Construction Projects Transform Branford

This is a summer like no other in Branford; The town is in the midst of three major renovation-expansion projects.

Construction is underway at Walsh Intermediate School and the Community House/Senior Center, and work will begin soon at the iconic James Blackstone Memorial Library.

That’s a lot of change – in more ways than one. The projects have the ability to transform services for everyone in Branford, but they also come with hefty price tags.

• Students in grades five through eight will eventually have a school with interior walls – instead of the open-concept school that was built in the early 1970s.

• Senior citizens will have a new handicapped-accessible center that meets their needs, not like the Canoe Brook Senior Center, which has a convoluted four-level ramp and no elevators. Kids of all ages will benefit from the renovations at the Community Center.

• And the expansion project at the Blackstone Library will allow better access to the library’s multitude of programs and services that are geared to everyone from toddlers to seniors.

These projects have been discussed for numerous years, and by a convergence of fate, they are all underway simultaneously. Walsh and the Community House projects come under the auspices of the Public Building Commission.

The one glaring absence in municipal projects is the lack of a new Public Works Building, which has been located in a rental facility at 137 North Branford Road since 2011. At that time, the old Public Works Building was torn down to make way for the new Fire Headquarters. Efforts to find a new location have failed to materialize. Click here to read about problems at the temporary facility.

Costs: A Big Factor

The benefits of the three current projects are priceless, but the combined costs are about $100 million. Reimbursements and grants bring the costs to the town at almost $74 million. If Public Works is included, officials estimate it would add another $10 million.

The total cost of renovations and expansion at Walsh Intermediate School is $88.2 million, minus about $30 million in state reimbursement. This is the largest bonding project in the town’s history.

The Community House/Senior Center cost is estimated at $12.1 million.

The Blackstone Library project is $5.2 million, with the actual cost to town residents at about $3.4 million because of a $1 million state grant and local fund-raising efforts.

Finance Director James Finch told the Eagle that the Board of Finance (BOF) has been planning carefully for these projects to lessen the burden on taxpayers. 

“In anticipation of the capital program, we have provided a series of debt plans to the Board of Finance. Additionally we restructured and reduced our existing debt to provide the capacity for these projects,” Finch said. “Our objective is to execute a funding plan that is logical and budget-sensitive while maintaining our current bond rating. Presently about 7.4 cents of every tax dollar is used to finance capital projects and we anticipate that rising gradually over the years and peaking at 8.3 cents in 2022.”

Standard & Poor’s (S&P) recently gave Branford a Triple A Rating, which is the highest rating a town can receive. This means that Branford is able to obtain the best interest rates available when it issues bonds to finance capital projects. The town also received the high rating last year.

“New” Walsh on Its Way

After years of discussions about the need to update Walsh Intermediate School, groundbreaking ceremonies were held June 7. 

During the ceremony, First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove described the project as a ​“long identified need” and thanked town officials and state Reps. Lonnie Reed and Sean Scanlon and state Sen. Ted Kennedy Jr., who were instrumental in obtaining the $30 million grant from the state.

Efforts to update Walsh have been ongoing for years. Silver/Petrucelli & Associates conducted a study in 2013, and a master plan and feasibility study were compiled in 1998 by Kosinski Enterprises. Neither study resulted in any action.

A feasibility study in 2015 offered options ranging in cost from an estimated $77.6 million to $92.6 million – before state reimbursement. One option was renovating the building like new, but retaining the gyms and pool; another was new construction; and the favored one was a hybrid option with a new academic wing and renovation of other areas.

Work began this summer with project completion estimated for November 2020. Antinozzi Associates of Bridgeport are the architects; Colliers International was hired as owner’s representative; and Fusco Corp. is the construction manager.

Asbestos abatement will occur this summer in various areas of the building. Demolition of a portion of the building will make way for the new three-story 120,000-square-foot academic wing. Construction will be phased and will be separate from the daily functioning of the school. Officials say the current classrooms will not be impacted by the project during the coming school year.

The overall project is expected to cost $88.2 million, with the local share at $57.4 million.

Public outreach meetings were held in the spring to provide updates of the Walsh project. Details of the project and a timeline of construction can be found at www.walshschoolproject.org.

The Board of Finance (BOF) unanimously approved bonding for the $88.2 million school project in early January 2016, saying it was the largest bonding appropriation the town has ever made. 

Later that month, the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) approved the bonding, but the vote was split after Democrats expressed concerns about oversight and accountability. RTM Republicans voted in favor, nine Democrats abstained, and one voted no.

Community House – ​“Hub of the Community”

“When this new building is finished it will be the hub of the community,” said Cosgrove during groundbreaking ceremonies for the Community House/Senior Center project in October 2017.

Helen Kelsey, 92, who helped form a grassroots movement, Voices For Branford Seniors in 2013, donned a hardhat and picked up a shovel at the groundbreaking.

The seniors group lobbied for a new center for many years, but some said they preferred a stand-alone center, and were not satisfied with combining the senior center with the Community House.

The former Canoe Brook School, built in 1898, has housed the senior center since 1975.

With the renovations and the expansion, the Community House, which was built in 1963, will become a multi-use facility. Senior programs will be on the upper floor of the expanded building at 46 Church St., and recreation programs will remain on the lower floor. The entire building including the gym will be renovated, and an elevator will be added.

Parks and Recreation programs that are normally held at the Community House are being held at other locations while construction is ongoing.

The project was initially slated to be complete in about 12 months, which would have been Oct. 31. Alex Palluzzi, director of Parks and Recreation, told the Eagle this week that the new estimated completion date is Dec. 31, 2018, but he said that may change depending on weather and circumstances. Palluzzi said they are working on the interior of the original building while waiting for steel to arrive for the addition.

The $12.1 million project is headed by Tom Arcari of Quisenberry Arcari Architects LLC; and David Secondino of A. Secondino & Sons Construction.

The estimated price was originally about $8 million, but increased because of several factors including the purchase of an adjacent property for additional parking.

Arcari’s team has also proposed measures to counteract the effects of flooding, which frequently occurs on Meadow Street and the town’s athletic fields adjacent to the Community House. Exterior flood control elements will be added such as flood doors and dedicated pump equipment, and the new heating and cooling systems will be placed on the roof.

Funding for the project was approved in 2016 by both the BOF and the RTM, after considerable discussion about the cost.

Coming Soon: A 21st Century Library

The iconic James Blackstone Memorial Library has been a town treasure since it was built in 1896.

The renovation and expansion project will bring the library into the 21st century. Four major challenges were identified — the children’s and teens’ areas are not adequate; there are only 21 public computers; meeting space is limited; and the rear entrance is not as functional as it could be.

Construction bids are being opened in July. Library Director Karen Jensen said construction is slated to being in late August or early September, with completion in about one year. The work will be done in phases and the library will remain open during construction.

The proposed 2,000-square-foot addition will feature a covered walkway and entrance from the rear parking lot, a lobby, a circulation desk, and new restrooms. The roof of the addition will serve as a terrace, which can be accessed from the first-floor auditorium. It will be open to the public and used for special events.

A major interior change involves moving the children’s services from the top floor to the ground floor to provide better access. There will also be space for teen activities. A family bathroom in the children’s area, and bathrooms will also be added on the first floor.

The distinctive front entrance and steps will remain the same.

In January 2018, the RTM voted to approve bonding for the project after strong views were voiced by residents, virtually all of whom came to support the renovation. The vote was 15 – 11 with all Democrats and a number of Republicans voting in favor of the project.

The vote was necessary in order to qualify for the $1 million grant from the State Library. The project architect is Silver, Petrucelli & Associates; Downes Construction is the construction manager.

The RTM approved bonding for a $5.2 million renovation, but the actual cost to town residents is about $3.4 million because of the $1 million state grant, and the library’s extensive fund-raising project. Individual donations to the library’s capital campaign reached the amount needed to qualify for the Branford Community Foundation’s (BCF) match of $100,000. The matching grant is the largest single contribution to an organization in the BCF’s history.

State Rep. Reed and former state Rep. Pat Widlitz (D‑Guilford/Branford) were instrumental in getting the $1 million construction grant a few years ago, contingent upon the library raising additional funds for the project.