Norwich Public Utilities to receive $1.6 million for water, sewer projects

Norwich Public Utilities will receive $1.6 million in federal grants to support two projects utility officials called critical projects, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., announced Monday during a visit to NPU headquarters. The funding is part of the 2023 fiscal year federal budget signed into law in December, Blumenthal said, addressing a group of NPU […]

Share This Article:

read more

Excitement grows in Meriden as library project nears completion

Officials say the project to renovate and expand the Meriden Public Library now is around 90% complete. During a walkthrough of the Miller Street building on Monday afternoon, the sounds of construction were still audible and some debris was still present, as Montagno Construction crews continued on the $13 million project. Construction began in early […]

Share This Article:

read more

How to retain workers when a megaproject comes to town

With trillions of dollars in new work coming online this year, contractors — already struggling to retain craft workers during a historic shortage — now face the challenge of competing with big projects that come to town with a lot to offer workers. This year, the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the […]

Share This Article:

read more

Millions more needed as thousands still have homes with deteriorating foundations

With an additional $100 million needed to entirely fix the state’s crumbling foundations, lawmakers are once again pushing for assistance for the thousands of homeowners still affected. One of the most significant proposed bills calls for more borrowing for the Crumbling Foundation Solution Indemnity Co., or CFSIC, the captive insurance company that has been fixing […]

Share This Article:

read more

Ridgefield to begin $2 million project to make Branchville a more ‘pedestrian friendly community’

The $2.3 million streetscape project involves creating a sidewalk that will begin at the Wilton-Ridgefield line, heading north on Route 7. It will continue north to Tusk & Cup Fine Coffee, to the intersection with Route 102. There will be a walking bridge over a brook. The sidewalk will continue north across the street. “The […]

Share This Article:

read more

As floods worsen on Danbury’s Still River, Army Corps of Engineers returns to tackle the problem

Since 2007, Antonio Iadarola, the city engineer and public works director, has tried to convince the engineers that flooding on Kenosia Avenue and West Street are connected to development damage to the Still River and its flood plain that could be fixed if the federal government would commit its resources. But it wasn’t until Iadarola […]

Share This Article:

read more

Norwalk’s Webster Street parking lot to be transformed into 500 apartments in $250M-$300M project

Within five years, the Webster Street parking lot will be reinvented into a 500-unit apartment complex with a 1,100-space parking garage, with a price tag of between $250 million to $350 million. In December, the state announced a $2 million grant to improve the Martin Luther King Jr. Corridor, remediating a nearly 5-acre plot in […]

Share This Article:

read more

New Wilton police station will meet PD’s needs ‘for generations’ — pending Planning and Zoning’s OK

Sanctioned by voters last May in a town-wide referendum, the $16.4 million project would nearly double the size of the station at 240 Danbury Road to almost 19,000-square feet and, if approved, require approximately 20 months of construction. “Since the station was built, the size of the department has almost doubled, leading to overcrowding and […]

Share This Article:

read more

Hill Properties Sold For 194-Apt Plan

A California-based developer has purchased nine Hill properties for a combined $4.35 million — advancing plans to construct 194 new apartments on Congress and Davenport Avenues. The new owner of all nine properties is an affiliate of a company called Catalina Buffalo Holdings, a family-run real estate business with properties in California, South Dakota, and Connecticut. The […]

Share This Article:

read more

New Middletown Big Y supermarket to bring 150 jobs, $2 million to grand list

Area shoppers soon will have an additional supermarket option with construction set to begin on a $22 million, 52,000-square-foot Big Y World Class Market in the southernmost part of the city. The Springfield, Mass.-based chain would create about 150 new jobs (50 full-time and 100 part-time), and “substantially increase” the tax base in Middletown, according […]

Share This Article:

read more

Tweed New Haven airport gets unanimous City Plan permission to expand parking by 34 spaces

The parking crunch at Tweed New Haven Regional Airport will ease slightly, at least for the short term, following the City Plan Commission’s unanimous approval of Tweed operator Avports LLC’s application to increase its past parking expansion by 34 spaces. Parking has been an issue at Tweed as Avelo Airlines continues to grow. During holiday […]

Share This Article:

read more

Lead paint chips falling off CT bridges, DOT reports

Chips of lead paint are falling off hundreds of bridges in Connecticut at such a rate that the state Department of Transportation has put out an alert to municipalities and intends to hire contractors to clean it up. “Bridge structures statewide have been experiencing a sudden, unexpected release of lead-based paint chips, which is believed […]

Share This Article:

read more

Waterford opens the door to data centers at Millstone

The Board of Selectmen, in a joint meeting Wednesday with the Representative Town Meeting, agreed to become the host municipality for a data center project, the first of its kind per Attorney William McCoy, who represents the developer, NE Edge, LLC. The town is set to receive more than $231 million over 30 years from […]

Share This Article:

read more

Officials: Bridgeport Hospital eyeing old Harding High School site

The city has placed the former Harding High School property on the market, and several officials said neighbor Bridgeport Hospital aims to submit an offer to expand in some capacity onto the site. The city’s economic development department began accepting requests for proposals from prospective developers for the site Jan. 18. The deadline is March […]

Share This Article:

read more

Hartford’s Village at Park River eyes next construction phase with sense of community intact

Like Westbrook Village, its replacement, The Village at Park River, includes affordable housing. However, the project, which is wrapping up its fourth phase of residential construction, aspires to be much more. The Cloud Company is a minority-owned, family-run real estate development firm focused on projects in the Connecticut market. The CEO of the Cloud Company […]

Share This Article:

read more

East Haven zoning officials approve 55+ housing complex on Sperry Lane

After years of arduous negotiations and frequent setbacks, a Branford developer has finally gotten the go-ahead for a 55-and-older housing project at the site of a former Girl Scout camp. The Planning and Zoning Commission approved the application for a 378-unit housing complex on Sperry Lane and Foxon Boulevard, ending a seven-year saga over plans […]

Share This Article:

read more

5-year plan would improve Meriden road conditions citywide

John Lawlor, the city’s director of public works and engineering, told city councilors this week that the city would need to invest around $5.5 million into road improvements annually in order to improve the overall conditions of roads it owns and maintains. Lawlor was joined by Anthony Garro, a senior vice president of the engineering […]

Share This Article:

read more

Construction starts plummet 27%

Total construction starts fell 27% in January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $865.6 billion, according to Dodge Construction Network, a dramatic reverse from December, when new project kickoffs ended 2022 on the upswing. On a year-over-year basis, total construction was 14% lower in January 2023 than in January 2022. Despite the stark contrast […]

Share This Article:

read more

Republican Minority Wins Public Hearing On Highway User Fee

Republicans are in the minority in the General Assembly, but they were able to secure enough signatures to force a public hearing on repealing the highway user fee that went into effect in January. The Democrat-controlled Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committee refused to hold a public hearing on the bill, but according to Republicans they […]

Share This Article:

read more

Proposed bill would make offshore wind developers create compensation fund

A long-sought bill with bipartisan support that would require offshore wind developers to establish a compensation fund will get a hearing Wednesday before the legislature’s Energy and Technology Committee. The hearing was scheduled for Tuesday but postponed to 11 a.m. Wednesday due to an internet outage at the state Capitol. Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, co-introduced […]

Share This Article:

read more

Port authority updates timeline ― but not cost ― for State Pier construction

Connecticut Port Authority officials said Tuesday that construction work to position State Pier for the South Fork Wind project remains on track for “substantial completion” at the end of this month ― but there are some delays, and Executive Director Ulysses Hammond won’t say yet how much they will cost. Board Chairman David Kooris said […]

Share This Article:

read more

Proposed $24 million in repairs, upgrades at Rentschler Field comes as UConn football reaches agreement to extend playing at East Hartford stadium

A plan to start tackling big-ticket repairs at Rentschler Field in East Hartford — the home turf of the University of Connecticut football program — could get a major boost if state lawmakers approve a proposed $24 million upgrade for the next two years. Gov. Ned Lamont’s proposed capital budget includes $12 million in each […]

Share This Article:

read more

New Milford DPW partners with DOT to replace seven town bridges: ‘Constantly looking’ at the structures

The Department of Public Works, which is “constantly looking” at the town’s bridges to make sure they’re safe, is working with the state Department of Transportation on the design work for the complete or partial replacement of seven bridges in New Milford. New Milford is working on the final contract to replace the bridge, which […]

Share This Article:

read more

For $68M, Darien students will get large bay windows, more learning space at 3 elementary schools

Darien’s $68 million in renovations for three elementary schools are on track after Planning and Zoning officials signed off on the latest plans with some small updates. Members of the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission have approved site plans for Hindley, Holmes and Royle Elementary Schools. Construction for the project is slated to begin this […]

Share This Article:

read more

CT seeks $47M more in federal funds for delayed Bridgeport flood project

State officials are seeking an additional $47 million in federal aid to build and complete Resilient Bridgeport, a significant flood control plan for the South End that was already awarded $40.8 million but is now estimated to cost much more. Given the uncertainty, Mayor Joe Ganim’s administration made a controversial decision to redesign the new […]

Share This Article:

read more

65 Senior Apartments OK’d For Stone St.

The City Plan Commission voted unanimously during its latest online meeting Wednesday night to support a plan put forward by the Queach Corporation, a development firm run by Michael Giordano, to construct a new seven-story apartment building along 7 – 17 Stone St. The construction is contingent on the demolition of four single-family homes and the relocation […]

Share This Article:

read more

Expansion of South Norwalk hotel, building demolition approved by Planning and Zoning Commission

During its Wednesday night meeting, the Planning and Zoning Commission heard public comment on the proposed expansion and voted unanimously to approve the plans. The expansion encompasses 31-35 S. Main St. and will add nearly 50 rooms to the Marriott SoNo Residence Inn and a possible conference/banquet room, along with solar panels on the rooftop, […]

Share This Article:

read more

Amtrak details Connecticut River Bridge replacement

The proposed new Connecticut River Bridge will feature a longer movable span that will improve navigational clearances for boaters and will open and close more quickly than the current structure, according to a presentation from Amtrak. Construction on the new bridge, between Old Lyme and Old Saybrook, is expected to start next year, with the […]

Share This Article:

read more

Stamford bans pedestrians from crumbling West Main Street Bridge while temporary structure is built

The deteriorating 135-year-old bridge will officially close for construction Feb. 20, according to a sign posted on nearby fencing. It had been labeled hazardous by city officials last July, with pedestrians advised to walk only on specific parts of the structure. And though city officials have yet to decide on how exactly to restore the […]

Share This Article:

read more

Waterford asked to host data center project at Millstone

Data center developer NE Edge LLC has asked the town to serve as a host municipality for a two-building data center on Dominion Energy’s Millstone property. In a letter to the town, NE Edge Manager George A. McLaughlin III described one of the two proposed buildings as two stories high with a 568,000-square-foot footprint. More […]

Share This Article:

read more

CT legislators vow harder look at utilities, and a regulator applauds

Frustrations over Connecticut’s high cost of electricity and concerns over its ability to adequately regulate Eversource, the state’s largest distributor of electricity, are fueling a bipartisan effort to revise the complex rules of utility regulation for the second time in three years. On Tuesday, the legislature’s Energy and Technology Committee will hold a hearing on […]

Share This Article:

read more

Stratford legislators’ bills target Bridgeport’s sale of Sikorsky Airport to CT agency

A pair of lawmakers representing Stratford in Hartford — Republican Senate Minority Leader Kevin Kelly and Democratic Representative Joe Gresko — are behind four bills that would further complicate the CAA’s already delayed purchase of Sikorsky Memorial Airport and also give their town more influence in the deal. Daniel Roach, an aide to Democratic Bridgeport […]

Share This Article:

read more

At former Eversource site in Newington, new commercial complex arises with a supermarket and a Sally’s Apizza outlet

Contractors are completing the framework for the largest building at Meadow Commons, a mixed-use project along the Berlin Turnpike that is on track to be one of Newington’s biggest new developments in a decade. Most of the walls are up for the roughly 43,000-square-foot retail building closest to the turnpike, and a large crane is […]

Share This Article:

read more

Comcast tapping into East Windsor solar farm

Comcast, one of the largest telecommunications operations in America, has purchased 70 megawatts of renewable solar electricity from a town business that is in the early stages of development. Serving millions of customers across the nation, Comcast will now power 43% of its Connecticut and Massachusetts operations utilizing renewable solar electricity from the Gravel Pit […]

Share This Article:

read more

Marine Company Plans Industrial Buildings for Thames River Site, Awaits Dredging Regs

With their plans to process dredged soil at a rail-connected industrial site on the Thames River on hold, Massachusetts-based Cashman Dredging and Marine Contracting is now pushing to develop the rest of the 165-acre site into a complex of industrial buildings. Cashman Vice President Allen Perrault presented a conceptual plan to the Ledyard Planning and […]

Share This Article:

read more

NY union head: Material prices are construction’s ‘biggest challenge’

A former lawyer and government affairs officer for the General Contractors Association of New York, she said her passion lies at the intersection of construction and public policy. Farber was appointed executive director of the Subcontractors Trade Association — a New York City-based association of union subcontractors — in January, becoming the first woman to […]

Share This Article:

read more

Cromwell Middle School Building Committee trying to close $21M budget gap in $58.6M project

The Town Council voted to allow the Middle School Building Committee to proceed with the $58.6 million school project while expressing concerns about the budget being $21 million over what voters approved at referendum. The committee’s website offers a breakdown: $17.2 million for construction and $3.8 million for other “soft” costs. The new middle school […]

Share This Article:

read more

An obscure dormitory building on Elm Street may hold the key to Danbury’s homelessness master plan

An obscure dormitory building on a downtown residential street is becoming part of the complex homelessness puzzle leaders are piecing together to find enough shelter for those without a roof and keep them off the streets permanently. The building in question, which is three houses away from the historic Octagon House, is the center of […]

Share This Article:

read more

Newly renovated library in New Milford offers expanded amenities: ‘A true destination point’

Patrons will find additional programming and much more space after visiting the newly renovated New Milford Public Library, which reopens this week. “It’s going to be a true destination point for the downtown,” said Mayor Pete Bass, while giving a tour of the library to Hearst Connecticut Media. A ribbon cutting to open the library […]

Share This Article:

read more

Food court proposed in Farmington mixed-use office building

A developer is seeking zoning approval for a food court in a mixed-use building at 17 Talcott Notch Road in Farmington. The 34,208-square-foot building, which contains healthcare offices, a hair salon and an accounting firm, is owned by Sarjac Partners LLC, a real estate development company. The principal of Sarjac Partners, Michael Reiner of Farmington, […]

Share This Article:

read more

House confirms Katie Dykes at DEEP, Michelle Gilman at DAS

Dykes, the commissioner of energy and environmental protection, had come under fire for enforcing a bottle deposit law as written, as opposed to how lawmakers described their intentions in debate. Gilman, the commissioner of administrative services, angered Republicans during her confirmation hearing for failing, in their view, to adequately explain what her agency was doing […]

Share This Article:

read more

CT construction contractor among those imprisoned and fined in expansive state-wide bid-rigging conspiracy

A man authorities describe as part of a years-long conspiracy to rig bids at major construction projects across Connecticut has agreed to pay the government more than $300,000 in addition to serving five months in prison. Gary DeVoe of Bethlehem is one of four men and three companies convicted of dividing up among themselves industrial […]

Share This Article:

read more

Gov. Lamont proposes $600M for affordable housing, tying it to fair economic growth

Gov. Ned Lamont plans to nearly double the state’s investment in affordable housing development, raising it to $600 million in the coming two-year state budget, according to documents released Wednesday. Lamont unveiled his $50.5 billion two-year budget proposal Wednesday in a speech focused on economic growth that benefits a wider range of incomes. That speech […]

Share This Article:

read more

Former Gateway building, Long Wharf reimagined under New Haven district plan

A former Gateway Community College building on Sargent Drive may become home to the school’s automotive and transportation technology programs, according to city officials. The initial concept for reuse of the currently underutilized building would be a part of Gateway District, which is under the Long Wharf development plan to upgrade the city’s waterfront. The […]

Share This Article:

read more

Construction, from the ground up Students learn about building, architecture at career panel

Nonnewaug High School students learned firsthand about life in the world of architecture and construction during a career-panel discussion Wednesday morning. The student-led event featured seven local professionals, including a civil engineer, welder, plumber, heavy equipment operator, Department of Transportation supervisor, construction manager, architect, and pool business strategist. As for skills, each explain the degrees […]

Share This Article:

read more

Rensselaer to sell downtown Hartford campus; property marketed for redevelopment

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has put its Hartford campus up for sale, CBRE announced Wednesday. The school plans to look for a new campus location with smaller space that provides both remote and in-person classroom opportunities, the source said. The 12.7-acre site also includes a four-story parking garage and surface parking lot, totaling more than 860 […]

Share This Article:

read more

Proposed charter school in Danbury is a definite maybe under Lamont’s budget: What we know and don’t know

Gov. Ned Lamont’s proposed $50.5 billion two-year state budget includes money for a Danbury charter school if that is what stakeholders decide is best for the city, a spokesman said Wednesday. That means a new public charter school proposed for Main Street in downtown Danbury appears to be a definite maybe under Lamont’s budget plan. […]

Share This Article:

read more

Decision to close Farm River Rock quarry was code-related, former East Haven official says

The trial between East Haven and plaintiff John Patton, who owned Farm River Rock quarry, began last week, with tens of millions of dollars in damages hanging in the balance. Patton previously filed a $30 million lawsuit against former East Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr. and other town officials, alleging they illegally closed his 1 […]

Share This Article:

read more

EPA: 4,500 truckloads of toxic soil removed from former Raymark sites in Stratford

Crews have now removed more than 52,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil and waste left across town by the defunct Raymark Industries, according to Jim DiLorenzo, an environmental engineer with the Environmental Protection Agency. The cleanup is aimed at removing contaminated soil that was polluted with cancer-causing agents such as asbestos, lead and polychlorinated biphenyls […]

Share This Article:

read more

Bloomfield library construction staff will be 25 percent residents following labor agreement

One in every four people hired to work on Bloomfield’s two library construction projects will reside in town thanks to a project labor agreement. Council approved the resolution last year in conjunction with Connecticut State Building Trades, which represents construction workers across the state and is committed to hiring 25 percent Bloomfield residents. The union […]

Share This Article:

read more

Sources: Marty Walsh will be installed as next Executive Director of NHL Players’ Association

Sitting U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh will be formally installed as the next Executive Director of the NHL Players’ Association in the coming days following Tuesday night’s State of the Union address by President Joe Biden, sources tell Daily Faceoff. Walsh was unable to leave his government post until after attending the president’s annual […]

Share This Article:

read more

At groundbreaking for Danbury’s new career academy, a pledge for students to ‘take control of their learning’

The city’s much-anticipated campus for 1,400 middle and high school students will be delayed by one year and won’t open for the 2024-25 school year as planned, but at a groundbreaking ceremony at the site educators said they will implement the district’s comprehensive career academy curriculum on time. The ceremony Monday was held at the […]

Share This Article:

read more

West Haven $6.5M short on Washington School project, expecting state funds

“The bottom line is we’re short $6.5 million,” said Ken Carney, a remodeling company owner who has volunteered to lead the city’s efforts on numerous city building projects. On Monday, the school board voted unanimously to approve the demolition. Carney said the signed contract following that vote constitutes the official start of the project in […]

Share This Article:

read more

Middletown’s $8 million pool complex splash pad to be free, accessible to all

With just more than three months remaining until a planned mid-June opening, the $7.8 million Veterans Memorial Pool rebuild will transform the circa-1958 facility into a state-of-the-art swimming complex to rival that of other similarly sized municipalities. Preliminary plans were announced in October 2020. Costs associated with updating the facility rose about 200 percent since […]

Share This Article:

read more

State legislature to consider funding for Norwich’s $385 million school project

The city’s $385 million school construction project was approved easily by voters in November, but state Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, needed to convince the General Assembly committee in charge of school funding that the project should be on the state’s priority list this spring. As the local School Building Committee is going through the early […]

Share This Article:

read more

Bridgeport seeks exemption of CT regulation for Sikorsky Airport sale

The exemption would address the costly snag that recently hit the months-long negotiations between Mayor Joe Ganim’s administration and the Connecticut Airport Authority over the latter’s proposed $10 million purchase of Sikorsky Memorial. A preliminary review by the CAA of potential environmental contamination at the Bridgeport-owned, Stratford-based facility identified issues requiring anywhere from $6 million […]

Share This Article:

read more

Plan for Timex site pulled in Middlebury

An applicant has withdrawn its request to change the town’s zoning regulations as part of an overall plan to convert the current Timex world headquarters site into a large “Amazon-like” distribution facility. However, while JSD Partners of Waterbury did not offer an explanation for the pull out, local residents say they expect the applicant will […]

Share This Article:

read more

Once envisioned for commercial development, Fort Trumbull is now filling up with housing

Development on the peninsula, until recently, has long been hindered by restrictions the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has placed on the number of residential units. Mayor Michael Passero on Friday said the city negotiated with DEEP in December and the state modified the certificate to allow a total of 604 multi-family housing […]

Share This Article:

read more

Bye-Bye, Parking Lot? Lab Rezoning Advances

A 200-space Munson Street parking lot could be the site of New Haven’s next biotech lab building — according to a Winchester-factory-redevelopment zoning update that received a favorable, if still skeptical, recommendation from the City Plan Commission. The vote was in support of a request submitted by the redevelopment team behind the so-called ​“Winchester Center” project in […]

Share This Article:

read more

West Hartford Inn affordable housing project an ‘amazing opportunity,’ developer says

After considering opening a boutique hotel or market rate apartments, Brown, Vallone and the rest of WHI Camelot LLC settled on creating a mixed-income affordable housing development. Brown and his Honeycomb partner Steve Caprio, along with Vallone, the Simsbury-based Vesta Corporation and his brother Hagan Brown’s Avon-based Corridor Ventures, are planning to transform the property […]

Share This Article:

read more

Inflation is pushing wages higher

Contractors are reviewing their budgets to find creative ways and additional financial incentives to retain workers in today’s inflationary environment, said Misha Nikulin, managing director at Deloitte’s engineering and construction practice. Average hourly earnings for construction workers climbed 6.1% from December 2021 to December 2022, exceeding the 5% rise in average pay for all private […]

Share This Article:

read more

State plan for Seaside: Demolish buildings, spend $7.1 million on “passive park”

A plan for Seaside State Park will include “the removal of the deteriorated buildings,” the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said Wednesday in its announcement that the state has committed $7.1 million to implement a “passive park” design using federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars. The plan will also include new restrooms and […]

Share This Article:

read more

Groundbreaking held for Great Wolf Lodge at Foxwoods

Joined by Gov. Ned Lamont, Mashantucket tribal leaders, Foxwoods officials and local dignitaries, Great Wolf Resorts executives officially broke ground Wednesday for the $300 million indoor water park resort that’s about to rise adjacent to Foxwoods on 13 acres of Mashantucket-owned land off Foxwoods Boulevard. Lamont thanked Chicago-based Great Wolf for showing “confidence in the […]

Share This Article:

read more

Middletown garage to add 600 more spaces to accommodate increased development downtown

If all goes well, city officials are hoping to break ground on a sorely needed, multilevel municipal parking garage downtown sometime this spring. The delay in announcing the developer selected for the garage project mostly is due to staffing challenges in the office of Economic and Community Development, as well as behind-the-scenes activity, including negotiations, […]

Share This Article:

read more

With no public opposition, Bloomfield gives Fine Fettle OK for a 46,000-square-foot cannabis-growing center

Bloomfield’s planning and zoning commission unanimously approved a nearly 46,000-square-foot cultivation center Thursday night, with members mostly complimenting Fine Fettle for planning to build it. Fine Fettle Chief Operating Officer Benjamin Zachs quickly did away with two common objections to indoor marijuana farms: The risk of offensive odors to neighbors, and the possibility of future […]

Share This Article:

read more

CT commissioner grilled about school construction audit

Michelle Gilman, who was nominated for a full term as commissioner of the state Department of Administrative Services, was grilled Tuesday by lawmakers who are unsatisfied with a recent audit of the state’s controversial school construction program. On Tuesday, she was questioned by lawmakers on the Executive and Legislative Nominations Committee during her nomination hearing […]

Share This Article:

read more