For the nearly $1 billion project, the existing four-span Walk Bridge will be replaced with a state-of-the-art multispan bridge, including 240-foot dual lift spans with fixed east and west approach spans over the Norwalk River. The bridge appears shiny and silvery in the drawings, with a tall vertical tower on each end. The structure will replace the 127-year-old swing bridge that takes Amtrak and Metro-North trains over the Norwalk River. The old bridge, which is considered obsolete, occasionally fails to close completely after opening to allow marine traffic to pass, causing train delays. The new conceptual Walk Bridge renderings, which were posted on the Walk Bridge Project website last month, show how the new bridge will appear and operate.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/walk-bridge-norwalk-conceptual-drawings-18091034.php

A proposal awaiting its day before the Stamford Zoning Board would knock down an office building in downtown’s Landmark Square to construct what could be one of the city’s tallest buildings. The Cappelli Organization — a White Plains, N.Y., developer with a footprint already in Downtown Stamford — would replace the existing structure, Landmark 3, with a 31-story high-rise apartment building. The skyscraper would feature 400 luxury apartments, 420 parking spaces and 5,200 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, which consultants said would likely include a restaurant with outdoor seating. Cappelli is requesting a special permit to contribute about $10.7 million to Stamford’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund in lieu of including 40 below-market-rate apartments in the floor plans.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/local/article/developer-wants-build-stamford-s-second-highest-18082122.php

A $14 million housing project needed to help Connecticut’s largest city boost its stock of affordably-priced units has again faced a funding setback. For the second year in a row, Building Neighborhoods Together did not qualify for a state-administered federal tax credit that would cover around $1 million of the building costs for 44 apartments on the East Side. The Christophs, the father/son team that has spent years slowly redeveloping Steelpointe, under an agreement with the city must also build or help pay for new affordably priced units representing 10 percent of their total market-rate ones. And most of those can be scattered around town rather than all at Steelpointe. Although delayed by ground contamination, the Christophs are expected to break ground in the coming months on their luxury housing even as BNT’s low income project remains stalled.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/key-bridgeport-affordable-housing-project-denied-18095788.php

Construction on the new Bullard-Havens Technical High School, a massive state-of-the-art facility designed to replace the existing 71-year-old trade school, has officially begun. The new building, which is slated to open in 2026, will be the first net-zero school in the state’s technical education system, an achievement officials hailed as a model for future vocational schools. The more than $200 million building, which was designed by JCJ Architecture and is being constructed by the Gilbane Building Company, will have enough space for 13 separate shop programs, including automotive technology, carpentry and the culinary arts, among others.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/construction-begins-new-bullard-havens-school-18095787.php

The city and the Connecticut Airport Authority have formally asked federal authorities to authorize an operating agreement for the latter to run Bridgeport’s Sikorsky Memorial Airport. The sides have since been talking about reaching an arrangement for the CAA to run, but not own, the airport with a particular focus on relaunching the dormant regular passenger service there. The initial length of the agreement would be five years with an option for an additional two years or for the CAA to again pursue an acquisition of Sikorsky. The 2023-24 fiscal plan the mayor proposed in early April rolled that $4 million over. But when the council voted on a final budget last week, it had reduced the amount to $2 million because of the ongoing uncertainty over Sikorsky’s fate.

https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/bridgeport-ct-airport-authority-seek-management-18095789.php?src=rdctpdensecp

The Capital Region Development Authority is considering a $6.5 million loan toward a $45.35 million conversion of two antique state office buildings on Hartford’s Trinity Street into 108 apartments and a restaurant. The CRDA’s Housing and Neighborhood Committee, meeting Thursday, gave its blessing to the loan request from a development team of Philadelphia-based Pennrose and The Cloud Co., of Hartford. Plans call for 108 apartments, mixing studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units. For now, the development team is hunting down financing to see if the project is viable. CRDA Executive Director Michael Freimuth told board members he believes they have until August to complete due diligence and commit to a purchase. They are still about $5 million to $6 million short of their budget target, but Thursday’s approval will be an important step to closing on other funding sources, Freimuth said.

$6.5M CRDA loan sought for $45.35M renovation of two historic state office buildings on Trinity Street

Renovations on three Darien elementary schools have been delayed a month for additional work and updated costs, sparking some concern for funding and timing for the upcoming school year. Originally slated to start construction in mid-July, renovations on Hindley, Holmes and Royle elementary schools are now set to begin in mid-August, though work is still expected to finish on schedule in summer 2024. The renovations feature a $68 million overhaul of all three schools including removing all portable classrooms for new building wings, new libraries and common spaces and updated classrooms. Construction company O&G Industries, working closely with the design firm, recommended an additional review to include items not part of the earlier documents such as radon design and soil testing and expand on design specifics for connecting existing buildings to the new wings.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/hindley-holmes-royle-renovations-delayed-18090783.php?src=sthpdesecp

Wesleyan University in Middletown is planning a new arts center by renovating part of an existing structure and building a new addition. The project will take up university-owned space, mainly parking areas, at 177, 181 and 185 College St. The number of parking spaces would be reduced from 58 down to three. If the plans are approved by the city’s Planning and Zoning Commision, the project would then go out to bid, and likely take 12-18 months to complete, said Joseph Banks, a project manager at Wesleyan. The new 19,155-square-foot lab will house two small design and drawing studios, a small movement dance studio, three offices and performance space for students and the public.

Wesleyan planning new arts lab renovation, expansion

The proposed 211-mile, $2 billion Twin State Clean Energy Link would enter the United States in Canaan, Vt. It would be buried along state highways in Vermont and New Hampshire until it linked to an existing transmission corridor in Monroe that would carry the power to a new substation in Londonderry. From there the power could be distributed throughout New England. Unlike much of the power currently brought to the United States from Canada that is generated by hydro generation facilities in Quebec, it would also have the ability to deliver power generated by wind and solar facilities in Canada. For years the Northeastern United States has tried to find ways to take advantage of hydropower produced in Canada and Canadian officials have been eager to sell power in the U.S. If approved, the earliest the New Hampshire project could begin construction would be 2026.

https://www.theday.com/state/20230510/new-hampshire-utility-proposes-transmission-line-from-canada-to-carry-energy-to-new-england/

Freimuth said he expects to release bids for the planned renovations to the downtown Hartford arena this summer, with returns expected in time to determine in “late fall” if costs fall in line with the projected $107.2 million budget. The OVG agreement is a plan to grant Los Angeles-based entertainment company Oak View Group a long-term management agreement in return for a hefty upfront contribution for renovations. Freimuth declined this week to say how much OVG is anticipated to contribute. OVG has managed the XL on behalf of the CRDA since late 2021, when it acquired a venue management and hospitality company Spectra, which was contracted to manage the XL center. The Bond Commission last week released $7 million for repairs and upgrades at XL. Freimuth said a portion of this money will pay for designs and to prepare bid documents for release this summer.

Fate of planned $107.2M XL Center upgrade could be determined this fall