Killingly power plant returns to CT Siting Council

NTE Energy reapplied to the Siting Council Jan. 18, seeking a key approval called a certificate of environmental compatibility and public need for its Killingly Energy Center (KEC). The dual-fuel (natural gas and diesel oil), combined cycle plant would be located on Lake Road in Killingly, less than two miles west of I-395. The Siting […]

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State approves plans for consolidated middle school in Groton

The town now has permission to bid out the estimated $86.09 million middle school project, which will receive 47.5 percent reimbursement from the state, Superintendent Michael Graner said. Graner said with the state’s commitment to fund the project and authorization to go out to bid, the town plans to advertise the project this week. The Permanent School Building Committee then will hire a construction firm, […]

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AGC launches program to diversify construction workforce

Stephen Sandherr, CEO of the Associated General Contractors of America, announced a new association program aimed at recruiting a more diverse pool of workers into the construction industry through vocational training that targets women and minority high school students in New York City and around the U.S., Spectrum News NY1 reported. “If the construction industry cannot […]

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Oxford commission unanimously approves site plan for new middle school

The Planning and Zoning Commission Tuesday unanimously approved the site plan for the new Oxford middle school. The approval moves the $44.9 million school building project forward. The school, which will be constructed along Great Oak Road, will replace the aging Oxford Center School. The project has already been approved by both the Board of […]

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Two companies awarded Memorial Blvd. School contract

The City Council has awarded the $2.5 million contract to renovate the Memorial Boulevard School into an arts magnet school to Downes Construction Co. and D’Amato Construction Co. Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu said the project’s building committee chose D’Amato and Downes A Joint Venture as the construction management firm to transform the old school into the […]

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With Downtown North construction on hold, Hartford officials eye data center demolition

Hartford officials plan this summer to take down a bunker-like former data processing center, which occupies an entire city block between Trumbull and Pleasant streets behind Dunkin’ Donuts Park. They see it as a key step in advancing a project that has stalled as control of the properties is battled over in court. The effort […]

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Greenwich gets $17M from state for New Leb construction

As construction of the new building for New Lebanon School nears completion, Greenwich’s legislative delegation to Hartford presented a $17 million gift to First Selectman Peter Tesei on Tuesday. The oversized check for $17,469,365 represents a large portion of the state’s share of the costs of the new elementary school building, which carries a $37.3 […]

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New garage first step in redeveloping Hartford neighborhood

The $39 million garage, which will not be generally open to the public, is part of the $205 million, state taxpayer-funded renovation of the 87-year-old State Office Building on nearby Capitol Avenue across from The Bushnell. The renovation of the State Office Building — an imposing edifice of Indiana limestone — has been underway for […]

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Developer for downtown Bridgeport theaters short on cash

The city has confirmed that Exact Capital, the Manhattan developer chosen last year to renovate and reopen the Majestic and Poli Palace theaters downtown, the neighboring Savoy Hotel, and to also build brand new residential towers, did not meet Thursday’s deadline for obtaining financing. Thomas Gill, Mayor Joe Ganim’s economic development chief, said the 2017 […]

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A new year with big plans: Grants fuel improved infrastructure for Waterbury

Mayor Neil M. O’Leary is promising 2019 will be another busy year for city infrastructure and economic development projects. “Demolition and construction everywhere, that’s what I see,” O’Leary said. “I’m really excited for 2019. I really feel like there’s a huge amount of momentum rolling into 2019, and I’m really excited about it.” A new […]

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Stamford approves growing Harbor Point, but limits size

After a decade of erecting apartment towers in the South End, Building and Land Technology was in front of the board with a change for land outside its Harbor Point development, a $3.5 billion overhaul of abandoned industrial land. In short, BLT wants more building with higher housing densities. Neighbors want less. On Tuesday night, […]

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CT’s toll-wary truckers tally their economic benefits

Connecticut’s 58,400 trucking jobs annually earn an average of $54,350 per worker, says the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI). The ATRI data comes amid growing concerns among Connecticut’s truckers about the potential for state lawmakers in the upcoming legislative session to seriously weigh tolling state highways to fund road maintenance and other transportation infrastructure. http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/20190103/NEWS01/190109975

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Shutdown Affects Some, But Not All, Infrastructure Programs

The partial shutdown of the federal government, which began on Dec. 22, will have an effect on some federal construction programs—especially those under the Federal Transit Administration—but other major infrastructure accounts, particularly highways, will continue with little change. DOT on Dec, 11 announced nearly $1.5 billion in BUILD grant awards, but Deery says that with […]

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Transportation’s importance on revitalization discussed

“The priority for the last decade has been expansion and really about significant investment and enlargement of the transit network,” said Richard Andreski, the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s Bureau Chief of Public Transportation. Andreski said the expansion of the Hartford and New Haven rail lines and CTfastrak are examples of this expansion. http://www.bristolpress.com/BP-General+News/341715/transportations-importance-on-revitalization-discussed

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Berlin chief has doubts on proposed police HQ expansion

Now that the report on the possible expansion of police headquarters into neighboring Board of Education offices is done, Police Chief John Klett has doubts the project will happen. “It’s close enough to where it is doable,” Klett said, but the location remains not as desirable as Farmington Avenue, where a new $16 million police […]

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Millstone victorious in quest for CT power contract

Capping an approximately three-year lobbying push at the state Capitol by Dominion Energy, Connecticut’s sole nuclear plant has won a state-assigned contract that will enable it to sell approximately half of its massive output to electric ratepayers over the next decade, state officials announced Friday. “We are pleased that Connecticut’s regulators have selected Millstone’s offer […]

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2018 brought big changes to Connecticut’s casinos

Massachusetts joined the gaming party in 2018, with the opening of its first resort casino with expansive gambling and entertainment options opening in August in Springfield. While more than 50 miles away from either Connecticut casino, MGM Springfield has already taken a bite from the revenues for Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods. Mohegan Sun reported in […]

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State, local governments using higher revenues to increase infrastructure spending

According to a Wall Street Journal analysis of state and local revenue collection and spending, public agencies are increasing their infrastructure investments and making a dent in projects that have been on back burners for many years. Many state and local residents around the country showed their commitment to public construction in November by voting […]

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Lamont selects former Metro-North president to lead DOT

Gov.-elect Ned Lamont has recruited Joseph J. Giulietti, the former president of Metro-North, the commuter railroad that is Connecticut’s vital economic link to New York City, to be his commissioner of transportation. Lamont, sources said Thursday, sees hiring Giulietti as a coup that places a well-regarded mass-transit executive in charge of transportation and signals to […]

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CT wind, fuel cell projects win long-term contracts

The approved 20-year agreements, which were greenlit by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, include the state’s first offshore wind project, Revolution Wind, that will generate 200 megawatts of electricity. Also approved were contracts for four fuel-cell developments, including a nearly 20-megawatt project on the historic Stanley Black & Decker manufacturing campus in New Britain. Developers […]

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Lamont working group proposes broad tolling policy

A transportation working group formed by Gov.-elect Ned Lamont on Wednesday recommended the adoption of tolls for passenger vehicles as well as tractor-trailers to help pay for state transportation projects. The state Department of Transportation last month released a study that found installing 82 tolling gantries across the state could net $1 billion per year […]

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Climate Assessment Calls for More Adaptation to Prevent Billions in Losses

Communities are beginning to build and rebuild with an eye toward a changing climate. But creating more resilient infrastructure, also called climate adaptation, is not occurring at the scale needed to prevent billions of dollars in damage to infrastructure, buildings and the U.S. economy, according to the fourth National Climate Assessment released late last month. […]

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PURA preliminarily denies $1.1B CT Water deal

State regulators on Monday preliminarily denied a California company’s $1.1 billion proposed acquisition of Connecticut Water Service Inc. and its three subsidiaries, adding a new wrinkle to a deal that’s been filled with starts, stops and plenty of drama. PURA said its decision is not yet final and could change. It will consider arguments from […]

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Council approves senior housing, community center at former East Haven High School

The Town Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to enter a public-private partnership that will transform the old East Haven High School property into a senior housing facility and community center. After nearly 21 years left vacant, the town has approved the partial sale of the 100,000-square-foot facility to Boston-based developer WinnProperties for $500,000. https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/metro/article/Council-approves-senior-housing-community-center-13443503.php

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In South End, residents decry latest BLT plan

Instead of working within the Harbor Point district outlined a decade ago around old industrial brownfields near the water, BLT’s newest proposal is for land across the street from a community center and blocks from historic homes nestled within the historic district. The Planning Board will now mull whether to change the city’s master-plan map […]

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Developer shares details of vision for ‘gateway’ project at corner of Hartford’s Park and Main

State taxpayers are poised to have a stake in the project. The State Bond Commission approved an $8.6 million loan for the development. CRDA would administer the loan. Matthew Edvardsen, director of acquisitions and asset management at Spinnaker, said the partnership’s $26 million proposal is still in the early stages, but he is encouraged by […]

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Winsted zoning board approves plan to build medical center

A special permit application for construction of a 28,000-square-foot medical center was unanimously approved Monday night by the Planning and Zoning Commission. “I feel this project has enormous potential. We greatly support it,” he said. The medical office building is expected to open in spring 2020 https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Winsted-zoning-board-approves-plan-to-build-13426464.php

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Contract for repairs to Kensington Dam is approved

The Town Council has approved the contract for repairs to the Kensington Dam. The contract was awarded to the low bidder, D’Amato Construction Co. Inc., of Bristol, at last week’s meeting. D’Amato’s total cost is not to exceed $1.7 million, even if change orders are necessary. http://www.newbritainherald.com/NBH-Berlin+News/339582/contract-for-repairs-to-kensington-dam-is-approved

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New Haven planners approve conversion of office space to apartments

Under the state’s Competitive Housing Assistance for Multifamily Properties, or CHAMP, the Glendower Group Inc., a subsidiary of the New Haven Housing Authority, got $3.8 million toward construction of four buildings on a vacant site for 45 residential units: 36 affordable and nine market-rate. Separately, the City Plan Commission this week approved conversion of three […]

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Larson Talks Tunnel Plans for Hartford

“The question is are we going to make the same mistake we made 50 years ago?” Larson said. “Or are we going to focus on the kind of economic change and vitality that will save the levees, recapture the riverfront, and reunite north Hartford, and create economic development?” He said tunneling through Hartford would allow […]

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PURA draft decision deems Millstone ‘at risk’

The Department of Energy & Environmental Protection is reviewing dozens of bids from hydropower, solar and wind facilities and two nuclear plants — Millstone and Seabrook Station in Seabrook, N.H. — in the zero-carbon auction. DEEP paved the way for nuclear power to compete in the auction this summer, after repeated pushes from lawmakers and […]

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Ex-Southington contractor gets prison

The former owner of a Southington business that installs fire-protection systems will spend 16 months in prison for his role in a construction kickback scheme, federal authorities say. Michael Uszakiewicz, 52, of Prospect, was sentenced Friday in Hartford federal court on his conviction of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for paying as much as $500,000 […]

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Windham OKs $14.6M community, senior center

Windham voters at referendum Tuesday approved plans to build a $14.6 million community and senior center at a Main Street plot formerly housing the old Jillson Square theaters. Construction will begin in summer 2019 with an expected completion in mid 2020, said Tom Arcari, principal of QA+M. http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/20181108/NEWS01/181109919

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Montville voters support $10M road repair project

Voters on Tuesday backed town leaders’ push to overhaul a third of Montville’s roadscape through a 10-year project requiring bonds totaling $10 million. Public Works Director Donald Bourdeau has been working on a list of dilapidated roads and will conduct more surveys and engineering work in advance of repairs next year. https://www.theday.com/local-news/20181106/montville-voters-support-10m-road-repair-project

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Voters overwhelmingly ratify transportation ‘lockbox’

Voters overwhelmingly ratified two amendments to the state Constitution Tuesday, including a new legal “lockbox” to safeguard funds earmarked for Connecticut’s transportation program. Voters also ratified a second amendment that would prohibit the legislature from selling, conveying, or swapping state land or buildings without first holding a public hearing. While the state budget’s Special Transportation Fund […]

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After Close Race, Gov.-Elect Ned Lamont Calls For Unity

“Labor and business, Republicans and Democrats, we’re all in this together as a state,’’ Lamont said Wednesday at a press conference at Dunkin’ Donuts Park in Hartford, where he was joined by his running mate Susan Bysiewicz as well as supporters and campaign staffers after a long night of vote counting. “I need everybody rowing […]

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Danbury, Ridgefield voters to decide massive wastewater referendums

A $102 million referendum to upgrade the Danbury area’s wastewater treatment plant has flown largely under the radar in the run up to Tuesday’s election, unlike a similar $48 million ballot question in Ridgefield. In Ridgefield, officials expect state grants cover about $11.5 million of the project. Increased sewer rates for customers and $8 million […]

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Cromwell retirement community eyes $48M expansion

A 220-unit retirement community in Cromwell is slated to add another 54 units under a proposed $48 million expansion. If approved, construction would begin in Feb. 2019 with an 18-month construction period ending Nov. 2020. The expansion comes at a time of significant growth of senior-living facilities in the state to meet the needs of […]

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Downtown Hartford Apartment Project Finally Gets Off The Ground After Nearly Two Years

An $18.4 million apartment project in downtown Hartford between the XL Center and Union Station is now getting underway after being on the drawing board for nearly two years. CDRA’s taxpayer-backed loan rose from $4 million to $6.6 million. In addition to CRDA, the financing package includes a $5.4 million mortgage from United Bank, $5.3 […]

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FuelCell inks power agreement for Hartford project

Danbury-based FuelCell Energy Inc. announced Thursday it signed long-term power purchase agreements with local utilities to cover a 7.4-megawatt project in Hartford. The Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) will grant final authorization of the agreements. The project aims to improve the public electricity grid serving commercial and industrial portions of the city, the company […]

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Civil engineers give state’s infrastructure a C-

Combine the grades for their evaluation of bridges, drinking water, rails, roads and wastewater and the state gets an overall C- on its infrastructure. That’s what the Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers determined in their inaugural 2018 Report Card for Connecticut’s Infrastructure which was released Tuesday. They recommend a transportation lockbox to ensure “all transportation […]

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New London, labor and environmental leaders tout offshore wind’s potential

Spurred by the federal government’s leasing of waters along the East Coast, seven states have committed to build more than 10 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity in federal waters by 2030. Officials argue New London is a prime location for some manufacturing and shipping — a deepwater port, with no overhead obstructions, between Boston and […]

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I-84 reconstruction project nearly done in Waterbury

On Tuesday night, the final overlay on I-84 westbound was completed. Paving of the exit ramps will continue for the next few days. The paving process involves strict requirements and extensive testing to ensure a high-quality roadway is built that won’t crack or sink to create potholes. I-84 reconstruction project nearly done in Waterbury

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N.Y. developer submits plan for 151-room hotel at Hale Mill in Norwich

Mill Development LLC of Woodside, N.Y., which purchased the mill for $826,000 on June 1, submitted three sets of plans to the city Planning and Neighborhood Services Department for inland wetlands, site development and special permits needed for the project. The project needs approval first by the city’s Inland Wetlands, Watercourses and Conservation Commission, which […]

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Newington PZC nixes affordable housing complex

Newington’s Planning and Zoning Commission on Wednesday voted against a $32 million-plus affordable-housing development proposed near one of Newington’s CTfastrak busway stations. Dakota Partners, which also owns Hartford’s Capitol Lofts and 179 Allyn St. apartment buildings, may appeal the decision as the town has less than 10 percent affordable housing, Minor said. http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/20181025/NEWS01/181029963

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Route 9 improvement project in Middletown to begin construction in spring

The overall price tag for the project is $70.75 million. Eighty percent of the costs would be borne by the federal government and 20 percent by the state. The second phase is the creation of 18 bump-outs, or curb extensions, to ease pedestrian volume for those crossing Main Street downtown. https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/middletown/article/Route-9-improvement-project-in-Middletown-to-13336978.php

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Voters to decide if state should create ‘legal lockbox’ for transportation costs

One of the proposed amendments, which has gotten a hefty share of headlines over the past three years, involves creating a legal “lockbox” to safeguard the gasoline tax and other related revenues from being spent on non-transportation purposes. And while the transportation fund, on paper, is projected to run surpluses over the next four fiscal […]

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Costco moves forward in East Lyme

The Costco store would serve as the initial phase of the retail component proposed for the Gateway Commons development, a 200-acre site between Exits 73 and 74. Zoning official Bill Mulholland said developers overseeing the Costco project recently submitted a building permit application with the town. The application is yet to be approved by both […]

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Gaming execs say third CT casino still viable

U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras in Washington, D.C., declined to force federal action, but the tribes aren’t giving up. In fact, the Mashantucket tribe and state of Connecticut are asking a federal court to revive their lawsuit, charging that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke refused to sign off on the deal due to political pressure. […]

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From Factory Restorations To Hundreds Of New Apartments, These Hartford Developments Have The Power To Reshape The City

Developers, particularly from New York, have taken a keen interest in Hartford, where real estate is less costly than in Boston or New York City. So far, demand seems to be holding up with overall occupancy in completed projects averaging 95 percent or better, CRDA says. http://www.courant.com/real-estate/property-line/hc-biz-hartford-development-projects-20181015-story.html

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Hamden secures grant to make ‘strongly recommended’ bridge repairs

The Legislative Council unanimously accepted a $110,287.50 grant this week to fund the needed repair of the Chatterton Way Bridge, which spans Jepp Brook. The town was able to secure the funding through the 2018 State Local Bridge Program, Austin said. The measure was created by the state Legislature in 1984 to help municipalities defray […]

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Downtown North Could Need $60 Million In State Taxpayer-Backed Financing

The State Bond Commission already has approved $12 million for the first phase of the mixed-use development that aspires to rebuild a barren stretch separating downtown from the city’s northern neighborhoods. Developer Randy Salvatore, owner of Stamford-based RMS Cos., hopes to manage the Downtown North project, but he needs approval from Hartford’s city council. http://www.courant.com/real-estate/property-line/hc-biz-crda-downtown-north-subsidy-20181019-story.html

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New developer, plans for W. Hartford convent

Developer Martin J. Kenny, principal in multifamily developer-landlord Lexington Partners, submitted to West Hartford town planners a revised development schematic for Acadia Crossing, now called One Park Place, at 27 Park Road, at the corner of Prospect Street, bordering Hartford. Acadia Crossing originally was pitched as a potential $100 million development. But town papers do […]

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Oxford power plant is commissioned

While it has been online since June, the CPV Towantic Energy Center on Woodruff Hill Road was formally commissioned by state and local officials Wednesday, acknowledging what is now one of the state’s largest single generator plants — second only to Dominion Energy’s Millstone nuclear power plant in Waterford. While its billed output capped at […]

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Norwalk Harbor Keeper steps up pressure on DOT to rethink Walk Bridge replacement

In January 2018, Norwalk Harbor Keeper filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court, challenging the DOT, FTA and U.S. Department of Transportation to rethink the bridge replacement plan. The nonprofit group asked the court to invalidate the state and FTA’s plan to replace the Walk Bridge with a new 240-foot lift bridge and instead “fully […]

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Architect Shares Updated Plans for Newington Town Hall

Architects shared updated and detailed plans for the Newington town hall renovation project Wednesday night. The renovation project was approved by voters during a 2017 referendum. In June, the project was estimated to cost $30 million. The town has been considering a renovation or the construction of a new building since 2009. http://www.courant.com/community/newington/hc-news-newington-town-hall-renovation-update-20181011-story.html

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State plans meeting on $6M safety project for Route 202

A $6 million plan to improve busy Federal Road is back on track. The state Department of Transportation will conduct a public information meeting on proposed safety improvements along Route 202 in Brookfield later this month. The work was among the $4.3 billion worth of transportation projects the state had postponed at the start of […]

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Senate Overwhelmingly Passes Water Infrastructure Bill

Congress has approved major water infrastructure legislation that authorizes $3.7 billion for new Army Corps of Engineers civil-works projects and $4.4 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water program. A major element of the water infrastructure legislation is a new Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) title, which authorizes $3.7 billion in federal funds for 12 […]

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Ideanomics Closes on $5.2 Million Purchase Of Former UConn Campus In West Hartford

Ideanomics, formerly Seven Stars Cloud Group, closed the deal on its $5.2 million purchase of the 58-acre former UConn campus, the company announced Wednesday. The company plans to invest $283 million to develop fintech solutions through artificial intelligence and blockchain, and create 330 jobs. http://www.courant.com/community/west-hartford/hc-news-west-hartford-ideanomics-closes-uconn-campus-20181010-story.html

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Winsted school committee interviewing architects to renovate Hinsdale School

In the 18 months since the Mary P. Hinsdale Elementary School was closed, a group of residents, elected officials and construction experts have worked toward a plan to reopen the building and resume classes by fall 2019. The total projected cost for the renovation project is $2.9 million, with the potential for state construction grants […]

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Bethel schools redo plans, costs OK’d

The estimates keep the project on the $65.8 million budget voters approved last fall. Upgrades to Rockwell are projected to cost $24.7 million, while Johnson is estimated at $41.1 million. A state grant is covering 45 percent of eligible costs. School administrators will meet with state officials Wednesday for approval of the construction documents. With […]

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D.C. judge deals setback to East Windsor casino

In a 58-page decision filed Saturday, Judge Rudolph Contreras of the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia ruled that Connecticut and the Mashantucket Pequots have no legal standing to compel Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to accept revisions to the state’s existing gambling agreement with the tribe. “We started this process […]

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Lamont finds more dollars for transportation than Stefanowski, but not enough to fix everything

Lamont also said he would build on the rail system linking Hartford and north central Connecticut with New Haven by adding WiFi service on trains, improving bus connections linking the Hartford rail line and Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, and increasing daily round trips between New Haven, Hartford and Springfield, Mass. Lamont also promises […]

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School building project hits a snag

The dispute surrounding the Smalley Elementary School project can be traced back to another project in the city – the Gaffney Elementary School project from 2013-2015. After state-funded projects are completed, officials from the state conduct an audit on the project before officially closing the books. According to the city’s Finance Director Lori Granato, that […]

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OSHA: Bridgeport work site employees exposed to hazards

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited L.L.E. Construction LLC, a company based in Bridgeport, for “exposing employees to fall and other hazards” at a Bridgeport site. With the citation comes $146,554 in proposed penalties. The company’s citation was for failing to provide its employees with fall protection, failing to train […]

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More Than $500 Million In Borrowing Approved For Projects On Schools, Roadways And More

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and the State Bond Commission approved more than $500 million in borrowing Thursday, pushing the state toward its maximum bonding cap for the year. The money was allocated for a wide variety of programs, including constructing schools, fixing roadways and helping companies such as Aer Lingus, which flies out of Bradley […]

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Report: Hundreds of State Bridges Need Repair

The report is from TRIP, a national nonprofit transportation research group based in Washington, D.C. that is sponsored by insurance companies, equipment manufacturers and businesses involved in highway construction. According to the 2017 study conducted by the national transportation nonprofit, more than 8 percent of Connecticut bridges, 308 in total, are considered structurally deficient. Which […]

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Manufacturer postpones quest for $17.3M Windsor facility

Fabbrica LLC, which has 100 employees at administrative offices in Enfield and a manufacturing facility at 25 and 35 International Dr. in Windsor, plans to expand and consolidate its locations under one roof, according to Jim Burke, Windsor’s economic development director. The town’s Economic Development Commission in July approved awarding the company a $634,951 tax […]

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FedEx distribution hub bows in Aetna’s former Middletown site

FedEx Ground on Wednesday will unveil its $220 million, 600,000-square-foot package-collection and distribution hub in Aetna’s former Middletown hilltop site. Based in Pittsburgh, Pa., FedEx Ground, the multinational courier’s small-package ground delivery subsidiary, acquired the land on Middle Street for $18 million in 2016 and broke ground shortly thereafter. http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/20180919/NEWS01/180919891/1002

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Bridgeport ordinance encourages local and second-chance hiring

The City Council has passed an ordinance encouraging developers who receive subsidies — tax incentives, breaks on the purchase price of public property — to prioritize local hiring. The hiring proposal, spearheaded by Councilman Ernie Newton, asks developers partnering on projects with the city to try to give 20 percent of new construction jobs created […]

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Millstone, offshore wind in zero-carbon auction mix

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection paved the way for nuclear power to compete in the auction this summer, after fierce pushes from lawmakers and repeated warnings from Dominion that Millstone faced premature closure largely because the wholesale market is dominated by cheaper natural gas. Millstone remains considerably profitable, according to public data, but […]

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Bond Commission to consider tens of millions for econ. development projects

The funding the 10-member commission will consider includes about $52.69 million for the Capital Region Development Authority, the quasi-public state agency responsible for investing in development projects in Hartford and surrounding communities, according to the commission’s agenda. In addition, the state Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) is requesting $68 million to enhance the […]

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Rep. Larson Says Hartford Can Learn From Seattle As City Considers Tunnel Plan For I-84 And I-91

U.S. Rep. John Larson, who has been pushing an ambitious and expensive tunnel system to bury I-84 and I-91 beneath Hartford, says Connecticut can now learn from Seattle as it contemplates what to about the aging I-84 viaduct and the bottleneck at the interchange with I-91. There are similarities with Seattle: the urgency to replace […]

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‘Donor state’ Conn. gets more than its fair share of federal contracting dollars

Because it is a high-income state, Connecticut residents pay more federal taxes, on average, than those in most other states — $9,998.60 per taxpayer in 2017. But when it comes to federal contracting dollars,  Connecticut is nearly always near the top of the list. According to the federal database USAspending.gov, in 2014, companies and non-profits […]

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Seymour sues paving company to stop asphalt millings

Town officials are suing a paving company and two property owners for allegedly failing to take adequate measures to stop asphalt millings from entering wetlands and harming the environment. The town and Inland Wetlands Commission recently filed the action in Superior Court in Milford against P & S Paving Inc., and John and Anna Fanotto […]

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With Plans For A Quarter-Billion Dollar XL Center Makeover Stalled, Sights Turn Toward Scaled Down Renovations

The Capital Region Development Authority has asked SCI Architects of New York and Stafford Sports, a sports and entertainment consulting firm in New Jersey, to develop options for a makeover that could cost between $75 million and $100 million. Even if an acceptable scaled-back plan emerges, there are still significant obstacles to any renovation. The […]

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With construction jobs booming, extra hands scarce

In an Associated General Contractors survey with Autodesk of more than 165 Northeast builders published recently of contractors looking to hire hourly tradesmen for construction jobs, 86 percent said they had difficulties filling those jobs. The effect of worker shortages is cascading into projects, according to AGC. Nearly half of U.S. general contractors told the […]

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Projects for New Haven’s downtown entertainment district vary

The New Haven Parking Authority wants to lease the estimated 10,000- to 11,000-square-foot former club space adjacent to the Crown Street garage to an organization that will draw the largest number of new patrons downtown with a positive spillover for the hospitality, retail and restaurant sectors. A consortium that includes Long Wharf Theatre, the Shubert […]

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Construction embraces apprentices, too

According to Todd Berch, who is the state Department of Labor’s apprenticeship manager, there are between 5,000 and 5,500 men and women enrolled in two- to four-year construction apprentice training programs. Those who successfully complete the training, Berch said, are then eligible to apply to take the state’s journeymen licensing examination. http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/20180903/PRINTEDITION/308309949

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New Developer Takes Over Redevelopment Of Crucial Corner Of Hartford’s Main And Park Streets

CIL, formerly the Corporation for Independent Living, envisioned the development being constructed in sections, with the first phase possibly not completed until 2022. The nonprofit also wanted to put together the pieces of a financing package before firmly committing to any one of them, but the city wanted to show more solid progress. Bronin said […]

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Construction progressing on Amazon fulfillment center off Route 5 in North Haven

The $250 million warehouse and fulfillment center is expected to open in mid-May next year on the site of the former Pratt & Whitney manufacturing plant. The town is also working with the state Department of Transportation, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on plans to […]

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Stamford reps reject no-bid bridge repair pact

The importance of the bridge was evident from the attendance of others at the six-hour meeting — Mayor David Martin and members of his cabinet; neighborhood activists; a city attorney; the traffic chief, city engineer and planner; preservationists; and members of the Mill River Collaborative and Downtown Special Services District. At issue is whether the […]

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Housing project plan in Newington faces opposition

The Town Plan and Zoning Commission heard from over a dozen people Aug. 8 about an application from Massachusetts-based affordable housing developer Dakota Partners for a 108-unit apartment complex at 550 Cedar St. “We believe affordable housing is a very important component of any economy,” Dakota Partners Principal Roberto Arista said. “It provides housing for […]

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New mixed-use developments in Middletown aim to encourage people to ‘eat, live, play’ near home

Over the last six weeks or so, scores of people driving by Route 66/Washington Street near the Staples plaza have watched the felling of trees and construction crews clearing a 15-acre formerly forested plot that borders Carabetta Apartments on Plaza Drive. Developer Robert Kempenaar II of Rhode Island plans to build retail or office space […]

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Ansonia trolley tracks from the past head into future

About a hundred feet of cement-encased trolley tracks have been unearthed by J. Iapaluccio Construction company workers during the ongoing $5.2 million rebuild of Wakelee Avenue, which runs from Seymour to Derby passing Nolan Field on the city’s west side. Sheila O’Malley, the city’s economic development director, said the city is considering putting the remaining […]

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Stop-work orders issued at Groton water treatment plan

Paul Oates, a spokesman for the Connecticut Department of Labor, confirmed that the department on Thursday issued stop-work orders to the Massachusetts-based Callahan & Montalto Site Construction and to the Texas-based Malden Steel. These two companies have been among the subcontractors working on the $54 million renovation of the water treatment plant, located off Poquonnock […]

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State’s labor challenges are many

Connecticut employers will need to fill an estimated 56,000 jobs annually through 2024, and several industries — health care, manufacturing and construction — are facing significant labor shortages, or the need to fill tens of thousands of jobs in the coming years, according to estimates from the state’s economists. While Connecticut is a wealthy state, […]

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What’s new, CCSU? New facilities and more to come

As the fall semester is about to begin, university officials continue to beam over the Campus of the Future project, the latest installment of which is on track to open in January. The $62 million Willard-DiLoreto construction task being funded through state bonds will be up-and-running after the 2018 winter break and feature 21 departments, […]

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Bethel police station to be completed by end of month

About 99 percent of the exterior of the $14.4 million building is complete, while electricians, painters and cleaning crews are tackling the inside, Jon Menti, chair of the building committee, said at a recent selectmen meeting. But the station is not expected to be fully complete until Aug. 31 — later than officials had originally […]

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Following setback, $200M Windsor Locks project begins local approval process

A Long Island developer whose ambitious $200 million proposed sports complex in Windsor Locks was sidelined last month amid concerns about his past legal history is scheduled to appear before the town’s planning and zoning commission Monday night in the hopes of winning approval of his conceptual plan. Borgia said he’s also discussed his New […]

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$200M+ Avon Village Center project advances

A Rhode Island developer says construction could begin as early as Oct. 1 in Avon’s center on the initial phase of a long-awaited residential, office and retail complex that when fully complete will represent an investment “north of $200 million.” Carpionato Group, of Johnston, R.I., received unanimous approval July 31 from Avon’s planning and zoning […]

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