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/

The city council adopted a Complete Streets policy. Under the policy, Norwich would have to consider access to the roads by bicyclists and various pedestrians, including those with disabilities, families traveling as a group and people of different ages. Some ways this can be achieved, according to Monday’s meeting minutes, can include marking bike lanes and adding crosswalks, Americans with Disabilities Act compliant curb ramps and bike parking. Measures that don’t concern the traveling surface itself are also mentioned, including adding lights and greenery. Daniska said it wouldn’t apply to highways, larger roads, or rural roads, per Connecticut Department of Transportation definitions. With the new policy, Nystrom wants to see if the state’s Route 82 roundabout plan is compliant with the city’s policy. As well, he wants to see if it’s possible to move businesses affected by the construction to other parts of Route 82. For upcoming projects, McLaughlin said bicycle lanes, sidewalk work, and improved crossings for the New London Turnpike, from Norwichtown to Route 82, are being designed right now.

https://www.norwichbulletin.com/story/news/2022/07/22/norwich-ct-adopts-complete-streets-policy-for-cars-cyclists-pedestrians/65378533007/

City officials expect construction of a park that will feature a Little League baseball field and concession stand with bathrooms on Mill Street to begin in October. Dayton Construction Co. has been selected to build the facility at 313 Mill St., the site of a former factory building that burned to the ground in April 2012. The Board of Aldermen on Monday approved a $5.8 million contract with the Watertown-based firm. The park, which carries a cost of $6.3 million funded by grants, also will feature a playscape, sitting area, scoreboard, bleachers, water fountain and lighting, a project rendering shows. The project is expected to conclude by September 2023, Hyde said. That includes a four-month winter shutdown, but it could be shorter depending on weather severity and how quickly materials can be procured, he said.

https://www.rep-am.com/local/localnews/2022/07/20/6-3m-park-set-to-begin-construction-in-waterbury-in-october/

After decades of burning garbage, the Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority said Wednesday it has officially shut down its trash incinerator in Hartford. The announcement follows months of debate about the state-owned facility’s future, which came in the wake of a rejected redevelopment plan, mechanical breakdowns, and falling energy prices. MIRA saw a large share of its member towns opt-out of contracts with the agency in recent months, choosing to send their trash to private haulers. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) said it is working to reduce the amount of state trash that will be sent to out-of-state landfills as a result of MIRA’s closure. The agency said it is partnering with dozens of towns to explore alternative disposal options, including waste reduction and food waste recycling.

After months of debate, Hartford trash-burning plant now officially closed

Some construction activity has begun to slow in various regions around the country as commodity pricing, building permit applications and even calls for construction workers eased, according to the latest Beige Book reading, the Federal Reserve’s informal measure of economic activity. The report comes as contractors have started to note cooling material prices, and after four of the 11 subcategories for construction inputs in the Producer Price Index eased last month. The Fed has been trying to pull off a “soft landing” of the economy by tightening monetary policy without plunging it into recession.

https://www.constructiondive.com/news/beige-book-federal-reserve-inflation-slowing-construction-demand/627563/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202022-07-20%20Construction%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:43222%5D&utm_term=Construction%20Dive

After a better-than-expected experience with marketing a large apartment complex in Granby, developers Reggie Kronstadt, Bard Kligerman and Robert Kligerman are putting up 165 rental homes in Granby and Bloomfield — with another 150 or so planned. At a time when some single-family home builders are caught between high construction prices and rising interest rates, Kronstadt and his partners believe they have found a niche that’s financially solid: Rental duplexes and townhouses aimed at young families and empty-nesters. Project Manager Perry Gold is directing a team of 75 subcontractors and trades workers at the Granby site. The Bloomfield project is expected to break ground early next year, and Kronstadt said another one — in a central Connecticut community that he won’t name yet — should bring another 120 to 160 units.

https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-news-connecticut-granby-apartments-20220720-vs6jgmwusvhxnkiff4h3dufpte-story.html

While the station has a garage for police cars, Chief of Police Wayne Williams said officers have to park their cars on the street. The police station garage has gone unused since the station first opened in the fall of 2021. According to city officials, the garage is currently unusable due to structural issues. The city’s Board of Aldermen voted on July 12 to approve a $846,333 bid to Frank Capasso and Sons Inc. to repair the garage. The garage should be ready for use by next year, according to Tener Contracting, which had been hired to oversee repairs. The aldermen voted to approve the bid which was added later to the agenda with 11 voting yes with one abstention vote recorded for Alderman Steven Adamowski. Economic Development and Community Director Sheila O’Malley said the garage bid was higher than the amount originally set aside for the repairs. The city initially estimated the repairs to be at $750,000.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Ansonia-Police-garage-suffering-from-structural-17317645.php