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Tweed New Haven Airport announces new agreement on expansion framework
Connecticut officials have reached a new framework for moving forward on a proposed east side terminal at Tweed New Haven Airport after years of conflict over the project, but the plan still faces major legal, legislative, and local hurdles. New Haven, East Haven, the airport authority, and the airport have agreed to a memorandum of understanding that lays out a path forward for the proposed terminal on the east side of the airport. The agreement includes proposed state funding for both municipalities, stronger East Haven representation on the airport board and a higher approval threshold for major projects such as runway expansion and campus access changes. The proposed terminal has been at the center of a fight for nearly six years. The project would be built on East Haven land, and the town has pushed back on the project for years, including through an active appeal of the FAA’s finding of no significant impact. As part of the agreement, East Haven now says it will abide by what the court decides. In an interview, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker called the agreement a major step: “This is a big moment.”
Killingly warehouse proposals roll through approval process
Killingly — The developers behind a controversial plan to construct a pair of warehouses at 90 Putnam Pike have said they intend to resubmit their Planning and Zoning Commission application by Monday. The pending submission would place Killingly 1 LLC’s proposal for 178,750-square-foot and 297,500-square-foot warehouses back on the commission’s agenda. It would also ensure that the town receives the application before the commission weighs residents’ requests to impose a moratorium on large distribution centers. The developers withdrew their original application last month in order to avoid time limits in the application and public hearing process that are set by state law. On Monday, the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission voted 3-2 to approve the application, with members Chris McDonald and Corina Torrey opposed. The Planning and Zoning Commission needs Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission approval before considering the application. The proposed warehouses would be built on 58 acres of undeveloped land that is zoned general commercial and is bordered by woods and residential properties. According to town records, Killingly 1 LLC purchased the property, which overlaps an aquifer protection area, in September for $600,000. The developers have yet to identify what companies would operate out of the warehouse.
https://theday.com/news/874324/killingly-warehouse-proposals-roll-through-approval-process/
Lawmakers push Lamont to fund stalled Coast Guard museum bridge project
New London — U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., on Wednesday said that without a new funding commitment by the state for a promised — but seemingly stalled — pedestrian bridge project in downtown New London, the success of the incoming National Coast Guard Museum will be in jeopardy. “We cannot take no for an answer — everyone else has met their obligations,” Murphy said, referring to the federal and private funding sources that have brought the $220 million museum nearly to completion on the city’s waterfront. “We cannot open this museum without a way for people to get there.” Murphy’s comments came during an “urgent” virtual meeting attended by U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., several state lawmakers, Mayor Michael Passero and Wes Pulver, president of the National Coast Guard Museum Association, which is overseeing both the museum and the planned pedestrian bridge portions of the project. The meeting largely centered around what several attendees called the “last piece” of the overall project: an elevated span proposed to connect the Water Street Garage to the museum with entrances and exits to the nearby train station and ferry docks. But a $20 million funding commitment by the state in 2014 to build what was envisioned as a 400-foot, glass-enclosed bridge is significantly less than what is now needed for the project. Only one firm, the Plainville-based Manafort Brothers Inc., in October submitted a bid for the bridge job. Pulver at the time said the bid was at a “range above what was planned,” due largely to escalating construction, manpower and material costs over the last decade. And, with the museum on track for a 2027 opening, Murphy said time is running out to get the bridge project funded and built. “The most urgent item at hand is getting a safe, pedestrian bridge that will allow hundreds of thousands of visitors to get to the museum,” he said. While Murphy said there is not yet a firm updated cost for the bridge work, it’s likely between $15 million and $25 million more than originally allotted, depending on the firm selected and how the project is indemnified.
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.
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