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Federal funds bring Hamden closer to new emergency operations center, fire station
HAMDEN — Just like the complex network of first responders who have to work together during an emergency, the town of Hamden and the state are collaborating to help create a new emergency operations center in town. On Tuesday, Hamden received over $1 million in earmarked federal funds for a new emergency operations center, to be located at a planned new fire station in the southern part of the town. “This is a result of years of cooperation and of partnership between the residents of Hamden, elected officials and emergency services personnel,” said U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro at the Tuesday morning press conference in the Memorial Town Hall rotunda. “We are celebrating today.” The total project — including both the fire station and the emergency operations center — is expected to cost about $17 million. Town Engineer Stephen White said the federal funds bring the amount raised for the project, known as Fire Station 2, to $13 million. The new structure will be at 466 Putnam Ave. and construction is slated to begin in late 2027. DeLauro said the town completed a comprehensive feasibility study and secured the necessary matching funds before the procurement of the federal funds to make it “a shovel-ready project.”
Greenwich approves new $41.2 million Dorothy Hamill ice skating rink after years of debate
GREENWICH — Despite objections from some, members of Greenwich’s Representative Town Meeting overwhelmingly gave final approval to a new $41.2 million Dorothy Hamill ice skating rink. The project also calls for a complete redesign of Eugene Morlot Memorial Park, including relocating a baseball field, adding parking and creating a new entrance and exit. Following a lengthy and sometimes contentious debate on Monday, the proposal passed after a 159-32 vote, with 13 abstaining. While the majority of speakers supported the project, many of the critics argued the proposal should be rejected, citing a lack of transparency, impact to residents adjacent to the park, potential adverse impacts to open recreation space, and potential for costs to increase significantly. Proposals to build a new rink at the former teen center on Arch Street were reviewed and voted down twice by the Hamill rink task force, due largely to the property being in a flood zone, RTM Finance Committee Chairman Scott Kalb said. Many RTM committees, including the Finance Committee, voted unanimously to approve the project. In the case of the Finance Committee, “the committee did not see any material reasons to justify the rejection” of the proposal, Kalb said. Regarding transparency, First Selectman Fred Camillo said the Hamill rink task force had 38 public meetings and two public hearings, providing ample time for input. “There has not been a more transparent and more vetted project in the last 50 years than this rink,” he said. “This task force looked at every single possibility.”
Killingly zoning commission passes moratorium on new warehouses
Killingly — A yearlong moratorium on new warehouse developments will take effect in July after receiving near-unanimous support from the Planning and Zoning Commission on Monday. The moratorium represents a major win for residents whose opposition to large-scale distribution centers has dominated zoning, wetlands and town council meetings since January. While the moratorium will have no effect on the group’s most loathed projects — a 1.3 million square-foot Amazon fulfillment center at 228 Westcott Road and a pair of 178,750-square-foot and 297,500-square-foot warehouses at 90 Putnam Pike — the moratorium will put a 12-month pause on any new zoning applications for warehouse or distribution centers starting on July 20. The architects of the moratorium, former Town Councilor Michelle Murphy and Lisa Danberg of the Keep Killingly Rural coalition, said the goal is to provide zoning commissioners with time to evaluate whether the town’s regulations adequately address the scale, scope and environmental impact of modern distribution centers. “The intent of this application is not to shut down the building of all warehouses. It’s really only geared towards the giant distribution centers, fulfillment centers, e-commerce centers,” Murphy said. “The moratorium will allow the Planning and Zoning Commission time to reassess and revise its regulations in keeping with the goals of the town’s plan of conservation and development and the town’s aquifer protection areas and to hear the concerns of the citizens of Killingly.”
https://theday.com/news/901640/killingly-zoning-commission-passes-moratorium-on-new-warehouses/
Tweed New Haven Airport to outline expansion plans at annual community meeting Tuesday
NEW HAVEN — Neighbors of Tweed New Haven Airport will have an opportunity to learn more about the airport’s expansion plans and ask questions about operations, ongoing projects and long-term planning efforts during Tweed’s annual Ward 18 Community Meeting Tuesday night. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. and runs to 8 p.m. at Nathan Hale School, 80 Townsend Ave. “Public assets like HVN belong to the communities they serve — and the residents who show up to these meetings are exercising a civic responsibility that makes this airport better.” said Robert Reed, chairman of the Tweed New Haven Airport Authority. “We are grateful for that engagement, and for the residents and stakeholders who make the time to be part of this meeting every year,” Reed said. “Maintaining an open dialogue with our surrounding neighborhoods has been a priority at every stage of the airport’s growth,” said Michael Jones, CEO of The New HVN, a subsidiary of airport operator Avports LLC which runs Tweeds. “This annual meeting is an opportunity to share additional updates, provide clarity, hear directly from residents, and continue building the strong community relationships that make responsible growth possible,” Jones said.
https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/tweed-new-haven-airport-hold-annual-meeting-22306020.php
$50 billion bridge-and-tunnel plan to connect Connecticut and Long Island gets renewed push
HARTFORD — Supporters of a proposed bridge across Long Island Sound say they plan to renew their push for a feasibility study next legislative session, arguing the $50 billion project deserves a closer look. State Rep. Joseph Hoxha, R-Bristol, who sponsored a similar measure that failed to advance earlier this year, said Monday he plans to reintroduce the legislation when lawmakers convene in January 2027. He emphasized that “nothing is set in stone” as it relates to the project’s final cost and other details. The announcement came during an informational session at the Legislative Office Building hosted by Fairfield County developer Stephen Shapiro, who recently unveiled a new bridge-and-tunnel design for the crossing. The proposal would link Bridgeport to Long Island and, advocates say, shorten commutes, reduce traffic congestion and generate billions of dollars in economic activity, among other purported benefits. The proposal is a long way from becoming reality and has so far struggled to gain traction with key decision-makers. In March, members of the General Assembly’s Commerce Committee shelved legislation calling for a feasibility study. Gov. Ned Lamont, who was invited to Monday’s session but did not attend, has also expressed skepticism.
After Great Recession and pandemic setbacks, CT construction employment reaches highest level since 2008
Nearly two decades after the Great Recession devastated Connecticut’s construction industry, employment in the sector has climbed to its highest level since before the housing market collapse.
Connecticut’s construction workforce reached 65,200 workers in April, its highest level since 2008, according to seasonally adjusted state labor data. Industry leaders credit the milestone to years of workforce development efforts, infrastructure investment and a growing pipeline of public- and private-sector projects. “The volume of really nice projects — large, complex healthcare, higher ed, K-12, housing and whatnot — is far beyond what I’ve seen in my 20 years in this market,” said Eric Cushman, a vice president leading Gilbane Building Co.’s Connecticut operations. “The demand is coming across all market sectors at a collectively impressive scale.” The national construction and real estate development firm’s Connecticut revenue has grown by nearly 70% since 2021, Cushman said. As a result, Gilbane has expanded its Connecticut workforce by about 10% over the past year, to 130 employees, and continues to hire project managers, engineers and superintendents. Much of the hiring is aimed at meeting future demand. While Gilbane’s workload in Connecticut has remained consistently strong in 2025 and 2026, Cushman said the company expects even more activity over the next three years based on current inquiries and requests. He said the growing pipeline includes projects across a range of sectors, from publicly funded infrastructure and institutional work to private development, reflecting what he sees as continued economic growth in Connecticut.
Proposal for $69.5 million rehabilitation hospital heads to Branford planners
BRANFORD — A proposal for what could eventually become an 80-bed inpatient rehabilitation facility on the former Hilltop Orchard property off East Main Street is headed to the Planning and Zoning Commission, even as the developer awaits a state ruling on whether the project can move forward. Encompass Health, a Birmingham, Ala.-based for-profit company and the nation’s largest provider of inpatient rehabilitation services, is seeking approval to build the facility at 596, 612 and 616 E. Main St. The company operates more than 175 hospitals nationwide and served at least 225,000 patients in 2024. An Encompass spokeswoman declined to comment. The company filed an application last year with the state Office of Health Strategy for a required Certificate of Need, which must be approved before construction can proceed. The proposed one-story facility would total 54,765 square feet and be built on land owned by Wayne Cooke and entities associated with his family. Designed for patients recovering from serious illnesses and injuries, the facility would be constructed in two phases. The initial phase would include 50 beds, while a second phase would add 30 beds and a gymnasium, according to plans filed with the town.
Construction begins on 150 apartments along Connecticut River in East Hartford
EAST HARTFORD — Construction has begun on a 150-unit apartment project along the Connecticut River, with leasing expected to begin next year. West Hartford-based developer Simon Konover, in a partnership with Fairfield-based Eastpointe LLC, plans to build 150 apartments on a 35.3-acre property at 341 East River Drive. Previously billed as a $47.5 million project, the planned development would include 21 studio units, 36 one-bedrooms, 67 two-bedrooms, and 26 three-bedrooms, spread across three three-story buildings and one four-story building. Simon Konover has owned the property for more than 40 years, and company officials have previously said they explored an office development at the site but pivoted away as the region’s office-space market weakened. The Planning and Zoning Commission approved a subdivision for the development in August 2025, and a special permit application in September 2025. The developers held a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday to celebrate the beginning of construction, which is expected to take 15 months. Greg Konover, president of Simon Konover, said Thursday that each building will be constructed sequentially and leased out as they are completed, with the first scheduled to go online in about 12 months.
Deal appears to advance Costco mega-warehouses in CT. Traffic a worry: ‘Awful lot of trucks here’
Barely two months after Costco sued a town for blocking two proposed mega-warehouses, the town agreed to a negotiated settlement that will probably let plans for both buildings move ahead.
Plainfield’s planning and zoning commission in March turned down Costco’s plan for an accessway to its planned 1.1-million-square-foot freight depot in Canterbury, a decision that also stopped the company from building a second, relatively similar building on Plainfield land nearby. If a court approves the settlement, Costco would move much closer to being able to construct the Canterbury depot. But the second component, the 1.1-million-square-foot Plainfield distribution center, wouldn’t be guaranteed because Costco would still have to go through a special permit review. In the settlement, Costco agreed to some changes in landscaping and a long driveway from Route 12 to address complaints from neighbors. But there is still widespread public concern that several hundred trips a day by tractor trailers will severely worsen traffic on Route 12 and other nearby roads. Costco plans a 1.1 million-square-foot of warehouse space split between two separate buildings next to each other, with one in Canterbury and the other in Plainfield. Canterbury has already approved its half, which would receive wholesale deliveries from suppliers and warehouse them before they’re shipped to Costco’s stores. Costco describes the Plainfield building as a distribution center that would process online orders.
FuelCell plans up to $275M Torrington expansion as data center demand grows
Danbury-based FuelCell Energy announced it has increased the planned scale of its Torrington manufacturing expansion as it pursues growing demand from data center developers seeking on-site power generation. The company, which makes fuel cell power systems, said Monday it now aims to expand the facility to 500 megawatts of annualized production capacity, up from a previously announced target of 350 megawatts. The change comes as its pipeline of potential data center projects grew to 4 gigawatts during the second quarter, up from about 1.5 gigawatts earlier this year, the company said. The expanded project is expected to cost between $200 million and $275 million and take about 24 months to complete, according to an earnings release filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. FuelCell said it has already begun work at the Torrington plant, including installation of a high-volume tape caster and commissioning of a new conditioning room. The announcement accompanied second-quarter financial results that showed higher losses and lower revenue compared with a year ago. FuelCell reported revenue of $35.6 million, down about 5%, and a net loss of $77.6 million. The loss included a $42.6 million noncash impairment charge tied to planned equipment upgrades at the company’s 7.4-megawatt fuel cell installation at the U.S. Navy Submarine Base in Groton. FuelCell Energy began pivoting its business toward data centers earlier this year, with CEO Jason Few telling the Hartford Business Journal in March that more than 80% of the company’s proposal pipeline — then totaling roughly 1.5 gigawatts — came from data center customers. By the end of the second quarter, which closed April 30, the pipeline had grown to 4 gigawatts, a 267% increase from the first quarter. The Torrington facility was producing about 41 megawatts of power systems annually as of earlier this year, well below its existing 100-megawatt capacity. The original expansion plan, which FuelCell outlined in March, called for scaling within the existing footprint to 350 megawatts.
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