Although the past few weeks have been hot and rainy, CHS has pushed through the dog days of summer to continue moving forward on the plans of the soon-to-be Animal Resource Center. Most excitedly, CHS has officially contracted with Bridgeport natives, Viking Construction, to spearhead the site demolition and construction of the new facility.
Following the groundbreaking ceremony on September 7th, demolition and site work will begin later this fall. The plan is to move as quickly as possible with demolition to allow the building to be boxed in before the winter weather. Orders for equipment and building machinery are being placed, and the wheels are finally turning as CHS gets ready to open the Animal Resource Center next fall.
Viking Construction, led by father-son-duo Anthony Gaglio Sr. and Anthony Gaglio Jr., will make the plans by architects, Animal Arts and Amenta Emma, come to life. These plans include state-of-the-art, thoughtfully designed spaces for pets and families including outdoor play areas for the dogs, catios for the felines, education spaces for families, the community, and more.
When asked about what he’s looking forward to most, Anthony Gaglio Jr. responded, “Blasting the rock of course!” While much of the rock on the property will be preserved and remain, some will need to be removed to fit the new facility. This will require blasting to carve out space to nestle the new building into the terrain. Anthony shared that he and his team at Viking Construction are “pleased to be able to work on a new and innovative design that will create a lasting change for pets and the people who love them.” He continued, “There’s lot of creativity that went into project so far… different and interesting things that include permeable pavement, pumping septic properties up the hill, and more… the whole project is so interesting, challenging, and incredibly meaningful at the end of the day.”
Gaglio has been a longtime pet owner himself, so he has a true sense of how this new facility will change lives. “We talk about how this new building will impact pets for decades to come,” Gaglio shared. “That speaks to us at Viking Construction because our legacy continues after the photo ops, after the ribbons cuttings, and it is part of the lasting impact that we will be a part of making in the community for the pets and humans that will use this new facility for many years to come.” Gaglio expressed that he and his crew at Viking Construction feel privileged to serve with a team of remarkable people including the folks at Amenta Emma, Animal Arts, and CHS.
Once the demolition and construction begin, the team at CHS will be able to conduct “hard-hat” tours of the site. If you are interested in attending a hard hat tour for a first-hand look at the project in action, please reach out to Kayleigh Shettleworth at kshettleworth@cthumane.org or 860-594-4502 ext. 6307.