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Work to begin for $18 million CT sewer rehabilitation project. Detours planned
Work is scheduled to begin this week to rehabilitate downtown sewers, a system for which the original sewer was built in the 1800s. The project is by The Metropolitan District and its contractors, VMS Construction and Insituform Technologies, and all three phases are expected to be completed by next spring. In all, the project is expected to last several months in the downtown Hartford area on Central Row, Market Street and Main Street the next several months could see detours. No sewer service interruptions are expected. The Metropolitan District coordinated with the city of Hartford, the Connecticut Department of Transportation and CT Transit for the project. The second phase of the sewer rehabilitation work will begin early next month on Market Street from Kinsley to State Street, according to the MDC.
Hamden council approves contracts for middle school demolition initially slated to begin this summer
Town officials voted to move forward with the demolition of two blighted former middle school buildings, although the site’s future remains unclear. Plans to demolish the former Michael J. Whalen Junior High School building and renovate the free-standing gymnasium, were altered from plans to develop a community campus at the site after the Legislative Council voted last year to reallocate millions of funds to addressing sinking foundations in the Newhall neighborhood, which was once a site of dumping for industrial waste. The town initially approved contracts with 7-Summits Construction to serve as construction manager at risk and with BL Companies for demolition and site planning. According to White, the current demolition plans are not tied to any future construction at this time. He said it is expected to be a flat, grassy area although some pavement restoration may be required. White said BL Companies is also committed to communication information about air quality during demolition to residents.
https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/hamden-ct-middle-school-demolition-21124669.php
After nearly 140 years, Stamford’s West Main Street Bridge is set to come down. What’s next?
The West Main Street Bridge, also known as the “Purple Bridge,” was built in 1888 and closed to cars in 2002. Over the ensuing two decades, it has sat, largely unused and deteriorating, as a debate has raged over whether to reopen the bridge for cars to better link the West Side and downtown, as a pedestrian-only walkway, or as some combination of the two. A prefabricated bridge, open only to pedestrian traffic, was installed next to the original bridge in 2023 for $1.6 million, after the city determined that the structure was unsafe. In April, the Board of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a nonbinding resolution, encouraging the city to pursue a $6.7 million plan, pitched by Meriden-based engineering firm BL Companies, that would rehabilitate, rather than replace, the bridge, and open it up to both cars and pedestrians. Quinones said the bridge would likely be taken down in the spring of 2026, and that the removal of the bridge would be funded by a nearly $2 million state grant that was already in hand, though he did not have more details about the grant.
Records reveal price Electric Boat paid for Crystal Mall in Waterford
General Dynamics Electric Boat paid $25 million in this month’s purchase of the Crystal Mall – a big payday for the previous owner that presided over a dwindling retail base, after scooping up the Waterford mall at auction three years ago for just more than a third of the price. The Crystal Mall building gives Electric Boat more than 540,000 square feet of space for offices it plans to build inside the mall’s existing shell, including the Macy’s wing that Electric Boat acquired last summer for $6.4 million. The 850 Hartford Turnpike property totals 42 acres just off Interstate 95. The Crystal Mall’s purchase price was disclosed by Namdar Realty Group in a Wednesday filing with the town clerk’s office in Waterford. The town last appraised the Crystal Mall at a value of $14.6 million, including surrounding parking lots, a pair of freestanding restaurant buildings and unused land on the site. The purchase does not include the former Sears wing, with Rayha not providing details on any Electric Boat negotiations for that space. “No state funds are currently committed to the project,” said DECD spokesperson Jim Watson. “The department has had some preliminary discussions around incentives, and we expect those discussions will continue.”
Bridgeport water main break affecting dozens of Aquarion customers Thursday, company says
About 40 Aquarion customers were affected by a River Street water main break Thursday morning, according to the company. The break was about 24 inches long and was affecting residents on River Street and a few on Evergreen Street, the Aquarion Water Co. said. City police spokesperson Shawnna White said some areas were inaccessible due to the heavy flooding; the areas of North Washington Avenue and River Street, Knowlton Street and River Street, and River Street and Evergreen Street were closed off in an advisory. Aquarion reported the incident around 5:30 a.m. Thursday and said the issue likely would be resolved between 1:30 and 3 :30 p.m. The company said residents could experience no water or poor water pressure, adding they also may have discolored water. The company said residents should wait until their water is working and clear before using it.
https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/bridgeport-river-st-water-main-break-aquarion-21128564.php
New Haven reveals plan to make crash-prone East Rock intersection safer
According to the UConn Connecticut Crash Data Repository, the intersection of Willow and Nicoll streets was the site of 15 motor vehicle crashes involving 29 vehicles and a total of 42 people between Jan. 1, 2022 and Feb. 28, 2025 — including two the week of Feb. 22, 2022. The city’s new plan to address the issues includes a raised intersection, sidewalk bump-outs and a steel bollard, or post, at each corner to protect pedestrians. It also includes flashing pedestrian lights, mountable concrete medians on Willow and highly visible markings and signage, according to Smith. Festa and Smith both worked with City Engineer Giovanni Zinn and Director of Transportation, Traffic and Parking Sandeep Aysola over the past few months as the city worked out a plan, said Smith. As of right now, “It’s not final,” and residents can reach out directly to Zinn with their feedback, said Smith. The goal is to see it implemented by the beginning of 2026, she said.
https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/new-haven-east-rock-crashes-safety-ct-21126552.php
United Illuminating Moves to Uncover Possible Texting Before State Regulators Flipped on Power Lines
United Illuminating Co. wants to know what the governor and local officials were texting behind the power company’s back just before the state Siting Council reversed its vote and turned down UI’s plan to put giant monopoles through Bridgeport and Fairfield. UI has until Friday to ask the Siting Council to reconsider its decision. If the council refuses, UI can then file a lawsuit seeking an appeal in state Superior Court. All those who have been served with the FOI request have indicated they will comply. In September the Siting Council voted 6 to 2 in a non-binding or straw vote to allow UI to install a series of monopoles, up to 195 feet high, along the south side of the Metro-North Railroad tracks through Bridgeport and Fairfield. Gov. Ned Lamont stepped into the issue first urging UI to sit down with municipal officials and negotiate, which UI refused, and then publicly supported the siting council rejecting UI’s plan. “We are stunned by the change in the Siting Council’s decision today with no explanation,” said UI’s Fliotsos said after the siting council’s vote.
Trumbull data center plans to invest $200 million in the property over the next five years
The operator of a Trumbull data center said he will make a $200 million investment that will upgrade the property, boost its value and bring more jobs to town. Roelof Opperman, the CEO and founder of cogNOVUM, the operator of the data center at 80 Merritt Blvd, said the investment is the first step of a state-offered tax incentive program the company is pursuing and will bring many long-term benefits to Trumbull. Bakalar said the investment will be over a five-year period, ending in 2030. Then, she said the company will apply to the state’s Data Center Tax Incentive Program, which is under the state Department of Economic and Community Development. According to the DECD website, the program provides tax and property tax exemptions to certain goods, services and real property of the data center after making a “significant upfront capital investment.” Opperman said part of the reason his eyes were set on the Trumbull location was because of its history as the first Nasdaq Stock Market location and its proximity to New York City.
Naugatuck begins $80M mixed-use project aimed at revitalizing downtown
Officials, dignitaries and developers broke ground Tuesday on a roughly $80 million, 180-unit mixed-use, mixed-income apartment project in downtown Naugatuck. Philadelphia-based Pennrose and Hartford-based The Cloud Co. hosted local and state officials on a 7-acre former industrial site, where construction is underway on the first of three 60-unit buildings. The development will ultimately feature more than 7,000 square feet of commercial space and a new public greenspace for the broader community. The development site is located along Old Firehouse Road, with one side bounded by the Naugatuck River. A government-led effort remediated environmental contaminants on the site before the property’s recent $600,000 sale to the developers, said Karmen Cheung, Pennrose’s regional vice president for New England. Cheung estimated the first building will cost about $26 million, with later phases expected to face typical cost increases. The four-story, wood-framed buildings will be constructed on grade slabs and include elevators.
How the government shutdown impacts construction contracts
When the government shuts down, contractors’ cash flow on federal sites does too. The federal government shut down on Oct. 1, freezing activity on a number of construction sites. Attorneys say these shutdowns double as a stress test for how well construction firms document and negotiate their federal contracts. During funding lapses, even short ones, the line between work continuation and work stoppage blurs. For some firms, that can mean weeks on site that go unpaid. For others, it’s a crash course in which clauses actually protect them when government operations grind to a halt. If a project’s funding was appropriated before the fiscal year began, work can usually continue, albeit with slower payment cycles. But if funds were not secured before the cutoff, “it will go dark for the foreseeable future because no funds are available during the shutdown,” said Rippeon. That uncertainty often extends to subcontractors too. Contractors who fail to flow down stop-work or suspension clauses to their subs risk being squeezed between the government and their project partners, said Michael Barnicle, partner at Atlanta-based Troutman Pepper Locke.
https://www.constructiondive.com/news/how-government-shutdown-impacts-construction-contracts/803961/
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