Business & Tech
New Stamford Station Improvements Indicate City Expansion Trend
The combined projects to improve the Stamford Transportation Center will result in a better transportation hub for local commuters, even if the projects do not promote local job growth.
CDOT's to rebuild the Stamford Transportation Center's garage may bring station improvements full circle upon completion of the project.
Mayor Michael Pavia, as the head of Pavia Development, maintains familiarity with the Stamford Transportation Center improvements from both a developer's perspective and a political one. According to Pavia, the rather lucrative contract to demolish and rebuild the garage next to Stamford Station may attract developers from around the country.
"It would certainly be a huge reward, and it would probably go to a high-level contractor. I don't think anyone without substantial means would be able to compete in such a competition," Mayor Pavia said. "It's a very interesting project...I love these kinds of competition in RFP because it doesn't nail down all of the things that you actually have to do, but it nails down the parameters that allows the contractor to be creative in coming up with the site, the design, and the scheduling."
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The new developments at STC are the latest in a recent string of major building projects announced since October, including a new complex for , and to the STC's main facility. Unlike NBC Sports, which Gov. Malloy predicts will lead to an estimated 450 new jobs and $100 million in capital investment revenue, the developments at STC do not have much potential for job creation in Stamford.
"What you're going to see with the STC garage is short-term jobs fall into the design and the construction deal...but the real sustainable job production will come from NBC Sports," Pavia said.
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Stamford commuters who are already aware of the changes coming to STC are optimistic, though skeptical.
"While we too applaud the DoTs issuance of an RFP, unfortunately it ignores the key and consistent message of people who use the Stamford train station; the parking garage must be replaced with another one immediately adjacent to the station - not 1/4 mile away. Can you imagine carrying your bags in [yesterday's] freezing rain a 1/4 mile, or a parent with young children and diaper bags," Stamford commuter and CT Rail Communter Council member Jeff Maron said. "Mixed use and transit oriented development are perfectly fine, but the primary goal has to be parking to feed the station and that parking must stay as it has been for years - immediately adjacent to the station."
"With regard to the city of Stamford, it also opens up an opportunity to do something where the exisiting garage is. By building 1,000 parking spaces elsewhere, it now opens that site to other uses that are conducive to the transportation center...it may be an addition of retail, it may be more parking. But it's one of the more interesting pieces of property in and around the transportation center," Mayor Pavia said.
A timeframe for completion of the improved Stamford Transportation Center and it's new garage is not yet complete.
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