Building Foundations: Carr Concrete
Located in the heart of Westbrook, Conn., Carr Concrete, founded in 2009 by Kris Carr, has grown from a small company focused on residential projects to a team of 14 that sees mainly commercial work jobs.
Morin Concrete, a business started by his grandfather in 1958, introduced Carr to the industry. As a middle and high school student, Carr worked with
his uncle, learning the trade and laying the foundation for his future. By 2008, as the economy faltered, Carr found himself on the edge of a challenging landscape.
“I graduated high school in 2008, and it just all started going downhill fast,” he said. “Big companies were struggling; work dried up. That’s when I started doing
side projects and eventually launched Carr Concrete in 2009.”
In its early days, Carr Concrete focused on residential projects. Carr and a small crew poured concrete for
In Reversal, MassDOT Decides Boston’s Allston Project to Include Large Rail Yard
In an e-mail to elected officials during the first week of December, Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt wrote that the state’s plans for a new $2 billion highway interchange in Allston “will include layover tracks for MBTA/Compass Rail trains, two express tracks for the Worcester Mainline, and a larger buffer path,” contrary to comments she had made earlier this year.
The announcement generates yet another major point of uncertainty for the Allston Multimodal Project, which, although in the planning stages for over a decade, still faces
major unresolved logistical conflicts, financing shortfalls and environmental permitting challenges.
Jessica Robertson, an Allston resident and neighborhood representative to MassDOT’s project task force, told StreetsblogMASS that Tibbits-Nutt’s statement took many stakeholders by surprise.
“It’s a dramatic reversal, and this decision was made behind closed doors, with zero communication with the task force or any of the other stakeholders,” she said.
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Work Begins to Develop 84-Mi-Long Mountain Bike Trail
Deep in the heart of Maine stands Mount Katahdin, a 5,269-ft. peak at the end of the famous Appalachian Trail. The mountain is located in Piscataquis County, the secondlargest county by area in the state at 3,960 sq. mi.
Despite its massive size, Piscataquis also is the least-populated county in the state with just over 17,000 residents.
Now, plans are afoot for an ambitious, 84-mi. mountain bike trail system to be built in the county, home to some of Maine’s most wild and rugged woodlands, including the famed Hundred-Mile Wilderness.
Recently, Lucas St. Clair, president of Portland-based Elliotsville Foundation Inc. (EFI), said that while there are plenty of hiking paths in the region, opportunities for people to ride singletrack on their mountain bikes are very rare in the region.
“I love to bike, and do a lot of mountain biking, and I started to see what was happening in communities around the country where people were really upping the game with the quality of trails that they were building … [for] a variety of different ability levels,” he said.
According to Singletracks, a national online news site about mountain biking, St. Clair noted that he “saw that that was lowering the barrier for entry for a lot of folks, the community was getting pretty stoked about riding, and … that people were traveling pretty long distances to come and ride a really good trail system.”
When St. Clair realized the impact that mountain bike trails were having across the country, he resolved to take the lead on building bike-legal trails on EFI lands in Maine. The trail system, known as the “7 Ponds Preserve,” is currently being built on a 10,000acre parcel owned by the foundation.
The land was acquired about 15 years ago, he explained, from “a timber harvesting company [when it] was done harvesting it. We’ve been letting the trees grow, and then building some trails.”
Only now, St. Clair added, is it suitable to begin developing recreation opportunities on the parcel.
Demonstration Project Now Done at 7 Ponds Preserve
The EFI has just completed a demonstration pathway to give local residents a taste of what the trails will one day be like. International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) Trail Solutions has completed construction of about 1.5 mi. of “pretty easy” trails, St. Clair explained.
“People can come out and check it out and ride it, but it’s just a real entry point for folks,” he said, adding that EFI has already spent “a couple of years of planning with IMBA” to create just the start of what could be one of the largest trail building projects on the East Coast.
Plans are afoot for an ambitious, 84-mi. mountain bike trail system to be built in Piscataquis County, home to some of Maine’s most wild and rugged woodlands, including the famed Hundred-Mile Wilderness.
As for the character of the planned trails, St. Clair explained that, overall, there will be a lot of cross countrystyle trails that slowly climb and descend the region’s mountain terrain. In addition, he said that the paths will be built to accommodate a range of skill levels, “so people will be able to get out on an e-mountain bike for the very first time, ride trails and feel pretty comfortable.”
Singletracks reported Nov. 11 that although the new trails may be cross country-oriented, there is still plenty of elevation to work with on the property — roughly 1,500 to 2,000 ft., per St. Clair’s estimate.
“We want to have some … vistas built in so there’s some
payoff for the climbs with nice views, [plus], there are several ponds on the property. We wanted to get folks out to some of the spots that we think are pretty beautiful.”
Funding Will Likely Determine When Trail Is Finished
Expanding the trails from 1.5 mi. to 84 mi. will obviously be a lengthy process, and, at the moment, St. Clair is uncertain how long the construction will take before it is finished.
“I think that we’ll be able to have a significant amount of rideable trails in the next couple of years [and maybe] an hour of good riding probably in the next year or two. My
The EFI has completed a demonstration pathway to give local residents a taste of what the trails will one day be like.
hunch is that we’ll probably have well over a dozen miles of mountain bike trails … by year three, at least. That’s my own personal goal.”
When speaking with Singletracks about the planned total mileage of the new bike trails at 7 Ponds Preserve, St. Clair shared the age-old adage that riders will drive an equivalent number of hours to reach a trail system as there are hours of singletrack to ride. By that reckoning, then, if there is one hour of trails to ride, mountain bikers will travel from an hour away.
However, if it takes, say, 15-20 hours to ride 84 mi. — once a cyclist factors in backtracking to hit all of the trail segments — at that point 7 Ponds Preserve could draw riders from all over the eastern half of the United States and Canada.
Ultimately, St. Clair told the online news site, the trail system’s completion date will be largely funding dependent.
“Right now, we’re funding it ourselves, but we don’t have a budget that’s big enough for us to do it all in a couple years,” he explained. “What we hope to do is … prove the concept [by saying] ‘These are pretty sweet trails. We can do more of them, or we can do it faster, if we have partners.’”
The Elliotsville Foundation was created in 1998 by Roxanne Quimby, the founder of Burt’s Bees. With the proceeds from the sale of the natural skincare company, Quimby created the endowment that pays for much of EFI’s operation. Since then, St. Clair said, the foundation has been purchasing timberland and managing it for recreation and conservation.
While EFI continues to own and manage large swathes of land, it also has donated vast tracts to government agencies. For example, in 2016, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, the Elliotsville Foundation donated 89,000 acres of land to create Maine’s Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument.
(Mark and Susan Adams/Elliotsville Foundation Inc. photos.)
MassDOT Officials Announce New Cape Cod Bridge Designs
There was a line of people waiting at noon on Nov. 18 to get into the gymnasium at the Bourne, Mass., Veterans Memorial Center to see the state’s recommended designs for the new Bourne and Sagamore bridges in Cape Cod.
Although the layouts are not yet finalized, the designs are the top choices of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT).
On display inside the gym were aerial photographs of the Bourne and Sagamore bridges, as well as close-ups of interchanges and approaches, state highways and feeder roads, and the areas that will be impacted by preliminary designs for the new bridges leading onto Cape Cod.
While still in the preliminary stages, the information was designed to show people how the Sagamore and Bourne bridge plans are shaping up, and also give folks an opportunity to ask questions and submit comments of their own.
Bryan Cordeiro, a project manager of MassDOT’s Cape Cod Bridges Program, told the Times that the displays, photos and graphics were meant to show the different options associated with the bridge replacements.
Sagamore Bridge Set to Be Replaced With Two Spans
The current 40-ft.-wide Sagamore Bridge carries four lanes of U.S. Highway 6 between Cape Cod and the mainland, with two eastbound lanes and two westbound lanes.
In contrast, each new bridge will be 54 ft. wide, one of which will have a path for pedestrians and cyclists using the 135-mi.long Claire Saltonstall Bikeway, linking Boston to Cape Cod.
The two new spans also will be built just to the west of the older structure and their bridge piers will be on the edge of the canal rather than in the canal itself.
Additionally, the Cape Cod Times reported, the current bridge height over the water is 135 ft., but the new structures are designed to be 3.3 ft. higher to accommodate projected sea level rise.
One span will be built first, then the old Sagamore Bridge will be dismantled and removed before the second span is erected. Each new bridge will have three lanes with one reserved for exiting and entering U.S. 6.
Several Businesses, Homes to Be Impacted By Work
On the Cape Cod side of the Bourne Bridge, a diamond-shaped interchange would eliminate the rotary, while flyover ramps on the north side would separate local traffic from regional traffic.
At the site of the current Sagamore Bridge to the north, MassDOT is recommending an extension of Cranberry Highway and a new Sandwich Road Connector to keep local traffic flowing. The proposed layout also offers a direct connection to State Road on the north side of the bridge, according to the state agency.
Both bridge projects are being advanced as one program because the federal government grades applications based on how project-ready the program is, Cordeiro explained.
The work will be broken down into distinct phases, with the Sagamore Bridge replacement slated to be built first because the state has almost completed procuring the money to erect the structure, likely to cost approximately $2.13 billion via a mix of federal grants, budget funds and a state contribution.
The Bourne Bridge will be constructed when MassDOT can win the necessary federal funding.
As planned, Bourne’s Market Basket grocery story and the old Christmas Tree Shops location on Cape Cod, both located very near to where the new bridges will be built, will remain, but the strip mall at Market Basket will need to be removed for bridge construction. Twelve businesses and homes along Sandwich Road near the Sagamore Bridge also will be impacted, according to Cordeiro.
MassDOT must follow what he referred to as the Uniform Act, which sets the exact process the state must take to give just compensation to property owners, none of whom have yet been officially notified, Cordeiro added.
Comments and questions raised during the recent open house will feed into the development of the draft environmental impact statement scheduled to be filed in the spring of 2025, he said.
The state expects to complete permitting for Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act and National Environmental Policy Act requirements by the spring of 2026. After that, environmental permits and procurement documents will be finalized around that fall to give to designers and builders.
If all goes without a hitch, construction could begin on the Sagamore Bridge in late 2027 or early 2028, the Times noted, and likely take six years to complete.
Biz Successfully Shifts From Residential to Commercial Work
foundations, additions and custom homes. Slowly but steadily, the business grew. By 2010, he had a few employees, and within five years, the company began pivoting to commercial projects.
“Commercial work became about 75-80 percent of our business in recent years,” Carr said. “We’ve done steel buildings, apartment complexes and even big projects out of state, like a massive apartment complex in Freeport, Maine.”
Carr Concrete now prides itself on taking on a variety of projects — from small residential additions to multi-million-dollar commercial projects.
Growing Pains
The shift from residential to commercial wasn’t without its challenges. Commercial projects required larger crews, more equipment and strategic bidding. Carr leaned on his experience from Morin Concrete and carefully scaled his team.
“At one point, we had 18 guys, but I realized a dozen was more manageable,” Carr said. “It’s all about finding the right balance to ensure quality and efficiency.”
One of the company’s standout achievements was a $1.5 million concrete project in New London, Conn., involving apartments for KGI Development.
“That was the biggest dollar amount we’ve handled,” Carr said, noting that Carr Concrete also has completed high-profile custom residential work, such as a 2,000-yd. concrete house on the Connecticut River.
Anchored in Community
Despite its growing footprint, Carr Concrete remains firmly rooted in Westbrook. The company’s market spans all of Connecticut and dips into Rhode Island, with occasional forays into New England states for loyal clients. The Carr family plays an integral role in the business: Carr’s fiancée, Brooke Fowler, manages the books, while his father ensures the equipment is in top shape.
Looking ahead, Carr sees the company continuing to evolve. He emphasized the importance of relationships, saying, “For residential, I only work with trusted builders. And for commercial, it’s all about understanding who you’re bidding against.”
A Day in the Life
Carr Concrete is a hive of activity — its current project is a sprawling multi-unit development in Waterford, Conn. Over the past 10 weeks, Carr and his team have poured more than 2,500 yds. of concrete for six 12,000-sq.-ft. buildings, garages and patios. Despite the scale, efficiency remains paramount.
“I’ve got a tight crew,” Carr said. “Some of my guys have been with me for over a decade. Felix, my right-hand man, has been around for at least 12 years. We’ve built a rhythm, a trust.
“Retention is our strength. We don’t lay people off in the winter. I think that’s why people stay — they know we’ve got their back.”
This loyalty pays dividends in quality.
“Whether I’m on site or not, I know my guys will deliver. They’ve got their routine, and I don’t mess with it. I just stay ahead of them to make sure they have what they need.
“We work year-round,” Carr said. “Even in 20-degree weather, we pour. It’s all about preparation — heaters, blankets, you name it.”
Looking Ahead
For Carr, the future isn’t just about growth — it’s about sustaining what makes Carr Concrete special. As the industry faces challenges in finding skilled workers, Carr relies on word of mouth and his team’s network to bring in new talent.
“When we need someone new, we train them,” he said. “But it’s got to fit. My guys are buddies; they’ve got a flow. Disrupt that, and things don’t work as smoothly.”
As Carr Concrete continues to pour its way into Connecticut’s landscape, it’s clear the company’s strength lies not just in its concrete but in its commitment to people and principles.
“This isn’t just a business — it’s a legacy,” Carr said. “And every pour, every building, every crew member, is a part of it.”
Nate Salter/Mint Drone Shots photo
Kris Carr, president of Carr Concrete, greets a concrete truck as it enters the job site.
Conservation Agency Converts Asphalt to Parkland in Newton
A dramatic transformation of the Hammond Pond Parkway in Newton, Mass., demonstrates what can happen when the state’s Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) actually prioritizes conservation and recreation over traffic and pollution.
StreetsblogMASS reported Dec. 2 that over the past year, construction workers have ripped up several hundred tons of asphalt to convert what used to be a four-lane highway without any sidewalks into a narrower, calmer two-lane street that includes accessible paths for pedestrians and people on bikes, as well as dozens of trees where pavement used to be.
The $11.3 million Hammond Pond Parkway improvement project began in early December 2023 with the goal of enhancing safety and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists between Beacon Street and Mass. Highway 9 in Newton.
While there is still some construction work happening, particularly at the northern intersection where the parkway meets Beacon Street, the new shared-use path along the western edge of the road is open and workers have started planting dozens of new trees that buffer the new trail from the roadway.
Currently, orange construction barrels and the new plantings can be found in a 10-ft.wide strip between the bike path and Hammond Pond Parkway. Crews also have installed new crosswalks to connect hiking trails on either side of the roadway to the new shared-use path.
In an update provided by Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller earlier this fall, she noted that the road construction was “nearly complete,” adding that crews were working to install curbing along both sides of the parkway. Fuller also said that DCR informed her office that the walking path along the eastern side of the parkway is likely to be finished by year’s end.
Additionally, she reported:
• New traffic signals to replace the existing ones will be installed at Beacon Street and at the parkway access to the Chestnut Hill Mall and the Towers of Chestnut Hill. A user-activated signal also will be set at a new, accessible pedestrian crossing to connect walking trails on either side of the parkway, just north of the Boston College property.
• New streetlight poles and fixtures are scheduled to be erected in early 2025. If needed, DCR’s contractor may add temporary street lighting for safety until the new lights are operational.
• The project’s managers are aware of morning traffic backups (northbound) at the
Beacon Street intersection and told Fuller’s office that those delays may last until the new traffic signals are installed this winter.
• The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) will oversee snow removal along Hammond Pond Parkway. Snow may be plowed from the shared-use path on the western side of the roadway, but its surface will not be treated with salt or sand to protect the conservation area. To avoid damaging the new walking path’s permeable stone-dust surface, though, snow may not be plowed from the path, Fuller noted.
“We are excited that the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation is moving forward with this transformational work to create a true parkway along a heavily used one-mile section of Hammond Pond Parkway between Beacon Street and Route 9 in Newton,” she said in a DCR news release when the work was announced late last year.
“The $11.3 million investment by Gov. [Maura] Healey and DCR Commissioner [Brian] Arrigo … improves access into our two largest open green spaces at Webster Woods and the Hammond Pond Reservation, creates a safer and more inviting environment for Newtonians walking, rolling, and biking, adds a lot of plantings, and repaves a heavily worn road surface.”
Located about 10 mi. west of downtown Boston, the scenic road slices through Newton’s largest contiguous conservation area, which is filled with hiking trails that loop among rocky ledges.
When completed, the revamped parkway will create better pedestrian access to approximately 230 acres of protected open space stretching between Newton Centre and Chestnut Hill.
“Not only is this project important to the regional transportation network, but it also helps ensure our parkways provide neighborhoods with safe and accessible connections to economic centers and natural resources,” Arrigo said in a statement from his office. “This project will make this busy road safer for the community while increasing green space for recreation and promoting sustainable transportation.”
During the project’s design process, DCR engaged with various groups from the surrounding community, including the Newton Conservation Commission, and incorporated valuable feedback from stakeholders, resulting in a project design that meets the neighborhood’s needs while prioritizing conservation efforts and preserving the area’s natural ecology, according to the state agency.
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Problem-Solving Culture Spurs Carr’s Partnership With Able
Tools of the Trade
Carr Concrete's operations are powered by a fleet of cutting-edge equipment, each machine chosen with precision to meet the demands of modern construction. From cranes with impressive knuckle booms to battery-powered tools that offer versatility in confined spaces, Carr ensures that his team has everything needed for success.
“We’ve got two big cranes for our larger forms and smaller trucks for delivery. Every tool and piece of machinery we own — or rent from trusted partners like Able Tool — helps us work efficiently while maintaining quality.”
Culture of Problem-Solving
What sets Able Tool apart is its problem-solving culture. Whether it’s adapting equipment to fit specific job requirements or supplying the equipment to meet tight schedules, the team rises to every challenge, Carr said.
Able’s commitment to staying current with technology doesn’t end with purchases. They’ve even customized equipment, such as converting traditional Honda-powered motors to battery-powered alternatives, embracing ecofriendly innovation.
“Bob Nason from Able Tool has been a key partner in our journey,” Carr said. “Their service is unmatched, and they
keep us equipped with everything from demo saws to rideon trowels and site dumpers. It’s this kind of partnership that makes our work seamless.”
Innovation Meets Tradition
As the construction industry evolves, Carr Concrete has embraced sustainable practices while staying true to its roots. Its use of electric tools highlights a commitment to reducing environmental impact, especially in sensitive projects like indoor basements where exhaust fumes are a concern. Able Tool is able to help in these situations by supplying electric tools and machines.
Able Tool & Equipment photo
A Wacker Neuson DV30 wheeled dumper, provided by Able Tool & Equipment.
Able Tool & Equipment photo
This Wacker Neuson power trowel was provided by Able Tool & Equipment.
Able Tool & Equipment photo
A Toro Mud Buggy, provided by Able Tool & Equipment.
A Western Star truck, recently purchased by Carr Concrete, is loaded up with concrete forms.
CARR from page 8 see CARR page 20
Norwalk’s Fire-Damaged I-95 Overpass Reopens Early
Exactly seven months after a fiery blaze consumed the Fairfield Avenue overpass spanning Interstate 95 in Norwalk, Conn., the bridge reopened to traffic Dec. 2 in roughly half the expected time and millions of dollars under budget, CT Insider reported.
Gov. Ned Lamont (D), U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th District and Democratic U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal joined Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) officials along with a slew of Norwalk’s local representatives to cut the ribbon on the brand-new overpass, all lauding the collaborative effort of the state, local and federal governments.
“I think [Norwalk Mayor] Harry Rilling knows how to get stuff done,” Lamont said during the ceremony.
The Fairfield Avenue overpass was rendered unusable last May and demolished in less than 80 hours after a collision involving a tractor-trailer, a tanker and a passenger vehicle on the interstate ignited a fire that fully engulfed the tanker under the bridge. The accident caused a traffic nightmare and closed that section of the freeway for days.
At the press conference celebrating the new overpass’s early completion, CTDOT
Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said the project was initially budgeted at $20 million, but with the rebuild completed five months early will likely come in $3.2 million under budget at $16.8 million after all final calculations are made.
Yonkers Contracting Co., from Yonkers, N.Y., along with several Connecticut agencies and a team of dedicated subcontractors from across the state, were responsible for the quick and effective building effort.
Officials said the fire and speedy demolition of the bridge, which shuttered I-95 and diverted traffic along Norwalk’s city streets, and the rapid installation of its replacement were crucial for the more than 100,000 motorists that drive underneath the Fairfield Avenue overpass each day.
The project was paid for by 2024 state bond funds, Eucalitto said, but the state expects the federal government to reimburse about 90 percent of Connecticut’s expenses.
Swift, But Careful Construction Got Job Done Early
Crews from Yonkers Contracting worked expeditiously in seven months: the bridge plans were completed in June, the prime contractor worked through the summer as
travelers bore through traffic via closed shoulders, and the bridge’s concrete deck was poured around the beginning of October.
Josh Morgan, a CTDOT spokesperson, noted that before the new bridge’s deck was poured, crews laid “every utility line you could think of,” including water, optic fiber, gas and electric lines in the last two weeks of September.
The project’s rush was clearly needed, though, CT Insider noted.
Morgan told the statewide news source that crews were working to beat the upcoming winter weather, which likely would have delayed the construction timeline.
Eucalitto added that overtime work contributed to the quick rebuilding effort, although he did not have an estimate of hours or cost when asked by CT Insider.
Rilling said the rapid completion was “an absolute miracle,” but Lamont and Himes said the fast-paced project must become the standard in Connecticut and the country.
In his comments, Himes noted that the state suffers from high energy costs and expensive housing — both of which can be solved with quickly-built infrastructure modeled after the Fairfield Avenue bridge rebuilding project’s careful work.
That can be done, firstly, by “speeding up the regulatory approval process,” he said, and supporting the workforce network of engineers and laborers who get projects to the finish line.
“We need more of the people who build these things,” Himes added.
Lamont agreed and said that prompt permitting also is crucial.
“Don’t lower standards, but speed up the decision-making,” the governor noted.
The new 170-ft. Fairfield Avenue overpass across I-95 was built to federal standards, features wider shoulders that can accommodate bicycle traffic, and has Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant and accessible sidewalks on both sides, Eucalitto explained, noting that the bridge is in the same footprint as the old one and is structurally the same.
He added that there was not much that CTDOT could have done to completely fireproof the old or the new bridge.
“You can’t really fireproof [for] 8,500 gallons of gasoline,” the commissioner said, referring to the volumetric load of the tanker that was engulfed in flames beneath the overpass. “Hopefully, they will not crash underneath our bridge again with 8,500 gallons of fuel.”
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Officials Still Need to Determine How to Fund Allston Project
‘The Layover’s Gotta Go’ Is Gone
Since the initial stages of the Allston Multimodal Project’s design, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has lobbied to reserve space for a multi-acre layover yard where it could store up to eight trains next to the project’s proposed West Station.
However, many transit advocates and Allston residents objected to the idea of building what was effectively a massive parking lot for diesel trains in the middle of what was supposed to become a new transitoriented neighborhood.
Their cause appeared to gain some momentum when, in 2022, the MBTA agreed to spend $155 million to acquire Widett Circle, a 24-acre industrial property in South Boston for a much larger, more centrally-located layover facility near South Station.
Gov. Maura Healey’s administration completed the purchase in April 2023.
In a March 2024 letter co-signed by advocates from TransitMatters, the LivableStreets Alliance, Boston Cyclists Union, along with several neighborhood groups, the proposed Allston layover was called “unnecessary, inconsistent with the
The debate over the rail yard’s impacts will remain entirely theoretical unless state officials can actually figure out how to pay for the megaproject.
MBTA’s Regional Rail vision, [and] incompatible with economic development.”
Shortly afterward, during the WalkMassachusetts annual celebration in April where Tibbits-Nutt was a keynote speaker, MassDOT’s top official told neighborhood advocates that she agreed with them over the matter.
“The layover’s gotta go,” she twice said, noting how the proposed rail yard would further divide the Allston neighborhood from the Charles riverfront, contrary to the spirit of the federal “reconnecting communities” grant that Massachusetts had received to finance the project.
“I’d had a whole bunch of renewed hope and confidence when the Secretary made those comments at the WalkMassachusetts
event,” Robertson said in speaking with StreetsblogMASS. “It demonstrated an understanding of the issues, and was consistent with what all the stakeholders, including the neighborhood and Harvard, had been saying for many years.”
In the memo that reversed that decision on Dec. 2, Tibbits-Nutt notably did not make any mention of the neighborhoods that would be further divided by the new rail yard — neighborhoods where median household incomes are significantly lower than the rest of Massachusetts.
Instead, she opted to focus on the perceived needs of suburban and inter-city commuters from outside of the city.
“This decision [to add the rail layover yard back into the project’s scope] is necessary to achieve the growth in rail service we all desire and Massachusetts needs,” explained Tibbits-Nutt. “West-East rail service and delivering regional rail on the Worcester Main Line requires protecting our rail assets to enable critical service expansion.”
City of Boston officials told StreetsblogMASS on Dec. 3 that they had not yet seen any technical analysis from MassDOT to justify the addition of more layover infrastructure in Allston.
Reverse Value Engineering
The debate over the rail yard’s impacts will remain entirely theoretical unless state officials can actually figure out how to pay for the megaproject.
The shortfall in the Allston Multimodal Project’s financing plan is in the magnitude of hundreds of millions of dollars. Earlier this year, there was a general agreement that MassDOT’s proposed design would need to slim down considerably.
But Tibbits-Nutt’s decision to add a major rail facility back into the project’s scope will only add to its cost, StreetsblogMASS noted.
Robertson observed that building a multiacre railyard on a prime site next to the new train station will largely diminish how much housing and economic development will be feasible on the site.
“Buildings would need to be built on top of ‘air rights’ platforms over the rail yard,
instead of on terra firma, which would be much simpler and less expensive,” she explained.
Less real estate development would, in turn, diminish the City of Boston’s future property tax revenues from new buildings in the project area.
Previously, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration had pledged $100 million in city funds to pay for massive multi-lane streets that MassDOT wants to hook up to the project’s proposed highway ramps.
That pledge, however, hinged on “value capture” from new tax revenues on the site’s future real estate development.
MassDOT has been trying for decades — with little success — to promote “air rights” developments in several other places above the Massachusetts Turnpike in Back Bay and downtown Boston.
A city spokesperson told StreetsblogMASS that the decision to include the layover was “disappointing” and “would significantly compromise our shared commitment to build housing and reconnect the Allston neighborhood.”
“The City will continue to advance efforts to shift rail layover to Widett Circle, and work with neighborhood and state leaders to deliver on the goals for Beacon Park Yard that residents and commuters deserve,” the spokesperson said.
Environmental Filings Still Year Away
The MassDOT Secretary’s letter did include a small hedge: she wrote that the decision to include the layover yard in its upcoming environmental analysis filings “is an early milestone, not the final one.”
“As the permitting process continues over the next year and beyond, should further analysis and/or planning determine that some of the current design elements are not required to support future rail needs, MassDOT/MBTA would be open to exploring potential design changes,” wrote TibbitsNutt.
Under the state’s Environmental Policy Act and the corresponding federal National Environmental Policy Act, MassDOT must produce an “environmental impact statement” for the Allston project that evaluates a range of environmental issues and potential design alternatives.
According to Tibbits-Nutt’s memo, that environmental report is not due to come out for another year, but the agency is beginning to work on it now.
StreetsblogMASS asked MassDOT whether the environmental impact statements would analyze a project alternative that does not include the layover facility, but the agency’s press office did not respond to multiple inquiries.
Carr Keeps ‘Family Spirit’ Alive Amid Significant Growth
Even as they innovate, the company remains deeply grounded in the values Carr learned from his family. “It’s about balance,” he said. “We honor the past while building for the future.”
Start of Something Solid
“When I started, it was just me working out of a shop in the back of my grandparents’ house,” Carr said.
Over time, Carr Concrete evolved from those humble beginnings to its current operation, which includes a 4,000-sq.-ft. facility and a sprawling yard for equipment.
Carr Concrete specializes in large-scale projects, pouring between 300 and 400 yds. of concrete a week with a tight-knit crew. The work is physically demanding, but for Carr and his team, it’s all part of a day’s work.
“I like to keep things simple,” he said. “We focus on getting the job done right, no matter the challenges.”
Challenges of the Trade
From navigating inaccessible sites to managing difficult clients, the world of concrete isn’t always straightforward.
“Sometimes the toughest part is dealing with a super who doesn’t know what they’re doing,” Carr said. But he’s quick to emphasize that with a trusted crew and solid partnerships — like his go-to pump company,
SJM Pumping — most obstacles become manageable.
“I don’t care if there’s a dirt pile or some crazy access issue. We just call in the pump, and it’s good to go,” Carr said, underscoring the importance of adaptability in the business.
The company’s evolution hasn’t diminished its roots.
“Even as we’ve grown, I try to keep the family spirit alive in what we do,” Carr said. This extends to his team, who share a camaraderie that makes even the most grueling projects rewarding.
Maintenance is another cornerstone of Carr Concrete’s operations. Whether it’s old equipment or brand-new machinery, Carr ensures everything runs smoothly.
“It’s a constant effort, but it’s worth it. The equipment is our lifeline,” he said. For more information, visit https://carrconcrete.wixsite.com/carr and www.abletool.net. CEG
(All photographs in this article are Copyright 2024 Construction Equipment Guide, except where noted. All Rights Reserved.)
Carr Concrete’s trucks are loaded up on a ferry to tackle an out-of-state project.
A concrete pour using a concrete pumper truck.
Once Carr Concrete’s concrete foundations are in place, the construction of the condos begins.
CARR from page 14
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New Life Promised for Site of Old Coal-Fired Power Plant
For one dollar, a development group with a brownfields specialty has purchased the ultimate fixer-upper: a 33-acre parcel on the Bridgeport, Conn., waterfront that comes with responsibility to not only demolish a power plant and its iconic red-and-white smokestack but remediate and redevelop the site.
Bridgeport Station Development LLC was introduced Nov. 19 by the administration of Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont as the new owner of Bridgeport Harbor Station Unit 3, the last of the state’s coal-fired generators of electricity when PSEG Power closed it in 2021.
“Work will begin this week, and while a lot of the activity will be on the interior to start and so not always visible, you will indeed start to see [the] skyline changing over the coming months with ongoing demolition,” Chad Parks, one of the partners in the development group, told CT Mirror.
The demolition will take three years and include the implosion of the smokestack and three boilers.
The Community Investment Fund, a competitive grant program overseen by state lawmakers and the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), has already committed $22.5 million for the demolition of the plant, essentially making the state a broker in the deal.
“The state grant award brought PSEG to the table and helped to catalyze conversations about what the future of this site could be, and we’re here today to announce the sale of this site by PSEG and the transfer of ownership to Bridgeport Station Development,” said Matt Pugliese, deputy commissioner of the DECD.
“I can say definitively that without the Community Investment Funding from the state, this property would have possibly sat dormant for many years instead of us all being here today,” Parks said.
While the grant offsets the costs of demolition, the $1 purchase price indicates that PSEG is selling the liability for any required environmental remediation along with the potential for waterfront development. Parks and his partners are players in the ultimate niche real estate business — taking a chance on brownfields. They most recently purchased another coal-fired power plant in Cape May, N.J. He said the old power facilities, which required water for cooling and the delivery of coal, come with enormous potential and significant risk.
“It’s a liability transfer business,” Parks said.
Connecticut’s financial commitment is
limited to the demolition grant, CT Mirror reported, while Bridgeport Station Development is responsible for any other costs, as well as redeveloping the land under conditions outlined by the state. Industrial reuse is off limits at the site; instead, the state wants to see mixed use, preferably with a substantial housing component, all of which would be subject to local approvals and the engagement of a South End neighborhood eager to emerge from the long shadow of its industrial past.
“This is not going to be something where folks prescribe what’s going to happen in your neighborhood,” said state Rep. Antonio Felipe, D-Bridgeport. “There’s going to be collaboration. Folks are going to talk to the community, and we’re going to put something here that makes it a better place to live and make sure that you can have something that you want in your South End.”
Asthma rates in the area historically have been among the highest in the United States, as is the case with neighborhoods in Hartford and New Haven, which have a combination of industrial pollutants and heavy motor vehicle traffic. Those two cities also have defunct power plants awaiting remediation and redevelopment.
Felipe, who grew up in the South End of Bridgeport and now represents it in the state legislature, described the neighborhood as literally on the other side of the tracks.
“We can talk a lot about the air quality and the asthma that some of our family members may have had stemming from the coal plant, but also just the amount of TLC that was lacking in the area,” he said in speaking with CT Mirror. “[After] you passed Park Avenue in the underpass, [and] passed the train tracks, it felt different.”
DECD Commissioner Dan O’Keefe described the vibe of the abandoned coal plant as a “dystopian hellscape.”
Plans call for the area to retain its current natural-gas fired power plant also owned and operated by PSEG. It opened in 2018, clearing the way for the closure of the dirtier coalfired plant that had been used intermittently in its last years, providing 400 megawatts of power at times of peak demand.
It was needed for just two days in 2020 and none in 2019, but the station ran for the first two months of 2021 during a prolonged period of extremely cold weather. PSEG was the last of the plant’s owners and operators. United Illuminating opened the facility in 1957 to provide power needed by industry in southwestern Connecticut. It was designed to burn oil or coal but was converted to coal-only in 2002.
