captions, page 7:

 

Underway

Construction is underway on the bridge between Kennedy Drive and the new Quinebaug Regional Technology Park. This is taken from the site of the Regional Community YMCA, which breaks ground Jan. 22. 

 

Beginning

Ben Tully, left, and Putnam Mayor Tony Falzarano at the groundbreaking for the access bridge for the tech park. Courtesy photos.

 

 

Tech park

bridge, Y

construction

begins 

By Linda Lemmon

Town Crier Editor

PUTNAM ---  Construction of the Regional Community YMCA is slated to begin Jan. 22, joining construction already underway on the tech park access bridge.

Groundbreaking for the 15-acre Regional Community YMCA takes place Jan. 22. Tully Construction of Southbridge last week began construction of the bridge crossing from Kennedy Drive into the Quinebaug Regional Technology Park. Tully bid about $2.4 million to construct the bridge, a short piece of access road on the Kennedy Drive side of the bridge and a short amount of roadway on the west side of the bridge. The bridge, and related projects,  is funded with a $2.97 million state grant. 

Douglas M. Cutler, town administrator, said the contract calls for the bridge to be finished by Nov. 30. In addition, this week, town officials will be opening bids for the rest of the access road between the bridge and the property line of the park. It's about a quarter mile. He added that officials hope that that road will also be in place by Nov. 30.

In the meantime, also "under construction" are plans to pursue various grants and loans to fund construction of the first phase of the park. The first phase of the tech park totals 60 acres and it contains six lots total. The town transferred two lots, totaling about 15 acres, to the YMCA a few weeks ago and the remaining four lots, the town hopes to sell. 

Cutler said the town is waiting to hear whether it was successful in garnering a second Small Town Economic Assistant Program (STEAP) grant. In addition town officials are working with the USDA Rural Development program, in pursuit of grant and loan funds.

When the town determines what is already coming in, with grants and loans, it will submit a proposal for state manufacturing assistance.

He hopes to submit the application in the next 30 days. Under the state Manufacturing Assistance Grant program, the town is looking for a Municipal Development Program grant.

Because the Quinebaug Regional Technology Park is regional, the amount of a project that can be covered by a state grant jumps from 50 percent to 75 percent. Putnam has three partners, Brooklyn, Pomfret and Scotland.

If, for example, the town is looking for $100,000 for an infrastructure project in the park, because the park is a regional park, $75,000 could be awarded, rather than $50,000.

Cutler said one of the big components needed at the park is a natural gas line. The closest connection to an existing gas line is at Arch Street.