Connecticut Development News

[RPM]

Originally Posted by Infoman

Anything new on the 34 level tower.

If you mean the Trump Parc, there are at least 2 articles about it on this page alone, and a bunch on the preceeding pages. There are also photos.

[RPM]

Developers: Harbor Point on courseBy Magdalene Perez
Staff Writer
Article Launched: 09/10/2008 01:00:00 AM EDT


STAMFORD - Developers of the Harbor Point project last night sought to reassure South End residents that the massive project is on track, after an announcement last week that a new partner is managing it.

John Freeman, the general counsel for Harbor Point Development, the limited liability company that oversees the 80-acre project, and Bill Buckley, who oversees construction, told about 20 residents at a meeting of the South End Neighborhood Revitalization Zone community group that the project is on schedule and plans for it have not changed.

Freeman reassured them that he and Buckley, who have met regularly with the group, will continue to lead the effort.

"The team that you know and work with every day will still be the same team and the same faces," Freeman said.

Last week, Norwalk developer Building and Land Technology announced it has taken "sole control" of Harbor Point, which includes 4,000 units of housing, hotels, office buildings, parkland and more than 100,000 square feet of retail space. The plan was conceived by Greenwich developer Antares Investment Partners.

Freeman said Antares brought in Building and Land Technology on the project in February because the Norwalk developers had experience taking plans from ideas to construction.

Since then, "they've been doing a terrific job of getting things done," he said.

The limited liability company, Harbor Point Development LLC, still is carrying out the project, but Building and Land Technology not Antares, now has sole control.
Freeman and Buckley told the group that Harbor Point Development has five foundation permits for the first phase, which includes a waterfront hotel, a residential building with more than 330 apartments, an office building, a restaurant and retail space.

The company should have building permits within a week and a half, he said. Some ground preparation is complete, including installing new gas pipes under sidewalks, he said. Other projects, such as remediation, regrading and widening Canal Street, must be finished.

Freeman said the developers have changed two aspects of its plan for the former Yale & Towne manufacturing site. A park, originally at the center of the residential and retail development, now will border Henry Street, and an additional building will be preserved, Freeman said.

Building and Land Technology said last week it has taken control of another Antares South End project - a proposal to build an office tower at Henry Street and Washington Boulevard.

Freeman, who is general counsel for that project, called Gateway, said rock excavation will begin soon. The zoning board granted approval Monday to rezone the land at the site of the old McCall's building for commercial use.

Most residents at last night's meeting were not focused on the shift in management. They were more concerned about traffic and other problems caused by construction, such as dust and noise. One resident said it's "a nightmare" to drive in the South End.

Freeman said Antares is working with the city to open Market Street to traffic to ease congestion on Canal, Henry and Ludlow streets.

John DaRosa, a longtime South End resident, said the biggest concern regarding the leadership change is that the project will continue without significant changes.

"People are concerned that developers will come in and buy us out," DaRosa said.

Sheila Barney, president of the South End Neighborhood Revitalization Zone, said there has been no shift in her relationship with the Harbor Point developers since the change was announced.

"What we can do is stay involved and hopefully they'll stay the course," Barney said. "There's still going to be a lot of questions that people have. Are they going to adhere to what they started?"

- Staff Writer Magdalene Perez can be reached at magdalene.perez@scni.com or at 964-2240.

[scalziand]

Republican-American

BRIEFLY — Mohegan Sun puts expansion on hold

UNCASVILLE — Trouble with the nation’s economy has forced the Mohegan Sun casino in eastern Connecticut to delay the final projects of its $925 million expansion plan.
The Mohegan Tribal Council decided Monday to suspend construction of a 39-story hotel, a House of Blues music hall, a spa and additional retail and restaurant space, which were to be completed by the fall of 2010.
The remaining parts of the expansion, which have a budget of about $734 million, will be delayed a least a year and reevaluated.
It was just last month that Mohegan Sun opened the new 64,000-square-foot Casino of the Wind.
Mitchell Etess, president and chief executive of the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, says not even casinos are immune from problems with the econo[my].

Bugger.

[StamfordCT]

http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/localnews/ci_10664760


STAMFORD - The pieces of Metro Green, the city's most environmentally friendly development, are falling into place.

Zoning Board members voted unanimously Monday to approve the final site plan for Metro Tower, a 17-story office building on Atlantic Street.

The tower is part of the Metro Green development in the South End that also will include what has been touted a the region's "greenest" affordable housing complex.

Anthony Malkin, president of W&M Industries, said Tuesday that he hopes to break ground on the project within the next 12 months. His firm and Jonathan Rose Cos. LLC are partners on Metro Green.

Developers said they seek to meet the highest environmental standards of the United States Green Building Council in building Metro Tower.

City Land Use Bureau Chief Robin Stein told board members Monday, "As far as transit-oriented development is concerned, there is no better example than this project."

"It's mixed used, mixed income, and it's green," Stein said.

He added: "The only way it could be more transit-oriented was if it was inside the train station."

City land use officials such as Stein have long advocated for high density, energy-efficient housing. According to Malkin, Metro Green was a collaborative effort, with city officials making contributions during the proposal phase.

"Stamford gets it and understands the importance of intelligent growth and realizes this is the direction we need to go," Malkin said.

The first phase of Metro Green is under way. In June, Jonathan Rose Cos. broke ground on Henry Street for the construction of Metro Green Apartments, 50 units of environmentally friendly affordable housing. The complex will have a total of 238 units of mixed-income rental and for-sale residences.

Despite unanimous approval from the Zoning Board, the vote on Metro Tower was not without drama. During a public hearing in September, a lawyer representing a competing developer objected to the site plan, raising issues of potential flood hazards as well as possible traffic congestion at Atlantic and Henry streets.

The developer, Building and Land Technology, is planning its own project, Gateway Harbor Point, an office complex immediately west of Metro Green. During the public hearing on Gateway, which was originally conceived by Greenwich developer Antares, Malkin had said the planned site would wreak havoc on traffic in the South End.

Neither party appears to have significantly affected the board's decisions. On Monday, board members said any flooding or traffic concerns had been sufficiently addressed during Metro Green's initial proposals. Construction at Gateway has started.

[StamfordCT]

Another Tower to add to the skyline....wow is all i can say

[RPM]

Stamfordct you beat me to it. This board has been dead for a while now. We've gotta pick up the slack.

[Woonsocket54]

Station garage stalled; lack of parking will delay new construction
By Martin B. Cassidy
Staff Writer
Article Launched: 10/09/2008 02:52:57 AM EDT

STAMFORD - Work to build a new parking garage at the Stamford train station may be pushed back because of delays in finding replacement parking during construction, Mayor Dannel Malloy said Wednesday.

The work was to begin in 2010.

"The project has slowed," Malloy said of the $35 million replacement garage.

After meeting with state Transportation Commissioner Joseph Marie on Tuesday, Malloy said it will be difficult for state Department of Transportation officials to meet their promise to find 800 spaces to accommodate rail riders who now park at the deteriorating garage.

Talks with landowners and developers to lease parking have stalled, he said. A new set of possibilities is being considered.

"I certainly came away with the impression this thing won't start anytime in the near future," Malloy said. "I'm not saying it won't absolutely start in 2010, but there is a lot of work to do in a short period of time, and it looks like a long shot."

The DOT still aims to begin building in spring 2010 but would not start unless parking is found, spokesman Kevin Nursick said.

Transportation officials are pursuing several options to find parking, including off-site spots with a shuttle service to the train station, Nursick said.

"Joseph Marie and the DOT are absolutely committed to having an alternative parking scenario in place for all the displaced commuters prior to this project starting up," Nursick said. "We will not move forward with the project until we have that scenario in place."

Last month, DOT Deputy Commissioner Al Martin said a proposal for the state to build the garage with W&M Properties, developer of the Metro Green office and housing project adjacent to the station, had stalled.

Jeffrey Maron, a Stamford resident who sits on the Connecticut Commuter Rail Council, said a delay would not be surprising. The garage must be replaced because the DOT neglected maintenance for a long time, he said.

In several areas of the garage, concrete has crumbled to expose the metal framework, Maron said.

"They never did any preventive maintenance, and now it is going to be that much more expensive," he said. "Clearly, they have no other option now."

The DOT will work to keep the garage functioning until the project begins, Nursick said.

- Staff Writer Martin B. Cassidy can be reached at martin.cassidy@scni.com or at 964-2264.

http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/localnews/ci_10675191
The Advocate

[Xusein]

Originally Posted by StamfordCT

Classy. I like the glass style.

[StamfordCT]

Yea it looks good. Stamford is gonna have a skyline in the downtown area, AND across the tracks in the South End....if all these buildings get built, it's gonna look nice, VERY nice. Too bad Stamford wasn't a lil bit bigger, if so the skyline would be so nice. I gotta take a pic of the skyline one day from different views, the trump tower added some SORELY needed height though.

[StamfordCT]

@ RPM

Nothin new man on the Trump building. It's just sitting there incomplete. They stopped building due to safety violations, so they might not start building again until next year, depending on what happens with the plans to make the site safer.

[StamfordCT]

http://www.stamfordplus.com/stm/info...rove1445.shtml








This project is underway, and they've already got the infrastructure out there already, probably around the 5-8th floor by now

[Xusein]

Great stuff, man. Great to see you back.

[StamfordCT]

[StamfordCT]

it's great to be back 10ROT

[StamfordCT]

STAMFORD - With the exception of the Landmark Building, Stamford has long been starved for dramatic architecture.

As part of its plan to rebuild the downtown around pedestrians, a group of city officials now envision an iconic building along Mill River Park to give people reason to pause and stare.

Situated at Washington Boulevard and West Park Place, the five-story, mostly brick building will have 195 units of housing as well as a storefront of high-end retail shops.

The most arresting features would be modern tweaks on traditional design: a lit tower marking the entry to the park; oversized windows that swing open and effectively turn into porches; and a glass-enclosed play space where passers-by could watch residents play video games.

Designed by New Haven architect Herbert Newman, the building is intended to serve as the long-talked about "gateway" to the downtown.

"This will set a standard for Stamford in the future," said Stephen Osman, chairman of the Urban Redevelopment Commission.

On Friday, the panel unanimously approved the conceptual design of the building developed by the New York-based firm Archstone.

The project has been five years in the making. URC members set a high bar for the development that would eventually help define the streetscape along Mill River Park.

The commission sent the developer back to the drawing board several times. With the latest design, the developer reached out to several city officials for input, Osman said.

The unofficial unveiling for the public took place Friday. Archstone vice president Daniel Doern walked commission members through an animated 3-D version of the drawings on a large flat- screen television. At almost every turn, the emphasis was on creating street-level engagement.

"Our buildings are about the pedestrian," Newman said.

Doern said the smaller scale of the building is intended to make it more pedestrian-friendly and provide a counterpoint to the city's tallest structure, Trump Parc.

Set in between Trump and the greenery of Mill River Park, the Archstone building "mediates between the city's harder side and the softer side," Doern said.

Much of the plans are contingent on the renovation of Mill River Park, which URC members say they hope will be invigorated by the developer's design. The building would include a lit pathway into the park on West Park Place as well as a cafe and park amenity shops that could feature skate and equipment rentals.

keeping with the city's goal of creating downtown housing, the building would have a mix of one- and two-bedroom units, 18 of them designated as affordable.

The project is still in the early phases and has to be introduced before the Zoning Board.

The developer will have about a month to bring a proposed building time frame before the commission.

Newman said the porches were incorporated into the plan so "people could come out and be seen and be neighborly."

"It's something that has been lost in the 20th century," he said.


http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/port...shipId=2139021

^
Here is the Picture from the article

[RPM]

I can't believe they actually stopped work on the Trump Parc. So now there is going to be a Hole-in-the-ground and a half finished skeleton of a building in downtown. Good planning there.

Nice to see they finally started building the Highgrove, they did the demolition for that building back in 2004. Had they built it then the building would have been completed while the economy was still booming, now its going to be finished with the economy in the toilet. Another brilliant move.

[StamfordCT]

Thats wat it looks like RPM.....looks like the Trump building will never be completed. It's already been about 2-3 months of no activity

[RPM]

Stamford, the city that DOESN'T work!

[BlogStamford]

Work on Trump hasn't stopped. I don't think its been shut down for more than 1-2 weeks at any given time. Most of the work has moved inside and the glass continues to go up.

[RPM]

Has worked started at the South End?