Montville chooses contractor for solar landfill project

The Town Council unanimously chose Hartford-based developer Verogy last Thursday as the contractor for a 1.7-acre solar energy project at the transfer station. Adam Teff, a spokesman for TitanGen, presented to the council on Thursday three bidders for the construction of the solar arrays on the capped landfill. A capped landfill has a protective barrier […]

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Torrington school project needs $20 million more

So, next month, the city will hold a referendum asking voters to approve adding $20 million to the project. When the school building project was approved in 2020, residents voted in favor of spending $159.6 million, with the expectation that, with about $85 million in state reimbursement, the city’s share would be lowered to $74.6 […]

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Chamber of commerce releases study on opportunities from offshore wind

The report, “Embracing the Potential of Offshore Wind in Connecticut: a Study of Opportunities and Challenges,” was commissioned by offshore wind partners Ørsted and Eversource, the team funding a portion of the $235 million reconstruction of State Pier in New London. The study was overseen by the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut, which hired […]

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Connecticut Port Authority retains confidence in cost of upgraded State Pier project

A delay in permitting has pushed some of the construction work at State Pier into late 2022, but the Connecticut Port Authority reported on Tuesday that the project remains on its projected $235 million budget. The port authority’s Board of Commissioners met by teleconference Tuesday, five days after receiving a key federal permit from the […]

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Bridgeport residents support Steelpointe apartment plan, but raise concerns about gentrification

The City Council held a public hearing Monday night on a proposed tax incentive deal for the development of luxury apartments at Steelpointe. At month’s end the council will consider authorizing the tax break the developers are seeking to help finance the 400 “high-end market-rate” apartments, which will be located off of East Main Street […]

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CT to borrow over $1.3 billion to fund a long list of state, local projects

In total, the State Bond Commission, which Lamont leads, agreed to fund more than 50 different projects, programs and initiatives — some of which were championed by state lawmakers who are heading into a campaign season next year and are eager to bring home financial wins to their district. Bipartisan groups of lawmakers sent out […]

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Contractors Brace for Boom in Renewable Energy Projects

The renewable energy sector is preparing for a boom over the next five years and the fossil fuels industry is fighting hard to hold its place in the battle for power. That all bodes well for the construction industry, which will greatly benefit from the expansion, if longstanding pricing and materials acquisition challenges can be […]

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State Bond Commission meets Tuesday to vote on $839 million in transportation upgrades

Gov Ned Lamont announced this week that he has placed $839 million worth of upgrades to Connecticut’s transportation system on the agenda for the State Bond Commission’s meeting scheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday. Lamont serves as chairman of the commission and ultimately determines what projects get placed on its agenda. The projects are expected to […]

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Apprenticeships only work when there’s a commitment to the apprentice

Construction apprenticeships generally take between three to five years to complete. Union programs are robust, with on-the-job training and classroom instruction. Connecticut’s construction workforce represents some of the best trained workers in the nation. We want to hire and train more apprentices and create more opportunities to face the ever-changing needs of our industry. But […]

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Connecticut’s airports receive $12.5 million in federal grants, with two projects planned at Bradley

Eleven airports in the state have been awarded nearly $12.5 million in federal infrastructure funding that is expected to help them increase flights and invest in infrastructure improvements. Connecticut leaders announced the funding from the Federal Aviation Administration on Friday. Bradley International Airport will get the biggest chunk, with more than $9 million. Over the […]

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Cameras aimed to protect CT highway workers pose privacy risks, critics say

With distracted driving and speeding a common occurrence on Connecticut’s roadways, the state will install specialized cameras in work zones next year in an effort to slow down drivers. The pilot program, which is expected to start as soon as next summer, has also faced opposition with some saying it raises privacy concerns and is […]

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New London to target Garfield Avenue area for infrastructure improvements

The idea of forming a Tax Increment Financing district comes even as a developer moves forward with plans for the estimated $36 million adaptive reuse of the vacant sprawling mill complex on Garfield Avenue. The new owner, Litchfield-based Park Lane Group, is planning 90 apartments, a mix of market-rate and affordable housing, inside buildings originally […]

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Second grant could bring funding for Margerie trail in Danbury, New Fairfield to $2.28 million

The state Bond Commission will meet Tuesday to vote on millions of dollars in requested funds for various projects across the state — including the proposed multi-use trail, which received a $484,000 grant-in-aid from the commission earlier this year. First proposed more than a decade ago, the about 2.5-mile, multi-use trail would run along the […]

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Madison Academy School site could be $15.9 million community center

After years of debate, the Academy School project, which town leaders say could transform the downtown area, finally will head to referendum. The plan initially was to move the community center project to referendum in 2020 but the pandemic delayed that. The project got pushed to the back-burner, a townwide facility study was completed and […]

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165 apartments proposed for Evergreen Walk as Shake Shack, preschool approved

A 165-unit apartment complex is proposed for Evergreen Walk in South Windsor, while a Shake Shack restaurant and a new location for a nationwide private preschool were approved for the mixed use development near the Manchester border. The public hearing on the proposed apartments was continued to the Jan. 11 planning and zoning commission meeting. […]

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Bond Commission to consider millions of dollars for economic development projects, including in downtown Hartford

A roughly 1,000-apartment development next to Dunkin’ Donuts Park in Hartford is up for a $13.6 million infusion through the State Bond Commission’s agenda next Tuesday. That means Hartford can be reasonably certain of $13.6 million for a loan to help launch the second phase of the roughly “Downtown Crossing” (formerly Downtown North) project under […]

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Berlin moving forward with project to replace bridge over Mattabesset River

The town is moving forward with a project to replace the bridge that carries Kensington Road over the Mattabesset River. During their regular Town Council meeting this week, elected officials voted to authorize the town manager to direct Weston & Sampson Engineers, Inc. to finalize a design for the new bridge. The metal culverts that […]

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At a sewage plant, a whiff of political hopes for Lamont and Biden

Isabella Casillas Guzman, administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, visited the plant on a tour promoting the reach of the bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill Biden signed last month. Lamont welcomed Guzman and announced that Mark Boughton, a Republican and his commissioner of revenue services, will take on the added task coordinating the infrastructure […]

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State aid to jumpstart pair of critical Bridgeport redevelopments

An infusion of $13 million from the state will speed up two slow-going but significant projects in Connecticut’s largest city — the overhaul of a crumbling East End ammunition manufacturing site and construction of a long-promised youth center for the North End. The state Bond Commission, chaired by Gov. Ned Lamont, is scheduled to meet […]

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Torrington council to hear request for more funds to finish school project

The City Council on Monday will hear a request from the school project building committee to begin the process of setting a referendum for an additional $20 million needed for the project, originally slated to cost $159.5 million. The new project cost is $179.5 million and the additional funding will need voters’ approval, with at […]

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After hazmat spill at Candlewood Lake Elementary site, Brookfield won’t shoulder cost or delays

After a hazardous materials spill at the Candlewood Lake Elementary School construction site last Friday, the town does not anticipate any construction delays or clean-up costs associated with the accident. The subcontractor has already notified its insurance company and had put a deposit down for the environmental clean-up company, according to Brookfield Fire Chief Andrew […]

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East Hartford and Goodwin University want to build a marina on the Connecticut River as part of development plan that includes hotel, restaurant and student housing

The $2 million grant is from the state Department of Economic and Community Development. The town and university would cover the remainder of the total $4 million cost for the 32-slip marina. The town is working with Goodwin to fund infrastructure improvements needed for the marina, including moving utilities underground, conversion of street lights to […]

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Hartford City Council advances Hilton Hotel conversion plan as union workers balk at deal

Randy Salvatore – developer of the ongoing “Downtown North” project – has partnered with the owners of the financially struggling hotel in a plan to convert more than half of the rooms into apartments. The Waterford Group, which owns the struggling hotel, plans to renovate the remaining rooms. The deal depends on the City Council […]

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Regional coalition of offshore wind industry projects is competing for up to $100 million in federal funding

A proposal for six projects that would support offshore wind power in New London and Bridgeport is one of 60 finalists for the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge. Each of the finalists is a coalition of partners, and the OWIC was among 60 finalists selected from a pool of […]

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Lauretti: Bids in for Constitution Boulevard extension work in Shelton

Three firms have expressed interest in the plan to extend Constitution Boulevard West — with bids coming in between $4.5 million and nearly $10 million, according to Mayor Mark Lauretti. Lauretti would not identify the three firms interested in the Mas property, saying only that two are Connecticut based. In the end, Lauretti said these […]

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School updates, new police building top Milford’s five-year capital plan

The five-year capital improvement plan totals just over $190 million with education ($88.7 million), sewers ($33.5 million) and police ($30 million) topping the list. The cost for the capital improvement plan in 2021-22 year is $40.6 million; 2022-23 is $54.8 million; 2023-24 is $28.1 million; 2024-25 is $43.9 million and 2025-26 is $22.3 million. School […]

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Two sites key to Bridgeport’s revival may soon be redeveloped

The contiguous East Side properties — the AGI Rubber Co. and Winners Shoreline Star — are prominently situated on the edge of downtown off of Stratford Avenue and Kossuth Street, along the Pequonnock River and over Interstate 95 from the Steelpointe Harbor redevelopment. In 2013 then-Bridgeport Economic Development Director David Kooris said, “It’s going to […]

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Bridgeport’s Steelpointe developers moving ahead with ‘high-end’ housing

The developers of the Steelpointe Harbor site are finally moving ahead with the long-promised housing phase of the project — an initial 400 “high-end market-rate” apartments costing $100 million to build. At month’s end the City Council will consider authorizing a tax break the Christophs are seeking to help finance the apartments, which will be […]

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South Windsor PZC rejects warehouse proposal

The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously voted against an application for a 360,000 square-foot warehouse along Governor’s Highway and Talbot Lane at its meeting Tuesday night. One of the main zoning regulations cited in the decision was the town’s definition for the industrial zone, which allows uses that are “well-planned, functional, and aesthetically pleasing environments” […]

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Renovating Fairfield’s Gould Manor Park will now cost $1.4 million, officials say

In meetings this week, the boards of selectman and finance approved increasing bond appropriations for the cleanup by $450,000 to a total of nearly $1.4 million. An investigation into possible contamination on the site began in August 2019 after reports of potential asbestos that may have come from the fill pile managed by Julian Enterprises. […]

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Westport, DOT address residents’ concerns over bridge replacement

While residents agree the Greens Farms Road bridge needs to be replaced, they’ve raised concerns about the noise and inevitable detours when construction starts. The DOT is replacing the bridge, which spans Sasco Brook near the Fairfield line, because it was deemed “structurally deficient” during the department’s bi-yearly assessment of the bridge. During the last […]

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State Officials See Nuclear Plant as Key to Connecticut’s Energy Goals

The future of energy — and energy costs — in New England hinge on the continued operation of Millstone Nuclear Power Station if Connecticut remains committed to the administration’s goal of a carbon-free electrical grid by 2040. In a region heavily reliant on natural gas, the 2-gigawatt nuclear plant produces about 15 percent of the […]

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A chat with the Commissioner of Transportation

But while the railroad crews are still “playing Whack-a-Mole” with trouble spots, any hopes for expanded service and more express trains probably won’t happen “until the spring,” says the commissioner. Stats show overall weekday ridership is topping out at 53% of pre-COVID numbers. But a handful of rush hour trains are up to 75%. And […]

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Inquiry underway over top prosecutor’s hiring of OPM official’s daughter

Chief State’s Attorney Richard Colangelo Jr. said Thursday a focus of the inquiry is the circumstances surrounding his hiring of Anastasia Diamantis, the daughter of Kostantinos “Kosta” Diamantis, one of the budget officials whom Colangelo had been lobbying for help in securing raises, recently obtained emails show. On Oct. 28, Diamantis was removed from the […]

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Industry Ready to Dive Into Infrastructure Projects After Bill Passes

After a long, hard-fought battle for funding, the industry is ready to get to work on these broad-spectrum infrastructure projects, which will color the national construction picture for years to come. “America finally has a generation-defining infrastructure bill — and if the reconciliation budget comes through, too, America will begin a building spree larger than […]

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Energy secretary: Offshore wind brings ‘gust’ of job growth

U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said Thursday that the administration’s goal for offshore wind and the projects being developed now represent a “gust of job growth throughout the country.” Granholm visited a new offshore wind manufacturing hub in Providence to talk about the Biden administration’s plan to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by […]

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Torrington’s Oliver Wolcott Tech get tips for a future in the trades

Daddona was just one representative from the many trades that will open for OWTS graduates next year, and part of this week’s Connecticut Pre-Apprenticeship High School Training Program, held in shop classes at the high school. The dean said Torrington’s approved plan to build a new middle-high school, which was approved in 2020, also will […]

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37 apartments proposed on Oakland Street in Manchester

Developers are expected to present detailed site plans for a projected 37-unit housing complex on Oakland Street in Manchester at the town’s next Planning and Zoning Commission after requesting extensions this month. Trivik Builders LLC proposes a six-building, 37-unit housing community at 321 Oakland St. and 27 Lillian Drive with associated parking and entrance drive, […]

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Brookfield architect proposes apartment building in Newtown that will ‘exude high quality’

So it’s with special attention that Newtown leaders are weighing a proposal by a Brookfield architect to construct a three-story building with 27 apartments at South Main Street and Borough Lane. At a recent review of the blueprints by the town’s Design Advisory Board, the developer was grilled over details ranging from roof pitches, color […]

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With the $28 million bond for Killingly’s recreation center project approved, what’s next?

Though voters last month approved a nearly $28 million bond to allow the shifting of recreational programming to a former Killingly school, residents are slated to keep using the old community center for at least the next couple of years. Voters on Nov. 28 approved a $27.8 million bond to cover repairs and refurbishments to […]

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Developer submits revised mixed-use proposal for Five Corners in Groton City

A developer, GBU Capital LLC. of Scottsdale, Ariz., has submitted a revised application for a mixed-use design district “floating zone” on the site at the corner of Benham and Poquonnock Roads, after the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission denied in a 4-3 vote last May the developer’s previous application. City of Groton Mayor Keith Hedrick […]

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Approval sought for climate-controlled facility in Woodbury

Marcus Ventures of Larchmont, N.Y., wants to build a climate-controlled facility on a 3.28-acre lot in the Nonnewaug River Industrial Park. The plan, which includes a new storm-drainage system and other site improvements, was approved by the Inland Wetlands Commission last week. The proposal also will need a special permit from the Zoning Commission, though […]

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