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Hotel, Housing Project Proposed for Long-Vacant Fairfield Industrial Site
FAIRFIELD — A new transit-oriented development project could soon take shape on a 22-acre parcel in Fairfield’s Commerce Drive Industrial District, a former manufacturing hub. After Bullard Machine Tools closed its doors in the 1980s, several projects have been proposed on the brownfield sites within the district, but most have never materialized. The district’s newest proposal comes from Florida-based Amzac Capital Management. The plan includes a 160-room hotel and conference center adjacent to the Fairfield-Black Rock Train Station, plus two residential buildings with a total of 676 units on Ash Creek Boulevard. The Amzac development team asked the Town Plan and Zoning Commission for a preliminary review of the project by last week. “We’re not asking for a decision now,” attorney Christopher Russo, representing Amzac, told the commission. “It’s a large property and a big project.” Russo noted that the Commerce Drive area has taken on a new life with the opening of a brewery, a nearby shopping plaza with a grocery store and pharmacy, and new restaurants within walking distance from the proposed project. He said some of the “defining features” on the property for residents also include courtyards, decks with pools, cabanas and lawn space.
Lamont releases $15.2M to assess, remediate brownfields
A dam-removal project and the assessment of contamination at the former home of a newspaper are among a dozen projects in 11 communities receiving a total of $15.2 million in grants and loans from the state. Gov. Ned Lamont announced Wednesday that his administration will release $15.2 million in state funding to support assessment and remediation activities at the 12 blighted properties across Connecticut. The funding will help cover the cost of cleaning up these unused, polluted parcels so they can be redeveloped and returned to productive use. The grants will be distributed through the state Department of Economic and Community Development’s (DECD) Brownfield Remediation and Development Program. The latest round of funding will support investigation and cleanup activities on a total of 267 acres and are expected to leverage more than $81 million in private investments, state officials said.
https://hartfordbusiness.com/article/lamont-releases-15-2m-to-assess-remediate-brownfields/
These are the major school construction projects that will get state funding
From brand new schools to renovations, several major school construction projects across Connecticut are one step closer to materializing with new funding from the state. The revised $28.1 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year authorizes millions of dollars in school construction grant commitments, including around $150 million for the six schools on the 2026 priority list and bonds for other projects. Here are the schools that are getting an upgrade using new state funding approved by the legislature this year. Projects in Milford, Norwich, Seymour, Stamford, Waterbury and Westport secured spots on the state’s building priority list for 2026. The budget bill authorizes a total of $150.6 million for these projects, which are expected to cost more than $300 million combined. The state reimburses towns and local districts for some of the construction costs through state general obligation bonds, with less wealthy municipalities getting a higher reimbursement. Local funds pay the rest.
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.
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