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Groton retirement community secures $304M financing for major expansion project
A Groton continuing care retirement community has secured $304.2 million in financing to fund a major campus expansion that will add 265 new senior living units, according to an announcement. Chicago-based investment bank Ziegler said it recently closed the tax-exempt bond financing for Fairview’s Vista Point project, calling it one of the largest senior living tax-exempt bond deals completed in Connecticut. The expansion will be built on about 20 acres of undeveloped land on Fairview’s 70-acre campus and will include 193 independent living units, 44 assisted living units and 28 memory support units, along with amenities including dining venues, a fitness center, indoor pool, performing arts center, walking trails and underground parking. According to Ziegler, the financing will pay for construction of the project, refinance Fairview’s existing debt, fund debt service reserves, cover a portion of interest costs during construction and pay financing expenses. At the time the financing closed, about 70% of the project’s independent living units had been pre-sold, according to Ziegler. The project previously received approval from the Groton Planning & Zoning Commission. Fairview CEO Billy Nelson said in a statement released by Ziegler that the next step is breaking ground on the project. A construction timeline was not provided.
Court Upholds Tweed Expansion Approval
A Washington, D.C. federal appeals court has upheld a 2023 environmental approval of Tweed New Haven Airport’s long-planned expansion — providing a key victory for the airport’s efforts to build a new terminal and an extended runway. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit handed down that 18-page decision on Tuesday in the case Save the Sound v. Federal Aviation Administration. Click here to read the decision in full. The underlying case stemmed from a 2024 appeal filed by the local environmental nonprofit Save the Sound and the Town of East Haven. The petitioners had sought to challenge the FAA’s finding in December 2023 that Tweed’s plan to construct a new terminal in East Haven and extend the airport’s main runway by nearly 1,000 feet — which was first announced in 2021 — would have no significant environmental impact on the surrounding area. The FAA found that the airport’s expansion would actually reduce the number of “enplanements” — and, therefore, air pollution — near the Morris Cove regional airport. That’s because the demand for increased air traffic at Tweed will result in more flights no matter what, the FAA predicted. As Judge Gregory Katsas wrote in Tuesday’s decision, “With the runway extension, the FAA projected that Tweed would see fewer flights with more passengers per flight due to the use of full-capacity 737-800s. … Without the extension, the FAA projected more flights with fewer passengers per flight due to the reduced capacity.”
https://www.newhavenindependent.org/2026/07/21/court-upholds-tweed-expansion-approval/
Warehouse moratorium begins in Killingly, another proposed in neighboring Plainfield
As a 12-month moratorium to pause new zoning applications for large warehouse and distribution centers began in Killingly on Monday, Plainfield is looking to do the same. At its meeting Monday, the Plainfield Conservation Commission discussed proposing a moratorium on new warehouse development at the next Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on Aug. 11. This proposal comes after several warehouses have been built in Plainfield including Amazon, Uline and Lowes, and most recently, a proposed 1.1 million square-foot Costco depot center was approved. The Planning and Zoning Commission passed the Costco development after months of court negotiations in June. Stephen Randall, member of the Conservation Commission, said members are trying to stop warehouses from coming in and preserve “The Last Green Valley,” as the area is known for, but there is only so much they can do. “What part of it is green if you look at Google Earth?” Randall said. We have been strip mining the earth with our gravel bags and we have these major industries coming in. … It’s overwhelming,” he said. Killingly’s moratorium, which began Monday and is in effect until June 30, 2027, will prohibit developers from filing new applications for “distribution centers, fulfillment centers, e-commerce centers, truck and freight terminals” in the town’s general commercial, mixed-use interchange, business park or mill mixed-use development districts.”
Two construction teams vie for Hartford federal courthouse contract, Q&A event set for Wednesday
The planned $345 million federal courthouse in downtown Hartford is moving closer to construction, with two teams competing for the design-build contract and an informational event for subcontractors and suppliers set for Wednesday at Dunkin’ Park. The new courthouse will be constructed on a 2.2-acre surface parking lot at 154 Allyn St., between Union Station and the PeoplesBank Arena. The 281,000-square-foot building will have up to 11 courtrooms, 18 judges’ chambers, offices for court-related agencies and secure parking. The GSA expects to award the design-build contract in January 2027, with construction starting in summer 2027, according to the agency’s project timeline. The courthouse is expected to be substantially complete in early 2031. The U.S. General Services Administration on June 3 named the two firms shortlisted for the contract: Turner Construction Co. of New York, and a joint venture between Rhode Island-based Gilbane Building Co. and Massachusetts-based Consigli Construction.
Northeast State DOT Projects Win Top Honors in National Competition
Eleven state department of transportation projects from Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania have earned regional accolades in the 2026 America’s Transportation Awards competition. From streamlining access to government services to reducing crash risks along key urban corridors, these projects deliver lasting benefits that improve safety, mobility and quality of life in the communities they serve. Selected from 30 projects submitted by eight states and the District of Columbia in the Northeast Association of State Transportation Officials (NASTO) region, these entries are part of a record 127 nominations from 45 state DOTs in this year’s overall competition. Sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the America’s Transportation Awards honor transportation projects that deliver meaningful benefits to communities. Projects compete in four categories — Quality of Life/Community Development, Operations Excellence, Best Use of Technology & Innovation and Safety — showcasing the essential role transportation plays in improving mobility, safety and quality of life for all users.
At Age 103, O&G Still Is Next-Gen Contractor
O&G Industries Inc. in Torrington, Conn., has been active in state and regional construction since Andrew Oneglia founded the company in 1923, with family ownership and leadership now in the fourth generation and with many multigenerational staff. “The combination of long-tenured employees and emerging talent gives us both stability and momentum,” says the firm, now diversified into heavy contracting, complex project management and materials production, with strengths in transportation, education, health care, commercial and industrial markets. O&G ranks at No. 159 on ENR’s national list of Top 400 Contractors, reporting $830.5 million in 2025 construction revenue, and at No. 30 among ENR East Top Contractors with $668.68 million in 2025 regional revenue, up 46.59% from the prior year. O&G says it targets market demand for lower-carbon buildings and infrastructure, forming a link with Urban Mining Inc. to substitute standard cement using a patented concrete additive made from locally recycled glass that cuts emissions. Its community involvement includes Crew for a Cause, an employee-driven charitable giving effort that has provided more than $1 million to local groups and projects since 2023. The firm now has seven fourth-generation members as company managers. One of those, Thomas J. “T.J.” Oneglia, vice president of construction materials, outlined the firm’s strategic approach in a Q&A that has been edited and condensed.
https://www.enr.com/articles/63337-at-age-103-o-and-g-still-is-next-gen-contractor
Old Lyme sewer projects about to begin in beach communities
Old Lyme — The beach sewer projects here are finally moving forward after years of of deliberation. The Old Colony Beach Club Association, the Old Lyme Shores Beach Association and Miami Beach Association will see construction begin on their sewer systems over the next few months after the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection stepped in with a consent order that forced the projects to take place after town residents rejected the work at a referendum. The projects, estimated to cost $85 million, are meant to stop septic tanks at the three private beaches from polluting Long Island Sound. They have been in the works for around 20 years but recently faced a two-month delay after town officials determined the beach associations must obtain a special permit to temporarily use two Shore Road properties as staging areas for construction materials. The two properties are located at 224 and 250 Shore Road. The permits were approved at last week’s Zoning Commission meeting.
https://theday.com/news/909528/old-lyme-sewer-projects-about-to-begin-in-beach-communities/
Major changes planned for a Route 15 interchange, including removal of stop signs
It’s out with the stop signs on the Wilbur Cross Parkway near the Hamden-North Haven border, and in with acceleration and deceleration lanes. The agency recently announced it will hold a public meeting about the project, which aims to make it easier for drivers to merge onto the parkway, on Sept. 15 at Hamden Government Center. It will also accept comments by email and phone for two weeks after the meeting. Construction could start as soon as spring 2028, depending on availability of funding, right-of-way acquisitions and permit approvals, DOT said. On its webpage for the project, DOT said it needs to ditch the stop signs because they lead to a high number of rear-end crashes. It wants to install acceleration lanes for both the northbound and southbound on-ramps and a deceleration lane for the northbound off-ramp. The interchange currently includes an Exit 51, formerly Exit 61, on the northbound side and an Exit 51 on the southbound side.
Shelton may forgo state funding to speed up Constitution Boulevard project
SHELTON — With completion of the first phase of the Constitution Boulevard work in sight, Mayor Mark Lauretti may turn down state funds, instead dipping into the city’s coffers to pay for the remaining two phases. Paving on phase one of the Constitution Boulevard West extension — from Bridgeport Avenue up the hillside — is expected to be completed by year’s end, according to Lauretti. This work comes some three years after initial groundbreaking, with the delays a product of state Department of Transportation requirements demanded as part of accepting $5 million in Connecticut grant money for the project. It is those requirements — and potential for future delays — that has Lauretti rethinking accepting future state monetary awards for the final two phases and instead paying out of city coffers. Lauretti did not have an estimated figure for the work as city officials await bids for the second phase of the road creation which focuses on roadways inside the Mas property, home to what the mayor envisions as a manufacturing hub.
Bridgeport crane company proposes redeveloping Stratford property into storage yard
STRATFORD — A Bridgeport crane and rigging company is seeking approval to transform property on Stratford’s west side into a construction equipment storage yard, giving the company a second location in the region. The applicant, 348 Surf Avenue LLC, has submitted a coastal site plan and erosion and sediment control plan to redevelop about 1.1 acres spanning several adjacent parcels on Surf Avenue and Charles Street, adjacent to the Interstate 95 southbound Surf Avenue exit. The property would become a second location for A&A Crane and Riggings, which has provided crane, rigging and trucking services in the Bridgeport area for about 30 years. The company currently operates from 900 Rusciana Ave. in Bridgeport. The site, which is in Stratford’s light manufacturing zone, is currently occupied by Barre Granite Memorials, a stone monument manufacturing and sales business that has operated there since the 1940s. Owner Donna Miller said the business plans to relocate to a smaller location elsewhere in Stratford later this year.
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