflict because AECOM also reviewed the bids and made the same recommendation to the board. Teresa Shada, a spokeswoman for Kiewit, told the CT Mirror that her company followed all of the required bidding procedures for the State Pier. And she said Kiewit was performing its duties as the construction manager when it recommended that the Port Authority reject the two offers from JT Cleary.

Manager at CT State Pier recommended itself for $87M in contracts

The first major step in the multi-million project to update and renovate Keeney Street Elementary School passed its first hurdle last week, as the Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved the plans. The project, which required a special exception permit because it’s a school, would add roughly 8,500 square feet of interior space to the building at 179 Keeney St., increasing overall classroom space while reorganizing the floor plan. The district also plans to overhaul Keeney’s exterior, with consolidation of playgrounds and outdoor recreation to the east of the building and a redesign of the bus loop, parent drop-off loop, and parking. Voters approved the project in 2019 as part of the $93 million SMARTR2 referendum that also is funding work on Bowers elementary, now underway, and Buckley elementary, which was just finished at a total of $27 million. Of the total referendum amount, $88 million comes from state bonding, and $5 million is from reserve funds allocated to the building projects.

https://www.journalinquirer.com/towns/manchester/design-approved/article_7d41fa7e-6758-11ed-8477-2783abfa448c.html

The city’s Planning Board and Board of Finance have recommended that the building be sold for housing. Both have urged the city to require any buyer to preserve the original structure and build no more than four market-rate apartments within it. But about an hour and a half into Thursday night’s meeting at Springdale Elementary School, Simmons said it was clear that there was a lack of support for the idea. One question raised during the meeting was how much it would cost to refurbish the building. Simmons said city engineer Lou Casolo gave an estimate of about $400 to $500 per square foot, or between $4 million and $5 million in total. The 1.63-acre property, including the building and the land, has been appraised at $4.7 million. The Board of Finance and Planning Board recommended that the property be subdivided into a 0.63-acre parcel, on which the old police station sits, and a 1-acre parcel, which the city wouldn’t sell. 

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/In-Stamford-some-residents-call-for-old-police-17595115.php?src=sthpdesecp

Hartford HealthCare is expanding its outpatient services in Wilton Corporate Park, with the construction of a center that is scheduled to open next March. Hartford HealthCare’s new center at 50 Danbury Road, which will have a staff of about 80 people, will complement its outpatient services in the adjacent building at 60 Danbury Road that include surgical and medical weight loss, general surgery, medical oncology, breast surgery, urology and movement-disorder care. During the past two years, Hartford HealthCare has opened new outpatient centers and/or expanded services in Milford, North Haven, Fairfield, Westport, Shelton, Stratford and Oxford.

https://www.nhregister.com/business/article/Hartford-HealthCare-to-expand-outpatient-services-17577571.php?src=nhrhpbusiness

A New Jersey-based real estate investment firm bullish on Connecticut has paid $79.25 million for a sprawling industrial complex in Bristol. The 1.2-million-square-foot Bristol Logistics Center at 780 James P Casey Road sold in October. It’s likely to be one of the largest Greater Hartford commercial real estate deals of the year. The buyer was Treetop Companies, a Teaneck, New Jersey-based real estate investor and developer. Mermelstein said his firm is eyeing a future addition to the 139-acre property. That could include a new 250,000-square-foot industrial building built on-site, or a 250,000-square-foot addition to the existing building. Those plans won’t be finalized until sometime in the first quarter of 2023, he said. Mermelstein said his firm was attracted to Connecticut by its proximity to major highways and ability to pull workforce from several markets.

Massive Bristol industrial property sells for $79.25M; future development eyed