Bridgeport self-storage facility at former North End Stop & Shop gets court-ordered zoning OK

Scott first sought the necessary zoning approval a year-and-a-half ago. Some residents, activists and elected officials, including Mayor Joe Ganim during his re-election campaign, publicly opposed the project and the appointed zoning commission rejected the application last June in a 4-2 vote. Scott sued in state Superior Court and won in March. The presiding judge, […]

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Torrington receives $1.6 million grant to rebuild sewer pumping station: To ‘protect environment’

The sewer plant’s hardest-working pumping station on Harris Drive, which was built in 1979, draws from seven smaller stations in the northern area of Torrington, feeding to the main plant off South Main Street. “We’ve had up to 18 inches of water outside, and more than that in here,” sewer plant administrator Ed Tousey said. […]

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Gov. Lamont vetoes first bill of year, rejecting proposal doubling cap on bidding

Gov. Ned Lamont vetoed his first bill from this year’s legislative session on Wednesday, sending back to lawmakers a proposal that would have doubled the cap on municipal contracts exempt from competitive bidding practices. The legislation, Senate Bill 226, proposed raising the minimum threshold for competitive bidding on all municipal contracts from $25,000 to $50,000 […]

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Fitch gives A+ rating to pending $669M Yale New Haven Health bond issuance; $333M will be used for capital spending

Fitch Ratings said Tuesday it has assigned A+ ratings to $669 million in bonds that will be issued on behalf of Yale New Haven Health (YNHH). Proceeds from the bond issuance are expected to be used to refund the health system’s existing debt, as well as to provide approximately $333 million to support Yale New […]

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Historic New Haven mill site approved for major apartment redevelopment goes up for sale

Earlier this month, a 1.8-acre property — which has approvals in place for a multifamily redevelopment — was listed for sale. The parcel at 446A Blake St. has been approved for 144 residential units to be completed over three phases. Phase one is a ground-up development of a new five-story, 55-unit apartment building. Phase two […]

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Linear trail intersections under safety review in Southington, new trail segment to open this summer

The Farmington Canal Heritage Trail’s intersections with local roads previously drew concern in 2021, after a pedestrian was struck and seriously injured in the trail crosswalk on West Main Street in Plantsville center. While there were bright yellow signs warning motorists to yield for pedestrians, town officials looked to increase pedestrian and motorist safety along […]

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Darn that CT traffic jam: These major projects, traffic shifts will add to backups this summer

One that’s nearing completion is the interchange of Interstate 84 and Route 8 in Waterbury, known as “The Mixmaster,” which is composed of a stack of bridges. “We’re finally going to be finished with that project by the end of October,” Morgan said. “What’s going to be happening over the next five months or so […]

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Middletown Residents Push Back on $143M Route 9 Revamp

Residents are urging the Common Council to request a delay from the state Department of Transportation on removing Route 9 traffic signals, citing negative economic and environmental impacts. During a presentation to residents on April 30, DOT project manager Stephen Hall told residents that the traffic lights were causing a “significantly higher” number of traffic […]

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Ex-CT Deputy Budget Director Diamantis linked to bribery scheme years after Torrington courthouse project

Diamantis, 67, is accused by the FBI of extorting private contractors into paying him thousands of dollars in bribes as the director of the state’s Office of School Construction Grants and Review. A lawyer and former state representative, Diamantis posted a $500,000 bond following his arrest on 22 charges, including extortion, bribery, conspiracy and making […]

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Pawcatuck theater developer proposes expansion of $80M project

In a new application to the Planning and Zoning Commission, READCO of Old Lyme and its development partner TRIO have proposed a revision of the master plan for the former Hoyt’s/Regal Cinema property on Route 2. READCO plans to expand its Pawcatuck theater redevelopment project by adding six adjacent properties, 108 more apartments and demolishing […]

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Apartment project near Dunkin’ Park clears key hurdle, will bring 269 units to CT’s capital city

Funding secured, developer Randy Salvatore is moving ahead with plans to build a new mixed-use complex on the edge of downtown Hartford, confident that the demand for rental apartments in the capital city remains strong. A financing package to redevelop the former RPI campus near Dunkin’ Park won key approval on Wednesday, and work has […]

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Fairfield to close part of Riverside Drive as crews rebuild culverts, tide gates to limit floods

Part of Riverside Drive will shut down for more than a year in the coming months as construction crews rebuild coastal infrastructure that keeps floodwaters in check. Fairfield Engineering Manager Bill Hurley said the town will launch a more than $5.5 million project this summer to replace the tide gates and pipes that channel water […]

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Eversource upgrades gas lines on Danbury’s Main Street, with repaving work planned for July

The utility provider is working closely with the city of Danbury and the Connecticut Department of Transportation on the project, “and our work will be complete in June to meet DOT’s schedule for their planned work along Main Street,” Ratliff said. Then DOT will take over the project. Iadarola said that under the current schedule […]

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When will Stamford’s Cedar Heights Road bridge be done? 12 months late, officials say.

A project to replace the bridge on Cedar Heights Road is now expected to be finished in November — a year later than initially scheduled. City Engineer Lou Casolo has said that the contractor for the “extremely complex” project, A. Vitti Excavators, has needed to submit plans for handling the flow of the Rippowam River, […]

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Ørsted-Eversource Partnership Announces Cancellation of Agreement for Charybdis (Updated)

The Offshore Wind Venture partnering Ørsted and Eversource told CT Examiner on Wednesday that the companies had canceled an agreement with Dominion Energy to use the as-yet-unbuilt Charybdis to install turbines off East Coast of the United States. The planned 472-foot vessel would be the first Jones Act compliant vessel for installing offshore turbines, clearing […]

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Meriden receives $975,000 in EPA funds to clean up Church and Morse site downtown

The city will receive $975,240 in federal funding to clean a brownfield and foundation rubble at the former Church and Morse building, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced this week. Funding for the Brownfield Cleanup Grant come from the bipartisan infrastructure law and will be used to cleanup the 0.33-acre vacant parcel. The site was […]

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Officials tout CT medical facility that will be partially doctor-owned: ‘Outcomes are better’

Trinity and Johnson Memorial Hospital officials made their case to convert its surgery center in Enfield to a freestanding outpatient facility partially owned by physicians during a public hearing before the state Office of Health Strategy on Wednesday. A request for a certificate of need through OHS calls for a $17.8 million facility at Johnson […]

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Danbury career academy to earn millions more in state reimbursement due to increased costs

Local leaders applauded the new funding for the high school, as well as $1.9 million to replace the roof at Ellsworth Avenue Elementary School and $10.43 million to renovate the Danbury High School science labs. Lawmakers also touted a $7.54 million increase in the city’s share of state Education Cost Sharing grant monies. Now, the […]

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New $1.3M Norwalk River dock allows Walk Bridge construction, local maritime business to continue

The new $1.3 million state-funded dock allows the Norwalk Seaport Association and Maritime Aquarium’s vessels to continue operating on the Norwalk River amid the $1 billion project to replace the 127-year-old Walk Bridge, according to Walk Bridge project manager Gus Melo. The bridge has failed dozens of times in the last decade to close properly […]

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City Council approves $25M for senior center and health campus in Meriden

The City Council voted 7-5 to add $25 million into the city’s capital improvement plan this week to build a new senior center and health department on Cook Avenue. Mayor Kevin Scarpati introduced the resolution to include the $25 million in the capital improvement budget after vetoing the council’s approved spending plan two weeks ago. […]

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East Windsor looks at several options to renovate or reconfigure its schools

With buildings built in the 1950s and ’60s and a declining student population, town and school officials are currently looking into how to renovate or even reconfigure the town’s schools. In February, a facilities study done by the Construction Solutions Group determined that Broad Brook Elementary, East Windsor Middle School, and East Windsor High School […]

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West Hartford is ‘refining’ its town center redesign, moving forward with major roadway projects

Original plans presented in November showed the town was ready to shift all street parking from angled parking to parallel parking, which would decrease the amount of street parking but mean more of the streetscape could be used for wider sidewalks, expanded outdoor dining, and other amenities like street furniture. Those plans also showed a […]

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Removal of Route 9 traffic signals at dangerous Middletown exits could begin in spring 2027

The gravity of removing traffic lights that bring Route 9 traffic to a halt in downtown Middletown was evidenced during a state Department of Transportation informational hearing late last month. CTDOT Project Manager Stephen Hall delivered a presentation April 30 at Wesleyan University on the draft proposal to reconfigure exits in the often highly congested […]

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Stratford celebrates milestone in contamination cleanup — ‘Take a lesson from Raymark’

A one-third mile stretch of the creek, now clean, had held some of the contaminated soil that the since-defunct Raymark Industries had dumped across Stratford while manufacturing automotive brake products before shutting down in 1989. Since September 2020, an EPA-led project has removed about 95,000 cubic yards of the contaminated soil from the creek and […]

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In Stonington, school board grappling with structural problems at middle school

Structural issues and the presence of asbestos at the middle school have raised questions about how and where students in grades 6 through 8 will attend school next year. Superintendent Mary Ann Butler said at a school board meeting Thursday that engineers who inspected the school found no immediate safety concerns. However, she said, they […]

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CT roads need 38 new and expensive noise barriers. Why there’s no money to pay for them.

A study of noise along Connecticut’s roadways has recommended that the state Department of Transportation erect 38 new noise barriers along its interstate highways and state roads. However, according to a DOT spokeswoman, there is no federal or state money to pay for them at this point. The study was conducted to bring the state […]

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Buyer found for Enfield Square; mall to be converted into retail, housing, hotels with $250M project

The dilapidated Enfield Square mall is slated to be transformed — through a $250 million project — into a new mixed-use area, complete with retail, housing, two hotels, and recreation space. Woodsonia Acquisitions, based in Nebraska, has entered a purchase and sale agreement with New York-based Namdar Realty Group to buy the mall that was […]

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Avangrid says it’s plan to invest $191M in CT gas companies, UI hinges on legal, regulatory rulings

Orange-based Avangrid, the corporate parent of The United Illuminating Co. as well as Southern Connecticut Gas and Connecticut Natural Gas, is looking to move ahead with $191.6 million in capital investments covering the operations of its utilities in the state. The ability to do that depends on both regulatory decisions and an ongoing legal appeal, […]

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Amtrak Talks Connecticut River Bridge Replacement, High-Speed Rail Planning

Since 2016, when southeastern Connecticut learned of a plan by the Federal Railroad Administration to construct a high-speed rail bypass through several historic towns in the region between Old Saybrook and Charlestown, RI, town officials and members of the public have been paying closer attention to rail projects along the Northeast Corridor. Last Friday, CT […]

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New Ninth Square mixed-use project breaks ground in New Haven

City and state officials along with members of the development team Friday morning broke ground on a new mixed-use, housing development at the corner of State and Chapel streets in New Haven’s Historic Ninth Square District. The $56.4 million project, led by Boston-based Beacon Communities, is an adaptive reuse with an eye toward historic preservation. […]

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DOT to hold information meeting on Groton bridge replacement

The state Department of Transportation will hold a virtual public information meeting at 7 p.m. Monday on the planned replacement of the bridge carrying Groton Long Point Road over the Amtrak railroad. “This project will address the existing structural deficiencies and the substandard minimum vertical clearance of the bridge traveling over Amtrak Railroad,” Project Manager […]

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Why Bridgeport’s bridge rebuild is taking decades more than Norwalk’s — ‘It’s quite sickening’

State officials are pledging to take a year to rebuild Norwalk’s Fairfield Avenue highway overpass, demolished after a fiery May 6 crash, at an estimated cost of about $20 million. Meanwhile Bridgeport’s multi-year slog to install a new Congress Street drawbridge, out of service since the late 1990s, has been dealt another setback and is […]

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Greenwich’s Central Middle School rebuild will get about $15 million more than expected from state

Greenwich is slated to receive millions more than expected on the Central Middle School rebuild, thanks to the efforts of the town’s three state House representatives. Upping the reimbursement rate means the town will eventually get about $22 million back from Hartford, or about $14.7 million more than anticipated. Full reimbursement is contingent on project […]

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Opponents of possible expansion of a natural gas pipeline in Coventry set to meet Thursday

The proposed station at Hop River and Bunker Hill roads, to be built this year, is meant to regulate pressure in the section of the Algonquin Gas Transmission Pipeline between Cromwell and Chaplin, according to filings with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Opponents object to expanded fossil fuel infrastructure and say methane from the fracking […]

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Plans for major biotech park in Connecticut abandoned

Plans to develop a sprawling biotech park in Branford off of Interstate 95, which was announced last April with great fanfare, have been scrapped by the Minnesota-based developer that was proposing the project. A spokeswoman for Ryan Companies told Hearst Connecticut Media on Wednesday that the developer “is no longer pursuing the development.” She declined […]

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Manchester to apply for federal grant to help fund its overhaul of Main Street, which could cost $15M

The Downtown Manchester Improvements Project is billed as a comprehensive redesign of the Main Street corridor that would enhance safety for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians while smoothing out the flow of traffic. As for how to pay for its new Main Street, estimated in February to cost between $10 million and $15 million, Manchester hopes […]

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Cannabis cultivator gets $16M investment for planned East Hartford grow facility

A planned cannabis cultivation facility in East Hartford has received a big financial boost from a real estate trust that is investing $16 million into the project, the company announced this week. C3 Industries Inc., a Michigan-based multi-state cannabis company building a cultivation facility in East Hartford, recently took on a $16 million investment from […]

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CRDA’s Freimuth: UConn dorm project would be transformative to downtown Hartford

The University of Connecticut’s effort to create a dormitory for its downtown Hartford branch campus would include nearly $28 million in financial support from the Capital Region Development Authority and a private lender. According to CRDA Executive Director Michael Freimuth, the plan would create a student dormitory at 64 Pratt St. The six-floor building is […]

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Manchester to sign contract for mixed-use development at long-vacant Broad Street Parkade

Elected officials have authorized the signing of an agreement to redevelop the so-called “dark side” of the Broad Street Parkade with a mixture of residential and commercial property. The decision is the first major public-facing action taken on the project since July, when the town spent $2 million to settle a lawsuit with a previously […]

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$1M grant to help Danbury fight flooding, fix ‘completely undersized’ downtown drainage system

The City Council on Tuesday agreed to terms of a $1 million federal grant to study upgrades to the East Ditch’s 100-year-old infrastructure and stop the flooding that damages properties, closes roads and traps people in buildings. The East Ditch upgrade, which could cost as much as $80 million, is not to be confused with […]

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Cleanup to begin at former Waterbury Button factory

Beginning next month, work will begin to remove the remains of the former Waterbury Button factory, moving one step closer to remediating the brownfield site at 835 South Main St. that was destroyed in a fire last year. The Board of Aldermen on Monday unanimously approved a contract with Manafort Bros. for $4.7 million to […]

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Budget stabilization plan boosts state’s potential XL Center renovation investment to $125M

Efforts to revitalize Hartford’s XL Center are set to receive another potential boost after the state legislature’s passage late Tuesday night of a $370 million budget stabilization plan. The bill, which has been greenlit by the House and Senate, increases the maximum amount of funding from $80 million to $125 million that the state and […]

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Lawmakers revert CT school construction bidding rules

Connecticut lawmakers passed a measure in the final hours of the 2024 legislative session that would roll back a reform that Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration pushed for after the state’s school construction program became the subject of a federal criminal investigation. A single sentence change in a 254-page bond bill will, if signed by the […]

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Developers of the former West Hartford UConn campus refile plans to build hundreds more homes

One month after the Town Council approved the construction of 322 housing units at one half of the former University of Connecticut campus, developers have restarted the approval process that would allow them to build over 200 more homes across the street. Over the winter, the development group of West Hartford 1 LLC withdrew its […]

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Bridgeport to hold off on demolishing Cherry Street Lofts buildings

Prominent developer Gary Flocco has a few months’ reprieve to get his Cherry Street Lofts project back on track before the city moves to demolish the handful of recently-condemned buildings he needs for more housing. In late April, Director Thomas Gill and Deputy Director William Coleman informed council budget committee members that four blighted buildings […]

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New application submitted to redevelop former UConn campus in West Hartford

Five months after withdrawing its application, WeHa Development Group LLC has submitted a new application to develop property at 1800 Asylum Ave. in West Hartford, the former site of UConn’s Greater Hartford campus. The 1800 Asylum Ave. site across Trout Brook Drive from the parking lot is approximately 33.5 acres and currently holds vacant, dilapidated […]

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Rebuilding Norwalk bridge to cost $20M+, officials say as they laud I-95 reopening after tanker fire

During a news conference nestled in Norwalk’s Cedar Street Bridge overlooking I-95, Gov. Ned Lamont, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling commended the combined efforts of federal, state and local governments in reopening I-95 within days of the three-vehicle crash. Blumenthal called the 80-hour process that brought down the charred Fairfield Avenue […]

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Lights are on at Torrington High

The building was opened to a group of tourgoers Saturday. “They’re doing a lot of finishing touches,” said Board of Education Co- Chair Sue DePretis, noting that the $179.5 million project is on-time and within budget. In addition to the lighting being put in since the last tours in March, the heating ventilation and air […]

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Live updates: I-95 fully reopens in Norwalk following fiery tanker crash

The southbound lanes of Interstate 95 are reopening on Sunday morning after crews paved the highway following last week’s tanker fire. The southbound side will reopen around 10 a.m. Sunday between exits 15 and 14 in Norwalk, where a three-vehicle crash caused a tanker fire that spread to the Fairfield Avenue overpass early Thursday morning. […]

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Manchester’s Board of Directors to vote on redevelopment of long-vacant Parkade

The Board of Directors is scheduled to vote at its Tuesday meeting to authorize the town manager to sign a development agreement with Texas-based Anthony Properties for redevelopment of the property, roughly 10 months after the town settled a lawsuit with a previously ousted Parkade developer to the tune of $2 million. Manchester began considering […]

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New London intersection update aimed at keeping car, bus and ferry traffic flowing

The intersection of Water Street and Governor Winthrop Boulevard has for weeks been a construction site with workers replacing wiring, vaulting and other components of what Director of Public Works Brian Sear called a traffic signal system that’s long overdue for improvements. The city is deep into an $891,000 signal replacement project first discussed six […]

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Route 15 and I-91 exit closures to look out for in May

From May 6 to May 17, ramps will be closed Monday through Friday between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. as crews cut and repave several exit ramps and install temporary concrete barriers in the area, according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation. During these times, the East Main Street on-ramp to Route 15 northbound, Route […]

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States rethink data centers as ‘electricity hogs’ strain the grid

State Sen. Norm Needleman championed the 2021 legislation designed to lure major data centers to Connecticut. But this legislative session, he’s wondering if those tax breaks are appropriate for all data centers, especially those with the potential to disrupt the state’s clean energy supply. Particularly concerning to him are plans for a mega data center […]

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Eversource plans to cut investment in CT by $500M over 5 years due to regulatory ‘uncertainty’

Eversource Energy officials said during an earnings call Thursday morning that the utility company plans to cut its capital expenditures in Connecticut by nearly $100 million in 2024, and by $500 million over the next five years, as a result of the state’s “uncertain” regulatory environment. John Moreira, Eversource’s executive vice president, CFO and treasurer, […]

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Live updates: I-95 bridge in Norwalk to be demolished after tanker fire

A tractor-trailer fire has closed Interstate 95 and caused massive delays on the Merritt Parkway, Post Road and other local roads on Thursday. All I-95 lanes in the area remain closed Thursday afternoon due to the crash that occurred between exits 16 and 14 around 5:30 a.m., according to Connecticut’s Department of Transportation’s website. Josh […]

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Meriden council rejects $25M in bonding for new senior center, health department

The City Council voted 8-4 to reject a proposal Monday to add $25 million to the city’s capital improvement plan to fund a new senior center and health department. The ultimate rejection of the proposed senior center and health department funding followed an hour-long debate over the city’s debt load and whether the $25 million […]

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Eversource’s plan to put two transmission lines under Norwalk Harbor sparks concerns about docks

Plans for Eversource to place transmission lines under Norwalk Harbor as part of the $1 billion project to replace the Walk train bridge are prompting concerns over the future of the city’s public docks. Eversource plans to place two existing overhead transmission lines underground by microtunneling from the Norwalk Police Station, under the Norwalk River, […]

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First components for Revolution Wind farm arrive at New London’s State Pier

The Rolldock Storm, a heavy-load carrier registered in the Netherlands, carried the first offshore wind components for the Revolution Wind project to State Pier on Wednesday. The turbine sections were the first pieces of a 65-turbine project set to be staged and assembled in New London for an Ørsted and Eversource wind farm that will […]

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Concrete arrives for Pomperaug High’s tennis courts

Forty-seven truckloads of concrete were delivered to Pomperaug High School on Tuesday as part of the ongoing reconstruction of the school’s five tennis courts, which have been closed and unplayable for nearly a decade. The $1.4 million project was approved by voters in Middlebury and Southbury last year as part of an $11 million bond […]

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New Milford launches long-awaited $4.3 million construction project to replace Merryall Road bridge

The construction work to replace the Merryall Road bridge began Monday with the removal of the existing 20-foot-long bridge that had been classified as in “poor condition.” The bridge, which spans the West Aspetuck River near West Meetinghouse Road, was identified as one of the five worst bridges in Litchfield County. The new bridge has […]

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Next phase of Gold Star bridge construction to involve major lane changes

The planned replacement of the deck on the northbound Gold Star Memorial Bridge will require shifting two northbound lanes of traffic to the southbound span in two years. At a public forum on Tuesday, the state Department of Transportation unveiled the planned configuration and details of the next phase of construction on the northbound span […]

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New Haven remains bullish on apartments as record year — with 1,000+ units coming online — projected

New Haven is poised to have a record number of new apartments come online in 2024 from several high-profile projects. More than 1,000 new units will be available for rent in 2024, marking one of the city’s largest single-year residential expansions in the past two-plus decades, according to economic development officials. Since 2014, the city […]

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