Amid strong opposition from the public, members of the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission continued a public hearing regarding a special exception request to construct an 8,100-square-foot trucking terminal with 10 loading docks in a densely populated, residential area near Interstate 91. The plan calls for eight small, and two large, overhead bays and a 42-space parking lot to accommodate tractor-trailers and employees, Land Use Director Marek Kozikowski said Thursday. It would be built on wooded land, a portion of which would need to be cleared. The project received approval at the May 3 Inland Wetlands & Watercourses Agency meeting.

https://www.middletownpress.com/news/article/middletown-homeowners-turn-droves-oppose-truck-18131832.php

Local, state and federal officials gathered in Waterbury Monday morning to celebrate $8.8 million in brownfield cleanup funds for Connecticut. Waterbury is pushing hard to cross properties off its list of brownfields. The 12-year-administration of Mayor Neil O’Leary has succeeded in pulling in tens-of-millions of dollars in state and federal cleanup grants. Speakers emphasized the need for continued investment in communities burdened by brownfields, in order to create opportunities. Several also focused on the magnitude of brownfields investment being pushed by lawmakers and President Biden. “To quote President Biden on occasion: ‘This is a big frigging deal,’” quipped U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.

EPA announces $8.8M for CT brownfield cleanup efforts

An isolated corner of downtown Hartford that struggled for decades to be known for more than its dusty parking lots appeared finally to have something going for it: a popular minor league ballpark and brisk leasing of the first of as many as 1,000 apartments. The city and the original developer, who was fired from the project on city-owned land, must first battle in court over the termination and who has the right to develop the rest of the land around the ballpark. A trial is expected in April, 2024. Some argue the setback for North Crossing is only temporary — and should not be overblown or interpreted that all development is coming to a halt in Hartford. “It’s great when these things happen without a hiccup, but there is often a hiccup,” David Griggs, chief executive of the MetroHartford Alliance, the region’s chamber of commerce, said. “So I don’t want us to look at this as a systemic problem with either the way the city is operating or the way our development of our city and region is moving forward.”

Development near Hartford ballpark thrown major curve. Will lengthy delay hurt project’s momentum?

Built-out and pocked with abandoned buildings and tattered shopping plazas, East Hartford has long suffered from a lack of interest by developers in building anything new within its 18 square miles. With per-capita income among the state’s lowest at about $32,000, East Hartford’s residents face few choices when it comes to shopping, updated housing or amenities within town limits. But a surge of federal money from the American Rescue Plan Act, regional non-profits and the state has sped the demolition of structures that have sat derelict for decades, with the wrecking ball set to swing starting in the coming months. The state bond commission is expected to vote to authorize $11 million in funding at a scheduled meeting on June 26 that will allow for the demolition of three dilapidated buildings in and around Founders Plaza, an office park along the Connecticut River.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/business/article/east-hartford-development-rentschler-founders-18132685.php

Workers were pouring 4 million pounds of concrete when a building under construction on Lafayette Street collapsed Friday, injuring eight, an official said. As of Saturday afternoon, four of the workers who were rescued at the scene of the collapse at 188 Lafayette St. remain hospitalized, according to a spokesperson for Yale New Haven Hospital. One of the workers was listed in serious condition and three were in fair condition, the spokesperson said. The workers had poured about three-quarters of 4.2 million pounds of concrete on a second-floor slab when the floor collapsed into the first floor and basement, trapping several workers, city officials said. Mayor Justin Elicker said Friday the city has started a review to ensure the construction permit process was done properly. A stop-work order has been issued to the construction company, he said. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the site, officials said. New Haven police will also conduct an investigation, fire Chief John Alston said. RMS Companies owns the building and is developing the project, while Yale University owns the land, city officials said.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/new-haven-building-collapse-injures-8-18133534.php

Deborah Sims, like Newton, also attended the rallies at Mount Trashmore. Now she and the coalition she helped form are on the cusp of turning the municipally-owned site across from Johnsons Creek, bordered by Central Avenue, Trowel Street and Suggetts Lane, into an agricultural and wellness campus. The new name? Mount Growmore. On Monday Bridgeport’s City Council is likely to approve a land development agreement and ground lease for the property with the East End NRZ Market & Cafe. The market/cafe was co-founded a few years ago by Sims and others to provide fresh and healthy food in the East End, which has been considered a “food desert” because its residents lack easy access to those necessities. The first phase of Mount Growmore’s build-out involves indoor hydroponic gardens in trailers, an idea which, Sims said, came about because market staff typically have to travel about an hour away to purchase reasonably-priced produce to re-sell locally.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/bridgeport-transforming-mt-trashmore-mt-growmore-18131003.php

Crews are preparing to use explosives to blast away up to a foot of rock as part of the construction of a new crucial pumping station that will help mitigate flooding near the banks of the Housatonic River, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The construction of the pump station is a key part of a new stormwater conveyance system that has been designed to handle what is expected to be a significant amount of rainwater runoff at the former Raybestos Memorial Field on Frog Pond Lane. The Environmental Protection Agency is using the once-abandoned softball field to consolidate tens of thousands of cubic yards of contaminated soil that was dumped across town by Raymark Industries, a defunct automotive parts manufacturer. The conveyance line is expected to be finished by this summer and the pump station is expected to be completed by mid-2024.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/blasting-construction-stratford-pumphouse-last-18131795.php

On May 19 the cargo ship Claude A. Desgagnes arrived from Denmark to a State Pier in New London. It carried both the first components for offshore wind turbine construction and the promising possibilities that this will become a major new industry, benefiting the region and state while combating climate change. The turbine parts are destined for the South Fork Wind project, the first undertaken in U.S. federal waters. But the ship’s arrival at a pier still under reconstruction was a sobering reminder that much work remains and that significant uncertainty still surrounds the undertaking. Just how vast this industry will grow, and how big will be the pier’s part in supporting it, remains an open question. A week later Eversource confirmed what had long been expected. The New England utility giant is selling its share in a 187,000-acre wind-power lease area off Massachusetts to partner Ørsted for $625 million. It is also seeking buyers for 50% stake in three other planned wind farms.

https://www.theday.com/editorials/20230603/plowing-through-rough-seas-toward-offshore-wind/

The National Coast Guard Museum Association announced last week it is ready to go to bid this week on the work to create the foundation for the more than 80,000-square-foot, six-story museum that will occupy a prominent place on the city’s waterfront. The upcoming work will include the installation of about 240 micropiles, essentially rods that will be drilled into the ground and into the bedrock below to provide the structural stability needed to support the building, said retired Coast Guard Capt. Mark Walsh, chief operating officer for the National Coast Guard Museum Association. Walsh and Pulver walked the grounds of the construction site last week, pointing to where a pedestrian walking bridge will span the railroad tracks and Water Street to connect with the third floor of the city’s parking garage. The state has pledged $20 million for construction of the 400-foot bridge. The city continues to seek sources for $25 million needed to expand the parking garage and help accommodate what museum association officials estimate will be 300,000 visitors a year to the city.

https://www.theday.com/local-news/20230603/national-coast-guard-museum-second-phase-set-to-go-to-bid/

A judge this week sided against the city in the ongoing lawsuit surrounding development around Dunkin’ Park, further delaying long-discussed plans for major developments in the area before a trial set for April 2024. The ruling, issued Tuesday by Superior Court Judge Cesar A. Noble, denied a motion to strike or dismiss a part of an amended complaint submitted last year by Centerplan Construction Co. and DoNo Hartford LLC, the two companies who are suing the city in a lawsuit that has been ongoing since 2016. But the developers did not meet the May 17, 2016 deadline, and Bronin fired them from the project. The city then hired RMS to finish the project and develop the rest of the area, part of a long-term plan to add mixed-use residential and commercial spaces throughout North Crossing. Last year, the state Supreme Court ordered a new trial after a jury had initially ruled in favor of the city. The trial is now set to begin on April 16, 2024, according to the Superior Court docket.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/capitalregion/article/dunkin-park-development-lawsuit-18128100.php