A $10 million renovation of Osgood Park kicked off this week, with Mayor Erin Stewart behind the controls. “It’s very exciting; this has been a long time coming,” Stewart said Thursday morning after stepping down from the machine. “Seeing these buildings come down really signifies the start of this project.” The goal is to have the field up and running by the end of October and the project completed in a year’s time. At the center of it all will be a new, state-of-the-art recreation facility with indoor and outdoor spaces. The laying of the foundation is expected to begin very soon. The construction team is hopeful that materials will come in on schedule, despite delays the past several years due to the covid-19 pandemic. City officials meet with the construction team on a weekly basis for updates, according to the mayor. “I think our partners in Gerber Construction are doing a great job,” she added.

http://www.newbritainherald.com/NBH-New+Britain+News/407932/10-million-renovation-of-osgood-park-in-new-britain-now-underway

The Manafort Brothers Inc. demolition company has been in business since 1919. Their employees have experience in concrete, civil and utility, demolition, and more. A few examples of their work are the CT Fastrak Busway, New Britain to Hartford Station, Boston College St. Mary’s Hall, Fedex Ground Hub, Yale University’s Pauli Murry and Benjamin Franklin Colleges, The American School for the Deaf, Plainfield Renewable Energy Power Plant. Some of their longer projects to complete are roads, bridges, and school construction. They are a fourth generation, family-owned business who says that they have stuck with the business because they have expanded their capabilities and they enjoy building exciting projects. They love what they do, and they do not see it as a family obligation. To be a part of the team, they said you have to have construction knowledge, or be capable of being trained to perform in a specific job, and as long as conditions are safe for the employees, they do not stop working.

http://www.bristolpress.com/BP-Plainville+News/407844/manafort-brothers-inc-continues-long-legacy

Great Pond Village, located off of Day Hill Road, entered its next phase Tuesday after two decades of planning and brownfield redevelopment challenges delayed the project. The total investment in the phase is $14.4 million. The first phase of the project debuted in 2019 with the opening of a 230-unit luxury apartment complex. “People can really maximize the best of Connecticut,” Gov. Ned Lamont said during Tuesday’s groundbreaking event. “Great livable spaces, a nice mix of residential, retail, commercial and access to the great outdoors.” Cleanup of the site has been in the works since the early 2000s. In total, the cleanup cost $150 million. Massachusetts-based Winstanley Enterprises, the master developer for Great Pond Village, has been committed to the property since 2008. The development will have its own zoning code, which is known as form-based code.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/hartford/article/Decades-in-the-works-city-within-a-city-17362761.php

The town will soon have a connective tissue between the Metro North train station and Wilton Center with the construction for the long-anticipated pedestrian bridge starting this week. The project is expected to bring more walkability to the downtown area and look to boost the number of pedestrians shopping and eating in Wilton Center, especially by attracting those who may travel to Wilton by train. The benefits of the project fall in lockstep with that of the Wilton Center Master Plan subcomittee, which is currently planning the future of Wilton’s downtown. It is anticipated that work will continue through the fall and be completed next spring, according to the town. The town received a $1.4 million dollar grant from the state through a Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program grant. Earlier this summer, the town entered into contracts with both Dayton Construction and Tighe and Bond to oversee the project. Dayton, who will oversee the construction, will be paid $1.18 million. Tighe and Bond’s contract totals nearly $121,000.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Construction-starts-on-Wilton-Center-pedestrian-17360041.php

The construction industry added 32,000 jobs on net in July, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Overall, nonresidential construction employment increased by 18,300 jobs, with specialty trades gaining 10,300 positions. The nonresidential building category added 4,900 workers, while the heavy and civil engineering sector gained 3,100. While the overall job gains were positive, Basu said the broader economic environment still poses significant challenges. For months, economists have been warning of recession, a possibility that was underscored when U.S. GDP contracted for two consecutive quarters through June. “Yes, the construction industry also added a healthy number of jobs in July, but the impact of macroeconomic deterioration is already apparent in other construction data,” said Basu. “Sky-high materials prices and shortages of skilled construction workers have forestalled a growing number of projects by suppressing demand at a time when the cost of delivering construction services remains elevated.”

https://www.constructiondive.com/news/july-job-gains-strong-construction-adds-32k-positions/628985/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202022-08-08%20Construction%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:43660%5D&utm_term=Construction%20Dive

The discovery of indigenous peoples’ artifacts will not significantly delay the start of construction of the Constitution Boulevard extension planned for next month, according to Mayor Mark Lauretti. Lauretti confirmed the discovery of the artifacts on what is known as the Churma property — the site at 55 Blacks Hill Road which was recently condemned by the city. “Archaeologists are dealing with this now,” Lauretti said. “It is causing a little bit of a delay, but I still believe we will be starting next month. The Constitution Boulevard work — on the drawing board for some three decades — is expected to be completed within a year from groundbreaking, Ron Nault of DeCarlo and Doll Architects and Engineers told residents of Cotts Street and Blacks Hill Road, all impacted by the extension of the road into the city-owned Mas property, during an informational meeting Wednesday.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Lauretti-Artifacts-discovery-won-t-delay-start-17358913.php

Demolition company Stamford Wrecking on Monday started knocking down one of at least three buildings that will be removed from the property in the coming months. A future redeveloper will decide whether a fourth building is taken down, said Tommy Hyde, interim director of Waterbury Development Corp. The site will retain the final building that the city spent $2.3 million on to repair its roof last year, he said. His Board of Directors in July approved a $2.5 million contract with Stamford Wrecking for the demolition. O’Leary said he believes the site, once fully remediated, offers the city and future tenant “a beautiful piece of property,” with it abutting the Naugatuck River. The city’s second phase of the Naugatuck River Greenway project will run through the site upon construction, a city document states.

https://www.rep-am.com/local/localnews/2022/08/08/out-with-the-old-demolition-begins-on-blighted-waterbury-buildings/

Three of the city’s public middle schools top the list to next take advantage of the new reimbursement rate for school construction, officials said. Alan Lo, Norwalk’s building and facilities manager, said the city and school district have identified Nathan Hale, Roton and West Rocks middle schools as the next buildings needing to be reconstructed or renovated. The 60 percent reimbursement rate for school construction, approved earlier this year, would benefit either option. To determine the feasibility of construction for two of the middle schools, the Land Use and Building Management committee approved $25,000 for Antinozzi Associates to provide conceptual designs and cost estimates for potential swing space at Roton or West Rocks so education can continue on-site while the existing schools are built new or renovated. Mike Faenza, project manager for Construction Solutions Group, reported to the committee that steel erection will begin in September.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Norwalk-middle-schools-top-list-for-new-17357371.php

City leaders propose to give four properties at the corner of Main and Ann Uccello Streets to a partnership of the nonprofit San Juan Center and apartments developer Carabetta Development LLC. Using these and four privately held properties, the partnership plans a $17.4 million project resulting in 43 apartments and 7,300 square feet of retail space in three buildings. The council is also being asked to grant the development a decade-long tax break. Under it, there would be no taxes for the first three years, with the tax burden rising from 5% of what otherwise would be owed to 12% in the following seven years. This “Arrowhead” project was awarded a $6.3 million state grant. The balance of funds would come from a Capital Region Development Authority loan, private-sector loan, historic tax credits, developer equity and funds allocated to the city from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Hartford City Council considers tax breaks/property giveaways for two developments

The University of Connecticut Board of Trustees Wednesday unanimously approved moving forward with the construction of a new South Campus Residence Hall, which comes with a $215 million price tag. The residence hall – which is expected to be open for occupancy in the fall of 2024 – will have 657 beds and a new 500-seat dining hall. The money to pay for the project will come from three separate bonding sources, the school said. The university said the new residence hall will create much-needed swing space for the university’s housing rehabilitation and replacement program and address a shortage in on-campus, suite-style housing. Each suite in the new residence hall will have two bedrooms and one bathroom. UConn Board of Trustees Chairperson Dan Toscano said this “is the beginning of an overhaul of our housing, which is probably decades overdue. It is actually threatening our competitiveness as a flagship university.”

UConn approves $215M for construction of new residence hall