Cleanup to begin at former Waterbury Button factory

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

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

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

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Lawmakers revert CT school construction bidding rules

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

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

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

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Bridgeport to hold off on demolishing Cherry Street Lofts buildings

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

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New application submitted to redevelop former UConn campus in West Hartford

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

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

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

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Lights are on at Torrington High

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Concrete arrives for Pomperaug High’s tennis courts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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There’s new hope for a significant CT greenway. It comes after decades of complex debate.

A draft of a new study by the Capitol Region Council of Governments, a regional planning agency, is breaking new ground in the decades-old debate over the long-term future of the state-owned Griffin Line. The study concludes that a trail system could safely and logistically run along one side of the active, single-track rail line, […]

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Proposed increase in barge traffic in Norwalk Harbor sparks debate: Trying to reduce heavy industry

Concerns about the future of Norwalk Harbor have arisen since O&G Industries proposed expanding its use of barges to transport construction supplies in the area. But the rowing community along with environmental activists have protested the pending change, which, if allowed, would mean more barges in Norwalk Harbor. Several rowing clubs also protested the proposed […]

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Hartford Line construction will cause temporary schedule changes for rail passengers

Train schedules for the Hartford Line will be disrupted from May 28 to Nov. 1 due to several planned construction projects. According to the state Department of Transportation, construction is set to take place weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., with further details on schedule changes expected to be released next month on its […]

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Gold Star Bridge meeting to be held Tuesday

The state Department of Transportation is encouraging people to share their feedback during a meeting on the rehabilitation of the northbound span of the Gold Star Memorial Bridge, scheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Groton Municipal Building at 295 Meridian St. and on Zoom. The meeting will be […]

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Stamford finance committee wants less money in school construction fund for 2024-25 budget

The Board of Representatives committee in charge of reviewing the budgets for the city and public schools has recommended that the full board approve them without any more cuts. However, the recommendation comes with an understanding that the Board of Finance will reduce the amount of money that will be raised through taxes for Stamford’s […]

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UConn’s Gampel Pavilion could see $100 million renovation project under proposal

UConn expects word out of the State Capitol by May 8, the day the General Assembly adjourns, on whether the state will fund a proposed Gampel Pavilion renovation of about $100 million. Already, $10 million in state bonding has been allocated toward more immediate improvements (scoreboard, court-level digital infrastructure, lower-bowl seating) to the Huskies’ on-campus […]

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As UConn’s 10-year, $1.5B NextGenCT initiative wraps up, school eyes additional investment in STEM facilities

UConn’s 10-year, $1.5 billion Next Generation Connecticut (NextGenCT) initiative, which targeted investments in facilities, faculty and enrollment, was touted as “one of the most ambitious state investments in economic development, higher education and research in the nation.” However, some shortfalls in initial funding expectations have hindered UConn’s ability to achieve some NextGenCT goals, particularly around […]

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Cracks filled, lane reopens on I-95 in East Lyme

Cracks about 60 feet long on Interstate 95 north between exits 74 and 75 closed the right lane Thursday afternoon for several hours while crews investigated the integrity of the road and worked to resolve the problem. The fissures were due to settling caused by the failure of a temporary retaining wall designed to support […]

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Developers withdraw plans for vacant Regal Cinemas in Branford

The vacant Regal Cinemas building may stay that way for some time after developers shelved plans to redevelop the site at one of the town’s busiest intersections. CP Branford LLC withdrew its application at the Planning and Zoning Commission’s April 18 meeting. Developers were seeking to have the parcel rezoned as a Planned Development District […]

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Danbury leaders scrap middle school in revised Career Academy plan due to high school overcrowding

The former Cartus Corp. building would be used solely as a high school and not for grades 6-8, if the Board of Education adopts school officials’ new plan for the building. The building that formerly housed the Cartus Corp. is slated to open in the 2025-26 school year, three years after city voters approved a […]

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Bad Bunny concert highlights need for XL Center improvements: ‘Logistically, it was difficult’

Reggaeton star Bad Bunny not only brought 14,000 fans and a financial windfall to Hartford’s XL Center early this month — he also brought 33 trucks of gear. Those trucks had to navigate Asylum Street and the XL Center’s out-of-date loading docks, highlighting the need for a $100-million-plus upgrade of the arena’s infrastructure so it […]

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‘We will have a state-of-the-art system’: NPU gets $10.9 million for gas line replacements

While Norwich Public Utilities General Manager Chris LaRose is glad to receive any money from the government, he was ecstatic that it it’s enough to complete a large project in the city. Norwich Public Utilities announced Monday it will receive $10.9 million from the federal government to replace aging natural gas lines. Last year, NPU […]

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EPA penalizes Bethel painting company for lead violations; firm agrees to pay more than $13,000

The EPA announced Tuesday that it had taken action against WestFair Painting Corp., requiring the Bethel-based CertaPro franchise to come into compliance with the RRP Rule, which aims to protect the public from lead-based paint hazards associated with renovation, repair and painting activities. As a result of EPA’s action, the company will pay a penalty […]

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Danbury gets $1.6M in federal funds to design long-shelved Transit Center to connect buses, trains

A report commissioned by the city in 2018 recommended relocating the HARTransit Pulse Point station now on Kennedy Avenue to a new location closer to the Metro-North Railroad station at 1 Patriot Drive. The proposed bus station could be built across the tracks from the train station along what is now an unused 5-acre commercial […]

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Hartford P&Z to discuss pedestrian bridge for new CT Children’s tower

Hartford planning officials this week will discuss plans to authorize a pedestrian bridge over Washington Street that would connect a new tower wing of the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center with a new parking garage. During a meeting scheduled for Tuesday at 6 p.m., the city Planning & Zoning Commission and Inland Wetlands Commissions will review […]

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Norwich Public Utilities receives $10.9 million grant to replace aging gas lines

A segment of the $1.2 trillion 2021 federal infrastructure law seemed written with Norwich in mind: replace century-old natural gas pipelines in financially distressed communities with city-owned gas companies. Norwich Public Utilities natural gas division will receive $10.9 million this year, added to the $10 million received last year, through the program, federal officials announced […]

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Norwalk under contract with 4 of 6 properties next to SoNo School construction site

With demolition complete and excavation underway at the incoming South Norwalk School, the city is working through acquiring the six properties abutting the construction site. Contractors are nearly halfway done with the process of controlled blasting to more easily excavate, Lo said. Following the completion of excavation, Newfield Construction, the project’s contractor, will begin setting […]

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Mass. food manufacturer eyes purchase of Carla’s Pasta’s S. Windsor production plant; plans $71M in upgrades

A Massachusetts food manufacturer is planning to expand to South Windsor, with a proposed $71 million upgrade to the sprawling Carla’s Pasta facility, which is slated to close “imminently,” a town official said. The company is planning a 28,000-square-foot addition to Carla’s Pasta’s 148,083-square-foot food production plant at 50 Talbot Lane. The Town Council on […]

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Greenwich Avenue could get more night work this summer, this time from Eversource

Eversource said it is hoping to improve the capacity at three of its junctures under Greenwich Avenue this summer, which will mean some night time road closures. Company representatives told the Board of Selectmen that they’d like permission for three intermittent nighttime lane closures between May and August to complete the work. A specific timeline […]

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Cheshire Crossing condo residents want future home of Whole Foods, TJ Maxx renamed

Driving directions, package deliveries and emergency calls could get confusing if a shopping center under construction in the town’s north end — future home of Whole Foods, TJ Maxx and other destinations — uses the same Cheshire Crossing moniker. That warning came in a cease-and-desist letter this week from the homeowners’ association that represents Cheshire […]

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Connecticut’s State Capitol has broken elevators, escalators. Fix could cost $10 million

The final few weeks of the legislative session isn’t an optimal time for elevators, escalators and the moving floor between the State Capitol and adjacent Legislative Office to break down, but that is what has happened as the equipment recently reached its lifetime, and the public and lawmakers gingerly navigate the historic halls. The estimated […]

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Manchester’s $5 million project for a skate park and soccer field gets key approval

The town’s planned expansion of Charter Oak Park has taken another step forward after securing a pair of approvals to build a new skate park, artificial turf field, and parking area on an underused lot. The 7.4-acre lot at 30 Charter Oak St. currently contains municipal soccer fields, an abandoned softball diamond, and part of […]

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Wind industry hits a ‘pivot point’

As work begins here later this month on the next wind-turbine project called Revolution Wind, the new clean-energy industry based at State Pier is transitioning from wobbly baby steps to confident strides, a panel of experts said Wednesday at the Holiday Inn. The state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes told the […]

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Lyme and Old Lyme voters approve extra $880K for senior center renovation

Voters in Lyme and Old Lyme on Monday decisively approved spending $880,000 more than the $5.3 already approved for the Lymes’ Senior Center renovation project. Old Lyme is responsible for $660,000 of the supplemental cost, while the smaller town of Lyme is responsible for $220,000. Officials in the two towns were scrambling earlier this year […]

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Worst road in Milford? Residents name work at Route 162, Old Gate Lane longest-running ‘nightmare’

The Connecticut Department of Transportation has been installing a new bridge and wider culvert just slightly east of the Old Gate Lane intersection as part of a $3.93 million project. One of Milford’s busier roads, New Haven Avenue gets funneled from two lanes to one with the construction and backs up regularly, but especially at […]

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West Hartford approves 4-building, 322-apartment complex on part of former UConn site

After a five-hour public hearing and another hour of discussion Monday night, the West Hartford Town Council granted final approval to a controversial four-building, 322-unit apartment complex on Trout Brook Drive and Asylum Avenue. The council voted 8-1 to approve the project, which will transform a massive parking lot across the street from a former […]

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There’s a $592 million project coming for a bridge on a CT interstate. It won’t be done until 2029

It’s a $591.9 million, multi-year project on a Connecticut interstate. The northbound deck of the Gold Star Memorial Bridge needs to be replaced, and a public information meeting will be held April 30 to provide the details and offer an opportunity for questions. The bridge links New London and Groton across the Thames River on […]

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South Windsor officials to vote on tax abatement for $71 million ‘Project Fin’ development

The mysterious “Project Fin” development could take a major step forward Monday, as the Town Council will vote on a proposed seven-year tax abatement for a $71 million renovation of a Talbot Lane facility. A previous Town Council agenda listed the location of “Project Fin” as 30 Talbot Lane, but the final resolution to be […]

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Danbury school roof, classroom walls and more capital projects proposed in $10.17M construction bill

State lawmakers later this month will act on a request from the local legislative delegation to provide grant funds that would support a series of school infrastructure improvements, including new classroom walls at King Street Primary, air conditioning system upgrades at multiple schools and a partial roof replacement at one building. The funds, if approved, […]

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2 Wilton developments refine plans for hundreds of apartments on Route 7

As both AMS Acquisitions and Fuller Development refine their plans, they are approaching the final approval stage, promising a future with more housing options in Wilton. The projects are among a handful of developments proposed or underway in the area that would add hundreds of apartments. At 64 Danbury Road, Fuller Development, LLC, is proposing […]

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Traffic signals on congested, accident-prone highway will be gone in a CT city. What you need to know.

When Route 9, a high-speed freeway, hits the center of Middletown, drivers can suddenly run into two red lights. “We don’t have any others on any freeways in the state,” said Stephen Hall, the state Department of Transportation’s project manager for the project that will remove the signals. “It’s a very surprising situation if you’re […]

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Naugatuck’s Rubber Avenue project rolls on

The borough was awarded last month a $5.7 million in a Community Investment Fund grant to improve a section of Rubber Avenue. The CIF grant will be used for the Scott Street and Nettleton Avenue area to address stormwater issues and improve the development of the Risdon property, a 12-acre former manufacturing site at 0 […]

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Advocates, lawmakers stress the need to continue campaign for better air quality in CT schools

There is a need for a sustained commitment to the pandemic-era improvements in public school air quality, the group said during a press conference in the Legislative Office Building, particularly with the inevitable end of federal funding for upgrades to heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in both suburban and urban districts. They called for […]

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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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