US infrastructure improved with Biden-era spending but there’s a long way to go

A once-every-four-years report card on the upkeep of America’s infrastructure gave it a “C” grade on Tuesday, up slightly from previous reports, largely due to investments made during former President Joe Biden’s administration. The report from the American Society of Civil Engineers, which examined everything from roads and dams to drinking water and railroads, warns […]

Share This Article:

read more

NYC developer buys Windsor land for $5.85M to construct industrial building

A New York City developer paid $5.85 million for a parcel of land in Windsor near Bradley International Airport, with plans to cobble together an industrial building at the site using building “blocks” made elsewhere to reduce the cost and construction time. With construction to take place at 36 Hazelwood Road, the PNK Group industrial […]

Share This Article:

read more

Destroyed in catastrophic CT August floods, Oxford’s seventh and final bridge reopens

Town officials hailed the reopening of the Park Road bridge Tuesday morning, the completion of the seventh and final bridge replacement project here following the catastrophic flooding that hit the area more than seven months ago. Park Road has been closed since the historic Aug. 18 flooding event when torrential rains wreaked havoc on homes, […]

Share This Article:

read more

Harding High School sale to Bridgeport Hospital falls through

The proposed sale of the shuttered Harding High School is off, and the 8-acre Central Avenue property may instead become the location of a new structure for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade students. Thomas Gaudett, Mayor Joe Ganim’s chief administrative officer, said, “There aren’t a whole lot of places in Bridgeport to build a new school, […]

Share This Article:

read more

National organization to study safety of Willow & Nicoll streets in New Haven’s East Rock section

A national organization that aims to help develop safe, livable cities will work with East Rock neighbors and alders to study the intersection of Willow and Nicoll streets, which has been the location of a number of motor vehicle accidents over the years. Strong Towns, a non-profit organization, will conduct a virtual “Crash Analysis Studio” […]

Share This Article:

read more

Trumbull P&Z approves plan for ‘upscale’ grocer, restaurants, urgent care at 1 Trefoil Drive

The commercial development planned for 1 Trefoil Drive has received back-to-back approvals. The Planning and Zoning Commission Wednesday night unanimously approved the site plan for the 35,350-square-foot development, which includes a 26,000-square-foot ‘upscale’ grocer, an urgent care facility and two restaurants, one being a fast food chain. Trumbull 111 LLC, which is contracted to purchase […]

Share This Article:

read more

Lawmakers consider banning Eversource, UI from owning both gas and electric utilities

Connecticut’s two largest investor-owned utility companies raised alarms Monday over recently-filed legislation that seeks to impose dramatic new regulations on their businesses — including a requirement that they split apart their electric and gas interests. In addition to prohibiting companies like Eversource and United Illuminating from owning both electric and gas utilities in Connecticut, the […]

Share This Article:

read more

New report finds project labor agreements lower costs, boost competition in Illinois

A project labor agreement, or PLA, is a binding contract between a government or private entity that needs a construction project done and a labor union. Before workers are even hired on a project, the two sides negotiate a PLA that sets wages, benefits, work conditions and often provisions for resolving labor disputes to prevent […]

Share This Article:

read more

Massive off-campus housing development planned by UConn. Think pool, fitness center, walk to campus.

A 738-bed student housing development is expected to break ground later this year in Storrs just off of the University of Connecticut campus in an effort to help alleviate the ongoing student housing crunch. Landmark Properties has closed on the property called The Mark Mansfield, which will be located at 134 North Eagleville Road adjacent […]

Share This Article:

read more

Study: Costs to prep Hartford’s 80-acre former trash-burning site for residential redevelopment range up to $333.87M

An 80-acre site in Hartford’s South Meadows received garbage from most of Connecticut for decades, processing it in a massive facility that burned trash for energy. The quasi-public Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority shut the faltering plant down in 2022, and local officials have been pushing to prep the large site in Hartford’s industrial South […]

Share This Article:

read more

Vote to Restore Bridge Traffic Heads to Stamford Reps

A historic iron bridge has taken people over Mill River since 1888, but it is proving unable to cross a deeper divide. It’s the gap between the struggling West Side and the thriving downtown; between longtime residents and newcomers; between the haves and the have-nots. Through its stages of deterioration, the bridge has been closed […]

Share This Article:

read more

State cites downtown Bridgeport renovation project for labor violations

State officials recently temporarily halted renovations to the former American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T) building downtown over labor law violations. Juliet Manalan, a labor department spokesperson, confirmed that agency’s wage and workplace standards division issued stop work orders to a trio of businesses involved in the project for misclassifying workers and not having workers’ compensation […]

Share This Article:

read more

Torrington company lands contract for Railroad Square Revitalization project

The approximately $4.2 million Railroad Square Revitalization project has been awarded to Yield Industries. Officials are now awaiting approval by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, said City Engineer and Deputy Public Works Director Paul Kundzins. “Construction will begin as soon as we can mobilize,” he said. “The project is required to be […]

Share This Article:

read more

Wallingford approves Choate Rosemary Hall building pedestrian bridge over Christian Street

An elevated pedestrian bridge will now be able to connect Choate Rosemary Hall’s north and south campus along Christian Street. The proposal was brought before the town council last year when the school sought an air easement to construct the 17-foot-tall wooden bridge, which is planned to be located just south of Rosemary Lane. It […]

Share This Article:

read more

Bridgeport should build new schools before closing old ones, acting superintendent says

Acting Superintendent of Schools Royce Avery believes the school system must first secure the funding and construct new school buildings before it moves forward with a proposal to shutter several old facilities. A recently completed study found the district’s aging buildings will need $702.5 million in upgrades over the next decade and recommends closing seven […]

Share This Article:

read more

Connecticut lawmaker wants to make ‘pipeline’ for construction workers

Legislation aimed at helping non-college-bound students and workers train for Connecticut’s construction trades won overwhelming approval last week in the legislative Labor Committee to create a group of professionals to look into existing entry-level programs and increase access to various apprenticeship programs. While Ackert’s original proposed bill would have created a new construction pipeline emulating […]

Share This Article:

read more

Plans for crucial piece of new CT neighborhood suffers major setback. ‘More questions than answers.’

The preferred developer of a crucial piece in a new neighborhood planned in downtown Hartford is withdrawing from the project, a major setback for the redevelopment of a barren swath of parking lots near The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts. The Michaels Organization, of Camden, N.J., — chosen in late 2022 to develop the […]

Share This Article:

read more

State halts work at Ponemah Mills site

State officials have stopped work on the Ponemah Mills site in Taftville as they investigate whether excavated material there is contaminated. McCormack wrote that he and DEEP officials met Tuesday with a representative of One Key LLC, the New Jersey developer in charge of renovating the historical cotton mill complex into a combination of market-rate […]

Share This Article:

read more

State sues Meriden developer for allegedly encroaching on Lamentation Mountain State Park

Attorney General William Tong filed an enforcement action against Salvatore R. Carabetta and his LLCs for illegally encroaching on Lamentation Mountain State Park property, according to a lawsuit filed in Hartford Superior Court. The action alleges that since owning the property, Carabetta has illegally clearcut acres of state forest, and has unlawfully built numerous fixtures […]

Share This Article:

read more

Construction in Norwalk, other towns on Route 7 and Route 15 will close lanes for months, officials say

A project to repave sections of Route 7 and the Merritt Parkway in the city will begin Friday, officials say. On its wesbite, the DOT said the work will also be taking place in Trumbull, Stratford and Milford. It said the contract was awarded to Waters Construction Co. at a cost of $11,349,172. Officials said […]

Share This Article:

read more

Former Pawcatuck movie theater being torn down to make way for $80M project

he 232-unit housing complex, owned and managed by the Real Estate Asset Development Co., will include studio and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. READCO, based in Old Lyme, has owned the plaza since 1995, and built the theater as well as a Stop & Shop supermarket, McDonald’s, Berkshire Bank and Stonington Medical Center offices there. […]

Share This Article:

read more

United Illuminating, citing PURA rate case, cuts $70M in CT investments

United Illuminating said Wednesday that is has cut nearly $70 million worth of investments in its Connecticut service territory as a result of regulators’ decision to deny much of the utility’s request for a rate increase on its customers in 2023. Those cuts, which company officials alluded to in recent statements bemoaning their financial position, […]

Share This Article:

read more

Demolition begins at Meriden’s biggest eyesore on Cook Avenue, which may become the senior center

Guided by an excavation worker, Mayor Kevin Scarpati took the first cut out of the city’s biggest eyesore Wednesday at 116 Cook Ave. Scarpati took out the front entry-way in the 77,000-square foot building that blighted the lower Cook Avenue neighborhood. Its demolition will yield two cleared brownfields and hopes for more economic or community […]

Share This Article:

read more

Plant to convert trash to gas, electricity to be pitched in Plainfield: What’s the plan?

A company is proposing a project in Plainfield to address Connecticut’s growing trash problem. Developed by SMART Technology Systems, LLC, the SMART Technology Solution uses sorting as well as waste processing and conversion technologies to transform trash into renewable electricity. The electricity produced by the plant is renewable, as there is a never-ending supply of […]

Share This Article:

read more

Up to $51B in transportation grant awards at risk, advocacy group says

Up to $51 billion in federal funds that have been awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation but not yet obligated could be defunded, according to a March 14 analysis by Transportation for America, a transportation advocacy organization. The organization analyzed a leaked policy memo from the DOT’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Transportation […]

Share This Article:

read more

Guilford Village West, 162-unit apartment complex, commercial project planned for Boston Post Road

About four years after heavy earthmoving started, developers unveiled plans to turn the construction site into Guilford Village West, a large-scale 162-unit apartment project and commercial development. A public hearing before the Planning and Zoning Commission is set for April 2 on the new plan. The developer is 1940 Boston Post Road LLC, whose principal […]

Share This Article:

read more

CTDOT Announces Start of the Dutch Point Viaduct Rehabilitation Project on I–91 in Hartford

Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto today announced that the Connecticut Department of Transportation has begun construction on the Dutch Point Viaduct rehabilitation project on Interstate 91 southbound in Hartford. The Dutch Point Viaduct is the 61-year-old, 1,800-foot elevated bridge structure on I-91 southbound between the area of the Connecticut Convention Center […]

Share This Article:

read more

Fairfield To Begin East Trunk Sewer Line Replacement In May

First Selectman Bill Gerber announced [on Thursday] that the Town of Fairfield will begin a long-planned replacement of the East Trunk sewer line in May 2025 with an expected project duration of approximately 18 months. Aging sewer lines will be replaced to improve the reliability and efficiency of the Town’s wastewater system, reduce maintenance cost, […]

Share This Article:

read more

Milford’s $15M bonding to cover esports arenas, roadwork, building projects

The city will bond some $15 million, with proposed projects ranging from roadwork, building maintenance, new vehicles and esports arenas in both high schools. In all, the aldermen approved $2.2 million for design and construction of sanitary sewers and wastewater facilities; $7.7 million for various public improvements, and $4.95 million for the school district. The […]

Share This Article:

read more

Developer buys 1.56-acre site near UConn’s Storrs campus for large-scale, 738-bed student housing project

A development firm has closed on the acquisition of a site next to UConn’s Storrs campus where it plans to build a 738-bed student housing property. Landmark Properties says it will begin construction on the 1.56 acre site at 134 North Eagleville Road later this year. The site, which has previously been proposed as the […]

Share This Article:

read more

Here’s why Connecticut’s newest ‘shed’ is worth $640M. What’s inside is even more costly.

The USS District of Columbia will be among the most expensive ships in U.S. history, when the nuclear submarine launches years from now into the Thames River at a projected cost of $16 billion, at last report. The South Yard assembly building at General Dynamics Electric Boat — dubbed Building 600 — has been assigned […]

Share This Article:

read more

Warehouse Plans Spark Fears in Glenbrook Neighborhood

V20 Group of Darien, the new owner of 6.9 acres at the industrial site, met with neighbors on March 4. On March 11 the Stamford Planning Board unanimously approved V20 Group’s application to consolidate three parcels, knock down six buildings, and put up a 112,800-square-foot, single-story warehouse. Things are moving fast. Joe Vaccaro, who runs […]

Share This Article:

read more

Torrington seeks $6.9M in grants for environmental cleanup of Yankee Pedlar Inn and other sites

The city is seeking $6.9 million in state grants for environmental cleanup at the historic Yankee Pedlar Inn and at former industrial sites around town. Glenn Carbone, operations manager for Torrington Company site owner IRG Realty Advisors — and the mayor’s brother — said taking down two more buildings at the 70 North St. property […]

Share This Article:

read more

Developer Sues Ledyard for Rejecting Mount Decatur Project

The two-year dispute between Gales Ferry residents and the developer seeking to level the north side of Mount Decatur took a new turn this week when the company sued the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission for rejecting the special permit. Gales Ferry Intermodal, owned by Massachusetts-based Jay Cashman Inc., filed an appeal on Monday at […]

Share This Article:

read more

The real construction crisis isn’t a labor shortage – it’s a wage shortage | Opinion

Across New Jersey and across the country, trade unions have millions of workers ready to step onto job sites. These skilled workers are ready to build data centers, hydrogen hubs and other megaprojects in the pipeline. Millions more await a call to join as apprentices. The backlog of workers eager to join unions speaks volumes […]

Share This Article:

read more

With third major project completed, Green Hub Development becomes major player in Waterbury’s downtown revival efforts

The city claimed the neglected building, at 36 North Main St., from a New York investor in 2013 for unpaid taxes. With lobbying from former Mayor Neil O’Leary’s administration, Gov. Dannel Malloy dedicated $10 million in state bond funding to help defray redevelopment costs. And, in 2023, the city sold the decaying property to Green […]

Share This Article:

read more

South Windsor approves solar facility, senior housing on farmland lots with developer connection

The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved Tuesday night a 50-unit senior housing development on 16.5 acres of land at 186 Foster St. In a more contentious decision later that night, the commission voted 5-2 to allow for construction of a roughly 1.31-megawatt solar photovoltaic system at 379 Scantic Road, on 6.35 acres of farmland […]

Share This Article:

read more

Branford to move events with town green, Main Street projects starting in spring

Downtown will be dug up when two big construction projects totaling about $20 million begin sometime in the spring, forcing the Branford Fest and other popular events to find a temporary home. The projects — reconstructing a long stretch of Main Street and renovating the town green will be done concurrently. The projects are largely […]

Share This Article:

read more

Massive CT redevelopment to unfold slower than hoped. Federal transportation funding could be issue

Plans for a prominent downtown corner that envision a new development anchored by a regional bus transit center could unfold far more slowly that city officials had hoped, now that the latest round of a state grant program does not include funds to tear down a vacant, decaying structure on the site. The city had […]

Share This Article:

read more

DOT removes equity, environmental factors from IIJA funding decisions

The U.S. DOT has rolled back a Biden-era policy that included environmental and social considerations in federally funded infrastructure projects, according to a Monday memo from the agency. The move rescinds two Federal Highway Administration memos, issued in 2021 and 2023, both titled “Policy on Using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Resources to Build a Better America.” […]

Share This Article:

read more

After D.C. meeting, Lamont sees path to working with Trump on energy

Lamont met separately with the Trump’s Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum while in the nation’s capital in late February for a meeting of the National Governors Association. A spokesman for the governor said each meeting lasted approximately 30 to 45 minutes. While the meetings generally covered the region’s energy challenges, […]

Share This Article:

read more

Low Bids Give Sewers a Boost in Old Lyme

The latest bids for installing sewers in the beach communities came in under budget, putting the project on track even as many residents continue to oppose the plans as both overpriced and unnecessary. The town has struggled for more than a decade to settle on a plan that would satisfy the state’s Department of Energy […]

Share This Article:

read more

CT DOT plans new maintenance garage at Westport site, 3 times size of current one

The state Department of Transportation plans to construct a new maintenance facility on state land at 900 Boston Post Road East. DOT spokesperson Joe Cooper said the contract for the work is expected to be awarded by late March. Construction is expected to begin this winter, with completion anticipated by fall 2026. The DOT site […]

Share This Article:

read more

Stamford residents worry reopening West Main Street bridge could ‘disrupt’ parts of city

The hearing will take place during the next Operations Committee meeting March 20. The rehabilitation of the bridge was estimated to cost $6.7 million, according to a report from construction and engineering firm BL Companies. The bridge was built in 1888 and closed to cars in 2002. It deteriorated as lawmakers argued over how to […]

Share This Article:

read more

Middletown YMCA has major renovations and larger facilit ahead: ‘We have to upgrade everything’

The Northern Middlesex YMCA is getting closer to raising the millions it needs to renovate its historic building, transforming it into a modern, state-of-the-art community center. So far, the All Together Better campaign has garnered about $15 million in state, local and federal money. The Y recently received $8 million in state Community Investment Funds, […]

Share This Article:

read more

CT company’s iconic headquarters targeted for demolition. Time running out for effort to save it

Time is running out to save the Timex Group headquarters, considered by some as a gem of 21st-century corporate architecture but by others, a property that has left a small western Connecticut town divided over its place in future economic development. In the face of unfolding plans for demolition and redevelopment for warehousing and distribution, […]

Share This Article:

read more

Bridgeport report recommends closing seven aging schools, constructing four new ones

A long-awaited report on the future of the city school system’s aging facilities recommends the district shutter seven school buildings, construct four new ones and perform major renovations on eight others. Pat Gallagher, a community planner with MP Planning Group, said the yet-to-be-approved proposal to replace several badly rundown schools with brand new ones could […]

Share This Article:

read more

New special taxing district eyed for massive Port Eastside development in East Hartford

A plan to transform much of East Hartford’s aging Founders Plaza office park into about 1,000 apartments mixed with commercial development could get a big infusion of funding through the property taxes the project generates. The legislature’s Planning and Development Committee will hold a public hearing on March 10, to discuss the creation of the […]

Share This Article:

read more

102-unit apartment building, 96-unit hotel approved for Norwalk’s Belden Avenue

The city’s Planning and Zoning Commission on Feb. 5 approved a plan by IJ Group LLC, controlled by Norwalk developer Jason Milligan, according to the city’s principal planner Bryan Baker. A narrow five-story office building currently sits atop an expansive ground-level retail floor on a 1.43-acre site at 24 Belden Ave., which IJ Group owns. […]

Share This Article:

read more

Five years since COVID hit, CT’s Bradley International Airport aims for ‘even more growth’

Significant projects to enhance baggage screening and improve the flow of passengers through the terminal are underway because Bradley International Airport needs to keep up with rebounding activity. The pandemic hit the aviation industry hard, and Bradley did not escape the disruption. In 2020, its annual passenger traffic plummeted 65% to 2.4 million. The projects’ […]

Share This Article:

read more

New $15.5 million recreation center in South Norwalk will restore community feeling, officials say

Recent U.S. Census Bureau data shows that 18% of Norwalk’s residents identify solely as Black; recent data from the city shows that over a fifth of the residents of District B, comprising South Norwalk, identify as Black. The voting district has the highest proportion of Black residents in the city, according to the data. Restoring […]

Share This Article:

read more

Meriden seeks funding for the senior center’s second phase to prevent the cost from increasing

Although phase one of the plans for the senior center is in motion, the city is still looking for funding to start phase two once phase one is completed, said Meriden City Manager Brian Daniels. Recently, the committee designated 116 Cook Ave. as the site for the new senior center. However, before construction can begin, […]

Share This Article:

read more

Get ready for traffic jams: CT DOT has 532 active capital projects this year. See where they are.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation is up for another busy year repairing state roads and bridges. And that means motorists need to know: There are 532 active capital projects planned for this year to be aware of while traveling on state highways, bridges and roads. There are currently 181 in construction, 185 in planning, 110 […]

Share This Article:

read more

CT legislature, Lamont reach 11th hour compromise to expand, restructure PURA

Gov. Ned Lamont and legislative leaders reached a compromise Wednesday that returns his embattled nominee Marissa Gillett to chairmanship of a restructured Public Utility Regulatory Authority that will expand to five commissioners and move out of the executive branch. Under the deal, which could cool off what was expected to be a fiery Gillett confirmation […]

Share This Article:

read more

‘55-and-older’ community proposed in South Windsor

A Vernon builder is proposing an age-restricted housing development in South Windsor that would include 44 single-family houses and three duplexes. Kenneth J. Boynton, president of Boynton Construction, in January applied to the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission for a zoning exemption and site plan approval for his “Orchard Pointe” senior residence development at 186 […]

Share This Article:

read more

New Haven gets $9.5M of frozen federal funds, but $20M for climate change still in limbo

About $30.5 million in already approved funds has been locked by the Trump administration’s freeze on grants and programs related to climate change and diversity, officials said. That money is set to update heating systems, facilitate public housing development and provide job training for some of the city’s neediest residents, officials said. But the city […]

Share This Article:

read more

200,000-square-foot warehouse proposed in South Windsor

A Florida-based company is proposing a new 200,000-square-foot warehouse in South Windsor. Vero Beach, Florida-based Altatwo Realty Co. LLC is proposing to build the warehouse, along with associated parking, trailer spaces and a new freight rail spur on a 16-acre wooded property at 250 Rye St. An application was filed with South Windsor’s Inland Wetlands […]

Share This Article:

read more

Construction of Danbury rehab hospital 6 months behind schedule due to ‘extenuating circumstances’

A new rehab hospital that planned to open this spring on the city’s west side has requested a six-month extension due to what it called “extenuating circumstances not entirely within” its control that pushed back the project’s expected construction completion date. Encompass Health is building the 40-bed, $39 million facility, the greater Danbury region’s first […]

Share This Article:

read more

Removal of Exit 21 from I-84 East in Waterbury pushed back as Mixmaster project faces delay

The design phase for the first project of the “New Mix” program to reconstruct the network of bridges and elevated ramps of the so-called Mixmaster interchange of Interstate 84 and Route 8 is nearing completion. The designs for the removal of the Exit 21 off-ramp from I-84 eastbound and related work are 90% complete, and […]

Share This Article:

read more

Dan Haar: Tolls making a comeback in CT? Not soon — but pressure will build under Trump

Gov. Ned Lamont, whose 2019 tolls plan amounted to a high-speed tire blowout at the start of his first term, declared a new champion of tolls: President Donald Trump. Lamont, in his Feb. 5 budget speech to lawmakers, described a memo from the U.S. Department of Transportation, “notifying us that all road and bridge grant […]

Share This Article:

read more

Danbury streetscape project gets boost with a $4 million state grant: ‘An incredible win’

City leaders’ ongoing plans to improve downtown’s walkability, appearance and economic viability received a recent boost with a $4 million state grant. The new funds will support the $17 million Streetscape Renaissance Project, which calls for redesigned sidewalks and roadway improvements as well as other enhancements like landscape improvements in areas like the intersection of […]

Share This Article:

read more

Osten backing economic study of area served by Mohegan-Pequot Bridge

State Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, has said she will continue to advocate for a bill calling for an economic study of the area surrounding the Mohegan-Pequot Bridge despite the public-hearing testimony of two state commissioners who suggested last week that a pending transportation study should come first. The bill’s 10 co-sponsors include Osten and eight […]

Share This Article:

read more

High Upgrade Costs Threaten Solar Project in Windham

The developer of a solar project at a former Windham landfill is threatening to scrap the project after discovering that required substation upgrades would cost 13 times more than the project itself. Verogy CEO William Herchel told CT Examiner that the company predicted a $2 million investment in the project. But Eversource, the electric company […]

Share This Article:

read more

Tariff fears tied to biggest construction cost jump in 2 years

Construction input prices jumped 1.4% in January, marking the largest monthly increase in two years, according to an analysis by Associated Builders and Contractors. However, the price jump also stems from a rush to purchase materials ahead of potential tariffs, said Anirban Basu, ABC chief economist. The cost of inputs to construction now sits 40.5% […]

Share This Article:

read more

Decision on Ledyard quarry plan tabled to next week

The Planning and Zoning Commission tabled a vote Thursday on a proposed 40-acre quarry off Route 12 in Gales Ferry that residents have said would ruin their health, disturb their neighborhoods and reduce the value of their homes. The commission is next scheduled to meet to discuss and possibly vote on the application Thursday, Feb. […]

Share This Article:

read more

Lamont budget calls for CT to ramp up transportation projects

Gov. Ned Lamont’s new budget proposal would keep Connecticut on pace to dramatically accelerate the rebuilding of its aging highways, bridges and rail lines. But that increase also could leave the transportation program needing new revenues in three years, and some legislators already have begun exploring new ways to pay for it — including a […]

Share This Article:

read more

Naugatuck is first to join CT’s new Municipal Redevelopment Authority: ‘We’re way ahead of the game’

The borough is the first town statewide to join the Connecticut Municipal Redevelopment Authority, newly established to help municipalities with transit oriented development. MRDA, a quasi-public state agency created in 2024 by state law, is responsible for helping municipalities with transit-oriented development, mainly focusing on the growth of new housing, as defined under state statutes. […]

Share This Article:

read more

DOD halts PLAs on construction projects

The Department of Defense has ordered its contracting officers to halt the use of project labor agreements on “large-scale construction projects,” according to a memo obtained by Construction Dive. The notice, dated Feb. 7, says contracting officers shall remove PLA requirements created by former President Joe Biden that apply to projects receiving $35 million or […]

Share This Article:

read more

How Trump’s new tariffs on steel and aluminum could impact Connecticut businesses and consumers

Having threatened, implemented and then pulled back on tariffs involving imports from Canada and Mexico earlier this month, President Donald J. Trump has now implemented 25 % tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports. As of Tuesday evening, it was still unclear how much steel Connecticut businesses purchased from international sources in 2024. But according […]

Share This Article:

read more

Plan to turn former West Hartford UConn campus into housing, retail come before Town Council Tuesday

WeHa Development Group LLC is seeking a zoning change for 1800 Asylum Ave. that would allow them to convert the long-vacant property into Heritage Park, a development consisting of six duplex townhomes, 93 rental one- and two-bedroom units, 19 townhomes that will be for sale and a 90-unit assisted living facility combined with a grocery […]

Share This Article:

read more

In photos: Southington’s old library building is demolished now that the new one is open

Crews have been hard at work demolishing the old Southington Public Library at 255 Main St. now that the new, 30,000-sqaure-foot library opened next door in December. Efforts to build a new, state-of-the-art building have been in the works for several years, including residents’ approval of $16.9 million for the project in 2021. A $5 […]

Share This Article:

read more

Millstone explores possibility of smaller-scale nuclear reactors

At Holtec International’s manufacturing facility in Camden, N.J., welders work to seal stainless steel canisters that will be used by an overseas customer to ship spent nuclear fuel. To ensure the canisters don’t leak, they undergo a series of three tests, including digital radiology to essentially X-ray the welding job, a dye check to discover […]

Share This Article:

read more

New Milford approves $449,550 for architect to begin designs for riverfront revitalization project

The town has taken another step toward creating a blueprint for the revitalization of New Milford’s riverfront area by voting to hire an architectural firm for $449,550 to begin designing the project. The Town Council approved a motion at its Jan. 27 meeting to authorize Mayor Pete Bass to enter into a contract with WXY […]

Share This Article:

read more

High-profile apartment buildings are going up from Fairfield to Shelton in 2025

Apartment buildings are popping up from Fairfield to Shelton. Some are mixed-use and feature commercial aspects like Trumbull Center with its planned retail on the ground floor. Others are purely residential, such as a new 100-unit building on Lordship Boulevard in Stratford. The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved plans to build a 50-unit, five-story […]

Share This Article:

read more

Could widening I-84 reduce traffic between Waterbury and Danbury?

State Rep. Mitch Bolinsky, a Newtown Republican, is no stranger to traffic on Interstate-84. And so Bolinsky has proposed a possible solution, submitting a proposed bill calling for Connecticut’s Department of Transportation to study adding an additional traffic lane along more than 30 miles of I-84, from Exit 7 in Danbury through Exit 20 in […]

Share This Article:

read more

$175M project in Norwalk to transform Route 7-Merritt Parkway interchange may start in 2027

Neil Patel, principal engineer in the DOT’s Major Highways Unit, anticipated last summer that construction on the $175 million project could begin in 2026. Now, a 2027 start for construction is more likely as Patel said he expects the project to move from its current preliminary design phase to the final design phase this summer. […]

Share This Article:

read more

Bill to tackle CTDOL complaint backlog met with bipartisan support

Today, the legislature’s Labor and Public Employees Committee expressed support for a bill that intends to double the number of Wage and Workplace Management Division’s (WWMD) wage investigators at the Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL). Inadequate staffing has posed a significant issue for CTDOL, which has come under fire in recent years for its ever […]

Share This Article:

read more

Losing construction sectors under Trump

Trump’s ire has long been directed at wind power in particular, even though the biggest producers are red states, per the EIA. To that end he signed a standalone executive order temporarily suspending new or renewed leases for offshore and onshore wind projects, and halted the leasing of wind power projects on the outer continental […]

Share This Article:

read more

Winning construction sectors under Trump

With changes in infrastructure priorities, regulatory rollbacks and economic shifts, contractors and developers are bracing for both new opportunities and potential setbacks. Some sectors, such as data centers and infrastructure, are set for rapid growth, while clean energy projects and high-speed rail could see federal support dwindle. Other types of projects have a mixed or […]

Share This Article:

read more

CT Gov. Lamont unveils 2-year budget with tax cuts, funding for homeless, child care, regionalization

Gov. Ned Lamont unveiled his new two-year budget Wednesday with new and increased funding for several programs thanks to a ‘tweak’ to the state’s fiscal guardrails, and tax cuts for middle-class families, workers across a multitude of industries and corporations to boost job creation. After a debate that has lasted for a year, Lamont is […]

Share This Article:

read more

Land clearing begins in Danbury for 24-unit apartment building at site of the former ‘barracks’

A heavy excavator was clearing land on Monday to make space for a 24-unit apartment building just outside the city’s downtown limits, where a row of three apartment houses known as “the barracks” were once a blighting influence. “We have a good city with some new housing coming in, and there’s going to be more […]

Share This Article:

read more

Dan Haar: Eversource spending billions on Massachusetts upgrades as it cuts Connecticut investment sharply

On Monday, Jan. 27, the regional utility holding company agreed to sell Aquarion Water Co. for $1.6 billion plus debt to the New Haven-area’s Regional Water Authority, nearly a year after putting the business up for sale. Regulators had nixed an Aquarion rate hike request in 2023. Then on Tuesday, Eversource CEO Joe Nolan Jr. […]

Share This Article:

read more

New Haven officials prepare for new commercial use, parking at former Bigelow Boiler site

City officials are looking to press forward with plans to develop commercial space at the former Bigelow Boiler site on River Street. Michael Piscitelli, New Haven’s economic development administrator, said the work is related to remediation of the site prior to “turning it over” to a developer for a commercial space that could potentially house […]

Share This Article:

read more

Prospect sidewalk job gets $3.5M boost

The town has been awarded a $3.5 million federal grant to construct a sidewalk on the east side of Route 69 from Prospect Elementary School to the center of town. The busy route also is known as Waterbury Road. Prospect was awarded a federal Transportation Alternatives grant that includes a 20% match from the town. […]

Share This Article:

read more

5-acre site on Norwalk’s Main Avenue tagged for development is listed for sale for $15M

The site of an approved residential and retail project at 280 Main Ave. in Norwalk, once planned to be a BJ’s Wholesale Club, has been listed for sale for $15 million. Despite the listing, Planning and Zoning Director Steve Kleppin said the site still has the Planning and Zoning Commission’s approval for development. That approval […]

Share This Article:

read more

Proposed rail link to Bradley International Airport gains traction with new bill

A Hartford-based rail advocate who travels frequently, Casey Moran, has pitched an idea to build a rail line that would connect Bradley International Airport to the region’s rail network. The Bradley Airport Rail Link would provide a one-seat train ride to Bradley from throughout much of Connecticut. It would have stops in Hartford, Bloomfield and […]

Share This Article:

read more

DOT says it will tie funding to birth, marriage rates

A new, undated memo from the DOT directs the department to give grant preferences to “communities with marriage and birth rates higher than the national average.” The action comes after the DOT announced that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy — who was confirmed to the position on Wednesday — had authorized a series of actions to […]

Share This Article:

read more

Trump ties transportation funding to immigration compliance

The administration of President Donald J. Trump has informed the Connecticut Department of Transportation it would, “to the maximum extent permitted by law,” link federal transportation funding to policies on masks, vaccines, tolls and immigration enforcement. The U.S. Supreme Court has held the federal government can impose conditions on federal funding, but those conditions must […]

Share This Article:

read more

Solar farm with 12,000 panels proposed for Stonington-Ledyard border

A renewable energy company has proposed a 12,000-panel solar farm on Lantern Hill Road. The proposal before the Connecticut Siting Council, by North Haven-based Greenskies Clean Energy, LLC, would transform 28 acres near the border of Ledyard into a 4.99-megawatt solar energy farm. Such a farm would produce enough electricity to power about 700 homes […]

Share This Article:

read more

Trump funding freeze leaves IIJA, IRA projects in limbo

Last week, President Donald Trump told federal agencies to stop disbursing Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act funding, including money that Congress already authorized. The move has thrown climate and infrastructure projects at various stages of development into uncertainty, as his agenda regarding federal government contracts and grants continues to rapidly evolve. […]

Share This Article:

read more

Students, administrators celebrate first day at new Torrington High: ‘Everyone was really excited’

Principal Brian Scott said despite the subzero temperatures, most things went smoothly during the first day of classes in the new Torrington High School building Jan. 22. The four-story, 310-000-square-foot building will cost about $179.5 million, with the state reimbursing the city 85%. The middle school wing will open for classes in September. Wilson expressed […]

Share This Article:

read more

These 8 CT schools got state OK for construction reimbursements totaling $152M

Eight school building projects have made the state’s School Construction Project Priority List for 2025. In total, the state’s Department of Administrative Services is providing $152.4 million in grants to support school building projects in Fairfield, Greenwich, Norwich, Plainville and Woodbridge. The combined cost of the local projects is $262.7 million. The estimated cost depends […]

Share This Article:

read more

Comptroller vows to fight wage theft with proposed bill

State Comptroller Sean Scanlon announced legislation on Monday that would target companies that are under investigation for wage theft by empowering his office to cut off payments for state contracts. The bill would create a system in which the comptroller would be notified when a company with state contracts comes under investigation for violating wage […]

Share This Article:

read more

Bill would allow CT comptroller to halt payments to state contractors accused of wage law violations

Joined by members of the legislature’s Labor Committee and representatives of organized labor for a news conference in the Legislative Office Building, Scanlon said the bill, if approved, would allow his office to take action against companies and contractors who are violating the state’s prevailing wage law. “As the CFO for the state of Connecticut, […]

Share This Article:

read more

Despite Trump’s orders, DBE not dead yet

Programs that carve out participation goals for traditionally underrepresented workers on federal construction contracts may be under fire, but they’re not dead yet. That was the take from an attorney who focuses on these kinds of government initiatives after President Donald Trump issued several executive orders this week to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion efforts […]

Share This Article:

read more

Shelton developer adds housing to hotel, restaurants plan on Bridgeport Avenue

A proposed development with a hotel, restaurants and retail at the corner of Bridgeport Avenue and Long Hill Cross Road now includes housing. Crown Point Associates — owned by Jim Botti, Jr. and his brothers Travis and Trevor Botti — presented the updated plans to the Planning and Zoning Commission Wednesday during a public hearing […]

Share This Article:

read more

Developer’s plan to build 112 unit housing development in West Hartford set for public hearing

Plans to build 112 units of housing at the site of a former health and rehabilitation center will be the subject of a Town Council public hearing on Tuesday. It’s the latest housing development proposal to come West Hartford’s way, which has so far been amenable to making zoning changes to allow for multifamily housing […]

Share This Article:

read more