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State bond package steers $31M to Hartford development projects
State officials are preparing to direct more than $31 million toward economic development and community projects in Hartford under a $3 billion bonding package slated for a Dec. 18 vote by the state Bond Commission. Hartford’s share includes about $17.5 million routed through the Capital Region Development Authority. The bond commission agenda, which covers statewide agency operations, municipal grants and community-focused investments, is widely expected to pass; items that reach the panel are almost always approved. Hartford is also positioned to receive $13.75 million in community development funding recommended by the state’s Community Investment Fund 2030 Board after its Sept. 30 meeting.
https://hartfordbusiness.com/article/state-bond-package-steers-31m-to-hartford-development-projects/
Tweed Announces 2026 Construction Start
Tweed New Haven Airport’s operators announced this week that construction should begin next year — and wrap up by 2028 — on a long-delayed expansion project that has ballooned in cost to $250 million. The top lawyer at a local environmental nonprofit and the mayor of East Haven, meanwhile, expressed skepticism about that timeline — as they voiced long-standing concerns around the project’s impact on the surrounding environment and residential neighborhood. At the center of that plan is the construction of a new terminal on the East Haven side of the Morris Cove airport property as well as the extension of the airport’s main runway by nearly 1,000 feet in order to attract more commercial air service. According to Tuesday’s press release, the airport expansion project is now expected to cost $250 million. Back when the project was first announced in 2021, the estimated price tag was $70 million.
East Hartford seeks $15M state grant to spur Founders Plaza tower conversion
East Hartford is seeking a $15 million state grant to help developers convert an obsolete 19-story office tower overlooking the Connecticut River into apartments. In a Dec. 4 special meeting, the Town Council approved an application to the state’s Community Investment Fund, a program funded by state bonding. According to a memo from East Hartford’s Deputy Development Director Steve Hnatuk, the money would help replace the exterior envelope of the 270,106-square-foot tower at 111 Founders Plaza, built in 1971. Developers plan to transform the building into about 240 apartments. The development team includes several high-profile regional players: brothers Harris and Bruce Simons of West Hartford-based Figure 8 Properties; Hartford developer Lexington Partners; investor and businessman Alan Lazowski; Hoffman Auto Group Co-Chairman Jeffrey S. Hoffman; Manafort Brothers Inc. President Jim Manafort; and Peter S. Roisman, head of Houston-based multifamily investor REV.
Seeking Developers: Accepting submissions on Centre Square site
BRISTOL — The City of Bristol is accepting submissions from developers and associated parties toward the sale and development of an approximately 1.35 acre development site located at Centre Square in Downtown Bristol. Dawn Nielsen, marketing and public relations specialist for the City of Bristol, said the city is targeting multifamily and/or mixed-use projects for the site. The property is zoned “BD – Downtown” and is appraised at $650,000. All submissions are due by 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 29. The property in question spans approximately 1.35 acres and is bordered on the north by Wheeler Health’s 45,000 square foot headquarters and medical facility. It is bordered to the south by the future Centre Square “pocket park.” It is also bordered to the east by Hope Street and the Bristol Health Medical Complex and to the West by North Main Street.
Norwalk’s new West Cedar Bridge opens after months-long closure and detours
NORWALK — Norwalk residents no longer have to detour around West Cedar Street after officials announced it reopened and the new bridge is completed. Mayor Harry Rilling celebrated the completion of the bridge on Dec. 5 on the city’s Facebook page. Officials said the bridge was demolished in April and construction began shortly after. “This project will enhance resiliency and improve safety for all modes of transportation to improve the quality of life for residents for decades to come,” he said in an email on Dec. 6. “It’s a beautiful site to see and will allow cars to pass more safely.” Woods Matthews said the city secured $5,354,088 in both state and federal funding, which was administered through the Federal Local Bridge Program, for the full bridge replacement. Alfred Benesch & Company, a Glastonbury-based engineering firm, was hired in 2019 as the design consultant for the project.
https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/norwalk-ct-west-cedar-bridge-reopens-21230064.php
Waterbury’s main streets makeover moves city closer to ‘more modern, accessible, and business friendly’
WATERBURY—It’s been a long time coming, but city officials say that a fair portion of the much-needed work to improve and modernize South and North Main streets has been, or is close to being, accomplished. Officials shared some of that progress and what’s still to come last week with a presentation at city hall. The area of improvements being made includes South Main Street to Scovill Street and North Main Street to Phoenix Avenue. The work, according to James Nardozzi, executive director of the Waterbury Development Corporation, has been in the planning stages since 2019. The objectives for the the project include; replacing and repairing aging surfaces and utility infrastructure and planning for future technology and expansion and development; improving visual cues for motorists through new signage and paving materials; improving pedestrian safety and reducing possible conflicts with motor vehicles while improving pedestrian connectivity, mobility and comfort; addressing drainage issues especially at curbside; and maintaining access during construction.
Tweed New Haven Regional Airport expansion project gets construction manager with CT office
NEW HAVEN — The company that operates Tweed New Haven Regional Airport, Avports LLC, has chosen STV Inc. to manage Tweed’s $250 million expansion project, Avports announced. STV, a multinational professional services company with an office in Hartford, is based in New York City and owned by The Pritzker Organization — which also owns Hyatt Hotels. It specializes in architecture, engineering, program and construction management, among other activities. STV plans, designs and manages infrastructure projects across North America. The Tweed expansion project, currently in the permitting phase, includes a new, 84,000-square-foot “East Terminal” on the East Haven side of the airport, a runway extension that would lengthen Tweed’s runway from 5,600 feet to 6,575 feet and parking for up to 4,000 vehicles, as well as a new access road from Proto Drive in East Haven.
Hartford puts six school renovation projects on hold amid long-term planning over district’s future
HARTFORD — Six school renovation projects are on hold as Mayor Arunan Arulampalam works with state and local officials on the future of the Hartford school district. “We had made a decision to pause our school construction while we are coming up with a plan,” Arulampalam told CT Insider. “We’ve got six projects that are approved that we haven’t begun yet.” The projects on hold in Hartford involve Moylan Elementary, Parkville Community, McDonough Middle, SAND, Maria C. Colón Sánchez Elementary and Batchelder schools. The school projects are still in the design phase, Arulampalam said, but they chose to pause work until a long-term plan is in place to avoid potential repayments to the the state if the buildings are not used in the plan. “If we were to start construction, we’d have to be 100% sure that the six schools are going to be used down the road,” he said.
I-95 overhaul? How one failing bridge could lead to much bigger changes in this CT city
A plan to replace a failing bridge on a stretch of highway in Stamford that may include some of the most congested miles in the United States will likely ripple out into many projects, all intended to relieve that traffic congestion. It has been more than 60 years since Interstate 95 opened in the area, which has been increasing in population and traffic ever since. Sections of the road see more than 160,000 vehicles every day, according to the state Department of Transportation. Now, the state is beginning a comprehensive study, the first stage of which promises to be not one major project but many projects, large and small, to rethink one of the region’s busiest stretch of highway. The condition of the I-95 bridge over the Metro-North tracks at Myrtle Street, called “bridge 32,” between Exits 7 and 8, is an example of the wear and tear those decades of commuters have wrought. The bridge was recently “rehabbed,” a $26.7 million project that extended its life, but it’s not enough.
In the Bridgeport schools’ building boom, here’s what’s done and what’s coming next
BRIDGEPORT — From replacing roofs to creating a new special education center, more building improvements are planned in the city’s school district, officials from the Bridgeport Public Schools say. These renovation and new building projects are taking place after the district launched its first-ever Facilities Master Plan in March, which officials say is helping them make strategic decisions. Bridgeport Public Schools is currently under state intervention after city school officials faced an over $30 million budget deficit during last year’s budget creation process. This froze spending and eliminated 20 teaching positions, all librarians and several administrators. But the district confirmed it will not pause its upcoming facilities projects due to the state intervention. One of the larger projects is the new special education center, which is eligible to receive over $70 million from the state of Connecticut for construction costs, according to the Office of Legislative Research Public Act Summary. It will replace the Bridgeport Learning Center, which has served some of the district’s special education students.
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