The Zoning Board has narrowly approved plans for a 198-unit apartment complex on a long-vacant Broad Street parcel, the latest residential development approved for Stamford’s central business corridor. The project — proposed by prominent Stamford developer F.D. Rich Company — passed in a 3-2 vote, with the board’s two newest members, Gerald Bosak Jr. and alternate Racquel Smith-Anderson, opposing the development. Chair David Stein and board members Rosanne McManus and William Morris voted in favor during a special meeting last week, which board members planned to help address a backlog of applications. The approval paves the way for a 13-story apartment building at 128 Broad St. There was little debate about the proposal at the board’s May 18 meeting, as members parsed through 30 site-specific conditions for the project’s approval. The vote was the board’s closest margin since January, when it approved Curaleaf on East Main Street as the city’s second hybrid cannabis retailer.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/local/article/stamford-get-198-apartment-complex-former-dress-18112638.php?src=sthpdesecp

Connecticut could be in danger of losing its biggest offshore wind project — the more than 800-megawatt plan known as Park City Wind. Its developer, Avangrid — parent of United Illuminating and the American arm of the massive, multi-national Spanish energy company Iberdrola — is trying to rewrite, renegotiate, rebid or otherwise alter its offshore wind contract with Connecticut, according to industry sources. Avangrid has cited inflation and high interest rates, along with their causes — COVID, supply chain problems and the Russian invasion of Ukraine — as the factors necessitating more revenue to ensure financing to build Park City. Revolution is being developed by Eversource and Ørsted from hubs at the State Pier in New London and ProvPort in Rhode Island. The port authority running the State Pier has been mired in political, financial and ethical upheaval, but its redevelopment for offshore wind is moving along. One portion is complete, and in just a few weeks, turbine components will be delivered then assembled and shipped out for construction at a lease area called South Fork Wind. Dehkan’s main concern is the port redevelopment Avangrid promised in Bridgeport and the jobs expected along with it, which are tremendously important to the trade unions he works with and the environmental justice community in the area. But that port development was already in big trouble when inflation, high interest rates and Ukraine hit.

https://www.theday.com/state/20230522/is-cts-largest-offshore-wind-project-headed-for-the-shoals/

The new elementary school, anticipated to open in 2025, is headed to a Planning & Zoning Commission public hearing Thursday, June 15. The new $61 million, 87,000-square-foot school was approved by referendum Feb. 15, 2022 as part of an $89.2 million school renewal project. The new school would replace J. Milton Jeffrey Elementary School, Ryerson Elementary School and the Town Campus Learning Center. The building plan includes a new school on 14.2 acres near the Green Hill Road campus, which now includes the Walter C. Polson Upper Middle School, J. Milton Jeffrey Elementary School and Daniel Hand High School. The school is designed “with a compact, efficient footprint to leverage the natural topography of the site and create opportunities for outdoor learning,” according to Tecton Architects, which is designing the school.

https://www.nhregister.com/shoreline/article/new-madison-61-m-elementary-school-heads-p-z-18111066.php?src=nhrhpdesecp

Streets in South Norwalk must be raised by at least 3 feet to prepare for future storm surges in 2050, experts with the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation report. South Norwalk is one of seven coastal cities selected by CIRCA for climate mitigation planning. In major storms like Hurricane Sandy, South Norwalk can see typically 4 1/2 to 5 feet of storm surge, which causes major flooding throughout South Norwalk. CIRCA projects that the Long Island Sound will rise 20 inches by 2050 due to climate change, which would worsen the issue. CIRCA outline solutions the city can take to combat this issue, including raising the road by 3 feet so they are 10 feet about the sea level. Officials did not detail the engineering and construction work that would be needed to elevate the roads. But raising the street is more complicated in dense areas like South Norwalk because all the driveways and roadway feeding onto the main road will need to connect to the new height.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/sono-streets-raised-flooding-climate-change-18112495.php

East Hartford is planning to use $17 million in state funds and $3 million from town taxpayers to advance three private redevelopment projects, two of which would each add hundreds of new market-rate apartments. The Capital Region Development Authority board of directors, on Thursday, signed off on the use of $10 million in new state bond funds and the repurposing of about $7 million in previously authorized bonding to aid three developments. East Hartford got the CRDA’s blessing Thursday to spend $10 million to demolish the former McCartin School and three large derelict buildings at, or adjacent to Founders Plaza. Town officials want to demolish the empty school to make room for houses that would mix well with the surrounding residential neighborhood. A development partner has not yet been identified. The CRDA board also signed off on East Hartford’s request to repurpose $7 million in previously approved state bond funding to defray costs of a planned development of at least 300 apartments on a 25-acre site off Silver Lane that once hosted a Showcase Cinemas.

East Hartford targets $20M in public funds to spur large-scale private developments

The city and developers say they are finally taking action to revitalize the Wall Street Corridor — a core area of Norwalk that has languished in part because of a massive project that has remained stagnant for about 20 years. On the city’s side, the Norwalk Transportation, Mobility and Parking Department is focused on upgrading traffic patterns and sidewalks along the corridor. Director Jim Travers and Assistant Director Garrett Bolella plan to make Wall Street a pedestrian-friendly street. They said the entire project will cost about $25 million. Phase one begins this fall. Both the city’s transportation department and Milligan envision the Wall Street area as a hub of art and music. The city planes to turn River Street into a pedestrian street that could be closed off for music or arts festivals. They also plan to honor the late jazz musician and Norwalk native Horace Silver with a piano keyboard crosswalk outside the Wall Street Theater.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/norwalk-wall-street-poko-development-17923452.php

Work will begin soon on permanent repairs to the parking garage at the Trumbull mall damaged more than a year ago. About three-quarters of the Red Garage, near the Target store, will be rebuilt over the next 18 months, according to an announcement on the town’s website. The garage will be closed during the first of three phases of construction. The upper deck and part of the lower deck of the garage were closed temporarily in February 2022 when a chunk of concrete fell through the deck, creating a large pothole. The upper deck of the garage remains closed to vehicles, but most of the lower deck is now open. The first phase of construction will replace the part of the garage closest to Target, Bakalar said. The company would like to have construction done before back-to-school shopping season, she said.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/trumbull-mall-parking-deck-repairs-begin-soon-18109081.php

Turner Construction is due to have a conceptual design estimate ready for the Board of Education and building committee by May 24. Laura Kostin, board member and member of the CMS committee, said that if the estimate is higher than the current budget appropriation from the Board of Estimate and Taxation — which for this upcoming fiscal year is $67.5 million — then the BOE has decisions to make. Turner said that the committee is only in the early stages of the project, as it is only about 100 days in the conceptual design process, but it already has set some parameters. The proposed new building is 124,623 gross square feet, with 81,005 net square feet is dedicated to educational programming. Turner said construction is aimed at a June 2024 start date and go through February 2026, with demolition of the existing building aiming to run from June 2026 to September 2026.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/education/article/greenwich-central-middle-school-updates-18105249.php

Since last year, the Connecticut Department of Transportation has been working on a master plan that will guide future improvements to the state-owned station. The ultimate goal is to increase access and public transit ridership by turning the station into a “best-in-class facility,” according to a news release. CTDOT will host an open house event from 4 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. May 24 at the Stamford Transportation Center to update riders about ongoing renovation plans and get feedback on two concepts being floated for possible redesigns. The redesigns are aimed to reduce congestion and make the street more welcoming to pedestrians and bikers. Both renderings show Station Place as a one-way street west toward Washington Boulevard with a new two-way bike path and covered bike parking. Most of the images include a large building in place of the current parking garage.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/local/article/stamford-train-station-redesign-look-18105265.php?src=sthpdesecp

The new court, to be installed over the coming months, opens a new era and essentially opens the next facilities initiative — adjusting game-day and student-athlete experiences in the iconic building that opened during the Dream Season of 1989-90. UConn has begun working with Populous, a Boston-based architectural firm that specializes in stadiums, toward plans for various renovations. Early ideas were ambitious. The cost estimate came back at north of $300 million. So, for now, the athletic department will focus on what is necessary instead of what remains eventually possible. Projects in the coming years will cost $30-50 million, depending on fundraising success, Benedict said. Gampel, constructed at a cost of $28 million ($65 million today), opened in January 1990. The building underwent $10 million of work on its roof in 2017. The goal now is to make the arena more comfortable and all areas of it more accessible.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/sports/uconn/article/gampel-pavilion-huskies-18107399.php