As part of the Walk Bridge replacement, the Planning & Zoning Commission voted to move forward with the sale of a piece of city-owned land to the Connecticut Department of Transportation that will be used for the $772 million project. The project — which has been in the planning stages since 2017 — is scheduled to begin later this spring, DOT spokesperson Josh Morgan said. The 127-year-old bridge has far exceeded its 100-year life span. In recent years, the swing bridge has failed on many occasions, interrupting train traffic. The first construction phase of the project will start this spring, Morgan said, once the department gets a permit from the U.S. Coast Guard. The project — which is expected to take about six years to complete once construction starts — will be a sweeping revitalization of the Walk Bridge. The structure, which is not a pedestrian bridge, is called the Walk Bridge after the city of Norwalk.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/norwalk-p-z-commission-approves-sale-land-walk-17872099.php

NorthPoint hasn’t publicly identified any prospective tenant or tenants for the facility, which would be built along West Dudley Town Road. But the Kansas City-based development company has a history of successfully leasing large distribution centers around the country, and currently controls nearly 150 million square feet of warehouse space in 15 states. NorthPoint is looking for Bloomfield planners’ permission to erect a 521,886-square-foot building with 118 loading docks. The plan goes to a hearing by the planning and zoning commission April 4 at 7 p.m. NorthPoint’s plan was approved by the wetlands commission earlier this year. Anticipating questions about traffic, NorthPoint has commissioned a report by F.A. Hesketh & Associates, a consultant that is frequently hired on behalf of developers. The traffic study is expected to be part of NorthPoint’s presentation at the hearing.

Developer eyes Bloomfield for a 522,000-square-foot warehouse

The office tower was a symbol of Stamford taking flight – from its manufacturing past and downtown blight toward urban renewal. The developers will keep the iconic tower, but they want to knock down a six-story Landmark Square building, known as No. 3, and replace it with a luxury apartment high-rise. If the project is approved, the new building will stand 31 stories – 10 stories taller than Landmark Tower – with 400 rental units facing Atlantic Street. Members of the Planning Board unanimously approved the proposal. The proposal is to demolish Landmark Square’s building No. 3, which has 134,000 square feet of office space, and replace it with 400 apartments, accompanying amenities, 420 parking spaces, and 5,200 square feet of retail and restaurant space on the ground floor. If the Zoning Board approves the plans, the developers hope to begin construction by the end of the year and complete it by 2026.

A Reimagined Landmark Square with 400 High-end Apartments Heads to Zoning for Approval

As Electric Boat ramps up hiring, Groton is looking at its plans to handle traffic and parking and is making sure its schools are ready. The town known as the Submarine Capital of the World is also attracting interest from developers. Currently, about 8,900 people work at the Groton plant and Electric Boat is looking to add 1,500 new employees at the shipyard over the next two to three years, according to Electric Boat Spokesperson Daniel McFadden. Electric Boat announced last month that it is expecting the number of employees in Rhode Island and Connecticut to reach its peak at 22,000 in 2033, The Day reported. The new employees will be primarily in the skilled trades involved in building submarines, such as welders, pipe fitters, carpenters, and machinists, as well as some employees working in engineering.

https://www.theday.com/local-news/20230401/groton-preparing-for-growth-at-electric-boat/

About 75 municipal roads were paved across Stamford last year, up from about 35 the year before as the city looked to meet Simmons’ goal of doubling paving through an effort called “Pave Stamford,” said Matthew Quinones, the city’s director of operations. Quinones said the city is looking to pave another 70 or so roads during the 2023 paving season, which is set to start in April and run into November. Officials posted an initial list of 36 roads to be paved on the city’s website this week. “We want to continue that momentum this year so that we can give our residents quality, safe roads in our city,” Simmons told The Stamford Advocate. Simmons included a $5 million request for street patch and resurfacing — the city’s main account for road paving — in her capital budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, which is about midway through the paving season. She requested $500,000 for a separate account, which Quinones said the city will use to match funding from utility companies to ensure roads are paved curb to curb. Bonding would fund both requests.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/200-roads-4-years-stamford-mayor-sets-1st-term-17872237.php

After three hours of debate Wednesday night, the Region 4 Board of Education voted 7-1 to approve borrowing nearly $10 million to revamp athletic fields at the middle school and high school. The $9.6 million bond would cover a complete renovation of Valley Regional High School’s practice field and upper field, the partial renovation of its baseball and softball fields, and a renovation of the football field along with the construction of a six-lane running track. It also includes constructing two new soccer fields and a cross country course on a controversial piece of property the district purchased in 2017, known as the “Mislick property.” The district has scheduled a referendum on the project for May 2.

Region 4 School District OKs $10M for New Athletic fields, But Concerns Linger

Numerous East Haven officials, first responders and residents denounced a recent FAA study at a hearing on Saturday that projected minimal harm from the proposed Tweed New Haven Airport expansion. The environmental assessment was co-signed by New Haven city staff who embraced the economic benefits of the plan. Residents cheered as Carfora called for an environmental impact statement which, under the National Environmental Policy Act, would provide a more detailed study of the expansion’s impact on the nearby environment and residents. Carfora said the estimated 61,300 cubic yards of fill required for the expansion construction would only worsen flooding in the flood-prone airport and surrounding neighborhoods, explained that the increase of 21.62 acres in impervious surface would mean large volumes of polluted stormwater runoff and pointed to impacts from heavy airport traffic on the local town green and beach.

East Haven Residents, Officials Oppose Tweed Expansion at Saturday Hearing — a Sharp Split from New Haven

The Water and Sewer Commission this week helped a 454-unit proposed senior housing development clear its first major hurdle. Members on Tuesday voted 6-1 to allocate a majority of the sewer capacity Pelletier-Niantic LLC estimates it needs for 160 condominiums, 144 apartments, and a 150-bed assisted living section, as well as urgent care and radiology facilities that would be open to the public. The company’s principal is listed as New York-based architect Eric J. Pelletier. The developer could begin filing permit applications with the land use department “maybe in a couple months,” according to Pfanner. Multiple public hearings will be required as the project moves through the regulatory process. Of the 1.5 million gallons per day allotted for sewer lines in East Lyme, 1.02 million gallons are for municipal use while the rest are reserved for the state at sites including York Correctional Institution and Camp Nett. The town averaged about 708,000 gallons per day in each of the past five years, according to North.

https://www.theday.com/local-news/20230329/east-lyme-sewer-commission-makes-room-for-senior-development/

At an eventful New London Landmarks annual meeting Tuesday, it was announced that Tox Brewing Co. is moving to Bank Street and the Garfield Mills project has begun remediation of its building. The meeting was held at one of the three adjacent historic buildings owned by developers High Tide Capital at 137, 133 and 123 Bank St. In a presentation, Lyman showed slides of what people can expect from Riverbank. He said the small building at 137 Bank St. would be home to the record store The Telegraph. At 123 Bank St., the site of the former New London Antiques Center, Lyman said Tox Brewing Co., currently situated at 635 Broad St., would move into the first floor and apartments would be on the top two floors. He said there will be a roof deck on top where residents will have “spectacular views of the harbor.”

https://www.theday.com/local-news/20230329/details-on-the-riverbank-and-other-projects-shared-at-new-london-landmarks-meeting/

The Planning & Zoning Commission approved the demolition and new construction of Washington School, the next step forward in bringing the 114-year-old school into the future. In a presentation by representatives from architectural firm Antinozzi Associates and engineering firm Stentec, commissioners reviewed plans for the two-story, 49,000-square-foot building that will accommodate roughly 438 students between pre-K and fourth grade and more than 70 staff members. Officials said that, although construction can be noisy, construction officials can reserve some of the noisiest functions for later than 7 a.m. Yates said the estimated $44.5 million construction project may begin once bids go out in the late summer and may be completed by March 2025. During construction, Washington students will attend school at the presently-vacant Molloy School.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/west-haven-approves-washington-school-demolition-17866754.php