Nighttime I-95, Merritt lane closures planned in Norwalk, Darien, New Haven for pavement upgrades

To extend the lifespan of the pavement on the Merritt Parkway and Interstate 95, the state Department of Transportation is conducting an $18.8 million preservation project on those roadways in Norwalk, Darien and other municipalities. “The Connecticut Department of Transportation is announcing the start of a pavement preservation program to improve the existing wearing surface […]

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Proposed 1.25 million-square-foot warehouse in Plainfield approved by commission

The proposed Uline warehouse in Plainfield was approved by the Plainfield Planning and Zoning Commission at its meeting Tuesday night. This project was approved with conditions that Uline needs to handle before beginning construction. The project calls for the construction of a 1.25 million-square-foot commercial warehouse as well as associated parking and drainage on property […]

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Quarry operation in Gales Ferry back on the table

A controversial plan to create a quarry operation at Mount Decatur has been resubmitted by Gales Ferry Intermodal LLC, this time offering some financial incentives to the town while claiming the operation wouldn’t create “any objectionable impacts either from noise or dust.” The application for a special use permit at the former Dow Chemical plant […]

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New offices approved for Pratt & Whitney campus in East Hartford, but no set date for construction

The town’s Planning and Zoning Commission Wednesday approved a proposal by the Raytheon Technologies Group to build a new, five-story, 313,000-square-foot office building on 16.6 acres of the Pratt & Whitney campus off of Silver Lane. In a statement from the company, the official also said the proposal presented Wednesday did not signal that demolition […]

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Architect chosen for $335 million Hartford federal courthouse project

The U.S. General Services Administration awarded a $32.2 million contract for architectural and engineering services for a federal courthouse planned for Hartford, the agency announced Thursday. The proposed courthouse will provide 11 courtrooms, 18 judge chambers and offices for court-related agencies, along with 66 secured parking spaces. It is supposed to replace the existing courthouse […]

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New Haven advances transit oriented development — with extra step for housing

With climate change in mind, a New Haven aldermanic committee advanced a zoning proposal that would allow as-of-right restaurants, supermarkets, and offices — but not housing — along the Union Station railroad tracks. The vote that followed marked progress in the New Haven Parking Authority’s long-brewing effort to redevelop vacant lots around Union Station, an area currently zoned for […]

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State transportation projects need better oversight: DOT audit

The Federal Highway Administration has not completed guidance that state transportation departments need to administer programs supported by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and other federal funds, according to an audit released Monday by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General. The FHWA oversees approximately $350 billion in funding from the IIJA. […]

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Pratt & Whitney plans new 313K-square-foot office building, part of multi-year upgrade to East Hartford campus

Aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney plans to build a new 313,000-square-foot office building on its East Hartford campus, according to an application before the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission. The new building is part of a longer-term renovation to Pratt & Whitney’s headquarters, which includes 4.8 million square feet of manufacturing, warehouse, laboratory, office and […]

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Wilton gets federal funds to replace bridge that’s been closed for years on Sugar Hollow Road

The bridge carries Sugar Hollow Road over the Norwalk River in the Georgetown section of northern Wilton near the Ridgefield border. The federal funds were released under the Federal Local Bridge Program, administered by the Connecticut Department of Transportation. Preliminary design work is expected to begin this spring, with construction likely starting in 2028, Boucher […]

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Groundbreaking held for South Norwalk School; will end decades of educational inequity for students

Construction has officially begun at what will become the first school in the South Norwalk neighborhood in over 40 years, mending a long overdue inequity for local students. The new state-of-the-art school will fill a whole in the South Norwalk community that has existed since the late 1970s, when Norwalk Public Schools shuttered Nathaniel Ely […]

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Contractors showing ‘robust’ interest in New London’s Coast Guard Museum

More than two dozen contractors hoping to take part in the construction of the National U.S. Coast Guard Museum attended a “robust” bid opening event earlier this month, museum association leaders said Monday. Pulver said 70% of the project’s anticipated $150 million price tag ― which includes the creation of a pedestrian bridge projected to […]

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Plans for Massive Data Center Linked to Nuclear Power Spark Debate on Connecticut’s Energy Future

Thomas Quinn wants to build a hyperscale data center — what would be the single largest user of electricity in Connecticut — next to the Millstone Nuclear Power plant in Waterford. A few weeks ago, Quinn, president of NE Edge, and his partners Christopher Regan and William DiBella spoke with CT Examiner about the project. […]

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Region to see major transportation projects over next four years

The Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments, which serves as a transportation planning organization for the region, has published the draft document, called the Transportation Improvement Program FY 2024-2028, and is seeking comments from the public. The plan is described as “a four-year program that prioritizes and documents the funding of federally funded transportation improvement projects […]

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Shelton plan for ‘upscale’ housing, marina on River Road approved: ‘Make it happen’

At last Wednesday’s meeting, the Planning and Zoning Commission approved plans for 35 condos, 110 apartments, a restaurant, a medical office building and boat storage along the Housatonic River. All of this has been in the works in some form for roughly 17 years. These latest plans were filed early last year. Ricar, LLC and […]

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Permit for sports complex on CT/Mass border delayed again as developers clarify plan for turf fields

Andrew Borgia of Fast Track Realty is planning to develop the former MassMutual property at 85 and 100 Bright Meadow Boulevard for a sports complex. All Sports Village, as the project is called, would have outdoor fields, a basketball building, along with a hotel, restaurant, additional retail space, and a family entertainment center. The complex […]

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Vineyard Offshore Submits Proposal For 1,200 MW Offshore Wind Project In New England

Vineyard Offshore, an offshore wind development company, has submitted a proposal, Vineyard Wind 2, for a 1,200 MW offshore wind project to Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island responding to the New England states’ solicitation for up to 6,800 MW of offshore wind capacity. The proposed project will deliver 1,200 MW of clean, reliable energy to […]

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Hartford HealthCare to use $150M in new debt financing for systemwide facility upgrades

Hartford HealthCare will use up to $150 million in new debt financing to fund significant upgrades at its various hospitals and a new proton therapy center it’s developing in Wallingford in partnership with Yale New Haven Health. The debt is being issued through the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority (CHEFA), a quasi-public state agency […]

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Lamont: ‘Extraordinary’ new Norwalk High School is part of CT’s ‘secret sauce’

Mayor Harry Rilling and Superintendent of Schools Alexandra Estrella both described the high level of reimbursement as “unheard of” as they stood amid large excavators, mounds of dirt and metal beams at the rear of Norwalk High School, next to the turf field. With that reimbursement rate, Norwalk’s taxpayers will be responsible for $47.8 million […]

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Four wind power developers submit new plans to CT, two other neighboring states

Connecticut energy officials and their counterparts in Massachusetts and Rhode Island have received offshore wind project proposals from four developers: Avangrid Renewables, Orsted, SouthCoast Wind and Vineyard Offshore. The developers submitted their bids on Wednesday, and Connecticut officials say they are reviewing the proposals. Details of the plans were not immediately available. The first project […]

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Stratford approves updated plans for 100-unit Lordship apartment building

A developer who sought to increase the size of an already approved apartment building planned for Lordship Boulevard has agreed to keep the structure at 100 units, but has been allowed to tweak the number of affordable apartments. The Stratford Zoning Commission on Wednesday voted unanimously to approve updated plans from Stamford-based Empire Residential to […]

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Delayed, over-budget Bridgeport flood control project on track for $47M federal boost

The federal government is expected to bail out a delayed, over-budget South End flood control initiative, but the release of the dollars, and actual construction, are still months away. The massive coastal flood risk reduction initiative was launched locally after the destruction Hurricane Sandy caused in the South End in 2012. Once installed, the infrastructure […]

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Norwich Public Utilities’ proposed budget would drop by $3.89 million next year

Norwich Public Utilities officials presented a proposed $105.9 million 2024-25 budget for all four of its service divisions that calls for a decrease in spending of $3.89 million, a 3.67% drop from this year’s budget. A five-year, $200 million upgrade of the city sewage treatment plant started this year, and planned major upgrades to the […]

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Plans for offshore wind power blow back into New England

Nearly a year after some of the region’s largest offshore wind developers began making noises about pulling out of their projects because of increased costs, and six months after they actually did, a new round of bidding coordinated among three states appears to show that interest in developing offshore wind is still strong, even with […]

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Here’s how one West Hartford company finds new energy in old landfills

Verogy, which works with all things solar energy, has a knack for turning landfills no longer fulfilling their original purpose into renewable energy. “All the landfills we’re using are what are called closed and capped,” said Brian Fitzgerald, the company’s director of development. “They’re no longer accepting any bulky waste and trash.” It’s one of […]

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‘Broad discretion in setting rates’: Judge sides with PURA, dismissing most claims in Aquarion’s rate cut appeal

Superior Court Judge Matthew Budzik sided with PURA in dismissing nine of the 12 counts of Aquarion’s appeal. He remanded two counts to PURA, along with part of a third. Budzik upheld PURA’s methodology in determining rate cases, saying that the agency has broad discretion. He dismissed Aquarion’s claim that the rate decision was “confiscatory.” […]

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Aquarion is for sale, but who will buy it? Here’s a look at what’s next

As Eversource Energy continues to explore the sale of its Aquarion Water subsidiary, it’s unclear exactly how many companies may be interested in buying it. The purchase, however, will have a ripple effect across Connecticut with more than 236,000 customers in 72 municipalities across three states. Financial analysts have said the California-based corporate parent of […]

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Renovation of XL Center in Hartford will be scaled back after bids come in some $33M over budget

Many of the bids came back in the $140 million range on a project budgeted at $107 million, Capital Region Development Authority officials told the agency’s board on Thursday. Higher costs for labor and materials likely pushed the bids up above the original budget, according to Michael Freimuth, executive director of the CRDA. The first […]

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BLT yanks North 7 plans over Norwalk P&Z requirement to bury power lines; ‘Economically not viable’

The fate of the North 7 development plan is unknown after Stamford developer Building and Land Technology yanked its application for a 266-unit mixed-use apartment building over a city requirement that developers bury the utility lines. “At this point, to underground the overhead utilities that currently exist would literally cost several million dollars, and by […]

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Developer of Brainerd Place mixed-use complex in Portland seeks tax break, 110 more apartments

Real estate developer Daniel Bertram, a principal with BRT Companies of Danbury, came before the Board of Selectmen earlier this month to explain proposed updates to the project. Construction is proceeding at the 14.7-acre property at the corner of Main (Route 17) and Marlborough streets (Route 66), near the Arrigoni Bridge. New traffic lights at […]

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As Waterbury’s population grows, blighted downtown sites are giving way to new housing, business

Established in the late 1800s, Drescher’s occupied the building at 21 Leavenworth in various forms until 2021, when the pandemic shuttered many of downtown Waterbury’s restaurants. Now the area is slowly stirring back to life, and the co-owner of Tullamore Public House hopes to help bring business to the entire downtown district. The Tullamore’s opening […]

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State Pier construction nears completion

The last pile was driven on March 13, and dredging around the pier wrapped up in February, later than initially anticipated but still in time to accommodate the arrival next month of offshore wind turbine components for Ørsted and Eversource’s next project, Revolution Wind. Hundreds of the piles, which are metal pipes ranging in diameter […]

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Renovation of CT sports and entertainment arena skyrockets to $140M. It’s a ‘nonstarter.’

A major renovation of Hartford’s XL Center would cost tens of millions of dollars more than an estimate of $107 million, throwing into uncertainty a long-debated makeover of the aging arena and likely forcing another downsizing. Five months ago, the Capital Region Development Authority sought bids for what the already-downsized renovation of the sports and […]

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Small, medium, large: Options for East Lyme Community Center upgrades run the gamut

A vision for the aging Community Center laid out by a team of specialists in architecture, landscape design and community engagement has given the Board of Selectmen a lot to consider as it weighs what the community wants against how much taxpayers can afford to pay. Consultant Brian Cleveland, of Brian Cleveland Architects, on Wednesday […]

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The transformation of a 1928 building into new Farmington Town Hall is underway

For so many townspeople, the 1928-era building at Farmington High School is a landmark, a structure whose walls safeguard the memories of generations of residents. And in an April 2023 referendum, voters decided the fate of the nearly 100-year-old building, with an overwhelming consensus to save and renovate it. Now, what was once classrooms for […]

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Hartford mixed-income housing project gets $5 million in state funding to build 50 more units

The redevelopment of the now-demolished Bowles Park apartments in Hartford’s Blue Hills neighborhood will enter its fourth stage with the help of $5 million in state funding. At the site of the old Bowles Park, a 410-unit state housing complex, sits Willow Creek, a mixed-income housing facility with several community amenities. The most recent round […]

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Proposed Budget Boosts IIJA Transportation Construction Programs

With almost $79 billion earmarked for highway, safety and transit programs, the budget also adds $9.5 billion to support the resilience, safety and sustainability of the nation’s transportation network via the bipartisan infrastructure law. Enacted in late 2021, IIJA is the Biden administration’s outline for “building a better America,” according to the Federal Transit Administration. […]

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Connecticut wants to penalize insurers for backing fossil fuel projects

Legislation in Connecticut, the capital of the American insurance industry and home to several of its largest carriers, could make insurers pay for that contradiction. If passed, the bill, which just cleared a committee vote in the state Senate, would move toward imposing a fee for any fossil fuel projects companies insure in-state. That revenue […]

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Somers solar facility petition denied due to potential adverse environmental effect

Town officials say they are relieved a proposed solar facility on South Road has been denied for its potential adverse environmental effect after they questioned whether the property would eventually be returned to its current agricultural use. The Connecticut Siting Council on March 14 denied a petition by Santa Fuel Inc. to build and operate […]

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Grove Court affordable housing complex in Vernon gets $6.8 million state grant

Grove Court is receiving a $6.8 million state grant for various improvements, the second round of financing in the past few months to finance a series of substantial upgrades to the affordable housing complex. The state-funded complex received $2 million in August for other extensive repairs. That was in addition to $3 million in federal […]

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Connecticut DOT receives $2 million in federal funding for Hartford highway ‘lowering’ project

A project to “lower” the highway system through Hartford that is expected to take some 25 years to complete got a $2 million boost from the U.S. Department of Transportation last week. The grant funding will enable preliminary engineering, environmental documentation, and public outreach for the River Gateway portion of the Greater Hartford Mobility Study. […]

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Waterbury rejects developers’ plans for former Anamet factory site

City officials are back to the drawing board after rejecting two requests for proposals from Cornerstone Realty and Industrial Realty Group, a Los Angeles-based developer, to redevelop the former Anamet factory site at 698 South Main St. City officials said Anamet, a 17-acre brownfield site, including a 180,000-square-foot high bay building, is crucial to revitalizing […]

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Traffic study envisions dramatic transformation of Norwich waterfront, downtown roads

Instead of cars whizzing through the waterfront area on multi-lane highways, traffic specialists envision two-way streets, walkways, roundabouts and even a pedestrian “Bridge of Roses” over the Yantic River. The City Council on Monday viewed concepts from a downtown Norwich mobility study that tackled how to fix the 1970s road patterns that raced traffic through […]

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Greenwich Avenue residents must endure nighttime noise from roadwork: ‘You can’t even sleep’

Aquarion Water Company and its contractors were recently working overnight near her home to replace 2,000 feet of aged water mains under Greenwich Avenue, but the light and the sound, she said, have kept Santos and some of her neighbors from sleeping. When crews come to work at night, Santos said, the engines of large […]

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Bridge work on Lovers Lane in Wilton will cause some traffic closures in area near Merwin Meadows

Motorists heading to the Merwin Meadows area will face intermittent closures on Lovers Lane on Monday and Tuesday due to work on a bridge replacement project, the town of Wilton announced. The entire bridge replacement project is expected to be completed this summer. A temporary bridge, allowing one lane of alternating traffic, was installed last […]

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New England Unions Push for Pro-Worker Strategy in Wind Energy Industry

In a joint virtual conference on Friday, union leaders from Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts expressed support for coordinated efforts by the governors of the three states to boost industry in the area, and called for development companies to commit to adopting high labor and wage standards, as well as ensuring that permanent workers can […]

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Torrington Co. campus being razed

Buildings on the campus of the Torrington Company are coming down piece by piece to preserve historic elements for reuse. As of last Thursday, 21 of the 29 structures on the 14-acre property have been slowly razed. To keep the site contained, crews work inside a shell of walls and roadside edifices. Carbone estimates the […]

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Massive tunnel under CT city for sewer waste is behind schedule. It could cost tens of millions more

A 4-mile tunnel carved out of bedrock under Hartford’s South End — the city’s very own Big Dig — is now nearly complete and will be a crucial component for eliminating sewer waste that overflows and pollutes Wethersfield Cove, the Connecticut River and other streams especially when there are heavy rainstorms. The Metropolitan District Commission […]

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With Fort Trumbull development planned out, what happens to the RCDA?

Last September, attorney Bill Sweeney stood in front of the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission to praise a development deal that would transform three long-vacant Fort Trumbull parcels into two apartment complexes and a six-story parking garage. RCDA notes on its website that its overarching mission, to work with developers on projects that will “complement […]

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With new Sherman St. bridge nearly complete, Norwich plans NL Turnpike bridge replacement

Reconstruction of the Sherman Street bridge is expected to be completed by August, and Norwich Public Works has its eye on replacing another key local bridge over the Yantic River on New London Turnpike. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D- Conn, recently announced that the Senate passed a funding bill with $106 million for projects across […]

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Lyman Allyn museum grounds ready for $4.5M facelift

A new piece of state funding in the form of a $1.6 million Community Investment Fund award announced this month, which requires final approval by the state Bond Commission, will enable the museum to fully realize Allyn’s wishes by transforming 12 acres of grounds into an “urban art park,” Quigley said. The park will feature […]

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Old Greenwich School renovation will cost $1.5M more because of town funding delays, committee told

The Old Greenwich School renovation project did not get construction funding last year, so the building committee is trying again — with a more expensive project estimated to cost $44.3 million to build. Originally, the OGS renovation project’s construction cost was estimated to be around $42.7 million, but the delay in approvals has resulted in […]

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Demolition underway at former Subway HQ in Milford: ‘Sad and exciting in the same breath’

Excavators made methodical work knocking down the former Subway headquarters on Thursday, a job expected to take about three weeks. The company moved to nearby Shelton last October. As of Thursday, about 10 percent of the main building was down and a maintenance building was gone, said Andy Howard, a project manager from Scinto’s construction […]

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Stamford gets $17M for 3,000 foot greenway along Mill River to connect West Side to train station

A project to connect the city’s West Side to the Stamford train station through a pedestrian corridor just got a $17 million federal boost. The plan, known as the “West Side Neighborhood Connector Project,” would create a 12-foot-wide path to fill a 3,000-foot missing gap in the city’s Mill River Greenway network, among other improvements. […]

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Stamford Awarded $17M as State Wins $21.8M to Reconnect Communities Split by Legacy Infrastructure

Most of the federal money to Connecticut, $17 million, has been awarded to Stamford, where it will be used to connect the struggling West Side to the prosperous downtown and growing South End. The aim is to ease travel from the West Side to downtown jobs, bus transit, shopping, services, and recreation. The city will […]

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354-unit Stamford development on Long Ridge Road gets OK from Planning Board

Developer Building and Land Technology wants to convert a four-story office building on a 25-acre site into a 354-unit residential complex at 800 Long Ridge Road. The development would include 618 total parking spaces, spread out over existing surface lots and an underground garage. The project also includes about 9,400 square feet of commercial space. […]

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Could expanding Abbott Tech help ease overcrowding at Danbury High? Student demand is high

As the local school district grapples with surging student enrollment and overcrowding at Danbury High School, local leaders have considered whether expanding Henry Abbott Technical High School could help resolve the issues. Expansion is possible, according to the leader of the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System, which oversees Abbott and 16 other technical high […]

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Plainville residents to vote on $61M middle school renovation project

Residents will decide on a $61 million middle school renovation project when it heads to referendum on Tuesday. While the total estimated cost of the project is $61,913,393, the estimated local cost to the town is $25,712,663. This is due to the project meeting the state’s “renovate as new” criteria, making 65.36 percent or $40,466,593 […]

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Norwalk advances traffic signal modernization project with $3.4 M federal grant, ‘two new signals’

Norwalk has received a $3.4 million federal grant that will cover the design and construction of the new signals, among other traffic improvements. TMP requested $380,461 of the grant to be allocated to the engineering consultant VHB to design the new intersections and design a new transit signal priority system for 56 intersections. The Economic […]

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East Hartford approves $6.5M for demolition in Founders Plaza, fewer apartments likely to be built

A newly executed agreement between the town and the developers of the Founders Plaza property near the bank of the Connecticut River transfers $6.5 million in state funding for demolition of the former Bank of America building. The new agreement, approved by the Town Council at a special meeting Monday, also reduced the minimum number […]

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New Norwalk High School’s $239M construction begins after 1 month delay

Construction officially began this week on the new Norwalk High School with the installation of fencing around the site. This marks the first step in the five-year project that is scheduled for completion in 2029, though students will start classes in fall 2027. The construction comes a month later than the district’s anticipated February start. […]

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Plan to cut CT’s transportation debt could offer more than savings

State Treasurer Erick Russell and Gov. Ned Lamont now hope to do something similar — albeit on a smaller scale — with Connecticut’s transportation program. Rather than attacking unfunded pension obligations, this plan would erase hundreds of millions of dollars in bonded debt, the principal and interest on highway, bridge, and rail projects. The goal […]

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Waterbury’s Hamilton Park getting a makeover

As part of nearly $9 million funding package from the federal government, the city will get $850,000 to help make the road through Hamilton Park more pedestrian friendly. The Hamilton Park project is part of the master plan to convert the 92-acre park into athletic fields and courts, said Tommy Hyde, executive director for Waterbury […]

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East Hartford approves conditions of $6.5M state grant for Founders Plaza redevelopment

East Hartford’s Town Council on Monday night agreed to conditions for the use of a $6.5 million state grant to demolish a building within the Founders Plaza office park, which will make way for a massive, mixed-use redevelopment. Under the agreement, the money will be used to demolish the 182,890-square-foot former Bank of America office […]

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Connecticut Green Bank awards no-bid contracts to nonprofit it created

The Green Bank shepherded the two towns through the process, including finding a contractor to build the solar installations and a way to finance the projects. The solar development company Greenskies Clean Focus, based out of North Haven, won the construction contract after a competitive bid. Although the Green Bank used a competitive bidding process […]

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New N.Y. offshore wind project would bring more work to New London

The state of New York has conditionally awarded one of two offshore wind projects to Ørsted and Eversource, a move that could translate into more activity at New London’s State Pier. Work at State Pier associated with Sunrise Wind would mean the assembly and marshaling of an additional 84 turbines right behind Revolution Wind’s 65-turbine […]

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Legislature seeks data center study; Concerns raised over delays

A proposal to study how large-scale data centers might affect the reliability of the state’s electric grid is drawing opposition from those who say it would delay critical development. The legislation would require the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to conduct the evaluation with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Office of Consumer Counsel […]

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CT towns tell legislative committee they want local control over the building of solar facilities

People from rural towns across the state with concerns that the Connecticut Siting Council has legal jurisdiction over the location of solar power facilities, rather than the municipalities, are hoping new legislation could give them more control of their land. Of particular interest to many who testified is HB 5361, which would give municipalities the […]

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East Norwalk train station, East Avenue closure begins Monday. Here’s what to know

Both the East Norwalk Train Station and a section of East Avenue will be closed for three weeks starting Monday due to construction work related to the Walk Bridge replacement project. The East Norwalk improvements are part of the $1 billion project to replace the 128-year-old Walk Bridge that connects millions of people to the […]

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$80M fuel cell project at the former Stanley Works campus in New Britain set to power up in May

An advanced fuel cell array that could turbo-charge future manufacturing in New Britain is in its final stages of testing and could hook up to the power grid as soon as May, according to city officials. The 67-fuel cell array — installed outdoors in a dilapidated section of the Stanley Works complex at 600 Myrtle […]

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East Hartford makes $760,000 in state funds available to Church Corners redevelopment

A developer picked by the town of East Hartford for the tricky redevelopment of a historic, but rundown downtown building into a modern 24-unit apartment building can now access $760,000 in state grant funds. East Hartford’s Town Council, on Tuesday, unanimously agreed to grant access to those funds to developer Parker Benjamin – who was […]

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Waterford selectmen approve hiring of manager to oversee firehouse project

The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday approved spending $306,650 to hire a program manager who will oversee the construction of the new Oswegatchie firehouse. Downes Construction Co. of New Britain will develop bids, review construction drawings, assist in the selection of the building contractor and oversee the day-to-day construction while reporting back to the building […]

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Trade industries push for apprenticeship hiring ratio reform

A Republican legislator who also runs a small electrical company wants to reduce the state’s apprenticeship hiring ratio, which supporters say would help bolster Connecticut’s trade industry workforce. The state Department of Consumer Protection imposes a so-called “hiring ratio” on contracting companies in electrical, plumbing and metal-working trades. The rule is a bit technical, but […]

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Stamford-based United Rentals to acquire construction company for $1.1 billion

United Rentals, the world’s largest equipment-rental company, announced this week that it agreed to acquire construction company Yak Access for about $1.1 billion from private equity firm Platinum Equity. The products and services of Hattiesburg, Mississippi-based Yak include approximately 600,000 hardwood, softwood and composite mats; temporary and permanent access roads; site evaluation; design and installation […]

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Wilton begins work to replace ‘overcrowded’ police station with new ‘modern’ home for department

With construction now underway on Wilton’s new police station, Chief Thomas Conlan said the new facility will be a “morale boost” to the department’s 41 officers. Branford-based A. Secondino & Son Inc., Wilton’s contractor for the new building, began working on the project two weeks ago, said Jeff Pardo, facilities manager and assistant director of […]

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Stamford developer BLT proposes 354-unit residential complex on Long Ridge Road

Developer Building and Land Technology is proposing to convert a four-story office building on a 25-acre site into a 354-unit residential complex at 800 Long Ridge Road that will include 618 total parking spaces, spread out over existing surface lots and an underground garage. The project also includes about 9,400 square feet of commercial space. […]

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Union members, CT mayors advocate for school building project labor agreement: what is it?

The Project Labor Agreement itself emphasizes local employment opportunities with the Norwich-New London Building Trades Council holding career fairs for five years, with a hiring goal of 25% from Norwich and 30% from the New London Council. The council will also assist with local workforce initiatives. Non-union workers can also work on the school project […]

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Norwich will use agreements with local trade unions to build new schools

The City Council late Monday heard from nearly three dozen union trades workers and union leaders before voting 4-3 to require Project Labor Agreements for the city’s $385 million school construction project. The agreement requires the contract manager to reach pre-hiring agreements with the Norwich-New London Building Trades Council to provide local skilled trades workers […]

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Developer: ‘More practical’ vision for massive East Hartford Founders Plaza redevelopment is still grand

Developers planning around 1,000 apartments in a mixed-use redevelopment of East Hartford’s Founders Plaza office park will have up to four years to finish a first-phase building of at least 150 units in return for $6.5 million in state demolition funding. The Port Eastside partnership – which includes several prominent area businessmen – plans to […]

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Speed cameras proven to work in state construction zones

Experimental speed cameras in highway construction zones so effectively reduced speeding that state transportation officials want to permanently use them. Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto told state legislators on the Transportation Committee that the two-year pilot program resulted in significant reduction in traveling speeds in five work zones where the speed cameras were tested. Eucalitto said […]

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Foundations laid for long-awaited New London community center

After months of site preparation, the footprint of the city’s $40 million community center took shape Monday morning as crews poured tons of concrete to create the floors of the facility’s programming and gym spaces. The day’s action was largely centered on the southern portions of the 58,000-square-foot center, which will include the gym, recreation […]

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CT town plans summer upgrades for Elm and Hubbard Streets

The Planning and Zoning Commission held an informational meeting last week to hear about the two road projects – Elm Street, from Main to Gay streets, and Hubbard Street, from Boyd Street (Route 263) to its dead end. Public works Director James Rollins told the commission both projects will improve the roads, sidewalks and drainage. […]

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Set for Hartford growth spurt, UConn seeks to offer downtown student housing

The University of Connecticut is deepening its ties to the Capital City, with plans to grow its downtown campus footprint while connecting students to new research, employment, internship and even housing opportunities. The expansion includes UConn taking over 51,000 square feet of vacant space at the XL Center, where the school this fall will debut […]

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Manchester secures $1.9M in federal funding for solar, geothermal projects at elementary schools

The town will receive $1.9 million in federal funding for two of its “net-zero” elementary schools after the costs to renovate them exceeded the initial estimates. Manchester secured $81 million in bonds for the project, with roughly two-thirds sourced from the state’s Construction Grant Program, and allocated $5 million from the town’s reserve fund. Buckley […]

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Aquarion to install nearly 1.5 miles of water main in New Milford; delays possible on two streets

Work to install water mains is scheduled to begin Monday, March 4, on Prospect Hill Road and Dorwin Hill Road, which will ensure continued water system reliability for customers, Aquarion Water Co. said. The project will install 8,296 feet, or about 1.5 miles, of water main, according to Aquarion. It is part of an ongoing […]

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‘It’s happening quickly’: Griswold water, sewer project to start after $8 million from CT

Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz joined local officials Friday to highlight the $8,707,755 recently awarded to the Town of Griswold through the Community Investment Fund. The money will be used for a municipal water infrastructure project that will support more than 325 acres of commercial land along Route 164 and facilitate the Heritage River Village development, […]

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170 units proposed for Shelton’s Fountain Square development

The Shelton Planning and Zoning Commission at a hearing Wednesday heard plans from applicant F.S. Shelton LLC and principal John Abene for a five-story, multi-unit apartment complex at 745-801 Bridgeport Ave. The $25 million project, by developer Highview Commercial, would feature 170 apartments, a portion of which would be affordable. The development would feature nine […]

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Hartford’s Bushnell South project takes big step forward with purchase of large parking lot

Norwalk-based Spinnaker Real Estate Partners exercised its option on Tuesday to buy a 90,000-square-foot parking lot at Capitol Avenue and Hudson Street for $3.25 million, according to the Capital Region Development Authority. The authority voted in January to loan Spinnaker $3 million toward the purchase, which forms a crucial piece of the Bushnell South development […]

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Work on New Haven’s State Street won’t cause traffic nightmares, city engineer says

City Engineer Giovanni Zinn says the project to make a nine-block stretch of lower State Street more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly won’t involve street closures and will ultimately improve traffic and safety. The $6.7 million project, partially funded through a $5.35 million state Department of Economic and Community Development grant, will redesign the streetscape along a […]

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Major Connecticut River bridge to get $30 million work. Your commute may be affected

The state is preparing for a $30 million refurbishment of the Bissell Bridge, a key traffic link between I-84 and I-91 north of Hartford. Precise construction plans won’t be known until engineers do final designs in 2025, but the state department of transportation is letting the public know now that some potentially major weekend detours […]

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