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Bridgeport gives Cherry Street Lofts developer more time to pay taxes, settle suits
BRIDGEPORT — It is far from a groundbreaking. But the black netting draped late last year over Gary Flocco’s blighted buildings at 62, 72 and 80 Cherry St. and 1325 Railroad Ave. is considered a sign of progress at the residential redevelopment long-delayed by legal and financial woes. Three months ago Mayor Joe Ganim’s administration was getting ready to demolish the ex-factory structures. But then the city agreed to provide Flocco’s Hancock Avenue Partners company more time to finally get the next phase of his Cherry Street Lofts rehabilitation project moving. Flocco has already built an adjacent 158 apartments and a charter school with an additional 138 units planned. So he was granted 90 days to better secure the undeveloped properties as well as make headway paying off overdue property taxes and creditors and solidifying financial backing. And while as of last week he has not checked off that entire to-do list, Flocco accomplished enough to earn a 30-day extension.
https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/bridgeport-ct-cherry-street-lofts-21941543.php
$7.3M solar farm plan for CT forest land denied. Environmental impact cited in ruling.
The Connecticut Siting Council has rejected a Lodestar Energy application that would have brought a solar farm to Torrington. The application was for the construction, maintenance, and operation of a 3.0-megawatt-AC solar photovoltaic electric generating facility and associated equipment on 13 parcels located south of West Hill Road in Torrington. The Connecticut Siting Council found that the effects associated with the construction of the 3.0-megawatt-AC solar photovoltaic electric generating facility were a reason for the proposal’s denial. The council cited effects on “the natural environment, ecological balance, public health and safety, scenic, historic, and recreational values, agriculture, forests and parks, air and water purity, fish, aquaculture and wildlife are disproportionate either alone or cumulatively with other effects compared to need, are in conflict with the policies of the State concerning such effects, and are sufficient reason to deny the application,” the decision says.
Larson, Blumenthal, Murphy Announce Landmark Project Labor Agreement Requirement, Securing Union Jobs for $345 Million Hartford Courthouse Construction
Hartford, CT – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) and Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy announced a new federal determination they negotiated with the General Services Administration (GSA) to require a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for the upcoming $345 million courthouse construction project in Hartford. This new determination will secure hundreds of good-paying, union construction jobs for the new U.S. District Courthouse on Allyn Street. “Our delegation has worked together for many years to secure the funding needed to build a new courthouse in Hartford and press the GSA to oversee a bidding process that does right by our workers,” said Larson. “We brought together a broad coalition to secure this determination, including the Building Trades and local leaders like Mayor Arunan Arulampalam, who understand the importance of good-paying union jobs in our community. As Big Business and their allies continue to try to cut labor out of the process, we will keep fighting to make sure no one can deny Connecticut workers the pay and benefits they deserve. I will always stand with our hard-working men and women in construction, and will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to see this project through.” “This agreement will ensure high quality craftsmanship and good wages for skilled workers as they build Hartford’s much needed new courthouse,” said Blumenthal. “Project Labor Agreements are a win-win, ensuring that workers are fairly compensated, and projects are cost effective and completed on time. Our delegation strongly encouraged this agreement and advocated for the project’s funding, and I am thrilled it is moving forward.” “Building a new courthouse is a massive project that will create hundreds of jobs in Hartford. This decision is a huge win for workers and I’m grateful to my colleagues for their partnership in making sure these workers are paid livable wages and working on sites that are safe,” said Murphy. Today’s announcement came after Larson, Blumenthal, and Murphy secured $345 million in federal funding to support the new courthouse’s construction. Following the lawmakers’ recent letter urging the requirement of a PLA for the project, GSA officials issued a determination that a PLA would be in the public’s interest, citing Larson, Blumenthal, and Murphy’s advocacy as a key reason for the new policy.
Tweed Airport Expansion Moves Ahead as Residents Question Flooding, Wetlands Impact
As Tweed-New Haven Airport moves closer to a $250 million expansion, officials used a public information session Wednesday to outline the environmental review process as residents continue raising concerns about flooding, wetlands and transparency. Since launching in 2021, the expansion has been the subject of controversy. Project administrators have said it would benefit the local economy and attract an estimated 2,500 jobs by 2030. However, area residents — especially in East Haven where the airport is located — have expressed concern about quality of life impacts, including increased sound, air pollution and traffic congestion from more flights. Environmental advocates and groups like Save the Sound are also concerned about the impact on the wetlands and wildlife, considering the airport’s proximity to wetlands and coastal marsh areas. The airport is in a coastal flood-prone area about 12 feet above sea level near Long Island Sound. Parts of the airport are in Federal Emergency Management Agency-designated flood zones. Save the Sound has a pending lawsuit in federal court in which the organization argued that the Federal Aviation Administration along with the airport authority violated the National Environmental Policy Act and did not adequately assess environmental impacts.
Connecticut Siting Council denies solar farm for Torrington forest on West Hill
TORRINGTON — The Connecticut Siting Council has denied Lodestar Energy’s application for a solar farm on 41 acres West Hill Road. “The Siting Council determined that the scale of forest clearing and the associated environmental impacts outweighed any potential benefits of the project,” Mayor Molly E. Spino said in a statement. “We appreciate the council’s careful consideration of these factors.” The city has opposed the project since learning of Lodestar’s plans last January to submit an application to develop a 3.0-megawatt ground-mounted solar photovoltaic electric generating facility. Spino, in her announcement, noted the city also represented the interests of Torrington residents in the opposition. Pointing out that the project offered no direct benefit to local taxpayers, she said installing the more than 7,500 solar panels called for would have required clearing 19 acres of prime forest and impacting 24 acres of farmland soil. Of the forest, 10 acres are considered “core forest” and the remainder is consider “edge forest” which generally borders non-forested land. Core forests provide habitat for wildlife unable to tolerate significant disturbance. The loss of such forest cover diminishes water purification and habitat values, according to the state’s website. Spino also noted that the city had “significant environmental concerns,” about the project, including that the site is located near drinking water reservoirs that also impacts an endangered bat habitat.
Wilton to rebuild deteriorating bridges and fix others using state, federal grant money
WILTON — The Board of Selectmen unanimously approved funding last week for several bridge projects in town, including the complete replacement of two and rehabilitation of four others. While the replacement of two bridges and renovations to four others is expected to cost a total of nearly $15 million, the town is only on the hook for about $516,000 as the remainder is being paid through federal and state grants, Public Works Director Frank Smeriglio said. The state inspects bridges every two years and provides a rating system based on their structural integrity. The bridge on Honey Road over the Norwalk River was found to have a reduced weight limit due to deterioration, making it a high priority for the state and enabling the project to be largely covered by more than $6 million in grants. Wilton taxpayers will have to pay about $116,000 for masonry work on the bridge, and Aquarion Water Co. will pay nearly $250,000 to relocate a water main.
https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/wilton/article/ct-wilton-bridges-norwalk-river-21362444.php
Two Bridges Under Construction On Interstate 95 in West Haven
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) has launched a major bridge construction project in West Haven, replacing two bridges that carry traffic over I-95. The project has been described as involving “one of the longest and most heavily traveled bridges in the state.” That description comes from Middlesex Corp., the lead contractor on the $136.5 million project. Funding includes 90 percent federal funds and 10 percent state funds. According to CTDOT, Bridge No. 00161, which crosses over First Avenue, was originally built in 1956 and reconstructed in 1990. The bridge will be fully replaced with a new structure designed to increase vertical and horizontal clearances along First Avenue. The southbound direction of the new bridge will include three 12-ft. travel lanes, a 5.5-ft. left shoulder and a 10-ft. right shoulder. The northbound direction will feature three 12-ft. travel lanes, a 12-ft. acceleration lane carrying the entrance ramp from Exit 43, a 5.5-ft. left shoulder and a 10-ft. right shoulder.
There are ‘unscrupulous companies’ in CT that use a tactic to make money. A push is on to end it.
State Comptroller Sean Scanlon is backing legislation that would cut off companies that commit wage theft from contracting with the state.
The comptroller is putting his support behind Senate Bill 268, which contains several measures to root out wage theft — that is, when an employer does not pay an employee wages they’ve earned. Wage theft includes instances when an employee is paid for fewer hours than they worked or not given certain benefits; in other instances, employers steal tips or force employees to work during off hours. Under the bill, the comptroller’s office would have the power to withhold payment from state contractors that are under Department of Labor investigations for wage violations until the investigation has concluded. This is the second year in a row the comptroller’s office has pushed for this legislation. Last year, a similar bill cleared the Senate but was not taken up by the House.
An aging swing bridge in Connecticut could be all yours — if you can move it
The Connecticut Department of Transportation may have a bridge to sell you. Or, actually, you could have it for free. Though it has yet to make a final decision about the fate of the William F. Cribari Memorial Bridge, which brings Route 136 over the Saugatuck River in Westport and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the state DOT has put out a call for letters from parties interested in moving the structure to a different location and reusing it. The agency released a draft report this week on the potential environmental impacts of rehabilitating or replacing the swing bridge, which has multiple “structural and functional deficiencies.” Officials said that if they ultimately decide on replacement, they will contact the parties that have expressed interest in taking the bridge and ask them to submit formal proposals for how they would relocate, reassemble and preserve it.
https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/ct-dot-cribari-bridge-westport-21360241.php
What’s next for proposed Bridgeport soccer stadium site after CT opts not to fund it?
BRIDGEPORT — The owners of the lower East Side land where entrepreneur Andre Swanston has wanted to build a minor league soccer stadium are moving on from that idea and instead pursuing their own mixed-use, sports-centered redevelopment project. “We’re continuing to hone the site plan,” Robert “Bobby” Christoph, a consultant for 255 Kossuth LLC, which purchased the property in 2022, said Wednesday. The news comes just days after Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration dealt a severe blow to Swanston’s two-plus-year-old proposal by denying the key state funding the entrepreneur had sought. The alternative vision for the 255 Kossuth St. address is not a dramatic swerve from what Swanston and his Connecticut Sports Group organization had in mind — housing, restaurants, and a hotel, but now anchored not by a soccer venue but a for-profit community sports facility with multi-purpose courts and fields for training, tournaments and other athletic events.
https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/bridgeport-ct-soccer-stadium-development-21360686.php
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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.