A developer looking to build an extended-stay hotel in Stamford’s downtown argues that 25 off-site parking spaces would be more than enough to accommodate guests, but the city’s zoning regulations need to be changed before it’s allowed. Tullamore LLC, which is affiliated with Greenwich-based Wellbuilt Company, has requested the text change as part of a proposal to build a 10-story, 99-room hotel with ground-floor restaurant space at the site of what is now a parking lot alongside Curley’s Diner. The Planning Board recently voted 3-2 to recommend that the Zoning Board approve the text change as well as Wellbuilt’s proposed site plan. Many of the hotel’s guests would likely come from Stamford’s train station either by foot or ride-hailing, Mazzeo told the board.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/stamford-hotel-parking-curleys-diner-18669921.php?src=sthpdesecp

The sidewalks are under construction as part of the Lower Summer Street Promenade project, which includes widened sidewalks on both sides of Lower Summer Street (the section between Broad and Main streets), an improved streetscape with new lights and trees, a raised intersection to increase pedestrian safety and other improvements. Meyer said the project costs $2 million and $600,000 is funded by the Connecticut Department of Transportation Community Connectivity Grant Program and $1.4 million is funded by the City of Stamford. Meyer said the sidewalk roadway construction began last spring, and much of it should be completed soon. “We anticipate that the sidewalk work will be completed by mid-March, and we are aiming for the project to be substantially completed by mid-April,” she said. “Final work such as roadway paving and light pole installation will be completed in early May.”

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/stamford-summer-street-caroline-simmons-18659162.php?src=sthpdesecp

Also called a roundabout or rotary, the traffic circle will replace the more than 30-year-old traffic signal at the intersection, saving the city in future maintenance costs and limiting emissions from vehicles idling at red lights, said Jim Travers, director of the city’s Transportation, Mobility and Parking Department. It will be located near the campus of CT State Norwalk, formerly Norwalk Community College. The traffic circle, which has $5 million in state funds, will be funded by: $1 million in state bond funds acquired by Duff, and the state Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program from which the TMP Department received $4 million — the maximum amount for a single grant, Travers said. The TMP Department looks to have community conversations and meetings about the project this spring, Travers said.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/norwalk-traffic-circle-richards-west-cedar-street-18672173.php

Officials are scrambling to come up with savings now that bids have come in more than a million dollars higher than original estimates for the $5.3 million senior center renovation project. The bids came from construction subcontractors vying to work under the Hartford-based Newfield Construction management firm, which was selected in October to manage the project. Old Lyme is responsible for 75% of the project cost, with Lyme accountable for the remainder. Baker said officials must figure out how to bring the costs down ― and secure funding for the remaining overage, if any ― before the current bids expire on May 6 in order not to have to start the bidding process over. That would mean the senior center could reopen by late February of next year if crews get in the building this May, she said.

https://www.theday.com/local-news/20240219/before-construction-begins-lymes-senior-center-renovation-not-on-time-or-on-budget/

The City Council will be asked Tuesday to support a $15.6 million federal grant request for improvements to the Interstate 395 Exit 18 ramp and to create dedicated lanes for traffic entering and leaving the planned Occum Industrial Center. The Norwich Community Development Corp. is seeking authorization to apply for the grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity, RAISE, program. The requested $15.6 million would fund the majority of the proposed $20 million project to upgrade the Exit 18 northbound and southbound ramps with wider lanes, including acceleration and deceleration lanes on the steep ramps, a traffic light at the Route 97 intersection, sidewalks along Route 97 and dedicated lanes to enter and exit the industrial center. Nystrom thanked the state for awarding the initial $11.3 million in Community Investment Fund grant money to construct the access road and thanked state Sen. Cathy Osten for obtaining another $500,000 in state funding for design work.

https://www.theday.com/local-news/20240219/norwich-considers-pursuing-15-million-federal-grant-for-i-395-exit-improvements/

he Association of Union Constructors (TAUC) Spring 2018 edition of TAUC’s Construction User magazine was devoted to the opioid issue with the theme “Confronting the Opioid Crisis: What Contractors Can Do Today.” Today, Zimmer serves as an appointed member of the Connecticut Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee. In 2023 Zimmer was invited to represent the construction industry at a town hall hosted by the Brookings Institution on the economic impact of the opioid epidemic and its effect on labor supply availability. The Local #478 Member Assistance Program (MAP) supports 3,200 members and 10,000 total lives, including family members and retirees. The MAP provides all-encompassing support for mental health, wellbeing, substance misuse, and treatment and recovery support for substance use disorder. One of the signatory contractors Zimmer partnered with is Bartlett Brainard Eacott. Marko Kaar is the longtime Director of Safety Operations for BBE. Kaar and Zimmer collaborated on opioid awareness and risk reduction initiatives back in 2016-2017.

https://www.forconstructionpros.com/business/business-services/coaching-consulting/article/22885409/how-three-construction-leaders-recognized-and-responded-to-opioid-crisis?fbclid=IwAR39LQ66qLZXULTNjglV0aUj3DODXALcFfkTH2hFWJk5d-TQkC5HkdFxhpI

As a showdown on the future of Hartford-Brainard Airport looms in the legislature, Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam isn’t showing his cards just yet, and last year’s consultant’s report didn’t go far enough in helping him take a position on the issue. A consultant’s $1.5 million study late last year concluded that the 200-acre airfield in Hartford’s South End could be used for industrial or mixed-use redevelopment. But it could cost tens of millions to rid the airport of contamination and take years to decommission it before fully reaping property tax and economic development potential, according to the report. A hearing on the study is expected — but not yet scheduled — in the legislature. State lawmakers then would have to decide whether the century-old Brainard should be closed. In Hartford, the debate over Brainard also comes as the state examines what should be done with an adjoining 80 acres that will become available with the decommissioning of Hartford’s trash-to-energy plant.

A showdown on a CT airport redevelopment plan looms. Mayor has ‘real serious questions’ on viability

As part of a broader lawsuit filed in March 2023, Old Colony, owned by Michelle Neri, requested a temporary injunction to stop the town from moving forward on a project to repair the South Anguilla Road bridge, but the request became moot when the project was completed before the case could be litigated. New London Superior Court Judge Angelica Papastavros approved a request by Old Colony to dismiss the claim against the town on Thursday. The rest of the suit is pending. In late 2022, the town awarded the contract to Suchocki & Son of Preston, the second lowest bidder on the project, for $16,000 more than the $322,334 bid from Old Colony.During a deposition, WMC Vice President Stephen McDonnell acknowledged that some of unsatisfactory work it cited by Old Colony dated back as far as 2006. In a memo to the board, Town Engineer Christopher Greenlaw wrote that Old Colony “has a performance history of extended project timelines and schedules that would drive increases for construction, admin[istration], and inspection at a minimum.” He also said the town’s bid documents state that it reserves the right to not select the lowest bid.

https://www.theday.com/article/20240216/bridge-construction-lawsuit-against-stonington-is-over-for-now/#

School officials have submitted detailed plans for the proposed athletic field improvements at South Windsor High School ahead of a public hearing scheduled in March. Though the Town Council decided in January not to set a date for a $7.5 million referendum to fund the plan, the school district is moving forward with an application to the Planning and Zoning Commission. The PZC’s public hearing is tentatively scheduled for March 12, the same date that the Board of Education originally requested that the Town Council set the referendum for. Hulk said in addition to a new playing surface and lighting fixtures, the new field would come with bleachers, a press box, accessibility improvements, and space for more buildings to support the field in the future, such as a concession stand.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/journalinquirer/article/ct-south-windsor-high-school-fields-plan-18662542.php

Zoning commissioners signed off on plans to build a five-story building with 245 apartments, including 30 affordable units, ground-floor retail space and co-working offices for residents at 81 Black Rock Turnpike, tucked between Fairfield Metro Center and the newly opened Elicit Brewing Company location. The zoning approval is a major step forward for the large-scale development, which still faces a state-regulated remediation process to clean up environmental contamination from the old factory at the site. The approval from Fairfield’s Town Plan and Zoning Commission comes more than a year after Fairfield-based developer Post Road Residential introduced its plans in late 2022. The project has since received a $3 million state grant to cover the environmental remediation work — funding that the town and developer are contemplating rejecting due to its legal obligations, which involve more affordability and higher wages during construction.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/fairfield/article/bullard-metro-center-development-black-rock-tpke-18666900.php