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From Quiet Corner to mega-warehouse hub: How Plainfield became an industrial stronghold

“The proximity on 395 is really what it’s all about for warehousing,” said First Selectman Kevin Cunningham. “You have access to 95. You have access to 295 in Worcester. You have access to Route 6 to get you either going over towards the Hartford area or to Providence. It’s easy access to get on and off.” A 1.3 million-square-foot distribution center for hardware chain Lowe’s has consistently been the top taxpayer in Plainfield since it was built in 2004. That siting was seen as unusual enough at the time that it warranted coverage in the New York Times. It also came at a fairly steep upfront cost to the town, which was on the hook for putting in an access road, water and sewer. An Amazon warehouse, located at 137 Lathrop Road — formerly a greyhound racing track — and first announced in 2021, is finally due to open this October ahead of the busy holiday season. It will be Amazon’s 17th distribution location in Connecticut.

https://hartfordbusiness.com/article/from-quiet-corner-to-mega-warehouse-hub-how-plainfield-became-an-industrial-stronghold/

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Here’s what Tweed New Haven Regional Airport’s new proposed terminal looks like

Tweed New Haven Regional Airport released new designs of the proposed new 84,000-square-foot terminal on the East Haven side, now that designs are 60% complete. The new renderings come four months after an environmental permit application was filed with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection by Avports, the Goldman Sachs-owned company that operates Tweed for the Tweed New Haven Airport Authority through its The New HVN subsidiary. East Haven and Save The Sound both have appealed that Dec. 21, 2024 FAA finding and called for a full environmental impact statement, which would go beyond the environmental assessment that was done as part of the FONSI process. Tweed’s plans call for a four-gate terminal that might be expandable at some point in the future, officials have said. The proposed project, the cost for which has been estimated at $70 million to $100 million, is on about 40 acres that formerly was used for Tweed’s now-decommissioned cross-wind runway.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/tweed-new-haven-new-renderings-terminal-expansion-20877728.php

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Trump halts New London-based Revolution Wind project

The Trump administration announced Friday that it has canceled the Revolution Wind project, which is based at State Pier. The move could deal a blow to the future of the region’s wind industry after state taxpayers invested $310 million to transform State Pier into an offshore wind hub so that it could accommodate wind turbine components and the ships that assemble them. On Friday, large sections of turbines remained spread out on the pier. A total of 45 of Revolution Wind’s 65 turbines have been completed. It remains the only offshore wind farm that will provide Connecticut with power — 304 megawatts to Connecticut and 400 megawatts to Rhode Island — and is the second of three planned offshore wind projects that State Pier will host. “The project, from my understanding, is nearly complete at this point,” Passero said. “The implications are wide-ranging. … There are a lot of construction jobs going on right now during this phase, and that’s probably the largest employment impact.” Passero said the Sunrise Wind project “is still on track.”

https://theday.com/news/780541/trump-halts-new-london-based-revolution-wind-project/

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Amid rumor of EB’s further interest, Crystal Mall soldiers on

Electric Boat wants the whole mall, the rumor goes. EB, the Groton shipbuilding behemoth that early last month acquired the part of the mall that used to be Macy’s, declined Wednesday to comment on the rumor it’s negotiating the purchase of the rest of the Namdar-owned mall or at least the separately owned portion that was once a Sears store. Amid the speculation about the mall’s fate, Coe said he’s striving to keep up the mostly vacant property while fielding interest from a steady stream of prospective tenants of far lesser magnitude than EB. At another Crystal Mall store, Sigourney Herndon, assistant manager of Kay Jewelers, said Wednesday that her store was staying put, at least through the end of its current one-year lease, which took effect Jan. 1. She said the store’s 2025 numbers are up over the previous year’s.

https://theday.com/news/779604/amid-rumor-of-ebs-further-interest-crystal-mall-soldiers-on/

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Fairfield’s rebuild of Commerce Drive bridge to be completed by fall 2027

Fairfield is rebuilding the 47-foot Commerce Drive bridge over Ash Creek. Jonathan Mullen, Fairfield’s assistant planning director, said traffic detours have been set up and traffic will be restricted to one-way in the eastbound direction for the project’s duration. He said demolition will begin over the coming weeks. Troy Deering, construction project manager, advises drivers to be cautious of the detour for their safety. “We’re sorry for the inconvenience, but it’s for everyone’s personal safety to obey the detour plans,” he said. The project was fully funded with a nearly $4.5 million grant from the state’s Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program under the Department of Transportation. The project is expected to be completed by fall 2027, but Deering hopes it can be completed sooner.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/fairfield/article/fairfield-commerce-drive-bridge-rebuild-20822341.php

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Demolition of Bridgeport’s ‘candy cane’ smokestack pushed back but rest of facility to be torn down

Fans of the city’s landmark red-and-white power plant smokestack will have a few more months to admire the South End industrial edifice before it is blasted from the skyline. Chad Parks, a partner with Bridgeport Station Development, said the business has altered its demolition timeline for the entire property. While the bulk of the aged coal-fired facility is still scheduled to come down at the end of September, “We’re going to do the stacks next year,” more specifically, in April. Formerly operated by PSEG, the coal-powered electric generation facility was shut down a few years ago as part of an arrangement to allow a new, natural gas-fired one to be built next door. Bridgeport Station Development bought the former last fall, and with the aid of $22.5 million from the state, is dismantling and leveling the structure for an as-yet-to-be-revealed redevelopment centered around housing. Parks has previously stated that the striped tower must come down because it would otherwise require significant maintenance and be much more difficult to remove in the future when surrounded by new construction.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/bridgeport-smokestack-demolition-20827958.php

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The proposed trash facility in Plainfield is not welcome: How the town is fighting it

Plainfield First Selectman Kevin Cunningham said residents continue to sign petitions for two public hearings with Commissioner of Connecticut’s Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) Katie Dykes regarding the plant. Residents overwhelmingly opposed the facility at the June 2 budget election. There, a non-binding advisory question appeared on the ballot, which asked voters if they were in favor of having a proposed solid waste to energy plant from SMART Technology Systems in Plainfield. Residents decisively rejected the plant, with 125 votes in favor of it and 1,148 votes against it. Now, the town is doing its part to prevent the facility from coming to town. Bill Corvo, manager at SMART Technology Systems, said the plant will reduce the negative environmental impacts of processing municipal solid waste. SMART Technology claims that the plant would convert organic material to a clean renewable gas while having a lower impact on the environment than an incinerator. They also say that the facility would divert millions of tons of waste from landfills and produce clean electricity year-round.

https://www.norwichbulletin.com/story/news/local/2025/08/21/plainfield-ct-fighting-against-proposed-trash-plant-coalition-economic-environmental-justice/85747847007/?tbref=hp

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Ridgefield cuts $8M, space from planned public safety complex after failed vote: ‘Do it right’

After voters rejected an $85.6 million plan to build a new public safety complex in Ridgefield by 71 votes in February, town officials went back to the drawing board and lowered the proposal’s cost by $8.2 million. The new price tag is $77.4 million for the proposed police and fire facility, which would be built on a town-owned wooded area at 36 Old Quarry Road. The town cut 3,500 square feet of space from the planned 70,000-square-foot building, reducing it to 66,500 square feet. The new plan eliminates a previously planned parking garage and no longer relocates the town’s emergency response center to the new building. Ridgefield’s police station is located at 76 East Ridge Road inside a house built in the late 1800s, while the fire station is over 120 years old. The facilities have issues with flooding, heating and cooling, noncompliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and inadequate parking.

https://www.newstimes.com/news/article/ridgefield-public-safety-complex-police-fire-cuts-20823695.php

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Controversial Stonington viaduct plan ‘off the table’

After meeting Tuesday with the state Department of Transportation, town and borough officials said the most recent plan for the Alpha Avenue viaduct is off the table, though future property impacts are yet to be determined. The $48 million plan, which called for shifting the location of the 85-year-old bridge 12 feet to the west of its current location, blindsided town leaders and residents last month when potentially impacted property owners received notice that the DOT’s plans had changed and their properties were now at risk of being taken through eminent domain. Those properties include a parking lot owned by Dodson’s Boatyard and historically used for boat storage; JM Electric and Castle Hill Audio Visual, both of which are housed at the former Zack’s Bar and Grille at 201 N. Main St.; the Stonington Community Center (the COMO) Thrift Store, which would be demolished; and a piece of residential property at 203 N. Main St., including a garage. In a related issue, Shefers said U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, had helped set up a September meeting between, municipal leaders and representatives, the DOT and Amtrak to begin discussions about gaining emergency access to an at-grade crossing on North Water Street.

https://theday.com/news/779092/controversial-stonington-viaduct-plan-off-the-table/

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Old Lyme Sewer Projects Faces Uncertainty as Miami Beach Bids Come in Higher Than Expected

The Miami Beach Association opened bids on Tuesday for a sewer system, but higher-than-expected costs have cast doubts on the project’s future. The minimum bid for internal work was $13.6 million — 62% more expensive than the $8.4 million estimated by the consulting firm Fuss & O’Neill, according to data shared by Steve Cinami, chair of the Old Lyme Water and Pollution Control Authority. These bids do not include alternatives like a helical pile support system and different paving options. According to Fuss & O’Neill’s calculations shared by Cinami, the cost per equivalent dwelling unit in Miami Beach was about $51,580, about $20,000 higher than the estimated cost for Sound View and Area B residents. With this week’s bids, these costs would be even higher. Balzac Contractors submitted the lowest bid, followed by Colonna Concrete and Asphalt Paving, Genovese Construction and C.J. Fucci Construction.

Old Lyme Sewer Projects Faces Uncertainty as Miami Beach Bids Come in Higher Than Expected

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