Electric Boat wants the whole mall, the rumor goes. EB, the Groton shipbuilding behemoth that early last month acquired the part of the mall that used to be Macy’s, declined Wednesday to comment on the rumor it’s negotiating the purchase of the rest of the Namdar-owned mall or at least the separately owned portion that was once a Sears store. Amid the speculation about the mall’s fate, Coe said he’s striving to keep up the mostly vacant property while fielding interest from a steady stream of prospective tenants of far lesser magnitude than EB. At another Crystal Mall store, Sigourney Herndon, assistant manager of Kay Jewelers, said Wednesday that her store was staying put, at least through the end of its current one-year lease, which took effect Jan. 1. She said the store’s 2025 numbers are up over the previous year’s.

https://theday.com/news/779604/amid-rumor-of-ebs-further-interest-crystal-mall-soldiers-on/

Fairfield is rebuilding the 47-foot Commerce Drive bridge over Ash Creek. Jonathan Mullen, Fairfield’s assistant planning director, said traffic detours have been set up and traffic will be restricted to one-way in the eastbound direction for the project’s duration. He said demolition will begin over the coming weeks. Troy Deering, construction project manager, advises drivers to be cautious of the detour for their safety. “We’re sorry for the inconvenience, but it’s for everyone’s personal safety to obey the detour plans,” he said. The project was fully funded with a nearly $4.5 million grant from the state’s Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program under the Department of Transportation. The project is expected to be completed by fall 2027, but Deering hopes it can be completed sooner.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/fairfield/article/fairfield-commerce-drive-bridge-rebuild-20822341.php

Fans of the city’s landmark red-and-white power plant smokestack will have a few more months to admire the South End industrial edifice before it is blasted from the skyline. Chad Parks, a partner with Bridgeport Station Development, said the business has altered its demolition timeline for the entire property. While the bulk of the aged coal-fired facility is still scheduled to come down at the end of September, “We’re going to do the stacks next year,” more specifically, in April. Formerly operated by PSEG, the coal-powered electric generation facility was shut down a few years ago as part of an arrangement to allow a new, natural gas-fired one to be built next door. Bridgeport Station Development bought the former last fall, and with the aid of $22.5 million from the state, is dismantling and leveling the structure for an as-yet-to-be-revealed redevelopment centered around housing. Parks has previously stated that the striped tower must come down because it would otherwise require significant maintenance and be much more difficult to remove in the future when surrounded by new construction.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/bridgeport-smokestack-demolition-20827958.php

Plainfield First Selectman Kevin Cunningham said residents continue to sign petitions for two public hearings with Commissioner of Connecticut’s Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) Katie Dykes regarding the plant. Residents overwhelmingly opposed the facility at the June 2 budget election. There, a non-binding advisory question appeared on the ballot, which asked voters if they were in favor of having a proposed solid waste to energy plant from SMART Technology Systems in Plainfield. Residents decisively rejected the plant, with 125 votes in favor of it and 1,148 votes against it. Now, the town is doing its part to prevent the facility from coming to town. Bill Corvo, manager at SMART Technology Systems, said the plant will reduce the negative environmental impacts of processing municipal solid waste. SMART Technology claims that the plant would convert organic material to a clean renewable gas while having a lower impact on the environment than an incinerator. They also say that the facility would divert millions of tons of waste from landfills and produce clean electricity year-round.

https://www.norwichbulletin.com/story/news/local/2025/08/21/plainfield-ct-fighting-against-proposed-trash-plant-coalition-economic-environmental-justice/85747847007/?tbref=hp

After voters rejected an $85.6 million plan to build a new public safety complex in Ridgefield by 71 votes in February, town officials went back to the drawing board and lowered the proposal’s cost by $8.2 million. The new price tag is $77.4 million for the proposed police and fire facility, which would be built on a town-owned wooded area at 36 Old Quarry Road. The town cut 3,500 square feet of space from the planned 70,000-square-foot building, reducing it to 66,500 square feet. The new plan eliminates a previously planned parking garage and no longer relocates the town’s emergency response center to the new building. Ridgefield’s police station is located at 76 East Ridge Road inside a house built in the late 1800s, while the fire station is over 120 years old. The facilities have issues with flooding, heating and cooling, noncompliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and inadequate parking.

https://www.newstimes.com/news/article/ridgefield-public-safety-complex-police-fire-cuts-20823695.php

After meeting Tuesday with the state Department of Transportation, town and borough officials said the most recent plan for the Alpha Avenue viaduct is off the table, though future property impacts are yet to be determined. The $48 million plan, which called for shifting the location of the 85-year-old bridge 12 feet to the west of its current location, blindsided town leaders and residents last month when potentially impacted property owners received notice that the DOT’s plans had changed and their properties were now at risk of being taken through eminent domain. Those properties include a parking lot owned by Dodson’s Boatyard and historically used for boat storage; JM Electric and Castle Hill Audio Visual, both of which are housed at the former Zack’s Bar and Grille at 201 N. Main St.; the Stonington Community Center (the COMO) Thrift Store, which would be demolished; and a piece of residential property at 203 N. Main St., including a garage. In a related issue, Shefers said U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, had helped set up a September meeting between, municipal leaders and representatives, the DOT and Amtrak to begin discussions about gaining emergency access to an at-grade crossing on North Water Street.

https://theday.com/news/779092/controversial-stonington-viaduct-plan-off-the-table/

The Miami Beach Association opened bids on Tuesday for a sewer system, but higher-than-expected costs have cast doubts on the project’s future. The minimum bid for internal work was $13.6 million — 62% more expensive than the $8.4 million estimated by the consulting firm Fuss & O’Neill, according to data shared by Steve Cinami, chair of the Old Lyme Water and Pollution Control Authority. These bids do not include alternatives like a helical pile support system and different paving options. According to Fuss & O’Neill’s calculations shared by Cinami, the cost per equivalent dwelling unit in Miami Beach was about $51,580, about $20,000 higher than the estimated cost for Sound View and Area B residents. With this week’s bids, these costs would be even higher. Balzac Contractors submitted the lowest bid, followed by Colonna Concrete and Asphalt Paving, Genovese Construction and C.J. Fucci Construction.

Old Lyme Sewer Projects Faces Uncertainty as Miami Beach Bids Come in Higher Than Expected

The Simon Konover Co., a West Hartford-based developer, intends to donate to East Hartford about 19.7 acres of its 35.3-acre property at 341 East River Drive, before starting construction on an apartment complex next to Great River Park. The Town Council is scheduled to review the donation at its Aug. 19 meeting. Konover acquired the site more than 40 years ago with plans to build an office building that never materialized. The company is now moving forward with a residential project that will market proximity to the park and riverfront trails as key amenities. The donation is part of a plan to subdivide the property, which is structured as a condominium. Under the proposal, 6.9 acres — currently occupied by a middle school — would be deeded to the Capital Region Education Council (CREC); 10 acres retained for the apartment development; and the remainder transferred to the town. In terms of the apartment project, Konover aims to complete local land-use reviews before October and begin a roughly 18-month construction by year’s end.

Developer to donate 20 acres to East Hartford ahead of 150-unit housing project

After a dozen homeowners spoke out against a proposed sewer extension over cost concerns, the Town Council decided not to move forward with the project on Tuesday. The council voted unanimously to notify the Water and Pollution Control Authority it was not in favor of the project. Town public utilities administrator Anthony DeSimone clarified to CT Examiner on Thursday that the council’s decision meant they would not approve bonding for the project. Although sewer construction falls under the WPCA, the town would need to issue bonds to finance it. Rand, the biggest developer in town, planned to pay for its sewers. But the WPCA staff proposed an alternative to extend the sewers to a larger area which included nine streets that were also scheduled for paving. Building sewers at the same time as paving would result in cost savings. Last June, DeSimone presented a memorandum at a Town Council meeting recommending that the town pay for the work and then charge the homeowners for the cost.

East Hampton Kills Sewer Expansion Project After Homeowner Opposition

The city plans to invest $9 million to create three traffic circles with the goal of improving traffic safety and flow, according to Norwalk traffic officials. The first traffic circle, also called a roundabout or a rotary, will be built at the intersection of South Main Street, Wilson Avenue, Meadow Street and Meadow Street Extension, said Benjamin Yeung, a senior traffic engineer with the city of Norwalk. The city is also building a roundabout at the intersection of Richards Avenue and West Cedar Street, and another at Gregory Boulevard and Fifth Street. Jim Travers, director of transportation, parking and mobility in Norwalk, said the city’s traffic department is constantly looking at ways to make improvements. The city secured $2.5 million to build the South Main Street roundabout from a community investment fund grant, administered by the state Department of Economic and Community Development, with assistance from state Sen. Bob Duff, Yeung said.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/norwalk-traffic-circles-roundabouts-traffic-school-20815512.php