On the last day of the legislative session, state lawmakers Wednesday approved capital projects totaling about $6.6 billion for the two-year budget that starts July 1. That bill includes long-term bonding for lowering state energy bills, financing billions in school construction projects and expanding security measures for houses of worship. The 256-page bond bill passed 144-4 in the House of Representatives and 35-1 in the Senate. Although the bill authorizes the spending, projects and agencies would still face scrutiny from the Office of Policy and Management before funding is authorized by the State Bond Commission, which is controlled by the governor. “It is vital that we prioritize, first and foremost, the safety of our residents, especially our Jewish residents who are currently facing the threat of increased anti-semitic attacks,” Fazio said. The bond act includes $10 million a year for increased school security and $5 million a year for non-profits including religious institutions.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/politics/article/ct-bond-budget-bridgeport-soccer-spending-towns-20361224.php

Yale will pause construction on 10 projects in the planning phase because of federal funding concerns, a university official revealed Tuesday to area business leaders. The good news is that the building boom in New Haven is continuing, leaders said. But investors and lenders are tightening the purse strings in the wake of mixed messages and uncertainty from the federal government, they warned. The result is that there will be some pauses in new construction. As a result, Daum said the university will continue to complete work on projects already under construction, because it’s more costly to stop work in progress than finish it. But the 10 other projects that are in the planning stages will be paused for now. “In two or three years we’ll be back investing huge amounts of money and talent into the area,” Daum said. “We’re going to be an economic driver for the next century.”

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/business/article/ct-yale-new-haven-business-construction-projects-20358517.php

St. John Urban Development Corp. has filed a proposal with the city to demolish two, 17-story cylindrical apartment towers that it built in 1971, at 109 Tresser Blvd., that have a total of 240 affordable units, and replace them with with a 10-story apartment building that will have 305 affordable units. The new building would have 101 one-bedrooms units, 100 two-bedrooms units and 104 three-bedroom units for families earning 30% to 80% of the area median income. According to the project application, the two existing, mostly vacant residential buildings — known as the St. John’s Towers — consist of 240 units and were constructed with a third tower consisting of another 120 units. That third tower was demolished in 2019 to make way for a new apartment complex known as The Smyth, which was developed by Charlotte, North Carolina-based developer Quarterra. Stamford’s Planning Board is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the major proposal on June 10.

Developer proposes 305-unit, affordable apartment building in downtown Stamford in large-scale redevelopment

The project manager for the Ponemah Mills development said Tuesday that four more locations have been identified as receiving contaminated soil excavated from the mill site. Phil Biondo told members of the Commission on the City Plan on Tuesday that in addition to the contaminated soil already found at a construction site in Franklin, the soil has also been found at sites in Preston and Jewett City and two in Norwich. He said One Key LLC, the New Jersey-based developer, is working with the state Department of Environmental Protection and the federal Environmental Protection Agency to remediate and dispose of the materials. In March, DEEP ordered One Key to stop removing soil from the site until it could determine whether the excavated material was contaminated, and where it was trucked to. Uncas Health District Director Patrick McCormack had written to the city saying he had asked a One Key representative at the site where the material was being stored on the property, where it was being taken and who removed it, but the representative didn’t know.

https://theday.com/news/745557/four-more-locations-identified-with-contaminated-soil-from-norwichs-ponemah-mills/

The DOT has agreed to settle a case challenging the constitutionality of its Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program, effectively barring women- and minority-owned companies from automatic inclusion in the initiative. In a joint motion filed May 28 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky that still needs a judge’s approval, DOT agreed to no longer defend gender and race as presupposed qualifications for inclusion in the program. “USDOT has determined that the race- and sex-based presumptions in its DBE program can no longer pass constitutional scrutiny,” the agency wrote in court documents. The settlement also still needs to be granted by the judge in the case. Beyond that, Democracy Forward, a liberal advocacy group that has been a vocal legal challenger to President Donald Trump’s policies during both of his terms, recently won a minor victory in gaining approval to intervene in the case, which is still ongoing. “The participation in this case is essential to allowing minority- and women-owned businesses to fight for themselves and their communities, and we are pleased that the court will allow their voices to be heard, said Sarah von der Lippe, counsel for the Minority Business Enterprise Legal Defense and Education Fund in a May 21 Democracy Forward news release praising that decision. Whatever the ultimate outcome of the case, the DBE’s future administration will likely be dramatically curtailed and increasingly complex, according to Slottee.

https://www.constructiondive.com/news/dot-race-gender-dbe-settlement/749536/

The Norwich Public Utilities Board of Commissioners has appointed Ashon Avent as its chairman for the coming year, according to a community announcement. Avent, who has been an NPU commissioner since 2021, is the owner of T-Shirt World and a resident of Norwich for over a decade. He holds a degree from Eastern Connecticut State University, an MBA from Albertus Magnus College and is pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration from Southern Connecticut State University. The board also appointed Commissioner Bill Warzecha as vice chairman and Commissioner Stewart Peil as secretary. Peil served as chairman for the past three years. NPU is currently undergoing extensive upgrades and construction throughout Norwich. This includes a $200 million upgrade of its wastewater treatment plant, over $20 million in modernization work across its natural gas service territory, several projects to upgrade and improve its water system and extensive planning to upgrade its electrical system in the coming years.

https://www.norwichbulletin.com/story/news/local/2025/05/30/ashon-avent-appointed-norwich-public-utilities-chairman-amid-upgrades-wastewater-plant-gas-lines/83918377007/?tbref=hp

Two old stone bridges are proposed to be upgraded by the state Department of Transportation, despite being previously reinforced with modern technology. The projects call for adding new roads over the bridges, which officials said will address deficiencies, ensure the spans meet required load standards and retain the bridges’ historic significance. The work will cost an estimated $5.4 million. Project Engineer Jonathan Carelli explained the first bridge, located on Parks Road and spanning Broad Brook, consists of a stone bridge built in 1900 which was reinforced in 1960 with concrete slabs. The two-lane roadway has a width of 21 feet. The proposed work calls for adding a new concrete layer on top of the bridge and re-constructing the roadway to be longer and wider. The updated span would include two 10-foot travel lanes and reinforced concrete abutments. The $2.8 million in upgrades would not disturb the original, underlying structure, officials said. Designs for the bridges are expected to be complete in August. Construction would begin in April 2027 and finish in November of that year. During construction, detours would go into effect.

https://theday.com/news/749924/dot-to-upgrade-two-historic-stone-bridges-in-preston/

The Commodore Hull Bridge, which carries Route 8 over the Housatonic River between Shelton and Derby, will now have a posted load restriction of a 32 tons load for all vehicles using the span, according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation. The bridge remains safe to use, according to DOT. The DOT said an emergency declaration has been signed for the bridge. Construction will begin on Monday in the area. On Route 8 northbound, Howe Avenue and Kneen Street on-ramps may be closed to traffic and mainline traffic will be maintained for two lanes across the bridge in a lane shift configuration, according to DOT. Delays and one-lane traffic alternating traffic are said to be expected. The project will have the time frame of 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Weather or unforeseen conditions may modify the schedule. The CTDOT asks that motorist maintain a safe speed in the area.

Load limit put in place for bridge on busy CT highway. Here is why and where.

Swanston should soon have more certainty about if and when his vision for the lower East Side in Bridgeport, which includes the soccer venue, a hotel, 1,100 housing units and public recreational space, will become a reality. The state House of Representatives recently passed a bill that would, should Bridgeport officials so choose, allow the city to use tax incremental financing (TIF) to help pay for up to $190 million of the stadium and infrastructure construction. A portion of any new real estate taxes generated by the project would pay off the debt rather than going directly into Bridgeport’s municipal coffers. There has been a simultaneous push for state lawmakers to also commit about $100 million to Swanston’s project as part of any borrowing or bonding package included in a new two-year Connecticut budget negotiated with Gov. Ned Lamont. Felipe and Bridgeport state Reps. Christopher Rosario and Steve Stafstrom in separate interviews emphasized the importance of getting Lamont to back the stadium spending. Lamont has previously expressed support for Swanston’s effort but not about providing significant state funds, preferring the private sector to take on that responsibility.

https://www-ctpost-com.translate.goog/news/article/bridgeport-soccer-stadium-legislators-aid-funding-20353015.php?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp&_x_tr_hist=true

The construction work to fully replace the “structurally deficient” Van Car Road bridge is underway, while the work to replace the Sand Road bridge is expected to start in mid-June, according to officials from New Milford’s Public Works Department. “Both of these replacement projects will make the roadways safer for commuters as well as provide resilience for the future to prevent flooding,” said Chuck Ballard, the roads design engineer for New Milford’s Public Works Department. The Sand Road bridge sees average daily traffic of 477 vehicles. It was deemed “structurally deficient” at its last inspection on Oct. 23, according to data from the Public Works Department. The town is coordinating with the state Department of Transportation on both projects, Ballard said.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/newmilford/article/new-milford-van-car-road-sand-bridge-replacement-20351212.php