State buys Norwalk property for $3.85M
Ahead of Walk Bridge construction, DOT purchased a plot of land near I-95 in East Norwalk, and begins demolition of former IMAX building
NORWALK — In the latest phase of the Walk Bridge Project, the state Department of Transportation purchased a property about one mile from the bridge to act as a staging area.
News of the purchase comes as construction to replace the 127year-old bridge is expected to begin in full swing this spring, and as the state begins construction work to remove the former IMAX building to accommodate the project.
Replacement of the bridge has been in the works since 2017. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 564foot-long bridge, which is part of Metro-North Railroad’s New Haven Line, transported about 175 trains and 125,000 riders daily, according to the program website.
The state purchased 1.11-acre plot adjacent to the Donald F. Reid Memorial Bridge, the home of the Exit 16 interchange on Sept. 7 for $3.85 million, according to city land records. The 180 East Ave property will hold necessary equipment and supplies needed for the East Avenue portion of the Walk Bridge reconstruction, DOT spokesperson Josh Morgan said.
“That East Avenue work includes updating drainage and installing new sidewalks in the area, extending the platforms and adding more parking at the East Norwalk Train Station, and replacing the 100-year-old East Avenue Railroad Bridge,” Morgan said. “The property will be used to stage construction trailers, contractor parking and other necessary equipment.”
If needed, the front portion of the property will also be used for additional commuter parking at the East Norwalk Train Station during construction, Morgan said.
Property records show the parcel was purchased by the state of Connecticut, but the “co-owner” address, located on the Berlin Turnpike, is DOT headquarters.
Previously, the land was owned by Antonios and Penelope Koskerides, who purchased the land in the early 1990s, according to land records. In 2018, the property was appraised at $1.42 million.
The land is entirely vacant, with no existing structures, according to the city land records.
Walk Bridge Project
In addition to replacing the existing bridge, elements of the project include: east and west approach embankment work and retaining walls, track work, catenary and signal system upgrades, new catenary structures, removal of the existing high towers and relocation of high-voltage transmission lines, according to DOT.
Once construction begins, it is expected to take about six years, according to DOT.
“Construction for the Walk Bridge Project is anticipated to begin in spring 2023, pending receipt of a series of environmental permits from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CTDEEP), the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) and the United States Coast Guard (USCG),” the project website reads.
As part of the project, the former IMAX theater building, located at 2 North Water St. at the Maritime Aquarium in South Norwalk, is being deconstructed beginning this week in sections with the exterior brick facing removed initially and followed by the removal of the structural steel framework, according to the project website. Materials will be deposited into the interior of the building as each section is removed and then transported
to designated material storage areas. All resident and business property access will be maintained on North Water Street.
Access to the municipal parking lot at 2 North Water St. will be maintained, but about 12 parking spaces will be reduced. An alternating lane closure along North Water Street will be implemented when the contractor works on the western wall in midApril. Pedestrian access will be closed on the east side of North Water Street and maintained on the west sidewalk for one week during this activity. There are no anticipated impacts to Norwalk River commercial or recreational marine users, the project website states.