CT investment panel challenges poor cities seeking economic aid to think big

The Community Investment Board 2030 launched a process that potentially could channel $875 million in state financing over the next five years — and as much as $1.5 billion over the next decade — into nearly three dozen distressed municipalities. Cities and towns, community development corporations and other nonprofit entities are being asked to take […]

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Greenwich RTM accepts funds for new civic center, reveals Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation donated $5 million

The town announced earlier this month that it had received a $5 million donation to build a new $21.5 million civic center in Old Greenwich. And the Representative Town Meeting unveiled the identity of the donor Monday night as it agreed to accept the donation, which came from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation. The […]

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Construction’s career crisis: Can the industry attract millennials and Gen Z?

Historically, contractors sought to control costs in part by leaning on lower base salaries, particularly for entry-level positions, and making up for it with bonuses, she said. During the pandemic, many companies adjusted operations to accommodate more flexible ways of working, including fully-remote and hybrid work. The in-person nature of construction work, at odds with […]

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Cleanup, power restoration work continue in wake of nor’easter

Just over 14,000 Eversource Energy customers in Connecticut were without power this morning as the utility continued repairs and service restoration work amid rain and occasional high winds. Eversource dispatched crews to carry out preemptive tree-trimming ahead of Tuesday’s storm and said it was prepared to call in workers from out of state if the […]

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Stamford’s soon-to-be $81.7M, 928-spot commuter garage project gets official debut

Engineering crews have already broken ground on the 928-spot garage, a project that will cost the state $81.7 million, according to Giulietti. The entire edifice, which will feature a bridge that directly connects with one of the train platforms through an enclosed pedestrian way, is scheduled for completion in summer 2023. The new building on […]

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Ed specs approved for $24 million project to make Old Greenwich School accessible, safe

A $24 million plan to renovate and expand Old Greenwich School in a project that would solve problems ranging from accessibility to flooding has moved a step closer to reality. The Board of Education unanimously approved the guidelines at its meeting last Thursday. The next step is to seek approval for the project. Superintendent of […]

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Wetlands OK brings Shelton’s Mas land development one step closer

The Inland Wetlands Commission, in a 6-0 vote in a special meeting Thursday, approved the city’s permit application for extension of the roadway, with street construction occurring within regulated wetlands areas. Extending the roadway and use of the Mas property has been on the table for years, but Mayor Mark Lauretti began the most recent […]

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Biden Pares Back Policy Goals in Search of a Deal

Mr. Biden has suggested areas to cut or pare back in the legislation, which carries a price tag of about $2 trillion, an amount that has been trimmed from a projected $3.5 trillion. Long known as a moderate, Mr. Biden has embraced more liberal policies in recent years but remains roughly in the ideological center […]

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Century-old ex-factory on New Britain’s East Side on track to become apartment complex

A roughly 250,000-square-foot former General Electric factory on New Britain’s East Side is on track to be converted to nearly 150 apartments. WinnDevelopment is looking to secure state low-income housing tax credits for the project, and the city this summer amended its redevelopment district master plan. The plan is for a mix of one-, two- […]

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Construction’s career crisis: How did we get here?

92% of contractors have reported difficulty finding construction workers and of those, 42% said they have turned down work because of it, according to the most recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce Commercial Construction Index. One of the longest leading causes for construction’s understaffing issue began about 40 to 50 years ago, when the country moved […]

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Ridgefield approves $2.9 million allocation from federal funds for sewer project

A resounding “aye” echoed through Veterans Park auditorium Wednesday night as residents voted to approve $2.9 million of federal American Rescue Plan monies for the Route 7 sewer project. Voters approved an estimated $48 million for the projects in 2018, but the actual costs came in at more than $55 million, according to calculations from […]

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City officials tour new Bristol Arts and Innovation Magnet School, see progress on reconstruction

City officials took a tour of the new Bristol Arts and Innovation Magnet School’s interior Wednesday to get a glance at the project’s progress and theater reconstruction. “What was really needed was a new gymnasium because the old one doesn’t conform to any physical education or team sports dimensions. We added a gym in the […]

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Massive warehouse proposed in South Windsor

A proposal to build a 359,000-square-foot warehouse in South Windsor is pending before two town land use boards. The site plan application of property owner UW Vintage Lane II LLC of Glastonbury calls for building the warehouse on 30.3 acres bordered by Talbot Lane and Governors Highway. The Planning and Zoning Commission began a hearing […]

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City approves development agreement for housing, hotel at Fort Trumbull

The City Council on Monday unanimously approved a development agreement with Optimus Senior Living Group LLC that details a set of requirements and benchmarks for construction of 104 housing units — condominiums or apartments — and a hotel with extended stay suites. Once approvals are in place, Optimus has three years to complete the project […]

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The agreement for New Haven’s Union Station would last 35 years. Here’s what it would do.

A 35-year deal between the city, state Department of Transportation and New Haven Parking Authority to operate and improve Union Station — which eventually could be a 55-year deal — is “a deal that will stand the test of time for the next 35 years,” the city’s top development officer said. It will result in […]

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CT launches $200M in competitive grant programs for municipalities, public-private partnerships

The first, known as the Innovation Corridor Program, is expected to select and fund two or more “transformational” projects in major urban areas that will create new jobs in high-growth fields such as data science, advanced manufacturing and insurance technology. The program aims to facilitate the creation of at least 15,000 new jobs, state officials […]

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Housing, development pitched for Bethel with a twist that could change the future of a road

A new overlay district option is being proposed as part of an application before the Planning and Zoning Commission tied to the former Stony Hill Inn property on Route 6. The applicant, Upstream Properties LLC, is looking to build residential and commercial buildings on the parcel of vacant Stony Hill Road land between the Copper […]

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East Haven senior housing project at former high school lauded for energy efforts

The Tyler, WinnDevelopment’s 70-unit project inside a former high school building, was recognized by the Green Building Council and Novogradic “for its innovative approach using state and federal historic tax credits to incorporate the industry’s strictest standard for energy performance in a residential historic adaptive reuse project,” the release said. According to the release, The […]

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Tunnel on Danbury, Conn.’s West Side Not a Viable Option in I-84 Plan

A proposed and much-discussed half-mile-long tunnel to straighten Interstate 84 between Exits 2 and 4 on Danbury’s west side is among several options being considered by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT). But leaders involved in planning the billion-dollar reconstruction of I-84 through Danbury do not consider the tunnel to be a viable part of […]

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A dam problem in New Milford has officials wondering whether to repair the structure or tear it down

The 17-foot dam has been around since 1900, when Town Farm Brook was stopped to create a recreational area. One hundred and twenty one years later, New Milford is facing one of two choices with the structure: demolition or extensive repairs. Reservoir No. 4 Dam has a valve dating back to around 1918 that won’t […]

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Developers turn hotels into apartments as pandemic batters hospitality industry

Numerous conversion projects are proposed or underway in Connecticut, including hotels in Hartford, Farmington, Manchester and Meriden. In addition, a Stamford developer recently converted a Stratford hotel into luxury apartments complete with a dog park. A hotel conversion is much cheaper than building an apartment complex from the ground up — about $60,000 to $70,000 […]

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Construction begins on apartments at Westfield Trumbull mall

Loventhal, a partner at Garden Communities, was at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Residences at Main, at 5085 Main St., on Friday morning. The 260-unit luxury apartment complex is located between the Merritt Parkway and the mall, about 500 feet from each. The developers are Garden Homes Development and Rose Equities. The $60 million project […]

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Daily coronavirus updates: Study calls Connecticut safest state amid COVID-19 pandemic

The WalletHub study — based on vaccination rate, positivity rate, hospitalization rate, death rate and estimated transmission rate — found Connecticut in the best shape, followed by Massachusetts, California and Rhode Island. Wyoming, West Virginia and Idaho were the least safe states, according to the WalletHub methodology. As of Wednesday, Connecticut had reported the fewest […]

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EEOC sues Whiting-Turner for discrimination, retaliation on Google job

Baltimore-based Whiting-Turner, which reported $8.7 billion in revenue for 2020, didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. News of the suit comes on the eve of Construction Inclusion Week, an industry effort led by six major construction firms — Turner, Gilbane, Mortenson, Clark, McCarthy and DPR — that kicks off Oct. 18. The six CEOs […]

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State to fund $8.3M in technology, manufacturing workforce development initiatives

Funding comes from the state Manufacturing Innovation Fund after the fund’s board of directors this week voted to spend $8.3 million on the programs. Connecticut’s state budget for the next two fiscal years includes $20 million in funding for MIF, which was established in 2014 with $75 million to pay for programs — like apprenticeships […]

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Waterbury to pay construction consultant

The Board of Aldermen on Tuesday agreed to pay a consultant to oversee construction and repair projects using an as-of-yet unspecified chunk of $74 million in federal COVID relief funds coming to the city. The Board of Education signed off last week on the hiring of KBE Building Corp. to oversee its infrastructure spending. On […]

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Office giant Shelbourne proposes Hartford subdivision to help 1st-time home buyers

The real estate giant, which controls hundreds of millions of dollars worth of downtown office space, bought an abandoned building at 25 Cornwall St., in the city’s Blue Hills neighborhood for $175,000. With the purchase, Shelbourne is looking to help first-time Hartford home buyers, a company official said. Shelbourne enlisted Lifecare Designs Inc., a Hartford […]

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New wind farms would dot US coastlines under Biden plan

Seven major offshore wind farms would be developed on the East and West coasts and in the Gulf of Mexico under a plan announced Wednesday by the Biden administration. The projects are part of President Joe Biden’s plan to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, generating enough electricity to power more than […]

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How a New Haven development project is transforming part of the city

The new construction will make it clear you are now in an urban center. And, among other things, the new intersection there will feature the first protected bicycle/pedestrian intersection in the state, said Donna Hall, project manager for Phases 2 and 3 of the massive infrastructure undertaking. Phase 2 of the Downtown Crossing, which is […]

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Milford zoning board denies zone change for CT Post Mall site

A series of proposed zoning regulation changes at the Connecticut Post Mall brought forth by Centennial, the mall owner, were denied by the planning and zoning board recently. The zone change application was denied, 7-3, with Peg Kearney, John Mortimer and Chair Jim Quish in favor, and Nancy Austin, Joseph Castignoli, James Kader, Brian Kaligian, […]

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Should Stamford build more affordable housing or build it faster? Developer argues quantity

The question before zoning officials now, in part, comes down to timing. Sound End developer Building and Land Technology argued at the board’s Sept. 27 meeting that more housing was an essential step in solving the local housing crisis. BLT in 2019 obtained approval from the zoning board to build two high-rise buildings in the […]

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Fenn Road Square in Newington, a $10 million development, breaks ground on long-vacant site

A $10 million development broke ground on a long-vacant parcel of land off Fenn Road this week. Elected officials and project developer Hayes-Kaufman Partnership put shovels in the ground to commemorate the new construction. “We are very proud that we will be seeing not only this 9,000 square foot retail complex on this corner but […]

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With space at the new middle/high school an issue, Torrington school board considers eliminating lockers

Eliminating student lockers in the hallways of the grade 7-12 school is being considered by the Board of Education and project architects from SLAM Collaborative to gain more class space devoted to electives. Other options are also being weighed. Doing away with lockers is becoming more common in schools nationwide, and such a move could […]

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As $80 million wing opens at Hartford Hospital, the hospital looks to its next major construction project: a patient care tower

As Hartford Hospital welcomes the first patients to its new, $80 million wing, the hospital is actively planning for what could be the next major building project on its campus: a modern tower of patients rooms that will be specialized by floor, depending on the type of health need. Flaks said it is too early […]

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Downtown Hartford properties, including vacant fire house, move closer to redevelopment

The CRDA’s Housing and Neighborhood Committee on Friday approved two loans that will enable New York-based Wonder Works Construction to purchase and renovate city-owned properties at 525 Main St., and 275 Pearl St. The Hartford City Council must approve selling the buildings to Wonder Works. The loans are funded by a municipal revolving fund but […]

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State Contracting Standards Board reviewing Mystic Oral School, Port Authority complaints

The State Contracting Standards Board is seeking answers regarding complaints related to two major projects in the region: the proposed redevelopment of the Mystic Oral School and the transformation of State Pier in New London. The board, whose mission is “to require that state contracting and procurement requirements are understood and carried out in a […]

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The Brit in downtown New Britain promises to be ‘urban oasis’ with apartments, retail to attract younger crowd

Those in attendance for the unveiling of the architectural rendering for The Brit had looks of amazement as Avner Krohn, chairman and CEO of Jasko Development, went over the rendering for the brand-new mixed-use development in detail. “We’re calling it an ‘urban oasis’ that will be going 200 feet all the way up to Main […]

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Connecticut promoted a natural gas expansion plan in 2014 that was supposed to save taxpayers money. Natural gas prices are now soaring, promising a costly winter

In August 2014, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, officials from the Fairfield County town of Wilton and representatives of Yankee Gas celebrated the start of a large-scale natural gas expansion project estimated to save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Malloy announced in 2012 an ambitious goal of connecting 300,000 households to natural gas […]

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Yale PD: Two incidents of racist, antisemitic graffiti at Kline Biology Tower under investigation

In a message to the university community, Yale Police Chief Ronnell Higgins said the first incident at the building, which is under construction, occurred on Sept. 20, when workers “noticed that anti-Semitic and racist graffiti was spray-painted inside the building, and project materials belonging to one construction company employee had been vandalized.” Police began investigating […]

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Yale New Haven plans major outpatient center at Meriden Mall site

Yale New Haven officials said the 179,258-square-foot former Macy’s store in the mall’s southern wing will be used to provide advanced ambulatory care for patients through collaborations with Smilow Cancer Hospital, the Yale New Haven Heart and Vascular Center and Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital. Yale New Haven plans to start construction work at the […]

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Construction industry leaders urge House to pass infrastructure bill

The 2,700-page Senate bill contains $550 billion in new infrastructure spending over the next five years, and represents the largest new federal investment in the country’s streets, bridges and highways in decades. It includes $110 billion for improvements to roads and bridges, and $66 billion for passenger and freight rail projects. Construction industry leaders vary […]

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The sixth phase of Brookfield’s streetscape project expected to cost $3.8 million. The town is looking to the state for help.

The sixth phase would extend the Still River Greenway to the north, with granite curbing on Laurel Hill Road and Station Road, including around 4,000 feet of sidewalk and two retaining walls. It will be the most expensive phase of the project and comes with a $3.8 million price tag, according to documents presented at […]

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Democrats begin to narrow their differences on Biden’s agenda bill

The discussions, which remain highly fluid, suggest that Democratic leaders are pushing to move beyond a series of angry intraparty standoffs and focus instead on whether they can coalesce around a scaled-down package. The outcome of the talks will also decide the future of a bipartisan infrastructure bill that has been held hostage in the […]

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City’s East Main Street project hits another snag, costs soar

The city originally hired Milone & MacBroom to a $543,000 contract providing construction oversight. After three subsequent amendments adding time and tasks to the contract, the city is paying the company – now called SLR International Corp. – $666,599. Waterbury Development Corp. is now asking the Board of Aldermen to allow another increase, this time […]

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Ground officially breaks on new retail, luxury apartment development in downtown New Britain

It was an exciting and groundbreaking Tuesday afternoon, literally, for both Jasko Development and the City of New Britain. The duo hosted the unveiling of the architectural rendering for The Brit, a brand-new mixed-use development downtown. This will be just the second project of this magnitude to be done in the past 40 or 50 […]

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Officials tout improvements to Waterbury branch of Metro-North, federal infrastructure bill

Officials say improvements to the Waterbury branch of Metro-North Railroad are critical to spur economic development in the Valley, and federal funding can be a catalyst for those enhancements. The U.S. Senate has approved a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, but a House vote is being held up by disagreements between Democratic progressive and moderates […]

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Waterbury committee to begin considering proposals on the development of 150 acres of city-owned land

The city has been trying to find a use for 150 wooded acres it owns on either side of its border with Naugatuck for decades. Various proposals have faltered in large part due to steep and difficult terrain, making an approach from Waterbury’s South Main Street cost prohibitive. “It’s the biggest deal to hit Waterbury […]

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Fiber network underway will connect East Hartford to fastest internet in the country

A $40 million private investment will make East Hartford a fiber optic hub for the fastest internet speed available in the nation, government officials announced Monday. Surveying and engineering work is underway, and SiFi Networks will start installing lines underground throughout town, making connections available to every home and business by late 2023, Mayor Marcia […]

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Added traffic lanes for I-95, I-84? Only if federal infrastructure bill gets passed, CT lawmakers say

Connecticut is set to receive $5.3 billion for highways, bridges and everything in between from the federal infrastructure package, but a topline number on the final federal package, which could push forward expansions to health care, child care, infrastructure and education, is still in flux. Once federal funding comes through, Connecticut will need to match […]

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Millions in upgrades at Rentschler Field even as UConn football struggles? Officials say it’s time.

entschler Field could need millions of dollars in improvements as the aging stadium soon turns 20, a state investment that would come in the thick of the uncertain future of UConn football, the arena’s marquee tenant. A $330,000 study will soon get underway to determine the extent of the need, which would go far beyond […]

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Report: P3 megaprojects often lose money for contractors

The study from insurance company Travelers examined 224 heavy civil building projects between 2004 and 2020 that had contract values between $250 million and $2 billion. They encompassed bridge, highway, rail, tunnel and other large-scale civil work, and most were projects on which Travelers had been the surety or co-surety. The study, which has not […]

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Eversource to invest $250M in electric vehicle charging in CT, Mass.

Eversource Energy plans to invest $250 million in electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Connecticut and Massachusetts in an effort to speed up adoption of the technology, the utility’s CEO said Thursday. The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority has said its electric vehicle charging project will provide incentives for the deployment of chargers in various market segments, […]

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House Delays Vote on Infrastructure Bill as Democrats Feud

Democratic leaders and supporters of the bill insisted the postponement was only a temporary setback. The infrastructure vote was rescheduled for Friday, giving them more time to reach agreement on an expansive climate change and social safety net bill that would bring liberals along. The president has staked his reputation as a deal-maker on the […]

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