A core tenet of my party is that government can deliver for the American people. We have also generally supported the regulations that protect our safety, the environment, and community input. But those regulations have calcified into a huge obstacle to building anything at all. A few months ago, I realized that over the last […]
As of last January, utility-scale battery power storage made up 46% of applications for new power sources to be connected to the grid, as reported by ISO New England, which oversees the region’s wholesale power market. ISO New England lists about 30 active battery farm projects statewide in Connecticut where developers want to hook up […]
The final report hasn’t been written, but research so far on a wide-ranging study of the Route 44 corridor in Canton endorses widening the roadway to create left-turn lanes at Dowd Avenue and adding a traffic roundabout on Dowd about a half-mile to the west. Engineers and traffic planners studied the cost, viability and potential […]
The Connecticut State Pier in New London is already serving as a new launching point for offshore wind turbines, but two sections of the newly renovated port facility will need to be fixed due to flaws in parts of the $311 million construction project. Correcting those problems is expected to cost, at a minimum, several […]
The state Bond Commission is poised to authorize tens of millions in borrowing Friday to help fund multifamily developments throughout the state. Housing development is a big chunk of the $423.1 million borrowing package going before the bond commission on Friday. The agenda includes $50 million for the state Department of Housing’s Build for CT […]
Town officials are moving forward with a $16.7 million plan to protect the sewage treatment plant from powerful storms and rising sea levels by building a floodwall around the riverside facility. The town council voted unanimously this week to issue bonds and appropriate funds to pay for the construction project, which is now expected to […]
The proposed, block-size Village at Riverside mixed-use development, planned for property bordered by Court and Main streets and deKoven and Dingwall drives, is anticipated to help the city finally reconnect to its riverfront via a walking bridge over Route 9. The Village is expected to include “affordable, luxury” housing units, with some 19 townhomes, 258 […]
The first 11 tenants have moved into The Anthem at Square 10, the first building to be nearly completed in a sweeping remake of the downtown commercial site where the New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum once stood. An outdoor pool, gym and some co-working spaces also are ready, along with the second and third residential […]
The cold drizzle Monday was perfect for the groundbreaking for two elementary school projects — one in the north end of town and the second at Norton Elementary, according to Cheshire Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Solan. Costing $90 million, the north end school will be the largest capital project the town has ever undertaken. The […]
The state awarded the borough a $3 million Community Investment Fund grant last year to advance the industrial park project – specifically the construction of infrastructure for the property at 280 Elm St. The borough is applying for another $3 million CIF grant to complete the road network for phase two of the subdivision of […]
The executive board of the state’s AFL-CIO is asking Steve Schrag, a volunteer with the Naugatuck Valley Project, to voluntarily resign from the state’s AFL-CIO Health & Safety Committee because of his vocal opposition to a planned Amazon distribution center on the Waterbury-Naugatuck line. “Due to your opposition, you endangered the approval of this project, […]
Two of Stamford’s five ailing bridges have reopened: West Glen Drive bridge and Lakeside Drive bridge in Stamford are back in service after being closed over the summer and fall. Both bridges were rated “poor” by the Connecticut Department of Transportation and both were closed in the spring for repairs. The CTDOT has 11 rankings […]
The town recently received a grant that will go toward helping install sewer systems for nearly 100 homes while also protecting the Long Island Sound. The $1.5 million grant, awarded through the Long Island Sound Futures Fund, will go to the town’s Water Pollution Control Authority for construction of a sewer extension in the Dean […]
Construction is on schedule at the sites of the new Norwalk High School and South Norwalk School, although it’s not certain if the latter will have solar panels or open in fall 2025 as expected. The new Norwalk High School is slated to welcome students in fall 2027, with the new sports complex atop the […]
The new 20-year agreement, approved by the New London City Council and signed by Mayor Michael Passero earlier this month, is with the Miami Beach Association, Old Lyme Shores Beach Association, Old Colony Beach Association, the town of Old Lyme and associated water pollution control authorities. The contract requires construction of the new sewer system […]
The city is moving closer to razing the former Bristol Babcock industrial complex, which has remained an eyesore and a safety hazard. The Board of Aldermen will vote Monday on hiring a licensed environmental professional from Tighe and Bond for $244,429. The demolition will be followed by an investigation of the site for contaminants and […]
State officials recently unveiled an Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Dashboard, to help Connecticut residents visualize how and where over half of the $6.4 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funds the state has received will be allocated. Per the dashboard, passenger and freight rail projects represent the largest recipient of federal funds, with roads, […]
A plan to build a 4 1/2-story Amazon retail distribution facility in the city’s South End continues to draw opposition from neighbors looking to keep the massive facility out of their backyard. Bluewater Property Group is proposing to erect the 650,000-square-foot structure on a portion of the 155 city-owned acres along the Waterbury-Naugatuck line, an […]
The Connecticut Port Authority failed to seek bids for a marketing vendor and improperly purchased a variety of services and supplies, a new state audit found. In a lengthy response included with the audit, the port authority partly agreed with the criticism while pointing out the agency was understaffed during the audited period and has […]
Months of tense hearings and court-like drama before the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission will wrap up Dec. 19, but the fault lines are evident between advocates of a large-scale excavation and development, on the one hand, and neighbors fiercely opposed to a project they say will lower nearby property values and their quality of […]
The Meriden Senior Center Building Review Committee soundly rejected an alternate plan to dramatically renovate its existing space at 22 W. Main St. and purchase a vacant building next door. The alternative plan would have cost significantly less than the approved $36 million proposal to build a senior center at 116 Cook Ave., City Manager […]
Some lanes of Route 15 in the city will be closed on Saturday. The Connecticut Department of Transportation will close lanes on Route 15 between the West Rocks Road overpass and Exit 38 between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. for state forces to conduct survey operations, according to a statement from the department. The closures […]
The Water Resources Development Act, aimed at improving the nation’s ports and harbors, inland waterway navigation, flood and storm protection, and other aspects of the nation’s water resources infrastructure, passed by a vote of 399 to 18. It now goes to the Senate, which is expected to add its approval before sending it on to […]
Following a public hearing that extended over three months, the Wallingford Planning & Zoning Commission on Monday approved a zoning text amendment that allows computer data centers to be developed in a watershed district. The application, submitted by West Granby-based Charter Development Group LLC, owned by partners Donald Gershman and Eric Brown, sought to amend […]
The fiscal accountability report, published Nov. 20, projected that Connecticut will issue $1.3 billion of Special Tax Obligation bonds to fund transportation in fiscal year 2026, and $1.4 billion in the next two fiscal years. In FY 2025, the state plans to issue $1 billion. Connecticut’s transportation bonds are issued from a Special Tax Obligation […]
East Hartford officials have decided against applying for a state Community Investment Fund grant in support of a massive, mixed-use redevelopment of its Founders Plaza office park. At least not for the latest round. The partnership behind the “Port Eastside” project has spent millions of dollars securing about 30 acres of the struggling office park […]
The city’s public utilities department plans to create a master list of pre-vetted engineers and other contractors, which officials said will help projects get done quicker. The requests for qualifications now being advertised by New London Public Utilities (NLPU) seek firms with engineering expertise in one or more areas: water treatment facilities, water supply dams, […]
The town has long held a goal of retaining its rural character and agricultural traditions, but the new Plan of Conservation and Development also looks to a future with increased development and a need for better town facilities. The Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the cafeteria […]
Last week, Gov. Ned Lamont announced New Haven received $386,000 in Department of Economic and Community Development Brownfield Remediation grants for two projects, with the aim of cleaning blighted and contaminated properties. In New Haven, a $186,000 grant will support environmental investigations, hazardous building material surveys, structural assessments, and remedial design plans for 4.9 acres […]
The Inland Wetlands Commission on Thursday approved an application by Bluewater Property Group to build a multistory Amazon distribution on property straddling the Naugatuck and Waterbury town line. Next up, the Naugatuck Zoning Commission will hold a hearing Wednesday on the proposed development at the Board of Education conference room at 6 p.m. Waterbury Inland […]
The Board of Mayor and Burgesses on Dec. 4 approved an agreement with Field Turf USA for a new artificial turf field and track for $1.1 million. The deal includes maintenance, which may have a slight additional cost, and a 10-year warranty. The funds will come from a capital reserve account. Mayor N. Warren “Pete” […]
Planning and Zoning Commission public hearing attendees got restless Thursday night at Ledyard Middle School as Harry Heller, attorney for the company proposing a new 40-acre quarry operation in Gales Ferry, was allowed for more than 20 minutes to grill a member of the public, Eric Treaster, who opposes the project. A few minutes later, […]
The Connecticut Department of Transportation announced Friday a $31 million investment in expanding truck parking at rest stops across Connecticut. Rest areas in Middletown, Southington, Madison, Southbury, and Vernon will get 183 new parking spaces, officials said. Construction began in October at the Middletown Rest Area, located off I-91 near Exit 20. The $3.8 million […]
Yale University is looking to construct a seven-story dramatic arts building on a currently vacant lot at the corner of Crown and York Streets, according to documents filed with New Haven’s City Plan department. The plans for the Yale-owned parcels of 321, 333, 337 and 341 Crown Street and 142, 146 and 148 York Street […]
When a critical bridge spanning Interstate 95 was damaged in a fiery crash in May, state leaders estimated it would take a year to repair. Instead, the Fairfield Avenue overpass was rebuilt and reopened exactly seven months later. How did CDOT’s contractor, Yonkers Contracting Co., and nine subcontractors, finish it five months early and $3.2 […]
An applicant’s plan to build a 171,600-square-foot industrial warehouse on a parcel at 1535 Straits Turnpike has taken a step forward after being given the green light to connect the property to the town’s existing sewer line. Middlebury Land Development, a subsidiary of parcel owner Timex, received the approval Nov. 19 from the town’s Water […]
Norwich Public Utilities received approval for three water projects at the Norwich City Council Meeting Monday. The projects will cost a total of $13.6 million, and will be paid for by water revenues, and grants and loans from the state’s Clean Water Fund program. The completed projects are expected to have a 30-year life span, […]
Gov. Ned Lamont announced Tuesday that he had approved a $4 million state grant to the town of Stonington to clean up contamination in the vacant half of the William Clark Company Threadmill at 21 Pawcatuck Ave. The cleanup of the 5.2-acre site is part of a plan to reuse the building as a 51-unit […]
Gov. Ned Lamont on Wednesday announced $20 million in grants to support cleanup and redevelopment of blighted properties throughout the state. The funds will support remediation and redevelopment of 21 properties, consisting of 150 acres of contaminated land in 18 municipalities, according to Lamont’s office. The grants are being released through the state Department of […]
The city and a renewable energy developer are proposing to construct a 991-kilowatt solar panel array on a 4.25-acre section of capped landfill surrounded by the sprawling Bates Woods property. The plan, which will be discussed at a Planning and Zoning Commission public hearing on Thursday, calls for building a series of ground-mounted racking systems […]
Stroke experts are designing the center — now under construction at the hospital’s Saint Raphael’s campus in New Haven — to allow for a speedy response to strokes, which cause more damage the longer treatment is delayed. Gunel spoke Wednesday at the “topping off” ceremony for the $838 million Adams Neurosciences Center, marking a construction […]
Heavily traveled Transylvania Road could reopen as early as Friday after having been closed since a section of it collapsed 15 weeks ago during the historic flooding Aug. 18. Woodbury public works Director Rich Lamothe said repairing Transylvania Road took longer than expected due to a lengthy permitting process that included both the state Department […]
Featuring a 245-foot-tall clock tower adorned with gargoyles, the roughly 70,000-square-foot brick headquarters of the Republican-American newspaper in the center of Waterbury is among the most recognizable buildings in Connecticut. Now, the family-run company that owns the Meadow Street property and newspaper is proposing to transform the iconic, century-old building into a mix of 38 […]
The City Council voted 6-1 Monday night to purchase the Chelsea Groton Bank building on Main Street for $800,000 with a plan to seek voter support in November 2025 to renovate and expand the building for a new police station. After the hearing, Police Chief Patrick Daley said the architectural firm Hughes & Cronin of […]
A prominent city-based architectural firm has agreed to pay nearly $600,000 to cover cost overruns ― ranging from site work to crew toilets ― at the new community center after its subcontractor failed to secure crucial state permits in the early stages of the project. The City Council on Monday approved a settlement that calls […]
A section of Route 106 will be closed on weekdays as Aquarion Water Co. installs a critical new utility pipe. The closure between Old Boston Road and Old Kings Highway in Wilton began Monday and is expected to last for three to four weeks, according to the town’s Department of Public Works. Road work will […]
Connecticut will not offer a third round of school air quality grants due to “funding constraints,” the state says, despite $138.5 million remaining in a fund intended for that purpose. Created in 2022 after years of advocacy to improve school air quality amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Connecticut’s HVAC grant program has so far distributed $178 […]
More than two years after breaking ground for the project, Yale New Haven Hospital will celebrate a milestone for the construction of its new Adams Neurosciences Center. The hospital broke ground in August 2022 on the $838 million, 505,000-square-foot center on its St. Raphael campus at 659 George St.. in New Haven, that will consist […]
With a major renovation at Hartford’s XL Center arena now launched, attention is now turning to Rentschler Field stadium across the river in East Hartford — home of the University of Connecticut football program — and the $63 million in state-taxpayer funded repairs a study recommended two years ago. The state legislature has approved the […]
The City Council formally approved $1.2 million in American Rescue Plan Act projects, including an 11th-hour plan to replace the Senior Center roof and conduct a needs assessment to renovate the 80-year-old building. The latest round brings the city closer to drawing down all $36.3 million in federal emergency dollars intended to help with the […]
Yale University is looking to construct a new seven-story, 188,300-square-foot dramatic arts building on school-owned property at the corner of York and Crown streets in downtown New Haven. The new building will be home to the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale graduate school program and Yale Repertory Theater, as well as the university’s […]
The hearing on the Carpionato Group’s plans for a 40,000-square-foot Whole Foods in Old Saybrook begins at 7 p.m. on Monday. The application for the high-end supermarket includes a larger makeover of the Oyster River Shopping Center, which is at the intersection of Spencer Plains Road and Route 1. The plans for the shopping center […]
The Planning and Zoning Commission is considering a proposal to build a 96-room hotel and 100 units of housing at an existing narrow five-story office building at 24 Belden Avenue. The 44,000-square-foot office tower would remain as is, as well as the 30,000-square-foot ground level commercial space. The project is being proposed by local developer […]
Local officials are weighing spending $16.7 million to build a large floodwall encircling the town’s sewage treatment plant, an effort aimed at protecting the riverside facility from destructive storms. On Monday, the Water Pollution Control Authority voted to authorize the project and the town council unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance issuing $16.7 […]
The bridge on Fairfield Avenue over Interstate 95 will open Monday, seven months after its predecesor was critically damaged in a fiery crash, officials said. The bridge was demolished following a fiery crash involving an oil tanker May 2, which compromised the structural integrity of the overpass. The crash happened after a sedan cut off […]
