The Connecticut Port Authority is headed to mediation with one of its contractors. CPA and Kiewit Construction are trying to resolve a dispute over outstanding costs for work on the State Pier.
During a Board of Directors meeting, the Port Authority’s Executive Director Michael O’Connor said they are putting together a plan.
“We have our legal counsel developing the mediation plan right now, and then set about jointly between us and the contractor selecting a mediator and then seeing what we can do in mediation over a less than 2 week period of time to see if we can find a middle ground on what they’re looking for compared to what they provided to us.”
The dispute involves two major issues. One concerns the stability of soil fill in a transit corridor, and the other concerns a tow wall the CPA says was built incorrectly.
Some officials at the New London State Pier want to start using the site for more than offshore wind staging.
O’Connor said they need to be looking longer term.
“It would be good if we were diversified,” O’Connor said. “We’ve seen some wind hiccups as the administration changed course at the beginning of the year. If we had two entities at the State Pier and the wind paused, the other entity could make use of the space, and if the other entity paused, the wind could make use of the space. I think there is an opportunity here to talk to everybody about what that looks like and see what can be gained from the multi-use of State Pier.”
The controversial pier has cost the state of Connecticut over $311 million—far more than originally expected. It was redeveloped exclusively for the offshore wind industry, which was booming under the Biden administration.
However, the Trump administration has since pulled back on offshore wind and other clean energy projects.
