An advanced fuel cell array that could turbo-charge future manufacturing in New Britain is in its final stages of testing and could hook up to the power grid as soon as May, according to city officials. The 67-fuel cell array — installed outdoors in a dilapidated section of the Stanley Works complex at 600 Myrtle St. — awaits final testing and approvals. Once the $80 million project gets the green light, the fuel cells will power up to supply up to 20 megawatts of electricity to the larger power grid, said Jack Benjamin, New Britain’s director of planning and development. For the City of New Britain, the project is expected to complement the recent surge in housing development in the downtown, which is an easy walking distance from Stanley Works, Benjamin said.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/business/article/new-britain-ct-fuel-cells-stanley-works-18756860.php

A developer picked by the town of East Hartford for the tricky redevelopment of a historic, but rundown downtown building into a modern 24-unit apartment building can now access $760,000 in state grant funds. East Hartford’s Town Council, on Tuesday, unanimously agreed to grant access to those funds to developer Parker Benjamin – who was selected as a development partner on the project last year. The Unionville-based developer specializes in adaptive reuse. “Church Corners, historically, was an integral part of downtown East Hartford,” Town Council Chair Richard Kehoe told the Hartford Business Journal Wednesday. “This new project will restore Church Corners to its former glory and is a harbinger of what we hope will also occur with downtown East Hartford.”

East Hartford makes $760,000 in state funds available to Church Corners redevelopment

The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday approved spending $306,650 to hire a program manager who will oversee the construction of the new Oswegatchie firehouse. Downes Construction Co. of New Britain will develop bids, review construction drawings, assist in the selection of the building contractor and oversee the day-to-day construction while reporting back to the building committee. The building committee interviewed three candidates for the job before voting 5-2 to select Downes Construction, Tuneski said. Asked by First Selectman Rob Brule about the project’s impact on taxpayers, Tuneski said constructing a new building is only one of the options.

https://www.theday.com/local-news/20240305/waterford-selectmen-approve-hiring-of-manager-to-oversee-firehouse-project/

A Republican legislator who also runs a small electrical company wants to reduce the state’s apprenticeship hiring ratio, which supporters say would help bolster Connecticut’s trade industry workforce. The state Department of Consumer Protection imposes a so-called “hiring ratio” on contracting companies in electrical, plumbing and metal-working trades. The rule is a bit technical, but it essentially requires contractors to have a certain number of licensed journeymen on staff for each apprentice they hire. “Strong licensing standards don’t just benefit union contractors and union workers, they benefit non-union employers, they benefit non-union workers, they benefit the whole industry,” said Kimberly Glassman, director of the Foundation for Fair Contracting of Connecticut, a private nonprofit that promotes and protects prevailing wage standards on federal, state and municipal public works projects.

Trade industries push for apprenticeship hiring ratio reform

here have been at least 1,800 complaints each year since 2019. Meanwhile, the unit’s staff has dropped. Ten years ago, in 2014, there were 42 staff members, including 31 wage enforcement agents and wage and hour investigators combined. This year, 30 total staff members remain, with 21 agents or investigators. The rest of the staff is clerical or managerial. The investigators are part of a specialized unit known as the Wage and Workplace Standards Division. A proposal this year could require the number of investigators to increase. The struggle over passing the bill deals with the cost of hiring additional staff and whether there’s space in the budget. Currently, most of the investigator positions are funded by the state’s general fund, but some positions are funded from the civil penalties the investigators impose on guilty businesses, which range anywhere from $300 to $1,000, depending on the violations.

CT’s wage-theft investigators facing growing backlog of cases

United Rentals, the world’s largest equipment-rental company, announced this week that it agreed to acquire construction company Yak Access for about $1.1 billion from private equity firm Platinum Equity. The products and services of Hattiesburg, Mississippi-based Yak include approximately 600,000 hardwood, softwood and composite mats; temporary and permanent access roads; site evaluation; design and installation of access plans; and mat removal and logistics. The transaction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2024; the first quarter ends on March 31.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/business/article/united-rentals-acquire-yak-access-18704871.php

With construction now underway on Wilton’s new police station, Chief Thomas Conlan said the new facility will be a “morale boost” to the department’s 41 officers. Branford-based A. Secondino & Son Inc., Wilton’s contractor for the new building, began working on the project two weeks ago, said Jeff Pardo, facilities manager and assistant director of public works. The contractor’s work on the “modern” new station started Feb. 14, just shy of four months after the town’s ceremonial groundbreaking on Oct. 26, according to Pardo. The new station will add appropriate female restrooms and showers, a gym for officers to use off-duty, more offices, locker rooms and a dispatch center, Conlan said.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/wilton-new-police-station-construction-begins-work-18689607.php

Developer Building and Land Technology is proposing to convert a four-story office building on a 25-acre site into a 354-unit residential complex at 800 Long Ridge Road that will include 618 total parking spaces, spread out over existing surface lots and an underground garage. The project also includes about 9,400 square feet of commercial space. The proposed development would be spread across two main structures that would have parking underneath. One building will include an outdoor pool. In total, the complex would contain 186 one-bedroom units, 148 two-bedroom units and 20 three-bedroom units. According to Feinberg’s letter, some potential commercial tenants for the property include a day care center or a medical office.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/local/article/stamford-blt-development-long-ridge-road-18705236.php

The Project Labor Agreement itself emphasizes local employment opportunities with the Norwich-New London Building Trades Council holding career fairs for five years, with a hiring goal of 25% from Norwich and 30% from the New London Council. The council will also assist with local workforce initiatives. Non-union workers can also work on the school project but must be compensated similarly to union employees. Workers from multiple local unions and their supporters filled City Council Chambers on Monday night, clearly distinguished with a simple “Yes” sticker on their shirts. Multiple union members shared why they support a Project Labor Agreement. Former Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch (D) also attended the council meeting to support project labor agreements, calling his $500 million in total project labor agreements the best decision during his time in office, he said.

https://www.norwichbulletin.com/story/news/local/2024/03/06/norwich-elementary-school-buildings-project-labor-agreement/72852392007/

The City Council late Monday heard from nearly three dozen union trades workers and union leaders before voting 4-3 to require Project Labor Agreements for the city’s $385 million school construction project. The agreement requires the contract manager to reach pre-hiring agreements with the Norwich-New London Building Trades Council to provide local skilled trades workers for the projects. Proponents, including all public speakers, extolled the benefits of PLAs, saying they ensure quality work and that projects are completed on time and on budget. The project calls for four new elementary schools, renovating one middle school and converting an elementary school into central offices and adult education. During public comment Monday, trade workers, mostly from Norwich, said they often drive hours to job sites across the state. They said the PLA would allow them to work close to home, spend more time with their families and spend their lunch and gas money in Norwich.

https://www.theday.com/local-news/20240305/norwich-will-use-agreements-with-local-trade-unions-to-build-new-schools/