Allen St. Project #2 Progress Update and Bulletin - New Britain Progressive Newspaper

Bulletin: August 2, 2024

This is an “all hands on deck” bi-partisan plea for assistance…

As the current mayor noted in her recent interview with the CT Examiner; If all goes as planned, ground could be broken in late 2025 and the project completed in the first half of 2027. This news from Mayor Stewart alters the Public Works Design Schedule for the Allen St. Project #2 Oak St. to Beacon St. which plans for a start date of April 2025. With this revised schedule we are facing at least 3 more rainy seasons without the required storm-sewer upgrades.

As we understand it, once the state bonding initiative for $9.7M is approved then we should have the money available by June 1, 2025 or sooner. This is an optimistic time line for this emergency situation. The state legislative bonding process can be difficult. We must lobby all of our local officials and all of our state officials asking them to move this bonding initiative through the state legislative process ASAP. Mayor Stewart has committed $4.2M to the Allen St. Project which is the city’s responsibility.

FAST TRACK THE ALLEN ST. STATE BONDING INITIATIVE:

We are asking for a herculean effort from all of our concerned state legislators. We must petition our state legislators and Governor Lamont to fast track the approval process for the Allen St. Project #2 Oak St. to Beacon St. because our storm-sewer infrastructure on Allen St. is at crisis levels per our engineers. 50+ properties are at risk.

The project start date has been pushed out by 6 months and optimistically shortened to the minimum construction time of 18 months. A minimum of 2 full construction seasons (totaling 16 months) are needed to complete the complex Allen St. Project. Factor in 2 more months for the construction close out we have the 18 month total for the project. In a perfect world this seems to be an ideal plan. Unfortunately, unintentional construction delays occur. This 6 month fiscal delay noted by Mayor Stewart must be avoided or shortened for the sake of our Ward 4 constituents, taxpayers, property owners and flooding victims.

As we move through the Allen St. Milestones, the 2024 election cycle and the holiday seasons waiting for the 2025 State Legislature to convene we will be lobbying for the state bonding to finance the Allen St. Project #2 Oak St. to Beacon St. for the benefit of our flooding victims.

Thank you.

F&S Chase

Progress update: July 25, 2024

To: Ward 4 Constituents, Taxpayers, Property Owners, Flooding Victims and Elected Officials

We appreciate the mayor’s and the city council’s efforts thus far. Now our state legislators must move the funding proposal through the legislature approving the $9.7M bonding initiative. Mayor Stewart has committed $4.2M to the Allen St. Project which is the city’s responsibility.

Upcoming milestones per the DPW Design Schedule (attached for your convenience):

1) DPW Director Moriarty and Cardinal Engineering will be submitting the updated Allen St. Project #2 Engineering-Construction Plan to the DOT and to the City for review. This should be completed by mid-August 2024.

2) Incorporate DOT comments: Complete by mid-September.

3) Prepare specifications and bid documents: Complete by October 1st.

4) Review by City: Complete by mid-October.

5) Bidding: Complete by mid-November.

6) Award by mid-December.

7) Start Construction by April 2025.

We trust that Director Moriarty and all other interested city and state officials will keep moving this project forward as noted and beyond through the state funding phase and the construction phases to project completion. Since this project has been ignored for decades we remain skeptical. We hope you will understand our ongoing concerns. We do not want the Allen St. Project #2 to be lost in the bureaucratic fiscal shuffle again. We will be monitoring this process closely.

So we are clear, if the project starts, April 2025, in a perfect world, the construction will take at least 18-22 months to complete. Avoiding any possible further delays we are looking at two or more tropical rainy seasons to contend with. The flooding threat will continue until the spring of 2027 and possibly beyond. Hopefully, the project will move forward smoothly. We will portray the facts as we know them.

As elected officials, you are voted into office not to define the problems, you are voted into office to solve the problems…Once again, we are grateful for your efforts thus far, as we have noted, more challenges exist regarding the Allen St. Project #2 Oak St. to Beacon St. As Council Leader McNamara noted, “Your advocacy is still needed to ensure that the Allen St. Project #2 implementation occurs”.

Photos Allen St. Problem Flooding:

Stanley Park Retention Pond Overflowing-Flooding Streets And Properties.