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Solar project near Heublein Tower sparks fight over Farmington Valley’s skyline
Lodestar Energy is seeking state approval to build a 4.65-megawatt solar array on the site of a former golf course in Simsbury, a proposal that has drawn concerns from the town’s chief elected official. The West Hartford-based developer filed a petition with the Connecticut Siting Council late last year to construct an 18.2-acre solar installation on a portion of 140 Nod Road, the 118-acre property that once housed Tower Ridge Golf Club. The site now hosts a mix of uses including a disc golf facility and the Talcott Mountain Collective event venue. Because the project exceeds 1 megawatt, it bypasses local zoning laws, going straight to the Siting Council for approval. A public hearing is scheduled for April 23, with an evidentiary session beginning at 2 p.m. and a public comment session at 6:30 p.m. Simsbury First Selectman Wendy Mackstutis wrote to the council in December raising a series of objections, primarily that the solar panels would be visible from the historic Heublein Tower on the Talcott Mountain ridgeline and from within the surrounding state park. Mackstutis also pointed out that a large portion of the array appears to fall within a Special Flood Hazard Area, with several wetland pockets nearby, and that the proposed landscaping plan falls short of adequately screening the project from the Nod Road corridor. The town also noted that the property owner — Simsbury Real Estate Holdings owes — $316,930 in delinquent taxes, and asked the council to require payment before any approval is granted, or to make it a condition of the decision. The Siting Council voted in January to hold a public hearing at Simsbury’s request, though the council noted that one is not legally required for a project of this type. The council’s deadline for a final decision is June 2.
North Crossing to begin leasing 237 new apartments near Dunkin’ Park in Hartford
HARTFORD — A new 237-unit apartment building is expected to open soon in the North End of Hartford, in the immediate vicinity of Dunkin’ Park. Stamford-based developer RMS Companies plans to open next month the Portrait at North Crossing at 1143 Main St., part of a project that began more than a decade ago alongside the Double-A baseball stadium across the street. The company’s end goal is to build as many as 2,500 apartments alongside commercial space and parking garages all located a stone’s throw from the home of the Hartford Yard Goats. Construction of the Dunkin’ Park stadium began in 2015, after the city reached an agreement with a previous developer. The project was initially delayed later that year due to a dispute over the stadium design. Hartford axed the developer and hired RMS to both finish Dunkin’ Park and build new mixed-use developments on properties near the stadium, and the previous developer responded soon after with a wrongful termination lawsuit seeking $90 million in damages. RMS began planning the North Crossing about five years ago and completed the Pennant, the first residential building in the project, in October 2022, but the litigation stopped further construction until a settlement was reached in October 2023. The terms dictated that Hartford would pay $9.9 million to Arch Insurance, the company that financed the stadium after the previous developer was ousted, and Arch would pay $1.8 million to the ousted developer. Development of North Crossing resumed shortly after the settlement, and construction of the Portrait and other project elements began in early 2024. That same year, RMS also opened the Revel, a 147-unit apartment complex built above the DoubleTree by Hilton at 315 Trumbull St.
Drivers are going to have to slow down to 45 mph during 4-year Gold Star Bridge project
Beginning Wednesday morning, the southbound Gold Star Memorial Bridge will be reduced to three lanes, with crews restriping lanes starting Tuesday evening. Due to weather, the new traffic configuration was delayed from the original start date of Monday. The new configuration will include two lanes of the Bridge Street on-ramp in Groton transitioning to one lane after a certain distance. Then, between May 9 and 15, the state Department of Transportation is aiming to implement a traffic crossover in which two northbound lanes will go over the southbound bridge, while three southbound lanes will continue on the southbound span. The northbound bridge will carry two northbound lanes. Project officials, who outlined details of the $900 million northbound bridge construction project to the media Monday, said drivers will need to shift their mindsets for the safety of workers and the public while traveling during the project, which will not be complete until December 2030.
Siting Council approves Manchester solar project on nearly 30 acres
MANCHESTER — State officials have approved a Lake Street solar facility that has proved controversial among some neighbors. The Connecticut Siting Council approved a petition from North Haven-based solar developer Greenskies Clean Energy to build a 1.2-megawatt solar photovoltaic electric generating facility at 81 and 93 Lake St., two largely vacant agricultural properties totaling close to 30 acres. The project consists of two separate but connected solar arrays, with a 750-kilowatt facility on 93 Lake St. and a 450-kilowatt facility on 81 Lake St. taking up a total footprint of 6.3 acres with a combined 2,136 modules. The original petition filed by Greenskies in August billed the facility as providing “multiple benefits” to the town, state, and region through production of renewable energy, and the Siting Council’s decision echoes that sentiment. The draft decision and order, dated March 27, states that the Siting Council finds there is a “public benefit” for the construction of the facility and that it would not have a “substantial adverse environmental effect,” and that the council will therefore issue a declaratory ruling for the proposed facility. The Siting Council’s draft opinion, dated March 27, states that pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes, the council has “exclusive jurisdiction” over the facility proposed by Greenskies and shall approve by declaratory ruling any such project as long as it “meets the air and water quality standards of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Council does not find a substantial adverse environmental effect.”
Manafort Wins Dual Awards for Major Projects in Conn.
At the Associated General Contractors of Connecticut (AGC) BuildCT Awards held on, Feb. 12, 2026, Manafort was honored with the Construction Manager/General Contractor Mid-Size Renovation Award for the Bloomfield Public Library — Prosser Library project. This recognition reflects the collective effort and dedication of Manafort’s team alongside the skilled contractors, subcontractors, design partners and client representatives who worked together to preserve and enhance this important community resource. Manafort also was awarded the Construction Manager/General Contractor Award for New/Large Construction for its work on the Great Wolf Lodge Mashantucket project. This major destination highlights the exceptional coordination, craftsmanship and teamwork of all project partners involved, whose collaboration helped bring this complex and high-profile project to life, according to the company. “These awards are a testament to the strength of collaboration across every level of the project teams,” the company said. “Manafort is proud to work alongside outstanding contractors, subcontractors, partners and clients whose shared commitment to quality and excellence continues to drive successful outcomes across the region.” Manafort Brothers Inc. was selected to perform the civil and utility work, as well as the concrete construction for the new Great Wolf Lodge, a 549-room, 91,000-sq.-ft. family resort and indoor water park complex adjacent to the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn.
Lane closure on CT interstate bridge, weight restriction on another span, begin Monday. What to know
There will be bridge inspections on the Bulkeley Bridge in Hartford and East Hartford this month and that means upcoming lane closures, according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation. This work is scheduled to begin on Monday, April 6 and be completed on April 23, 2026. There will be a daytime lane closure on Interstate 84 westbound from April 6 to April 9, 2026, during the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., according to the DOT. That means the right lane of I-84 westbound will be closed over Bulkeley Bridge, according to the DOT. Traffic control signing patterns will guide motorists through the work zone on the bridge, according to the DOT. There also will be nighttime lane closures on I-84 eastbound from April 20 to April 23, 2026, from 8:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m., according to the DOT. That means the right lane of I-84 eastbound will be closed over the Bulkeley Bridge, and that traffic control signing patterns will guide motorists through the work zone there as well, according to the DOT. The agency warns that motorists must be aware modifications or extensions to this schedule could be needed due to “weather delays or other unforeseen conditions.” Motorists also are asked to maintain a safe speed when driving in this area. Further, the Department of Transportation said that a 20-ton weight restriction will be imposed for the Putnam Memorial Bridge, also over the Connecticut River. This bridge, accessible from Interstate 91, links the towns of Wethersfield and Glastonbury. The weight limit is effective April 6, 2026, according to the DOT. The restriction will be in place “until specific work under the associated project is completed, but no later than November 3, 2028.” The agency noted the restriction is connected to related to bridge rehabilitation project awarded to ROTHA Contracting Company on February 27, 2026, at a cost of $48 million.
Massive 600-800 unit apartment development pitched for small CT town
The sparsely developed southeastern Connecticut town could be in line for one of the largest new residential complexes in recent memory if All of Us At North LLC gets to build the 700 to 920 apartments and townhouses that it’s proposing. The company, which owns more than 350 acres of mostly woodlands in the town of Montville, is trying to persuade Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration to borrow an estimated $20 million to $30 million to pay for enormous sewer and roadway improvements. All of Us at North argue that the move is justified because in addition to the statewide demand for more housing, the Greater New London region is in urgent need to accommodate rapid job growth. “There’s a particularly pressing need for additional housing in southeastern Connecticut due to the recent contract for Electric Boat to build the Columbia class ballistic missile submarine,” David Sherwood, attorney for the developer, told the planning and zoning commission Tuesday. “Electric Boat anticipates it will be hiring 8,000 workers in 2026. About 5,000 will be employed in Groton,” Sherwood said. “There’ll be a large influx of engineers, technicians and shipbuilders.” If it’s ultimately built, the massive project would require bulldozing dozens of acres of woodlands and could theoretically drive up the town’s population by 10%.
But the Massachusetts-based developer contends that when completed, the project would add $2.3 million in net tax revenue every year for Montville, and could generate $11 million in new sales for the town’s stores, restaurants, service businesses and others. The conceptual plan is for 100 to 120 townhouses and mid-rise apartments along Route 32, where sewers already exist. But 600 to 800 units — the vast majority of the project — would be constructed on more than 150 acres of woodlands in the town’s Uncasville section between Route 32 and the Thames River. That land has no sewers, and the company is seeking state aid to remedy that.
What it’s like to build an offshore wind farm: storms and isolation off Connecticut’s coast
As an electrician on Revolution Wind, Thomas Kilday climbed 500-foot turbine towers, worked in freezing winds and driving rain, and trained to escape a helicopter crash. But what he remembers most vividly from more than two years of working on the offshore wind farm about 15 miles off the coast are the sunsets. “One of the great beauties about being out there is you’re very far out, which is one of the downsides — you’re so far away from civilization,” said Kilday, who lives in Rhode Island. “But the nice part is the sunrises and the sunsets are gorgeous. There’s nothing out there for miles and miles.” The 704-megawatt Revolution Wind project recently began supplying electricity to homes in Connecticut and Rhode Island and is about 90% complete, with full operations expected in the second half of 2026. Developed by Ørsted, the wind farm will deliver enough electricity to the New England grid to power about 350,000 homes — or about 2.5% of the region’s electricity supply. Behind the power now flowing to the regional grid is the unheralded work of hundreds of skilled tradesmen — from millwrights and shipbuilders to carpenters, iron workers and electricians — who say they were drawn by the novelty of building one of the nation’s first large offshore wind farms and the chance to generate power for their communities. But their journey wasn’t smooth: Construction was halted twice by federal shutdown orders that cast uncertainty over the multibillion-dollar project and the workers building it. Still, many describe a deep sense of pride in playing even a small role in what they see as a historic achievement.
Easton developer creates nonprofit in push for bridge connecting CT and Long Island
As plans for a 14-mile bridge across Long Island Sound stagnate at the state level, developer — and primary proponent — Stephen Shapiro is stepping up his campaign for what he admits is an extremely ambitious endeavor, one he believes will be an economic boon for the region. The prolific real estate developer, with projects completed, approved or in process in cities from Fairfield to Trumbull, Shelton to Newtown, has formed the Connecticut-Long Island Initiative, a non-profit advocate for infrastructure and transportation improvements between Connecticut and Long Island, N.Y. “This is the only tangible solution here in Connecticut to the worst traffic problem in the country,” Shapiro said. “The public overwhelmingly supports this,” added Shapiro citing online polls he has seen on the issue. “The people of Connecticut deserve to have voices heard. They deserve a stronger economy with more jobs, and most importantly less traffic so they can get home in time for dinner with their families.” The primary focus is talking up what he says are long-term benefits to constructing a bridge from Bridgeport to Sunken Meadow Parkway on Long Island. Plans could also include a rail component to accommodate both passenger and freight service.
https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/ct-bridge-long-island-bridgeport-shapiro-22145429.php
CT DOT: ‘Major’ rehabilitation work to begin on Interstate 95 bridge. What to know.
Drivers can expect daytime lane intermittent closures to begin on the Gold Star Memorial Bridge on the Interstate 95 northbound and I-95 southbound in New London starting on Monday. There is also night work planned on the bridge starting next month, according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation. According to the Connecticut Department of Transportation, starting on March 30, from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays, drivers will experience temporary lane closures in the left and right lanes, alternately. Motorists are asked to reduce speed and follow signage.
There is also a traffic crossover night work expected on the bridge in Groton and New London starting on April 6. In preparation for northbound work on the bridge, the southbound side will shift into a new traffic alignment, according to the Department of Transportation. The new alignment will reduce the typical five southbound lanes to three. Workers will place a steel barrier on the southbound bridge to split the traffic in two directions. Two northbound travel lanes will be put in behind the steel barrier on the southbound side of the bridge. “A traffic crossover will be built to allow northbound I-95 traffic to cross over onto the southbound bridge and travel in northbound direction. A crossover is a temporary traffic setup that shifts vehicles from their normal side of the roadway to the opposite side so traffic can continue moving safely while construction is going on,” according to the CTDOT. The work will impact traffic on the northbound side of the bridge for the construction. When the work is done on the southbound side, the concrete barrier will be placed on the northbound of the bridge for reconstruction and traffic purposes.
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