Storrs Center Job Fair: Jan 12

Storrs Center Alliance and Education Realty Trust, together with Erland Construction, will host a local job fair for people from the area interested in potential job opportunities in the construction of the first phases of Storrs Center. The job fair will be held in the gymnasium at the Mansfield Community Center (10 South Eagleville Road) in Mansfield on Thursday, January 12 from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

Storrs Center will be a mixed-use town center and main street corridor at the crossroads of the Town of Mansfield, Connecticut and the University of Connecticut.  Storrs Center will combine retail, restaurant, and office uses with a variety of residence types including studios, town homes, condominium apartments and rental apartments.

Inquiries about the job fair may be emailed.

Moving Inside

The buildings on 1 Dog Lane and 9 Dog Lane are ready for winter, so all trades can work efficiently during the next few months.  Mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection items are being installed in the residential levels (upper floors), and placement of concrete slabs in select areas of the commercial level (first floor) has begun.

Both buildings have temporary weather protection and temporary heat for winter construction.  While the application of the exterior trim and the installation of brick have begun, the focus of the work in the coming weeks will be on the interior spaces.

Image courtesy of BL Companies Architects

Request for Bids: Storrs Road, Dog Lane

The Town of Mansfield recently announced a request for bids for State Project No. 77-223 [Storrs Road (Route 195) Improvements] and State Project No. 77-227 (Dog Lane Improvements).

Sealed bids for the construction of the above projects will be received by the Town of Mansfield, Connecticut at the Office of the Director of Finance, 4 South Eagleville Road, Mansfield, CT 06268 until 2:00 pm on January 10, 2012, at which time they will be publicly opened and read.

Read the full announcement. . .

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Have questions about Storrs Center or the Mansfield Downtown Partnership?  Visit the Partnership’s website for more information, including a comprehensive list of Frequently Asked Questions.



Open for Business: Select Physical Therapy

Location: 10 Dog Lane

Contact: 860.429.0899

Hours: Mon, Wed, Fri 7am-8pm; Tues and Thurs 7am-5pm

Services/Products: Physical Therapy

Select Physical Therapy is a local office of the largest provider of Outpatient Physical Therapy in the United States.  Physical Therapists are the experts in the treatment of the neuromusculoskeletal system.  Common conditions treated through physical therapy include pain of the spine and the major joints as well as conditions such as stroke, spinal cord injury, Parkinson’s disease, and sport and work related injuries.

Select Physical Therapy began seeing patients in 1998 as Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine Associates (PTSMA) on 13 Dog Lane.  Since 1998, although many of the practitioners have remained the same, the name on the door has changed three times.  In 2001, PTSMA became HealthSouth, and then in 2009 HealthSouth’s Outpatient Physical Therapy offices were sold to Select Medical Corporation as Select Physical Therapy.  In May of 2011, Select Physical Therapy moved to 10 Dog Lane to make room for the new downtown construction.

Through the name changes, David Hoyle and Dorinda (Ferrera) Miller have had maintained their practice on Dog Lane.  David and Dorinda have long ties to Mansfield; both are E. O. Smith and University of Connecticut graduates.  Joseph Morelli, Kathy D’Angelo, and Cathe Close now complete the physical therapy team with Michael Distephano providing Athletic Training coverage for E. O. Smith High School and providing exercise prescription to individuals who want to participate in exercise programs at all levels.

Patients no longer require a referral to physical therapy in the state of Connecticut, and most insurance companies cover physical therapy without a referral from a physician.  Exercise prescription is provided on a cash basis for those looking to improve their overall health or performance.



Select Physical Therapy is currently located at 10 Dog Lane.



Construction Continues

The first building of Storrs Center, 1 Dog Lane, now has a roof membrane in place, and the installation and pulling of electrical wires has begun.  The interior framing is complete, and the installation of mechanical components has begun.  The second building, 9 Dog Lane, is following a similar schedule, and activities are sequenced to track a week after 1 Dog Lane.

1 Dog Lane

Meanwhile, work on the foundation for the parking garage continues.  Soon, work will begin on a temporary curb cut along Storrs Road (Route 195) to allow for better access to the garage site for the construction vehicles.  While the work is underway, sidewalk access between the Marketplace (Store 24 building) and Storrs Commons (Chang’s Garden) will be temporarily affected, although the sidewalk will remain open.

What is it?

Is that the final color?



If you have been by 1 Dog Lane recently, you may have noticed that parts of the building are now a vibrant green.  While the buildings are designed to be “green” (energy- and water- efficient), that is not the color of the building.

The green color is actually an air vapor barrier that prevents moisture and air from migrating through the wall, which reduces energy use and prevents issues related to moisture or water penetration.

The barrier has not been applied to the entire building because different exterior finishes have specific air vapor barriers that are better suited to each material.

Framing of TS-1 Complete

The exterior framing of 1 Dog Lane(formerly referred to as TS-1) is now complete!  Installation of the windows and the interior framing of the apartments have begun.  The roof is underway, and the air vapor barrier is being applied to the exterior.  In addition to the framing inside, electrical work, plumbing, and HVAC work is underway. 

Next door, 9 Dog Lane (formerly DL-1/2) is following a similar schedule and activities are sequenced to track a week after 1 Dog Lane.   



1 Dog Lane



Over at the site of the future parking garage, work is progressing steadily.  The footings on the northern end of the building have been poured.

Open for Business: Storrs Automotive

Location: 4 Dog Lane

Contact: 860.487.1231

Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Services/Products: Automotive repairs; Sales of tires, batteries, etc.

Storrs Automotive has been repairing the vehicles of residents of Mansfield and the surrounding communities since August 1975.  The shop runs on an appointment basis, so calling ahead is required.  Located across the street from E. O. Smith High School and UConn’s School of Fine Arts, Storrs Automotive is within an easy walk for many employees, students, and nearby residents.

While Storrs Automotive has enjoyed their convenient spot for over thirty-five years, they are looking forward to their new location – now under construction – at 9 Dog Lane.  With three bays planned for the new space, owner Rene Schein hopes to be able to serve more customers and may be able to add drop-in services to the offerings as a complement to the by-appointment visits.

Storrs Automotive plans to remain open through construction, right up until the move.  So, pick up the phone, make an appointment, and get your car ready for the winter!

Storrs Automotive will move to 9 Dog Lane and continue to serve
Mansfield and the surrounding communities.
Image courtesy of BL Companies Architects.

Garage Work, Framing Continues

The blasting of the future site of the parking garage is now complete.  Excavation is underway, and the foundation work will begin soon.

Across the street, the framing of TS-1, the building at the corner of Dog Lane and Storrs Road (Route 195) is nearly complete.  In fact, the roof trusses are now visible.

With TS-1 now at its full height and the installation of steel studs in the first floor commercial spaces underway, it is easy to imagine how the finished building will look.

Image courtesy of BL Companies Architects.

What is it?

What is that fuzzy stuff on the steel framing?

It’s fireproofing material.  The material is mixed with water, sprayed onto the framing, and allowed to dry.  Once dry, an independent company tests the thickness to ensure that it is to code.

Nearing the top

The framing of the residential levels of TS-1 and DL-1/2 continues.  TS-1, the building at the corner of Storrs Road and Dog Lane, is nearing the top; only one floor to go!  For DL-1/2, which is located on Dog Lane, there are two more floors to be built



The site work for the parking garage is continuing with the clearing of the site now complete.  The stripping is on-going, and there will be intermittent blasting this week to prepare the site



With work on the future parking garage now underway, the construction site has expanded quite a bit.  Visitors to the area should be mindful of the limits of the construction sites.  For the safety of both the public and the workers, no trespassing is permitted.



Notice: Blasting

As part of the site work for constructing the parking garage foundations in the bedrock, the contractor will begin blasting on Monday, October 17th and continue for about one week.  The blasting is being done electronically, so two-way radio operation in the area will not affect the operation. A series of standard "short" signals will be given before each blast followed by a long "all-clear" signal. Buildings in the area will be monitored for vibration; most blasts will be heard but not felt.

Traffic Alert

The Town of Mansfield is working on a water line near the Storrs Center construction site.  This work will limit traffic on Dog Lane to one lane, and at times, there may be a need to stop traffic briefly in both directions.  This work is anticipated to continue through next week.

As work progresses on the buildings, the number and frequency of delivery of materials will increase. The general contractor is working to coordinate deliveries as much as possible to minimize any potential traffic impact.  Motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians are encouraged to use caution when traveling through the area and to be prepared for possible delays.

Construction Continues

The panelized construction of the residential floors is continuing for both TS-1 and DL-1/2 (the former is at the corner of Storrs Road/Route 195, and the latter is along Dog Lane).

The panels arrive bundled together and are lifted onto the building by a crane.  The panels have been custom-made for the buildings.  Installation is an efficient process.

Meanwhile, on the first floor, the steel studs are being installed.  With the studs in place, the outlines of the commercial spaces are becoming visible.





Parking Changes

With site work for the parking garage underway, there will be some changes to the parking area behind the Marketplace building (Store 24 building) to accommodate construction vehicles.

Parking will be limited to employees and customers of the businesses located in the Marketplace building only.  The parking area will be monitored.  After many warnings to alert people to the changes, as of October 10, cars which have been parked for longer than the allotted time or which do not belong to employees or customers will be towed at the owner’s expense.

The parking area will be changed to provide adequate space for the construction vehicles to maneuver the site while maintaining safety for pedestrians and motorists in the area.



Questions regarding parking changes may be emailed.

Framing Continues; Garage Site Work Begins

The framing of the upper floors on building TS-1 (at the corner of Storrs Road and Dog Lane) continues.  The framing of the upper floors of DL-1/2 is also underway.

Framing of the upper floors of building DL-1/2 has begun on Dog Lane.

The first floor of both buildings will house commercial uses, including restaurants, services, and offices.  The floors above will be The Oaks on the Square, residential units of varying sizes at market-rate rents for all ages.

The building DL-1/2 will have commercial uses on the first floor
and residential units on the upper floors.
Image courtesy of BL Companies Architects.

Meanwhile, the site work for the parking garage has begun.  Before the garage can be built, the site must be cleared and prepared.  Work on the precast for the garage is underway off-site. Once the location is ready and the foundation is built, the precast pieces will be delivered for assembly on-site.

Moving on up

The framing of the upper floors on building TS-1 (at the corner of Storrs Road and Dog Lane) has begun.  The panelized construction process involves custom panels that were fabricated off-site for this building and then delivered and installed. 

Panelized construction helps to streamline the building process on site.  It also helps to reduce the amount of waste generated on-site throughout the building process as the panels are created specifically for each building.

There should be no major changes in traffic during this process.  However, an occasional delay may occur as the daily deliveries of equipment and materials continue.

Looking for the Daily Campus?

For the safety of the staff and visitors of the Daily Campus, a covered walkway has been installed leading to the entrance.  The walkway can be accessed from the side of the building facing UConn’s Buckley residential hall.



Work Progresses

Most of the steel for the building referred to as DL-1/2 (located along Dog Lane) is now up.  Work continues to ready the structure for the slab which will be placed between the ground floor, where the commercial spaces will be, and the upper levels, which will be all residential.

With the steel in place, one can now easily see the shape of DL-1/2, as shown in the above photo.  What is not seen in this photo is the foundation for the garage which has been poured.  The garage is planned for Storrs Automotive and can be seen at right in the rendering below.

Image courtesy of BL Companies Architects.

Storrs Center Job Fair: Sept 8

Storrs Center Alliance and Education Realty Trust, together with Erland Construction, will host a local job fair for people from the area interested in potential job opportunities in the construction of the first phases of Storrs Center. The job fair will be held in the gymnasium at the Mansfield Community Center (10 South Eagleville Road) in Mansfield on Thursday, September 8 at 7:00 pm.

Storrs Center will be a mixed-use town center and main street corridor at the crossroads of the Town of Mansfield, Connecticut and the University of Connecticut.  Storrs Center will combine retail, restaurant, and office uses with a variety of residence types including studios, town homes, condominium apartments and rental apartments.

For inquiries about the job fair, contact StorrsCenterInfo@erland.com.

The Second Building Begins

Next week, the giant crane returns to start erecting the steel support columns for the second building of Storrs Center, referred to as DL1/2.  This building is located along Dog Lane and will contain commercial uses and residential uses, the former on the first floor and the latter on the upper floors.

Meanwhile, the construction team will begin placing the slab above the first floor of TS-1, the building located at the corner of Storrs Road (Route 195) and Dog Lane.  The slab will separate the commercial spaces on the first floor from the upper residential levels.

With the steel supports in place for TS-1, the building is really beginning to take shape:

Image courtesy of BL Companies Architects.

Traffic Alert: Storrs Road

Motorists traveling on Storrs Road (Route 195) through the UConn campus and near E. O. Smith High School should anticipate slower traffic on Wednesday, August 17 and Thursday, August 18.  As part of the ongoing utility work for the Storrs Center project, a section of Storrs Road will be excavated.  Traffic will be moved through the area in an alternating one-way pattern.  State Police will be on hand both days.



Possible Traffic Delays

As part of the utilities work for the first phase of Storrs Center, some excavation will occur near the construction site. The excavation will be near the Buckley driveway and will span Storrs Road. To accommodate this work, there will be alternating one-way traffic through the area. Please plan for potential delays.

Meanwhile, the University’s sewer sanitation work continues. Traffic through the area may be slower at times along Storrs Road to accommodate the work in progress.

Steel and Sewers

The work on the University’s sanitary sewer upgrade continues along Storrs Road (Route 195). Traffic through the area may be slower at times to accommodate the work in progress.

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Installation of the structural steel columns for TS-1 has begun:

The building referred to as TS-1 will include commercial spaces
on the ground floor and residential units on the upper floors.
The image above shows the view from across Storrs Road (Route 195).
Image courtesy of BL Companies Architects.

Garage Bid Announced

The Town of Mansfield recently announced a request for bids for the construction of a 660 space, multi-level parking garage in Storrs Center.  Bids will be accepted by the Town of Mansfield, Connecticut, at the Office of the Director of Finance, 4 South Eagleville Road, Mansfield, CT 06268  until 2:00 p.m., Aug 23, 2011, at which time they will be publicly opened and read – visit the Town’s website for the full announcement: www.mansfieldct.gov.

The Town recently awarded the precast contract for the garage to Blakeslee Prestress, Inc. in Branford, CT.

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Work on the first phase – Phase 1A – of Storrs Center continues with the foundations of buildings TS-1, DL-1, and DL-2.  (See the post from July 15, 2011 for a concept plan of these buildings).

The structural steel erection will begin next week at TS-1.  All of the work will be inside of the construction fence, but residents may notice an increase in truck traffic with the steel deliveries.

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Have questions about Storrs Center or the Mansfield Downtown Partnership?  Visit the Partnership’s website for more information, including a comprehensive list of Frequently Asked Questions.



Start with a good foundation

Work on the foundations for the first building of Phase 1A (TS-1, to be located at the corner of Storrs Road and Dog Lane) continues. Meanwhile, the work on the foundations for the second two buildings (DL-1/2) has begun. The utilities work for the first phase continues.

With sections of the foundations in place, the footprints of the new buildings are starting to become apparent.

A view of the foundation for TS-1 along Storrs Road

Phase 1A will include the building referred to as TS-1 (corner of Storrs Road and Dog Lane)
and buildings DL-1 and DL-2, which will be located along Dog Lane.

A preview of the future TS-1 (the Dog Lane side).
Image courtesy of BL Companies Architects.

Foundations and more

The first concrete has been placed for the foundations of TS-1 (the first building of Phase 1A), and the foundations for the second building will begin next week.  The utility work for the new buildings is on-going.

TS-1 will be located at the corner of Dog Lane and Storrs Road (Route 195).
This image is a rendering of the view of the future building from Storrs Road.
Image courtesy of BL Companies Architects

Across the street, the demolition of 14 Dog Lane is nearly complete.  The backfill of the area will begin soon.

The demolition of 14 Dog Lane is almost complete.

And, in the area near UConn’s Bishop Center, the paving and utility work for the surrounding lots continues.

A look at the entry to the Bishop lot construction site.

Continuing Demo Brings More Truck Traffic

The demolition of the former Publications building has been completed, and the excavation for the foundation of the first building (currently referred to as TS-1) has begun.

The demolition of 13 Dog Lane (the former Select Physical Therapy building) is also complete.  The demolition of 14 Dog Lane(the former Nayden Health Clinic building) is on-going.

In the coming weeks, there will be increased truck traffic in the area as construction vehicles deliver materials for the foundation work and for the work on the utilities.  Please use caution when driving or walking in the construction area.

Traffic Alert: Dog Lane to be closed temporarily on Wed, June 29

To maintain safety for the many expected attendees and for passing motorists, Dog Lane will be closed from the intersection with Storrs Road (Route 195) to the intersection with Willowbrook Road during the ceremonial groundbreaking for Storrs Center.

The road will close at approximately 4:30 pm and will reopen following the event.  Visitor parking will be available in the E O Smith High School parking lot (1235 Storrs Road).

Please contact the Mansfield Downtown Partnership (860.429.2740 or mdp@mansfieldct.org) with questions about the temporary road closure or to RSVP for the groundbreaking event.

Ceremonial Groundbreaking: Wednesday, June 29

Image courtesy of BL Companies Architects.

The Mansfield Downtown Partnership, Storrs Center master developer Storrs Center Alliance, (an affiliate of LeylandAlliance LLC, of Tuxedo, New York), and co-developer Education Realty Trust, Inc. (EDR), based in Memphis, Tennessee, will hold a ceremonial groundbreaking on Wednesday, June 29 at 5 p.m. to celebrate the start of construction for Storrs Center, a new mixed-use town center to be located adjacent to the University of Connecticut in the Town of Mansfield, Connecticut. 

One of the most exciting public/private initiatives in the state, Storrs Center will include new retail, restaurant, office, and residential development within a planned community of pedestrian walkways, green spaces, and conservation areas. 

The event is open to the public and will be held at 1266 Storrs Road, Storrs, CT, at the intersection of Storrs Road and Dog Lane.  Parking is available at E.O. Smith High School at 1235 Storrs Road. RSVP to the Mansfield Downtown Partnership at 860-429-2740 or mdp@mansfeldct.org if you would like to attend.

Traffic Alert: Utilities work along Dog Lane

Motorists traveling on Dog Lane this week and next week should be advised that there will be utilities work underway near the Bishop Centerparking lots. At varying times in the next two weeks, there may be vehicles on one or both sides of the road.  Due to the location of the utilities, it is likely the vehicles will need to park near the crest of the hill which may impede upon the field of vision for oncoming traffic.

Demolition Update

The site of the former Publications building

The demolition of the former Publications building is nearly complete. The removal of remaining materials and the filling of the hole where the building sat will take place in the next week.

Work has begun on the demolition of 13 Dog Lane (the former Select Physical Therapy building). Once the interior work is completed, then the exterior structure will be torn down. Meanwhile, the interior work on 14 Dog Lane (the former Nayden Health Clinic building across the street) will begin in the coming week.



The demo of 13 Dog Lane has begun.