A group of residents has created a petition outlining their concern over the impact the proposed mixed-use residential development at the former University of Connecticut campus would have on existing wetlands and the town. Proposals for 1800 Asylum Ave. — the western side of the property — do call for the construction of six buildings plus additional townhouses that would line Asylum Avenue and Lawler Road. All of that would be surrounded by parking lots. Developers do intend to leave green space open, including a recreational lawn alongside Trout Brook Drive, a woodland trail behind the property, a wet meadow walk and a bridge traveling over the wetland pond central to the location.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/westhartford/article/west-hartford-ct-uconn-housing-petition-18387690.php

Advocates say transit-oriented development could be a good solution if done right. But in order for it to succeed, they say it’ll need to be both affordable and environmentally sustainable. Building in wetlands like the area around Fairfield Metro requires infrastructure that can mitigate the effects of climate change and reduce the impact of wastewater on a vulnerable environment. The Crossings at Fairfield Metro is the largest of the proposed developments. One building is already under construction. Eventually, the sprawling complex will include nearly 700 apartments, a hotel, an eight-story concourse building and more than 40,000 square feet of office space. That’s based on an ambitious expansion of the project from the developers, Accurate Builders, in March.

Transit-oriented development could transform Fairfield County, if it’s affordable and environmentally sustainable

After years of planning and design work, negotiations with state environmental officials, project changes and cost increases, the biggest utility project in city history is about to break ground. The City Council last week authorized $199.2 million in bonding, secured solely by Norwich Public Utilities sewer revenue, to build a new wastewater treatment plant to replace the aging plant on Hollyhock Island. The manmade island sits in the center of Norwich Harbor, where the Yantic River splits into east and west branches as it spills into the harbor. The project will be financed with 36% grant funding and the remaining 64% with a 20-year, 2% low-interest loan through the state Clean Water Act. NPU expects to sign a contract this week and give selected contractor CH Nickerson of Torrington the go-ahead to start construction by early November.

https://www.theday.com/local-news/20230927/sewage-treatment-plant-is-a-go-in-norwich/

A Maine company is looking to build a nearly $100 million battery storage facility on property at the local landfill. The facility, which would potentially hold between 100 and 150 megawatts of renewable energy, would be connected to the Eversource power grid and serve as a backup for power “to save for a rainy day when we have a capacity event,” Dale Knapp of Walden Renewables of Portland, Maine told the City Council last week during a presentation on his proposal. If the plan is approved, Knapp said the city will pocket $1.47 million in lease payments by the end of the 40 years. “It’s probably close to a $100 million facility,” he said, adding that the facility itself would be also taxable.

https://www.rep-am.com/localnews/2023/09/26/battery-storage-facility-coming-to-torrington-landfill/

As House Republicans force a fight over federal spending, it’s looking increasingly likely that Congress will not pass bills that fund federal operations before the start of the new fiscal year, which would shut down the government on Oct. 1. Among a slew of negative impacts, a shutdown would hold up federally funded infrastructure projects, according to the White House. For example, the U.S. DOT and other key federal agencies responsible for infrastructure would not be fully operational, meaning new federal projects would largely not get started, awards would be suspended and current projects could be put on hold, according to Lehman. Federal agencies are also unable to issue new guidance on how funds should be used. That could impact new Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act work, such as the newly announced $7.5 billion in financing for water infrastructure and another $1.4 billion to fund 70 rail and supply chain infrastructure projects.

https://www.constructiondive.com/news/federal-shutdown-infrastructure-construction-projects/694810/

Five electricians sued Amazon and its contractors for subjecting them to a racially hostile work environment at a Connecticut jobsite where work was temporarily halted after workers and police discovered at least eight hangman’s nooses during construction. The lawsuit follows the completion of an Amazon distribution center in Windsor, Connecticut, where electrical workers of color discovered the nooses over several weeks in April and May 2021. According to the lawsuit, filed Sept. 21 in U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, Amazon and its contractors — Fairfield, New Jersey-based RC Andersen and Holliston, Massachusetts-based Wayne J. Griffin Electric — should be held liable for the damages workers of color suffered at the site. In response to the electrician discovering the noose, the suit said a Griffin foreman gathered the electricians of color to read a statement from RC Andersen about the company’s anti-discrimination policy. But because it was only read to workers of color, according to the suit, it sent the message on site that a noose in the workplace was only a concern for people of color.

https://www.constructiondive.com/news/workers-sue-amazon-nooses-connecticut/694827/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202023-09-27%20Construction%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:54905%5D&utm_term=Construction%20Dive

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