industry news
Stay updated with the latest developments and insights from across the industry
Warehouse moratorium begins in Killingly, another proposed in neighboring Plainfield
As a 12-month moratorium to pause new zoning applications for large warehouse and distribution centers began in Killingly on Monday, Plainfield is looking to do the same. At its meeting Monday, the Plainfield Conservation Commission discussed proposing a moratorium on new warehouse development at the next Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on Aug. 11. This proposal comes after several warehouses have been built in Plainfield including Amazon, Uline and Lowes, and most recently, a proposed 1.1 million square-foot Costco depot center was approved. The Planning and Zoning Commission passed the Costco development after months of court negotiations in June. Stephen Randall, member of the Conservation Commission, said members are trying to stop warehouses from coming in and preserve “The Last Green Valley,” as the area is known for, but there is only so much they can do. “What part of it is green if you look at Google Earth?” Randall said. We have been strip mining the earth with our gravel bags and we have these major industries coming in. … It’s overwhelming,” he said. Killingly’s moratorium, which began Monday and is in effect until June 30, 2027, will prohibit developers from filing new applications for “distribution centers, fulfillment centers, e-commerce centers, truck and freight terminals” in the town’s general commercial, mixed-use interchange, business park or mill mixed-use development districts.”
Two construction teams vie for Hartford federal courthouse contract, Q&A event set for Wednesday
The planned $345 million federal courthouse in downtown Hartford is moving closer to construction, with two teams competing for the design-build contract and an informational event for subcontractors and suppliers set for Wednesday at Dunkin’ Park. The new courthouse will be constructed on a 2.2-acre surface parking lot at 154 Allyn St., between Union Station and the PeoplesBank Arena. The 281,000-square-foot building will have up to 11 courtrooms, 18 judges’ chambers, offices for court-related agencies and secure parking. The GSA expects to award the design-build contract in January 2027, with construction starting in summer 2027, according to the agency’s project timeline. The courthouse is expected to be substantially complete in early 2031. The U.S. General Services Administration on June 3 named the two firms shortlisted for the contract: Turner Construction Co. of New York, and a joint venture between Rhode Island-based Gilbane Building Co. and Massachusetts-based Consigli Construction.
Northeast State DOT Projects Win Top Honors in National Competition
Eleven state department of transportation projects from Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania have earned regional accolades in the 2026 America’s Transportation Awards competition. From streamlining access to government services to reducing crash risks along key urban corridors, these projects deliver lasting benefits that improve safety, mobility and quality of life in the communities they serve. Selected from 30 projects submitted by eight states and the District of Columbia in the Northeast Association of State Transportation Officials (NASTO) region, these entries are part of a record 127 nominations from 45 state DOTs in this year’s overall competition. Sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the America’s Transportation Awards honor transportation projects that deliver meaningful benefits to communities. Projects compete in four categories — Quality of Life/Community Development, Operations Excellence, Best Use of Technology & Innovation and Safety — showcasing the essential role transportation plays in improving mobility, safety and quality of life for all users.
At Age 103, O&G Still Is Next-Gen Contractor
O&G Industries Inc. in Torrington, Conn., has been active in state and regional construction since Andrew Oneglia founded the company in 1923, with family ownership and leadership now in the fourth generation and with many multigenerational staff. “The combination of long-tenured employees and emerging talent gives us both stability and momentum,” says the firm, now diversified into heavy contracting, complex project management and materials production, with strengths in transportation, education, health care, commercial and industrial markets. O&G ranks at No. 159 on ENR’s national list of Top 400 Contractors, reporting $830.5 million in 2025 construction revenue, and at No. 30 among ENR East Top Contractors with $668.68 million in 2025 regional revenue, up 46.59% from the prior year. O&G says it targets market demand for lower-carbon buildings and infrastructure, forming a link with Urban Mining Inc. to substitute standard cement using a patented concrete additive made from locally recycled glass that cuts emissions. Its community involvement includes Crew for a Cause, an employee-driven charitable giving effort that has provided more than $1 million to local groups and projects since 2023. The firm now has seven fourth-generation members as company managers. One of those, Thomas J. “T.J.” Oneglia, vice president of construction materials, outlined the firm’s strategic approach in a Q&A that has been edited and condensed.
https://www.enr.com/articles/63337-at-age-103-o-and-g-still-is-next-gen-contractor
Old Lyme sewer projects about to begin in beach communities
Old Lyme — The beach sewer projects here are finally moving forward after years of of deliberation. The Old Colony Beach Club Association, the Old Lyme Shores Beach Association and Miami Beach Association will see construction begin on their sewer systems over the next few months after the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection stepped in with a consent order that forced the projects to take place after town residents rejected the work at a referendum. The projects, estimated to cost $85 million, are meant to stop septic tanks at the three private beaches from polluting Long Island Sound. They have been in the works for around 20 years but recently faced a two-month delay after town officials determined the beach associations must obtain a special permit to temporarily use two Shore Road properties as staging areas for construction materials. The two properties are located at 224 and 250 Shore Road. The permits were approved at last week’s Zoning Commission meeting.
https://theday.com/news/909528/old-lyme-sewer-projects-about-to-begin-in-beach-communities/
Major changes planned for a Route 15 interchange, including removal of stop signs
It’s out with the stop signs on the Wilbur Cross Parkway near the Hamden-North Haven border, and in with acceleration and deceleration lanes. The agency recently announced it will hold a public meeting about the project, which aims to make it easier for drivers to merge onto the parkway, on Sept. 15 at Hamden Government Center. It will also accept comments by email and phone for two weeks after the meeting. Construction could start as soon as spring 2028, depending on availability of funding, right-of-way acquisitions and permit approvals, DOT said. On its webpage for the project, DOT said it needs to ditch the stop signs because they lead to a high number of rear-end crashes. It wants to install acceleration lanes for both the northbound and southbound on-ramps and a deceleration lane for the northbound off-ramp. The interchange currently includes an Exit 51, formerly Exit 61, on the northbound side and an Exit 51 on the southbound side.
Shelton may forgo state funding to speed up Constitution Boulevard project
SHELTON — With completion of the first phase of the Constitution Boulevard work in sight, Mayor Mark Lauretti may turn down state funds, instead dipping into the city’s coffers to pay for the remaining two phases. Paving on phase one of the Constitution Boulevard West extension — from Bridgeport Avenue up the hillside — is expected to be completed by year’s end, according to Lauretti. This work comes some three years after initial groundbreaking, with the delays a product of state Department of Transportation requirements demanded as part of accepting $5 million in Connecticut grant money for the project. It is those requirements — and potential for future delays — that has Lauretti rethinking accepting future state monetary awards for the final two phases and instead paying out of city coffers. Lauretti did not have an estimated figure for the work as city officials await bids for the second phase of the road creation which focuses on roadways inside the Mas property, home to what the mayor envisions as a manufacturing hub.
Bridgeport crane company proposes redeveloping Stratford property into storage yard
STRATFORD — A Bridgeport crane and rigging company is seeking approval to transform property on Stratford’s west side into a construction equipment storage yard, giving the company a second location in the region. The applicant, 348 Surf Avenue LLC, has submitted a coastal site plan and erosion and sediment control plan to redevelop about 1.1 acres spanning several adjacent parcels on Surf Avenue and Charles Street, adjacent to the Interstate 95 southbound Surf Avenue exit. The property would become a second location for A&A Crane and Riggings, which has provided crane, rigging and trucking services in the Bridgeport area for about 30 years. The company currently operates from 900 Rusciana Ave. in Bridgeport. The site, which is in Stratford’s light manufacturing zone, is currently occupied by Barre Granite Memorials, a stone monument manufacturing and sales business that has operated there since the 1940s. Owner Donna Miller said the business plans to relocate to a smaller location elsewhere in Stratford later this year.
New CT law clarifies property tax payments for solar arrays
As large solar arrays have proliferated across Connecticut in the last decade, so have questions about how much tax revenue local governments can draw from the fields of panels. For years, state law gave municipalities and their tax assessors the leeway to determine the value of solar panels and other equipment subject to personal property taxes. At the same time, developers could seek a variety of tax exemptions on their projects allowing them to drastically reduce — or in some cases eliminate — their local tax obligations. Towns have faced challenges even with projects that don’t qualify for tax exemptions, because the value of solar panels tends to depreciate quickly. In some cases that’s left towns with budgetary holes to fill in the years following a project’s initial installation. As a result, litigation has erupted in some towns over tax bills for solar projects. Fearing financial uncertainty, both developers and municipal leaders have negotiated deals to stabilize their tax payments and provide more predictability to both parties. They’ve also appealed to lawmakers for a long-term solution.
https://ctmirror.org/2026/07/15/ct-new-law-solar-array-property-taxes/
Hartford seeks tax break for 125-unit affordable housing project near cinema site
Hartford officials are seeking a long-term tax abatement agreement to support a proposed 125-unit affordable housing development on land that formerly served the Apple Xtreme Cinema in the city’s Parkville neighborhood. The City Council on Monday referred the proposal to its Planning, Economic Development and Housing Committee after Mayor Arunan Arulampalam introduced the measure. The committee is expected to review the proposal later this month or in early August before sending it back to the full council for a final vote. Specific financial terms of the deal were not immediately available, but the proposal would authorize the city to enter into a 15-year tax-fixing agreement, with two optional five-year renewals, for a $18.75 million development at 332 and 344 New Park Ave. The project, known as Edge 400, would include two mixed-use buildings with 125 affordable apartments, resident amenity space and ground-floor retail. A 65,311-square-foot building at 332 New Park Ave. will contain 61 apartments affordable to households earning between 50% and 80% of the area median income, while the 70,678-square-foot building at 344 New Park Ave. will include 64 apartments affordable to households earning between 30% and 80% of AMI.
Connect with us
Contact us
If you believe you have been the victim of wage theft on a public works construction project, please feel free to contact our office. You can also visit the Connecticut Department of Labor’s Wage & Workplace Division’s website to file a complaint here.