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As arena construction continues, Mohegan Sun announces $22M hotel renovation
Mohegan — Mohegan Sun announced plans for a $22 million renovation of its Earth Tower hotel as the casino shared more details Thursday on its multiphase arena transformation. Mohegan Sun said it intends to start renovations on the 13-story, 400-room hotel next summer. Additional details on the project were not immediately available. The Earth Tower hotel first opened in 2016. In an update Thursday, the casino said its overhaul of Mohegan Sun Arena is moving forward with a $30 million price tag. When Mohegan Sun broke ground on the project in August, estimated costs were $25 million. “We’re really excited for this next chapter of Mohegan Sun Arena,” Joe Soper, Mohegan’s vice president of sports and entertainment, said in a statement. “The goal is simple: to create a more immersive, comfortable and thrilling venue for fans as well as our artists and promoters.” Although the arena will remain open for the first phase of construction, Mohegan Sun said the arena will close from Dec. 15 through Feb. 28. When the space reopens, guests can expect new seating, concessions, lighting, finishes, flooring and digital displays, as well as bathroom and elevator upgrades.
Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer to invest $650 million in new Groton manufacturing center
Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer will build a “Manufacturing Technology Center” at its research-and-development campus in Groton, a project that will involve a $650 million capital investment in the next five years, Pfizer and economic development officials announced Thursday. The approximately 220,000-square-foot facility will “produce clinical active pharmaceutical ingredients and drug products that support Pfizer-sponsored clinical trials around the world,” according to a news release issued by the economic-development nonprofit AdvanceCT. Construction is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2027, with the goal of “operational startup” in mid-2031. “Pfizer has a long and proud history of scientific innovation in Groton, where many of the discoveries that advance our pipeline begin,” Raja Mangipudy, Pfizer’s Groton site head, said in a written statement included in the news release. “Building on that legacy, the new Manufacturing Technology Center will advance our ability to support clinical research and the development of new medicines for patients around the world.”
Midterms cloud outlook for data center construction, transportation bill
The results of the midterm elections mean more scrutiny on the data center boom and a probable delay to a long-awaited federal transportation bill, industry sources say. A blue wave launched Democrats to successfully flip control of both the House and the Senate on Tuesday night. Analysts called it a “rebuke” of President Donald Trump’s agenda. Democrats, in particular, pushed for data center moratoriums at the state level, said Daniel Fisher, senior vice president of government and external affairs at the Associated Equipment Distributors trade group. He anticipates projects hitting more hurdles now due to voters embracing that push. “I’d expect many planned data center projects to be put off or delayed,” Fisher told Construction Dive. Still, Fisher said those changes minimally impact total demand for data center construction. “However, at the end of the day, Democrats and Republicans must recognize the economic impact of data center construction and associated energy projects, and the importance to the country’s ability to compete in the global AI race,” Fisher said.
https://www.constructiondive.com/news/midterms-data-center-construction-transportation-bill/873844/
Regulators approve up to $1.15B in new borrowing for Eversource as interest costs climb
State utility regulators on Wednesday approved Eversource’s request to borrow up to $1.15 billion for its Connecticut electric utility through the end of 2027, at a time when rising interest rates are driving up what the company pays to borrow. The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority’s decision allows Connecticut Light and Power Co., which does business as Eversource, to issue bonds or unsecured notes, in one or more batches, with maturities of one to 30 years. Eversource plans to use the money for capital projects and to pay off $500 million in bonds that come due in March 2027, according to its application. Those bonds carry a 3.2% interest rate. The replacement debt will cost more. As of late September, Eversource estimated that a new 10-year bond would carry a rate of about 5.98%. That was up from 5.15% when the company prepared its application, as Treasury yields climbed. Eversource expects to spend $2 billion on capital projects in Connecticut in 2026 and 2027. It plans to cover that spending and the maturing bonds with about $1 billion in cash from operations, the new long-term debt and $350 million in short-term borrowing, according to the application.
Norwich considers next move after voters again reject police station project
Norwich — The city is planning its next move after voters on Tuesday narrowly rejected a $55 million plan to create a new police headquarters. The city had proposed to renovate the former Chelsea Groton Bank building at 300 Main St. but voters rejected then plan 4,838-4,607. Residents here have now rejected a plan for a new police station on three occasions, in 2012, 2023 and 2026. The cost of the project increased with each vote, going from $33 million in 2012 to $44 million in 2023, and then $55 million on Tuesday. The difference this time is the city purchased the bank in 2024 for $800,000 with plans to renovate and expand it into a police station. Police Chief Patrick Daley said Wednesday afternoon that while the plan is to put the new headquarters in the bank building, the city would consider its options. “It was a very close vote, I think one percent or so difference,” he said. “But that’s the second time we’ve been within one percent. So, obviously we need to look at our messaging and see where we came up short. The need’s real. It’s not going away. And prices aren’t going to get cheaper. So, we have to look at what we can do differently.”
Data center pauses are spreading in Connecticut. A statewide moratorium could be next
Several communities have already paused or stopped approving data centers, but a proposal is heading to the General Assembly this session that could create a statewide moratorium. The proposal from state Sen. Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, is still taking shape, but he said there is “a tremendous amount of concern by residents of the state about these new AI data centers.” Duff said lawmakers should use the 2027 legislative session to examine the facilities’ effects on electricity, water, infrastructure costs and noise, then decide what rules should apply. “I think at this point we would start probably with a moratorium on all data centers,” Duff said in an interview with CT Insider. “We just need to contemplate all of those things in the legislative session and come up with rules of the road or not.” House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, said he believed a proposal for a full moratorium is “politically motivated,” though he said statewide data center regulation could have bipartisan support.
https://www.ctinsider.com/politics/article/connecticut-data-center-moratorium-22494772.php
Enfield approves $511M school plan as Southington rejects $86.7M project, unofficial results show
Voters in Southington rejected an $86.7 million school construction proposal on Tuesday’s general election ballot, while Enfield voters approved a $511 million school project, according to unofficial results from the Secretary of the State’s website. “The approval of the building project referendum demonstrates a shared community belief and commitment to providing our students with safe, modern and engaging learning environments that will serve them well into the future,” Enfield school Superintendent Steven Moccio told CT Insider on Wednesday morning. “This approval is more than a facilities project; it is an investment in our students, our staff, and the long-term strength of the Enfield community,” he said. Enfield’s school referendum received 4,338 yes votes and 4,049 no votes, according to unofficial results from the Connecticut Secretary of the State’s Office. The district is expected to consolidate from six elementary schools into four, closing Enfield Street School and converting Eli Whitney into Eagle Academy.
Fairfield approves nearly $12 million for adaptive center, 2 new turf fields
FAIRFIELD — Members of the Representative Town Meeting approved millions of dollars for several projects this week, including for an adaptive recreation center and Miracle Field for children with disabilities, as well as new artificial turf fields at two Fairfield high schools. Construction of an adaptive recreation center for people of all abilities, as well as a Miracle Field specifically designed for children with disabilities were approved by a voice vote at a cost of about $6.3 million. Both the recreation center and Miracle Field are planned for 224 Colony St., on a 5.05-acre property formerly known as the Pilot House. Miracle Fields are designed to be completely flat to make balls bounce more evenly, as well as being accessible to athletes in wheelchairs and with visual impairments. “As a parent with children with special needs, these kinds of things are incredibly important,” Representative Chris Carroll, D-8, said. However, Carroll and other RTM members raised concerns about the lack of information regarding how much taxpayers will be on the hook to operate the recreation center and Miracle Field long-term, including the cost to pay staff.
Opinion: Revitalizing Constitution Plaza can bring downtown Hartford together
Now pending auction, the 1960s-era Constitution Plaza in downtown Hartford is at once a subject of concern and a source of possibility. There’s a way to replace the risk of failing real estate with new uses that unlock the potential of surrounding assets and move Hartford forward. The Connecticut Science Center, Connecticut Convention Center and the riverfront parks attract more than 1 million people each year, while an equal number attend games and events at the renovated PeoplesBank Arena and Dunkin’ Park to our west. Yet, too few of these visitors find their way across downtown from one destination to the other, leaving our best assets isolated and downtown less competitive as a place to enjoy, convene, learn, work and live. This is a moment to think big. Constitution Plaza, where Connecticut residents once gathered for holiday festivals, has handsome buildings and plaza spaces that can be revitalized to complement their newer surroundings rather than compromise them. Repurposed for hotel rooms, one tower would help the Convention Center compete for multiday conferences and the significant economic benefits they bring, capitalizing on the recent expansion of Bradley International Airport. Apartments, in high demand downtown, could occupy other buildings within the complex.
Mega-development proposed for CT town. It’s 598 homes and 100,000 square feet of shopping
One of the tri-state region’s most powerful commercial developers is proposing an enormous residential and retail complex that would add just under 600 homes in Stonington. Breslin Realty’s plan for Liberty Crossing would create more than 110,000 square feet of stores and restaurants along with four three- and four-story multifamily buildings. The Long Island-based company, known for decades as one of the biggest mall developers in the region, wants to use a roughly 67-acre wooded site along Route 2 just off I-95 for its project. It would vastly change the look of Stonington, a wealthy shoreline community best known for its historic village with a heavy nautical theme. But Breslin maintains that Liberty Crossing would be more than an ordinary mixed-used development, and would blend smoothly with the existing community. “Each of the elements of our proposal, including the mix of residential units and commercial uses, combined with the scale, connectedness and walkability and development of a village type project, will give Liberty Crossing a strong sense of place as is present amongst the existing and varying villages in town,” according to a 607-page presentation put together by a team of Breslin’s consultants.
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