Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim’s Democratic administration for the past few years has been seeking ways to revive regular commercial passenger service at Sikorsky, which currently caters to business, charter and private planes. That effort resulted in talks to either sell or lease the facility to the CAA, which operates Bradley International and five other state-owned airports and which, CAA and Bridgeport officials have argued, has the expertise and resources to bring back passenger service. In February the CAA’s board made a formal offer of $10 million for Sikorsky and in March Hoydick’s administration went public with its interest,

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:fBGuCZq7SU8J:https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Stratford-council-asks-Bridgeport-peers-to-sell-17330486.php+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

With the demolition of city hall’s front brick exterior, workers observed that brick and concrete block walls were not “tied structurally with the building’s substructure” and additional ties were set to be installed in mid-July. The eastern facade of the building will not require ties because much of the area is going to be covered in glass. Ties will be required on other parts of the building. A change order was approved by city council for the work in the amount of $45,000. Abatement of the building is significantly completed and around $70,000 will be available from “asbestos contingency” to be utilized in other areas of the project. Excavation of additional space around city hall was slated along with interior office space framing activities and HVAC support and hanger installation.

http://www.bristolpress.com/BP-Bristol+News/407440/bristol-city-hall-renovations-continue-to-move-forward

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) in a statement said, “Construction is set to proceed by the end of 2022, with materials procurement through the winter and major construction beginning spring 2023.” The coronavirus pandemic has been one reason for the delay, according to the DOT, along with “design challenges and project management staff changes.” The Congress Street drawbridge got stuck in the open position over the Pequonnock River in 1997, during Ganim’s first tenure in office. The rusty hulk was demolished in 2010 under then-Mayor Bill Finch, who called it “the city’s most visible reminder of infrastructure neglect.” Ever since there has been talk about building a new structure not only to help the East Side and downtown economies, but also to improve emergency response. There is yet another possible wrinkle — the higher costs of construction materials that began rising during the start of the pandemic.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Is-Bridgeport-s-Congress-St-Bridge-finally-17323398.php#photo-22729576

The Glastonbury Town Plan & Zoning Commission finalized a developer’s proposal Tuesday to build a 74-unit apartment building that could be occupied in early 2024. The commission voted 4-2 to approve the application during a nearly four-hour meeting. Developer Richard Hayes, principal of Manchester/Hebron Avenue LLC, will build the multifamily units. The property, on Manchester Road and Hebron Avenue, is across the street from Buckingham Park. The complex will be known as Buckingham Corners. Hinckley Allen partner Timothy Hollister and associate Andrea Gomes represent Hayes. Hollister previously told the Hartford Business Journal that, if all goes as planned, construction could start in the fall and would take about 18 months. Occupancy could begin in early 2024, he said. Hollister also said that 70% of the units will go for the market share rate while the other 30% will be for moderate-income households. There will be 85 parking spaces, he said.

Glastonbury P&Z approves plan to build 74-unit apartment building

If approved by the committee and Congress, the town could receive the money by next June. The project was approved in 2019 to connect the neighborhoods, which currently use septic systems, to sewer systems to mitigate pollution to Long Island Sound. The associations governing Old Colony Beach, Old Lyme Shores Beach and Miami Beach, which are chartered neighborhoods and considered their own municipalities, approved the project at separate referendums. The public Sound View Beach came on after a townwide vote. The project stalled after higher-than-expected bids, due in part to supply chain issues, raised the project cost to $55.6 million — an almost 30% increase over the originally estimated $43.5 million. Assuming the federal grant money comes through, Whalen said, “our goal is to get a shovel in the ground by 2023 and have sewers flowing in 2025.” Officials from the town and beach communities will hold a public meeting at 10 a.m. on Aug. 27 at Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School at 49 Lyme St., Old Lyme, to update residents on the status of the project, including projected costs and what improvements are planned.

http://ctconstructiondigest.blogspot.com/Federal%20funding%20may%20unclog%20Old%20Lyme%20sewer%20project

As a heat wave bakes the Northeast, demand is soaring for electricity that’s powering air conditioners, pressing New England’s “relatively small” electricity surplus, according to the region’s grid operator. ISO on Friday reported a capacity of 26,690 megawatts and an excess of 95 megawatts. The capacity is down slightly from Thursday and the surplus fell from 293 megawatts. Peak demand was forecast Friday at 23,750, up slightly from 23,318 megawatts Thursday. Though high, it’s not among the top 10 days when demand was greater on several July and August days in 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011 and 2013, according to ISO. ISO says if generator or transmission line outages were to occur, the grid operator could call on resources held in reserve, import emergency power from neighboring regions, ask businesses and residents to conserve electricity or put in place emergency procedures. Temperatures have topped 90 degrees in the Northeast since earlier this week and are expected to exceed the mid-90s Friday and into the weekend.

https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-news-heat-wave-electricity-20220722-aeazvxidt5btdjy3rbc2xwllli-story.html

A $2 million federal grant to study impacts of a fast track from Danbury to New York City was approved by a U.S. House vote this week, while a similarly-sized grant for a health center garage and senior housing project has to wait for a future funding round. Once considered a longshot, the fast track to New York City made news in December, when a $1 million study found the idea was “feasible both from a physical and economic perspective,” according to a consultant who led the study. The fast-track grant was one of seven projects in western Connecticut included by Hayes in a funding package of appropriation bills that passed the House on Wednesday. The seven projects did not include $2 million for a Danbury-based nonprofit to build a parking garage at its downtown health center and build an 80-unit housing facility for needy seniors. Hayes earlier this year had put in a good word about the grant for Connecticut Institute for Communities to the House Appropriations Committee, but the grant was not on the short list of projects approved in Wednesday’s bills.

https://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Danbury-s-fast-track-to-NYC-plan-gets-2M-grant-17321131.php?src=nthpdesecp

Executive Director David Guay stepped down at the end of June. The contracting watchdog agency has six open positions, including the director, but cannot fill any of the positions until a new director is appointed. “I talked to the governor’s chief of staff yesterday, and he essentially said they are still vetting someone. I told him I consider this a very important position and would like to see this happen sooner rather than later,” state Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, said Wednesday. The state budget provides about $467,000 for the board, fully funding it and its staff. The mission of the State Contracting Standards Board, created by the General Assembly in 2007, is “to require that state contracting and procurement requirements are understood and carried out in a manner that is open, cost effective, efficient and consistent with state and federal statutes, rules and regulations,” according to the state website.

https://www.theday.com/news/20220721/contracting-watchdog-waiting-for-governor-to-appoint-director/

The developer of the SoNo Collection mall in Norwalk is accusing the architect of the development of significant design flaws in the building that cost $11 million to fix, according to a lawsuit filed in state Superior Court. Brookfield Properties claims several mistakes by a Connecticut affiliate of architecture firm CallisonRTKL, which has offices globally and ample experience with major commercial projects, including those in complex city settings. Brookfield says the design bill for the South Norwalk mall added up to more more than $14 million, including amounts to subcontractors. Brookfield sued for the $11 million in repairs, as well as the costs of the lawsuit it was incurring. A mall elevator and stairway also had to be rebuilt to pass muster, Brookfield claimed, as well as a portion of the roof and other structural elements. And the company says it had to excavate to install needed plumbing it says CallisonRTKL designers failed to anticipate.

https://www.nhregister.com/business/article/SoNo-Collection-mall-needed-11-million-in-fixes-17321162.php?t=ea2d71b920&src=nhrhppromostrip

In response to what the Department of Labor organization called an “alarming” increase in trench and excavation deaths — 22 thus far in 2022 compared to 15 in all of 2021 — OSHA said it “will consider every available tool at the agency’s disposal,” including criminal referrals.In response to what the Department of Labor organization called an “alarming” increase in trench and excavation deaths — 22 thus far in 2022 compared to 15 in all of 2021 — OSHA said it “will consider every available tool at the agency’s disposal,” including criminal referrals. Major employer groups welcomed and even applauded OSHA for the announcement. Per OSHA, contractors can prevent cave-ins by sloping trench walls, shoring walls with support or shielding walls with trench boxes. Additionally, employers should ensure workers can safely enter and exit the trench, and keep an eye out for standing water or other hazards. Finally, workers should never enter a trench if it hasn’t been properly inspected, OSHA says.

https://www.constructiondive.com/news/osha-ramps-up-enforcement-following-trench-safety-incidents/627726/