Ørsted, Eversource to partner with Mystic Aquarium to study offshore wind’s impact on marine life

In a news release, Ørsted and Eversource, the energy companies behind Revolution Wind, said the research will be funded by a $1.25 million grant they awarded to the aquarium last year. Through the partnership, aquarium scientists will investigate marine mammal strandings before and after construction and operation of offshore wind farms; develop technology to assess […]

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A week before referendum, residents still have questions about boosting Farmington High School construction budget

With a small turnout and divided opinions at the town meeting Monday night, there was no clear signal of how Farmington will vote at next week’s referendum on budgeting another $9.4 million for the new high school. Either way, it became clear in October that Farmington cannot replace its high school for $135.6 million, the […]

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CT Department of Transportation to get a new leader

The press conference formalized what has been set for months: Giulietti will step down as commissioner in December, and Lamont intends to nominate his well-regarded deputy, Eucalitto, to run ConnDOT at a crucial juncture for the rebuilding of highways and mass transit in America. Federal transportation funding is at an all-time high, available to Connecticut […]

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Danbury moves ahead with ‘very exciting’ career academy after buying, rezoning west side hilltop

The city has acquired a 24-acre hilltop on the west side, moving forward its ambitious plans to open the first career academy of its kind in Connecticut by 2024, and provide badly needed classrooms for a student enrollment that has outpaced projections. Danbury closed on the Apple Ridge Road property formerly used by Cartus Corp. […]

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Zone change spurs progress

The Zoning Commission on Nov. 16 approved text changes to the land use regulations that creates a special development district for a “combined working, service, shopping, retial, restaurant/dining, entertainment, recreation, residential, hotel, medical, technology, industry, educational, energy creation, office and other compatible uses in a coordinated environment.” The text change has an effective date of […]

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Latest plan for Greenwich train station offers ‘more modern approach’ to design, according to architect 

Architect Frank Prial Jr. walked the Planning & Zoning Commission through the proposed reconstruction of Greenwich Plaza at Railroad Avenue and spelled out the new look planned for the key gateway to Greenwich. A major redesign of the exterior and interior of the Greenwich train station would be carried out, including new and improved pedestrian […]

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On NIMBYISM and ‘opportunity’: Private developer tackles public problem of housing affordability

The $16 million, 40-unit Brookside Commons affordable housing development is going up on 16 acres next to the Target store on Route 85 in Waterford. The commercial strip stands in stark contrast to the neighborhood around the former Cohanzie Elementary School where, several years ago, Foley made a failed bid to construct four new apartment […]

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Everything Flows Downhill: Old Lyme residents mount challenge to sewer project

Questions raised by the Sound View Sewer Coalition, and their efforts to get answers, have put them at odds with Old Lyme’s WPCA and with the surrounding municipal associations’ independent WPCAs. Now, the coalition feels they are being ignored by town officials hellbent on seeing this project through, no matter what. Until recently, Old Lyme had […]

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Developers pay $1.57M for Windsor properties for warehouse construction

The warehouse proposal of UW Realty VII LLC – a company of Glastonbury developer Bradford Wainman and South Windsor broker/developer Robert A. Urso – passed site plan review and gained a special permit from Windsor’s Planning and Zoning Commission in September. UW Realty paid $1.57 million for five adjacent properties – totaling 21.5 acres – […]

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New Britain’s Stanley Quarter Park pond will be dredged with hopes of returning it to its iconic former state

The slightly dilapidated, unusable feature at Stanley Quarter Park, the infamous pond, will officially be dredged and returned to a new, beautiful useable state. Over time the quality of the water in the pond has declined significantly. The construction company for the project is Colossale Site Works and the architect engineers are GZA Geo Environmental […]

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Bridgeport landmark restaurant Testo’s sold to developer

The buyer is Amit Lakhotia, who has garnered significant attention for redevelopment projects in New Britain. John Guedes’ Bridgeport-based Primrose Companies has partnered with Lakhotia before and was hired to design and build the apartments. Lakhotia Tuesday credited Guedes for introducing him to the site and to Giacobbe. He plans to break ground early next […]

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Bethel’s $12.3 million water treatment project goes to voters at referendum next week

A referendum on funding for the proposed Bergstrom Well and Water Treatment Plant is set for Dec. 1. Of the roughly $12.3 million needed for the project, nearly $10 million would be for construction, roughly $1.8 million for professional services, about $499,000 for contingency and $16,000 for legal fees. Not all Bethel taxpayers would bear […]

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Total construction starts jump 8% following 2-month decline

Total construction starts jumped 8% in October to a seasonally adjusted rate of $1.12 trillion following two consecutive months of decline, according to a Dodge Construction Network report. Year to date through October, total construction starts posted a 16% gain from 2021. Nonresidential building starts rose 37%, nonbuilding kickoffs jumped 17% and residential commencements remained flat, […]

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Bradley International Airport aims to become a Northeast cargo hub

With air travel gradually ramping up again following the COVID-19 pandemic, Bradley International Airport is turning its sights on another goal: establishing the Windsor Locks-based airfield as a Northeast cargo hub. According to data from the Connecticut Airport Authority (CAA) — the quasi-public state agency established in 2011 to manage and operate Bradley International Airport […]

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West Hartford Center master plan could bring ‘dramatic changes’ to major roadways

Duane Martin, West Hartford’s director of community development, said in updating the town’s Community Planning and Economic Development Committee on Wednesday that input is still being sought on the plan the town intends to use as a guide for reconstructing West Hartford Center. In August, the town launched the master plan study, which the consulting […]

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Developer picked for first phase of Hartford’s Bushnell South project

The Capital Region Development Authority chose the Camden, N.J.-based firm Michaels Organization over three other bidders, the CRDA has announced. The firm estimates the project would cost $130 million and is asking for $27 million in gap financing and a tax abatement from the city. Michaels was tapped as the developer for the first phase […]

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Hamden Middle School expansion hits snag due to cost increase, questions over redistricting

Long-awaited plans to expand Hamden Middle School hit a snag after a cost analysis raised the estimated price tag by about $5 million, a funding increase the Legislative Council must approve before the project can go forward. District officials were quick to point out that while the town will need to borrow the money, the […]

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Trade groups discuss apprenticeships at Meriden training center event

Jackson and other apprentices shared their experiences at a press conference Friday hosted by the Connecticut State Building & Construction Trades Council to bring awareness to unions’ extensive apprenticeship programs. About 100 people attended the event, including contractors, union officials, and state and federal lawmakers. Affiliates of the CT Building Trades provide 17 joint apprenticeship […]

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Hartford officials eye 80 acres of closed trash-burning plant site for redevelopment

The closure plan MIRA submitted to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) this spring would cart away remaining waste, clean the facility of oils and chemicals and secure the on-site properties. Sprawling industrial buildings would be left in place, as would a long conveyor and other equipment. Windsor consulting, engineering and construction management […]

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New Britain breaks ground on new, $20 million Public Works Operation Facility

The thought process of creating a new Public Works Operation began back in 2014 when the city started their transit oriented development planning process. The new Public Works Operations Facility will be located at 665 Alton Brooks Way. “Every inch of this project has been carefully designed to ensure that it will allow our department […]

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Manager at CT State Pier recommended itself for $87M in contracts

Public records show the Connecticut Port Authority selected Kiewit Corporation to serve as the construction manager on the multimillion-dollar infrastructure project, which is expected to operate as a launching point for offshore wind turbines. According to records from the Port Authority, Kiewit captured a large portion of the money being spent on the State Pier […]

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Design approved Keeney Street School renovation advances

The first major step in the multi-million project to update and renovate Keeney Street Elementary School passed its first hurdle last week, as the Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved the plans. The project, which required a special exception permit because it’s a school, would add roughly 8,500 square feet of interior space to the […]

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Build four apartments in Stamford’s old police station? Some residents would rather see it razed.

The city’s Planning Board and Board of Finance have recommended that the building be sold for housing. Both have urged the city to require any buyer to preserve the original structure and build no more than four market-rate apartments within it. But about an hour and a half into Thursday night’s meeting at Springdale Elementary School, […]

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Hartford HealthCare to expand outpatient services in Wilton

Hartford HealthCare is expanding its outpatient services in Wilton Corporate Park, with the construction of a center that is scheduled to open next March. Hartford HealthCare’s new center at 50 Danbury Road, which will have a staff of about 80 people, will complement its outpatient services in the adjacent building at 60 Danbury Road that include […]

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Massive Bristol industrial property sells for $79.25M; future development eyed

A New Jersey-based real estate investment firm bullish on Connecticut has paid $79.25 million for a sprawling industrial complex in Bristol. The 1.2-million-square-foot Bristol Logistics Center at 780 James P Casey Road sold in October. It’s likely to be one of the largest Greater Hartford commercial real estate deals of the year. The buyer was Treetop […]

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State-funded $3 million upgrade to one of New Britain’s most-traveled roadways is on horizon

A highly-anticipated and state-funded $3 million upgrade to one of the city’s most well-traveled roads is about a year away. “This project we are embarking on is 100% funded by a LOTCIP construction grant (Local Transportation Capital Improvements Program) and it involves a Complete Streets upgrade to the entire 1.2-mile length of John Downey Drive,” […]

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Developer looks to build large mixed-use project on Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield

A new proposal seeks to build a large, mixed-use development on Black Rock Turnpike, that would add thousands of feet of co-working space and nearly 250 apartments. Post Road Residential is asking the Town Plan and Zoning Commission to conduct a non-binding pre-review on its plans for a five story building with 243 residential units, […]

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New Jersey developer gets tentative nod to build major downtown Hartford mixed-use development

A Camden, New Jersey-based housing developer and investor has received a selection committee endorsement to build a mixed-use development worth tens-of-millions of dollars on a 2.8-acre parking lot south of Hartford’s Bushnell Park. After interviews and follow-up presentations, the selection committee ranked Michaels with 12.45 points, closely followed by LCM with 12.275 points, trailed by […]

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Board OKs Parcel B excavation bid

The vacant lot next to the Naugatuck Event Center is expected to be excavated to establish a clean foundation for the eventual transformation of a new transit mixed-use development. The Board of Mayor and Burgesses unanimously approved at its Nov. 1 meeting to award a bid to Red Technologies of Portland in the amount of […]

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Cheshire to hold public hearing on largest-ever apartment complex proposal

Cheshire’s Planning and Zoning Commission Monday will continue a public hearing and possibly take action on applications related to a proposed multi-unit housing development, which, if approved, would be the town’s largest apartment complex. Voters in a referendum last week approved by a margin of 60% a modernization plan and $166 million for new school […]

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Montville to build new $2 million water tower

The Planning and Zoning Commission has unanimously approved plans for a new $2 million water tower to be built at 50 Cook Drive. The project calls for the construction of a 531,200-gallon glass-fused-to-steel water storage tank. It will be built next to the to the existing 590,000-gallon steel tank built in 1999. The existing tank, […]

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Judge rejects probation for Fairfield officials charged in fill pile scandal

A Superior Court judge Monday denied a special probation program for three former Fairfield town officials and a local developer charged in the five-year scheme to dump tons of contaminated soil on town property. Following a four-hour hearing, Judge Kevin Russo ruled that the charges against the four individuals for allegedly illegally disposing of hazardous […]

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More students, companies are pursuing apprenticeships in CT

From 2020 to 2021, the Connecticut technical education system said participation in work-based learning programs — where students work part-time for school credit and pay — rose by 43% to more than 1,000 students across the system’s 17 schools. That far exceeded the department’s annual goal of 10% to 20% growth, according to Patricia King, […]

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New Haven, Spinnaker break ground for 200-apartment 1st building on former Coliseum site

Heavy equipment and construction workers will roll in to peel up the asphalt, do some digging, pour a foundation and start putting up steel. In a couple of years, the 200-apartment first of three buildings in Phase 1 of the site’s redevelopment, to be known as “Square 10,” will appear. Clay Fowler, founding partner of […]

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Bethel to vote on $12.3 million upgrade to water treatment plant — with water users to bear cost

A nearly $12.3 million project that’s part of the town’s multi-year water system capital improvement plan will soon go to a town vote. A special town meeting will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday in Meeting Room A of the Clifford J. Hurgin Municipal Center to schedule a referendum on funding for the proposed Bergstrom […]

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DOT advises against returning Norwalk’s Wall Street train station; study finds it ‘is not feasible’

A Department of Transportation study four years in the making determined that reinstating a train station along Wall Street in Norwalk was not recommended for a number of concerns. The Wall Street Station Feasibility Study, which began in 2018, was completed and released by the DOT in July, with a final report briefing on Oct. […]

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Norwich school advocates ready to start work on $385 million reconstruction project

Norwich voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved an overhaul of city schools by a vote of 5,600-3,660 and proponents now hope the transformation goes well beyond the aging buildings. The measure will consolidate seven elementary schools into four new schools to be built on the grounds of the John B. Stanton, Moriarty and Uncas schools and […]

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Norwich school construction referendum passes

Voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum for a $385 million overhaul of city schools, with four new elementary schools and a major renovation to one middle school. The project calls for consolidating the current seven elementary schools into four new schools that would be built on the grounds of the John B. Stanton, Moriarty Environmental Sciences […]

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As Avangrid Moves to Renegotiate Wind Energy Prices, Eversource Sticks With Bids, Looks to Sell Wind Projects

Avangrid announced in September that it would ask Connecticut to pay a higher price to buy power from the planned 804 megawatt Park City Wind project, and for Massachusetts to pay more for the 1,200 MW Commonwealth Wind project. Senior Vice President for Offshore Projects Sy Oytan said at the time that Avangrid needed to […]

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How five-year rail plan will impact Connecticut’s economy

The state rail plan ensures Connecticut complies with the federal Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008, according to a DOT statement. Work on the new plan began in 2021 and several public hearings were held in the past year. State officials previously touted ambitions outlined in the plan, including decreasing travel time to […]

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Norwich residents get chance to comment on proposed second business park

As permitting gets underway for a proposed $24 million, 384-acre second business park in Occum, neighbors are rallying opposition to the plan many say would ruin Norwich’s quiet corner. The first chance for public comment will be at a neighborhood meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Norwich Worship Center, 165 Lawler Lane. NCDC has […]

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Millions in federal aid to boost offshore wind in Bridgeport

With an infusion of $10.5 million in federal dollars, the city and a private company on the harbor are aiming to make Bridgeport a hub for future offshore wind energy projects. But the direct beneficiary of that federal aid is not Avangrid’s previously ballyhooed Park City Wind project, but instead local shipyard operator Bridgeport Boatworks. […]

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How will Stamford fund its half of a $1.5B plan for school buildings? Board of Finance weighs options.

The Board of Finance is grappling with how the city will fund its share of a $1.5 billion school facilities plan. Full implementation of the plan, including addressing all the deferred maintenance, would cost the city about $952 million over two decades. The new plan projects that the state will contribute a total of $766 […]

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Talking Transportation: Why Not a Cheaper, Simpler Replacement for the $1B Walk Bridge?

Some skeptics in Norwalk opposed the plan because of the cost, others because they would lose their land by eminent domain. And everyone’s concerned about the years of construction and mess… including demolition of the Maritime Aquarium IMAX Theater. The CDOT had considered all sorts of new bridge designs… truss, lift, bascule, counter-weight and even […]

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Facing court roadblock, North Crossing developer seeks Hartford approvals for 528-unit apartment building

The 6,000-plus seat Dunkin’ Donuts Park was completed in 2017, following a construction project that was delayed by a year and which saw costs jump from an initial $56 million budget to $71 million. The city blamed Middletown-based Centerplan Cos., terminating it as both the developer of the partially complete stadium and revoking the right […]

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Farmington High School project millions of dollars over budget

Rising construction costs and quickly climbing interest rates have pushed the Farmington High School construction project about $18 million over budget, and town voters will get to decide next month how to deal with that. School and municipal officials are asking voters next month to authorize spending another $9.7 million on the project, but are […]

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Darien wants to renovate three elementary schools for $68M. See what they’re proposing.

KG+D Architects Vice President Erik Kaeyer unveiled concept designs of the proposed Hindley, Royle and Holmes elementary school additions at a Board of Education meeting last month. The designs were unanimously approved by the Board of Education. The estimated construction budget for all three schools is a little over $68 million, with base bids coming […]

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Connecticut’s major development and construction projects underway

Bradley International Airport competed its $210 million ground transportation center in July and already has its sights set on other projects. In July, the airport received a $20 million federal grant that will go toward a larger $185 million redevelopment of Bradley’s facilities. That project is expected to take about two years, officials said in […]

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New Haven chooses Pennrose over Glendower to redevelop former Strong School

The city has chosen Pennrose, a developer active in 20 states, over the Glendower Group, development arm of the Housing Authority of New Haven, as preferred developer for mixed-use development at the former Horace H. Strong School site in the heart of Fair Haven, officials announced Wednesday. The Pennrose plan, presented at a community meeting […]

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Cromwell OKs razing Red Lion hotel for apartments, retail plaza. Here’s what the new development could look like.

If Cromwell grants a tax abatement and state traffic officials give their approval, a developer says the deteriorating and long-vacant Red Lion hotel in Cromwell could soon be razed to make way for 254 apartments, 20 townhouse condos and a mid-sized restaurant and retail plaza. Developer Martin Kenny said he will set aside 5% of […]

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Avangrid officials: Company still committed to Park City Wind project despite pushing back completion

A spokesman for Orange-based Avangrid’s Park City Wind project said the company remains committed to the renewable energy project and plans to redevelop a portion of Bridgeport’s waterfront as a staging area for the project, despite a delay of the completion date. Park City Wind’s announcement of the delay was made by Pedro Azagra Blàzquez, […]

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Developer tries East Haven senior housing project again after court settlement

A local developer has resubmitted plans to build an elderly housing complex on Sperry Lane and Foxon Road after appealing the town’s previous decisions to deny the project. The Planning and Zoning Commission has received another application from The Bluffs LLC proposing to build four residential buildings with 380 one- and two-bedroom units at the […]

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Lamont Silent, Eversource and Ørsted Non-Committal on Added State Pier Funding

With less than $1 million remaining of $255.5 million of state and private funding for the New London State Pier redevelopment, it’s not clear how any additional costs will be paid for as crews race to finish the project in time for staging offshore wind construction scheduled for next spring. Just $334,138.29 was available for […]

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Study underway to reduce traffic along Route 161 in East Lyme

A study of the Route 161 corridor extending from the Flanders section of town to Main Street in Niantic reveals one of southeastern Connecticut’s busiest stretches, with traffic in the growing beach town threatening to get worse over time. A report on current and existing conditions administered by the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments (SCCOG) […]

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