The Biden administration’s recent changes to the Davis-Bacon Act are the most dramatic in a generation. They restore the Labor Department’s definition of prevailing wage that was used until 1983, thereby increasing construction workers’ pay on federally funded projects. The new rule, which goes into effect Oct. 23, also expands types of work and workers covered, and boosts enforcement. The updates boost enforcement and include for the first time protection for whistleblowers, said Peter Crofton, partner and Atlanta section head of the construction law practice of Smith, Gambrell & Russell — a cue that the Biden administration plans to enforce the rule more zealously. The rule also broadens agencies’ ability to withhold back pay from contractors, attorney Dan Ramish, a partner at Haynes and Boone’s Northern Virginia office, said in an email.

https://www.constructiondive.com/news/dotted-line-davis-bacon-updates/694643/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202023-09-26%20Construction%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:54863%5D&utm_term=Construction%20Dive

City officials said Anamet, the 17-acre brownfield site, including a 180-square-foot High Bay building, is crucial to revitalizing the city’s South End. On Sept. 6, city officials terminated negotiations with Ideal Fish concerning Anamet after city officials expressed concerns that negotiations were not progressing the way officials had hoped. But since last year, the city has utilized $1.5 million to demolish three buildings, abate the High Bay building, map the underground utilities, and conduct additional sampling of the site to understand the extent of the contaminants fully, Hyde said. Hyde said there will still need to be further remediation of the site. The Waterbury Development Corp. oversees the grants and remediation of the site. To date, $9.5 million has been received for work toward rehabilitation of the site, most of which has been spent, according to Hyde.

https://www.rep-am.com/localnews/2023/09/26/new-interest-in-anamet-factory-site-being-shown/

The New London Housing Authority is seeking professional guidance as part of an estimated $65 million plan to demolish and rebuild the three 60-year-old state-subsidized housing complexes it owns and manages. The authority expects to hire a firm by Nov. 15. The preliminary design documents being solicited now are required before the New London Housing Authority submits an application to the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority and the state Department of Housing by fall 2024. Kedron estimated it will take up to seven years and about $65 million to complete the entire three-building project. She said the project’s start date – each complex will be handled as an individual project, with Gordon Court likely first in line – heavily depends on how quickly the architectural firm can complete its analysis. The funding is expected to come from a variety of sources such as state and federal monies, project-based vouchers and grants obtained by the city.

https://www.theday.com/local-news/20230926/new-london-proposes-65m-plan-to-raze-rebuild-three-aging-housing-complexes/

The town is continuing efforts to transform the West Main Street corridor into a more walkable, “town center” environment, and the state of Connecticut is helping move the planning process along. A Brownfield Area Revitalization grant from the state Department of Economic and Community Development is a key part of the corridor’s continued growth. Martelli said Cheshire provided a 10% match in order to secure $100,000 in funding from the state, to be used primarily for planning purposes. A separate BAR grant, in the amount of $925,000, is being used for remediation and renovation at Ball & Socket Arts. A steering committee that includes town staff and representatives of SLR Consulting, the project consultants, has met with “over 17” property owners within the district and will continue to do so. He noted that the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission will have a public hearing on the subject at a future date, perhaps as soon as the first few months of 2024.

https://www.myrecordjournal.com/News/Cheshire-Citizen/Cheshire-News/West-Main-Street-district-taking-shape-in-Cheshire.html

A New York-based developer has won approval to build affordable housing on State Street, bringing much-needed assistance to renters amid a statewide shortage of low-cost units. The $26 million project, submitted by Regan Development Corp. and approved at the Hamden Planning and Zoning Commission’s Sept. 20 meeting, includes the construction of 64 units divided among three buildings at 2980 State St. and the addition of infrastructure improvements aimed at making the roadway more pedestrian-friendly. To help offset the cost of the project for the developer, town officials applied for $8 million from the state Community Investment Fund, Garrett said. Gov. Ned Lamont launched the CIF last year to foster economic development in historically underserved communities across the state.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/hamden-affordable-housing-state-street-18389475.php

State officials are committing themselves to a massive $22.5 million investment in the economic development of Bridgeport’s waterfront — the razing of an industrial landmark, the closed coal-fired power plant. On Tuesday members of the board of the Community Investment Fund voted without debate to spend over $101.3 million on nearly two-dozen projects around Connecticut. By far the largest amount on the list is the $22.5 million to demolish the PSEG-owned plant. One of the details is the true cost of demolition. He said the $22.5 million figure was based on a “rough estimate” provided by an unidentified company with experience razing coal-fired power plants. However, Gaudett noted, that company did not have access to the actual property.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/ct-bridgeport-pseg-power-plant-demolition-18388093.php

The state Community Investment Fund Board approved $101 million in funding Tuesday for projects that would allow Bloomfield to draft plans for its downtown, create a new park in Windsor, a public housing development in Enfield, and a range of other projects across the region and state. In Bloomfield, a grant for $250,000 will allow the town to create a plan for redeveloping the town center. “It’s a great day for Bloomfield,” said Town Councilman Kenneth McClary. “Our state partners, they see the vision and they want to make sure that we’re successful. And so I appreciate everybody who had a hand in it.” The Town of Windsor received $4 million to create Wilson Park in what is a currently vacant plot of land next to the on-ramp for I-291. The CIF application describes the park as “multi-dimensional” and it is expected to provide a variety of amenities to people in the Wilson and Deerfield neighborhoods of Windsor.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/capitalregion/article/ct-community-investment-fund-hartford-18387904.php

The renovation and relocation of the New Canaan Police Department is expected to begin around Thanksgiving, members of the Police Department Building Committee told the Town Council during a Sept. 20 meeting. Last month, the committee approved a guaranteed maximum price for the project of $29 million, which was then approved by the Board of Selectmen. For the renovation, the town has a contract with architecture group SLAM Collaborative and Turner Construction Company. “As far as timing…we’ve been saying 18 months, (but) you should be aware that Turner’s schedule is 13 months,” said Bill Walbert, chairman of the building committee. “Things happen in this business, as you all know, so we’ve been saying 18 (months).”

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/police-fire/article/new-canaan-police-station-18389667.php

The Board of Mayor and Burgesses earlier this month approved an agreement for the Rubber Avenue reconstruction with Kleinfelder Northeast for $1.2 million. The project will be paid for through the state’s Local Capital Improvement Program (LoCIP). The project will reconstruct about two-thirds of a mile of Rubber Avenue from the intersection of Melbourne and Hoadley streets to Elm Street. The project will include drainage improvements, and new sidewalks and landscaping along the road. The borough board also awarded the Rubber Avenue reconstruction project to B&W Paving and Landscaping in the amount of $8.5 million. The award has been endorsed by the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments and has received state DOT authorization.

https://www.rep-am.com/localnews/2023/09/25/rubber-avenue-reconstruction-clears-hurdles/

The long-awaited grand opening of Hartford’s new sports betting venue last week was cause for celebration but talk at the event also turned to something more sobering: the sudden death two days earlier of prominent downtown developer Martin J. Kenny. The real estate company founded by Kenny, Hartford-based Lexington Partners, quickly reassured Hartford and other towns and cities where it has active projects that it would not only continue with those developments but it expected new ones in the future. “We will be moving full steam ahead with all the projects we have in the works,” Alan Lazowski, chief executive of Hartford-based LAZ Parking and a longtime business partner and friend of Kenny’s, said. Those include the $70 million conversion of a former convent in West Hartford into nearly 300 apartments, a project that is now nearing completion. To the east of the Connecticut River, there is an massive $850 million redevelopment of Founders Plaza in East Hartford — now in its early stages — that could include as many as 1,000 new apartments, restaurants, entertainment venues, medical offices and a new pedestrian bridge across the Connecticut River.

A prominent CT developer’s legacy and how his company now sees the future. ‘He never pulled a punch’