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Fairfield–Black Rock station

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Fairfield Metro Center
(planned)
General information
Location21 Black Rock Turnpike
Fairfield, CT
Line(s)Metro-North:
  New Haven Line
Construction
Parking1,500
Services
Preceding station   MNRR   Following station
Template:MNRR lines

Fairfield Metro Center is a planned 1.1 million square foot situated on 35 acres in the Town of Fairfield, Connecticut. The street address of the site is 21 Black Rock Turnpike, just across from BJ's Wholesale Club. If completed, the project will contain a total of 7 buildings including 5 mid-rise office buildings with 860,000 square feet of Class A office space, 32,000 square feet of retail space, a 180 room Hilton Hotel and high-rise condominum residences that the developer is trying to slip under the radar. The project is an umbrella designation for a contract between, the Town of Fairfield, the State of Connecticut and BlackRock Realty, LLC, headed up by real estate moguls, Kurt Wittek of Wittek Development and Aaron Stauber of Rugby Realty. Black Rock Realty will build a new Metro North New Haven Line railroad station, named “Fairfield Metro” or "Black Rock Station" to be leased back to the state. The town will build a 1,500 space commuter parking lot and the state will build a four lane bridge over the railroad tracks to access all of it. Black Rock Realty will build out all of the buildings on the site and tenants will be eligible for a number of tax breaks from the state. At present the state is building the bridge but no other work is underway due to the lack of financial backing for the commercial piece of the project. Without the commercial piece moving forward the project remains in jeopardy of complete failure.

Economic Impact

Supporters claim that the Metro Center will create over 22,000 jobs, and generate more than $1.1 Billion in total State and local revenues over the next 20 years. They cite without any public disclosure an analysis performed by the Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis (CCEA) using the REMI economic impact analysis model. The project has been heavily subsidized by state, federal, and local taxpayer funding now approaching 75 million dollars in upfront costs. The potential to recover these costs through taxes after the increased cost of local services are factored in has not yet been determined. With commercial space be vacted around the county day after day the prognosis for the project is glim. A baiolout or rescue effort may be needed to complete the station.

Green Design

Fairfield Metro Center has been registered with the U. S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The project qualifies for Gold level LEED certification. The project’s design features extensive use of natural lighting, views to the outdoors, improved ventilation and indoor air quality. All contribute to a healthier work environment and have been shown to increase employee productivity through reduced absenteeism, reduced turnover and increased output.

Fairfield Metro Center will employ a variety of “green” sustainable design features including:

Innovative architectural features including an energy efficient curtain wall system and solar fins. Environmentally sensitive paints, carpets, adhesives and finishes. An Under Floor Air Distribution System that provides significant energy savings and efficiencies. Extensive use of natural light. Reduced water use through efficient fixtures, innovative landscaping and storm water management. Modular walls and raised floor system reduce the amount of waste created by traditional construction. Extensive use of recycled-content materials or materials that can be recycled.

Controversy

The Metro Center plan, which has been delayed for over five years, is currently being contested in an ethics investigation in the Town of Fairfield. To learn more about this investigation go to www.whatsupfairfield.blogspot.com

The station depot itself was be owned by the developer and leased back to the state, which is in direct conflict with ConnDOT's long range plan to improve the governance of the train stations by having them all owned by the state. In this instance only the platfoms will be owned by the state. The surface parking lot will be owned by the town will have 1,500 parking spaces built on top of material stockpiled as part of the remediation of the property that the devoloper will retain title to. The building complex will have its own parking to accommodate the expected automobile commuters. If the project is completed, it will increase the commercial space inventory in the town of Fairfield by 50%. The proposal includes a railroad station to be located between Fairfield station and Bridgeport station. Many expect that this station would become the new express pick-up from Fairfield heading toward Stamford and Grand Central thereby displacing the longstanding use of the downtown Fairfield station for that purpose. The complex will be accessible by exit 24 of I-95, through the traffic circle at Kings Highway, and a two lane road. As a special accommodation to the Metro Center owners, the town created a special high density / high volume zoning district just for this project. The special district will allow the planned buildings to tower higher than anything built to date in either the town of Fairfield or the neighboring Black Rock section of Bridgeport. The project has been designated as a "major traffic generator" by the CT State Traffic Commission with the proponents of the project representing that it will improve make traffic conditions in the area. City of Bridgeport officials had called the traffic studies "woefully inadequate" during the review process.[1]


The completion date for the station had been expected to be late 2006 or early 2007 but those dates were never met. [2][3][4] [5] A scaled down Phase 1 version of the project, which includes only the train sation component is now scheduled for completion by 2010.[6]

The project has been controversial for a number of reasons including the fact that it was originated by ConnDOT during the administration of the disgraced former Governor John G. Rowland [7] who was sentenced to federal prison for corruption. The contract for the project was negotiated by Rowland's Public Transportation Bureau Chief, Harry Harris, who was summarily dismissed by Governor Jodi Rell amid allegations that his government business practices intersected with his personal interests.[8] Other concerns with the project mention the negative impact on the adjacent neighborhoods of Grasmere in Fairfield and Black Rock in Bridgeport.[9][10] [11] And more recently in early 2008, local citizens are questioning mid-stream changes put in effect by the First Selectman to the well established and town charter mandated inland wetland regulatory processes with possible legal action against the town on the horizon. [12][13] [14] [15][16] [17] [18]An ethics investigation underway at the local level has already been met with contentious results. [19][20] [21][22] [23]>[24] The Ethics Commissioners, who were nominated for appointment by the First Selectman, a subject of the complaint, found no probable cause to proceed with an ethics investigation. That decision has been appealed by the complaintnats to Connecticut Superior Court and a reply from the Commissioners is due to the Court by February 3.[25]

References

  1. ^ Chris Ciarmiello (2006-03-20). "Bridgeport tries to delay train station project". Fairfield Minuteman.
  2. ^ Eleanor Charles (2004-06-20). "Train Station Project Moves Ahead". New York Times.
  3. ^ Chris Ciarmiello (2005-08-25). "Metro Center plan hit with two lawsuits". Fairfield Minuteman.
  4. ^ Chris Ciarmiello (2006-03-27). "New train station wil be late". Fairfield Minuteman.
  5. ^ Brigid Quinn (2008-07-24). "Metro Center 'on hold'". Fairfield Minuteman.
  6. ^ Audrey Adade (2008-09-04). "Metro Center phase one may be done by 2010". Fairfield Minuteman.
  7. ^ Rachel Slajda (2008-05-01). "Rowland's Secrets". Fairfield Weekly.
  8. ^ Stacey Stowe (2004-06-08). "Inquiries Focus on Railroad Station Contract in Connecticut". New York Times.
  9. ^ AUDREY ADADE (2008-01-03). "Conservation removed from train project ". Fairfield Minuteman.
  10. ^ Erin Lynch (2008-05-08). "Neutral on a Moving Train?". Fairfield Weekly.
  11. ^ Erin Lynch (2008-04-08). "Flatto Publicly Called Out". Fairfield Weekly. {{cite web}}: Text "Fairfield County Fair" ignored (help)
  12. ^ Audrey Adade (2008-01-31). "Environmentalists question Flatto". Fairfield Minuteman.
  13. ^ Andy Brophy (2008-03-02). "Metro Center Moving Forward, Despite Foes". Connecticut Post.
  14. ^ Brigid Quinn (2008-02-14). "Train delays". Fairfield Minuteman.
  15. ^ Jordan Fenster (2008-04-10). "Looking at legal action". Fairfield Minuteman.
  16. ^ Audrey Adade (2008-04-03). "Conservation meeting results in showdown". Fairfield Minuteman.
  17. ^ Erin Lynch (2008-04-10). "Railroaded?". Fairfield Weekly.
  18. ^ Erin Lynch (2008-04-24). "Flatto Fights Back". Fairfield Weekly.
  19. ^ Complaintants (2008-06-13). "Ethics Complaint". What's Up Fairfield.
  20. ^ Alison Walkley (2008-09-03). "Ethics Complaint Alleges Evidence of Collusion". Fairfield Citizen News.
  21. ^ Brigid Quinn (2008-11-13). "No probable cause for ethics probe". Fairfield Minuteman.
  22. ^ Brigid Quinn (2008-11-20). "Request to re-open ethics complaint". Fairfield Minuteman.
  23. ^ Alison Walkley (2008-11-18). "Residents Want Ethics Complaint Reinvestigated". Fairfield Citizen News.
  24. ^ Genevieve Reilly (2008-11-18). "Fairfield ethics complaint refiled". Connecticut Post.
  25. ^ Brigid Quinn (2008-12-18). "Ethics complainants to appeal to court". Fairfield Minuteman.
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