industry news
Stay updated with the latest developments and insights from across the industry
Developer for $1.1B Bridgeport minor league soccer stadium still doesn’t own the land for it
Developer for $1.1B Bridgeport minor league soccer stadium still doesn’t own the land for it. While much of the focus these past few months has been on whether the entrepreneur will get about $127 million in state funds he maintains are necessary to make the $1.1 billion project a reality, there is another domino that must fall: Swanston and his Connecticut Sports Group have yet to acquire a key property. In prior interviews about his stadium redevelopment proposal, which also includes hundreds of housing units, a hotel and public recreational space, Swanston has declined to divulge particulars about efforts to purchase or otherwise control the Kossuth Street address. The question of who controls the land has to be answered before the state releases $16 million set aside last year to reimburse expenses associated with the cleanup of ground contamination there. The Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) confirmed the necessary paperwork is still being finalized for those monies, which include $8 million from the Community Investment Fund and an additional $8 million from a brownfields program.
https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/bridgeport-ct-soccer-minor-league-stadium-21131121.php
Texas developer plans 232 apartments at long-abandoned ex-retail site in central CT
The Texas developer constructing a 232-unit apartment complex in Newington is proposing to put up the identical number of units on the site of the former Parkade retail complex in Manchester. Anthony Properties, which also holds approvals to build 255 apartments in Southington, wants to expand its New England portfolio by adding a third major Connecticut project. Its plan in Manchester would be a dramatic redevelopment of a long-vacant eyesore that was once home to a busy shopping center. The company has not yet submitted a zoning site plan, but the initial maps in its application for wetlands approval indicate it would build on a little under 20 acres on Broad Street. It wants to put up four 48-unit apartment buildings and four 10-unit buildings. Headquartered in Dallas, Anthony Properties is a privately owned real estate investment and development business that has been building apartment complexes for decades.
UI asks regulators to reconsider denial of Fairfield/Bridgeport monopole project
United Illuminating claims it is being left in the dark by state regulators. On Monday the company requested members of the Connecticut Siting Council reconsider last month’s denial of the utility’s overhead transmission line upgrade project in Fairfield and Bridgeport. Monday’s filing was submitted at the very end of the timeframe UI had to take such action. According to Siting Council staff, such requests can be based on three factors: An error of fact or law; new evidence “which materially affects the merits of the case and which for good reasons was not presented;” and “other good cause.” UI first submitted its plan to the Siting Council in 2023. The company has maintained that installing the wires on monopoles routed along the southern side of the Metro-North Railroad train tracks is the best and least-costly-to-ratepayers option for upgrading the aged equipment. The Bridgeport/Fairfield section is the last 8 miles of a 25-mile-long project, the rest of which has been completed or is under construction. “We are stunned by the change in the Siting Council’s decision today with no explanation,” the utility had said, calling it “arbitrary and capricious.”
Trumbull’s new Hillcrest Middle School still on track to open in 2028
At a school board meeting on Tuesday, Kevin Dion, Trumbull Public Schools’ director of operations, said the new school building would not be completed until 2029. But Semmel said Friday that Dion misspoke. Semmel said the district is still “on track” to open the new school in 2028. Trumbull residents, in a 2024 referendum vote, approved the $142.3 million Hillcrest construction project, which will cost the town $82.5 million after securing a 44% state reimbursement rate. The new school will be 145,884 square feet and will accommodate a projected enrollment of 826 students. The current Hillcrest school is slated to be demolished. The new building’s gymnasium will be able to fit upward of 300 spectators on the bleachers, which will be placed on both sides of the court for sporting competitions, pep rallies and more, Dion said. The gym is currently planned to be 7,420 square feet.
Work to begin for $18 million CT sewer rehabilitation project. Detours planned
Work is scheduled to begin this week to rehabilitate downtown sewers, a system for which the original sewer was built in the 1800s. The project is by The Metropolitan District and its contractors, VMS Construction and Insituform Technologies, and all three phases are expected to be completed by next spring. In all, the project is expected to last several months in the downtown Hartford area on Central Row, Market Street and Main Street the next several months could see detours. No sewer service interruptions are expected. The Metropolitan District coordinated with the city of Hartford, the Connecticut Department of Transportation and CT Transit for the project. The second phase of the sewer rehabilitation work will begin early next month on Market Street from Kinsley to State Street, according to the MDC.
Hamden council approves contracts for middle school demolition initially slated to begin this summer
Town officials voted to move forward with the demolition of two blighted former middle school buildings, although the site’s future remains unclear. Plans to demolish the former Michael J. Whalen Junior High School building and renovate the free-standing gymnasium, were altered from plans to develop a community campus at the site after the Legislative Council voted last year to reallocate millions of funds to addressing sinking foundations in the Newhall neighborhood, which was once a site of dumping for industrial waste. The town initially approved contracts with 7-Summits Construction to serve as construction manager at risk and with BL Companies for demolition and site planning. According to White, the current demolition plans are not tied to any future construction at this time. He said it is expected to be a flat, grassy area although some pavement restoration may be required. White said BL Companies is also committed to communication information about air quality during demolition to residents.
https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/hamden-ct-middle-school-demolition-21124669.php
After nearly 140 years, Stamford’s West Main Street Bridge is set to come down. What’s next?
The West Main Street Bridge, also known as the “Purple Bridge,” was built in 1888 and closed to cars in 2002. Over the ensuing two decades, it has sat, largely unused and deteriorating, as a debate has raged over whether to reopen the bridge for cars to better link the West Side and downtown, as a pedestrian-only walkway, or as some combination of the two. A prefabricated bridge, open only to pedestrian traffic, was installed next to the original bridge in 2023 for $1.6 million, after the city determined that the structure was unsafe. In April, the Board of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a nonbinding resolution, encouraging the city to pursue a $6.7 million plan, pitched by Meriden-based engineering firm BL Companies, that would rehabilitate, rather than replace, the bridge, and open it up to both cars and pedestrians. Quinones said the bridge would likely be taken down in the spring of 2026, and that the removal of the bridge would be funded by a nearly $2 million state grant that was already in hand, though he did not have more details about the grant.
Records reveal price Electric Boat paid for Crystal Mall in Waterford
General Dynamics Electric Boat paid $25 million in this month’s purchase of the Crystal Mall – a big payday for the previous owner that presided over a dwindling retail base, after scooping up the Waterford mall at auction three years ago for just more than a third of the price. The Crystal Mall building gives Electric Boat more than 540,000 square feet of space for offices it plans to build inside the mall’s existing shell, including the Macy’s wing that Electric Boat acquired last summer for $6.4 million. The 850 Hartford Turnpike property totals 42 acres just off Interstate 95. The Crystal Mall’s purchase price was disclosed by Namdar Realty Group in a Wednesday filing with the town clerk’s office in Waterford. The town last appraised the Crystal Mall at a value of $14.6 million, including surrounding parking lots, a pair of freestanding restaurant buildings and unused land on the site. The purchase does not include the former Sears wing, with Rayha not providing details on any Electric Boat negotiations for that space. “No state funds are currently committed to the project,” said DECD spokesperson Jim Watson. “The department has had some preliminary discussions around incentives, and we expect those discussions will continue.”
Bridgeport water main break affecting dozens of Aquarion customers Thursday, company says
About 40 Aquarion customers were affected by a River Street water main break Thursday morning, according to the company. The break was about 24 inches long and was affecting residents on River Street and a few on Evergreen Street, the Aquarion Water Co. said. City police spokesperson Shawnna White said some areas were inaccessible due to the heavy flooding; the areas of North Washington Avenue and River Street, Knowlton Street and River Street, and River Street and Evergreen Street were closed off in an advisory. Aquarion reported the incident around 5:30 a.m. Thursday and said the issue likely would be resolved between 1:30 and 3 :30 p.m. The company said residents could experience no water or poor water pressure, adding they also may have discolored water. The company said residents should wait until their water is working and clear before using it.
https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/bridgeport-river-st-water-main-break-aquarion-21128564.php
New Haven reveals plan to make crash-prone East Rock intersection safer
According to the UConn Connecticut Crash Data Repository, the intersection of Willow and Nicoll streets was the site of 15 motor vehicle crashes involving 29 vehicles and a total of 42 people between Jan. 1, 2022 and Feb. 28, 2025 — including two the week of Feb. 22, 2022. The city’s new plan to address the issues includes a raised intersection, sidewalk bump-outs and a steel bollard, or post, at each corner to protect pedestrians. It also includes flashing pedestrian lights, mountable concrete medians on Willow and highly visible markings and signage, according to Smith. Festa and Smith both worked with City Engineer Giovanni Zinn and Director of Transportation, Traffic and Parking Sandeep Aysola over the past few months as the city worked out a plan, said Smith. As of right now, “It’s not final,” and residents can reach out directly to Zinn with their feedback, said Smith. The goal is to see it implemented by the beginning of 2026, she said.
https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/new-haven-east-rock-crashes-safety-ct-21126552.php
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.