This Spring, barges with massive components for 12 offshore wind turbines will begin arriving at the Port of New London’s State Pier. The turbines will be largely assembled here before crews ship them to a point 35 miles east of Montauk, Long Island, – known as South Fork Wind farm — in late Summer and Autumn. By next Winter, South Fork is expected to be operational, supplying clean, sustainable energy to approximately 70,000 homes in East Hampton. In anticipation of this, seCTer (Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Region) ended 2022 by presenting the nation’s premiere offshore wind energy workshop for businesses, educators, and policymakers — “Foundation 2 Blade.” The advanced manufacturing and labor opportunities in the U.S. are enormous. A typical wind turbine blade facility employs more than 500 workers. The nacelle, which sits atop the monopile, is the brain of a wind turbine and converts wind energy into electricity for transfer to the grid. Thousands of precision parts will be needed, from nuts and bolts to high-tech components. While early projects will depend on European suppliers for these large components, the U.S. is ramping up its offshore wind industrial base.

https://www.theday.com/letters/20230114/a-new-american-industry-set-to-launch-from-port-of-new-london/#

And while the tax-cutting debate appears to be unresolved, leaders from both parties, labor and business share a common assessment of the transportation program’s increasingly swollen coffers: Connecticut needs to spend more soon or risk losing not only taxpayer confidence but also its ability to maximize federal aid. The tax holiday, which waived the full 25-cents-per-gallon retail levy on gasoline from last April through December — and portions of it from January until May 1 — will cost the state $330 million, according to nonpartisan analysts. Most of that loss, $240 million, falls within the current fiscal year, which began last July 1. Yet despite that hit, Lamont’s budget office projects the $1.8 billion transportation fund will close $226 million or 12% in the black. The Department of Transportation has less staff now than in 2010, when a legislative investigation concluded it was struggling to complete projects on time and under budget.

Even with gas tax holiday, CT’s transportation coffers are flush

Though collaboration between tech developers and industry is critical to widespread adoption, safer job sites where workers are free to handle more challenging tasks is happening now. “In an industry often averse to risk, construction professionals will want to see proof of success before widespread adoption of robotics in the field,” wrote Andrew Roe, president of consulting firm AGR Associates. Automated technology is being adopted in the movement of construction materials from one location on a job site to another. Roe notes that robotics are visible in other construction applications including monitoring of field conditions in areas too dangerous for humans to navigate. Construction Robotics offers Semi-Automated Mason (SAM) for bricklaying and Material Unit Lift Enhancer (MULE) to handle heavy material on construction sites.

https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/robotics-automating-the-job-site/59536

The city is potentially months away from starting a three-year project to replace its lead water lines that serve homes, apartments and public buildings. Connecticut is set to receive $150 million for the replacement of lead service lines from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, and New London is first on the state’s priority list for funding. The city’s share of the funding is not yet known. D’Shayla Hodges, a representative from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, explained lead is a useful metal commonly found in pipes and even paint until 1978. She said historically lead can be found in pipes in homes built before 1986. Lanzafame said the city’s utility department is waiting to hear back from the Department of Public Health on the federal and state subsidies the program will receive, and then the project will go out to bid.

https://www.theday.com/local-news/20230112/new-london-shares-details-of-plan-to-replace-lead-water-lines-for-free/

City officials unveiled the renderings for a new development downtown. Stewart unveiled the first of the three renderings, which displayed the façade of the apartment building. “This building will compliment The Brit. We want buildings that will complement each other and not to be in competition with each other,” said Amit Lakhotia, developer. “So if people can’t find an apartment at the Brit they can come here and vice versa. So there are options for people and they are similar style apartments with a similar feel to it.” Lakhotia and George Taweh, of TLong Construction LLC, have been involved in many projects in town. Lakhotia was approved for a $4 million Community Challenge Grant. This will be put toward the $17.5 million project. Demolition inside is already complete and Lakhotia says they are now waiting on the permit to increase the foundation for the addition of the two floors. “Once we get that we should be able to start construction next month,” he added. The project is estimated to be completed in early 2024.

http://www.newbritainherald.com/NBH-New+Britain+News/411749/new-britain-officials-unveil-renderings-for-newest-downtown-development

Kenny, owner of Hartford-based real estate investment and development group Lexington Partners, has had a hand in developing more than 2,000 apartments in 18 significant projects over a career spanning more than three decades. Also by his side is his longtime business partner and friend Alan Lazowski, head of the LAZ Parking empire and a prominent investor. Lazowski has invested in each of Kenny’s multifamily projects since 2006. Kenny and Lazowski partnered with Shelbourne Global Solutions — the city’s largest landlord — on the project, dubbed the Sage Allen Apartments. A far larger project will come to fruition in 2023 as Kenny completes a $70-million development of 292 apartments at the 22-acre Sisters of St. Joseph of Chambery convent in West Hartford. Avon-based Corridor Ventures is the primary investor in the project.

Prolific Hartford area developer Kenny will debut, kick-start major apartment projects in 2023

West Hartford Fellowship Housing, a nonprofit affordable housing group in town, is planning to rebuild its Starkel Road campus, adding 95 more affordable units to the property. The plan would go ahead should the Town Council grant Town Manager Rick Ledwith the ability to execute a 99-year lease agreement with West Hartford Fellowship Housing Development Corporation, a new branch of the nonprofit. The resolution will go to the Town Council at its Jan. 24 meeting. Affordable housing can be scarce in West Hartford, though the Town Council recently took steps to entice developers to include more affordable housing units in developments. Currently hundreds of approved housing units are either being built or approved to be built in town. Garilli said construction would be done in phases. West Hartford first approved plans for the redevelopment of the property in 2019. The Town Council delayed its decision on the resolution regarding the lease until its Jan. 24 meeting to let the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission do a standard review.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/west-hartford-ct-fellowship-affordable-housing-17711363.php

Dodge expects civil construction starts, such as public transit, roads, bridges, EV charging stations, water-related projects and power plants, to total $281 billion in 2023, a 16% jump from last year. That’s because infrastructure funds will steadily flow into the market in 2023. As of July 2022, only a small fraction of IIJA dollars had entered the market, according to Dodge. Out of all the IIJA dollars already allocated for projects, 19% has made its way to road and bridge projects, 21% to public transit projects, 15% to EV charging stations and 14% to water infrastructure, said Branch. Dodge’s forecast assumes that 85% of infrastructure money will be spent by 2027.

https://www.constructiondive.com/news/2023-outlook-public-funding-will-jumpstart-civl-activity/639951/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202023-01-11%20Construction%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:47226%5D&utm_term=Construction%20Dive

The group’s initial meeting of Dec. 5 saw new members sworn in and briefed by Town Attorney Jeffrey Donofrio about some of the legal aspects of their duties. On Dec. 14, the group made a visit to the two properties where the new buildings are slated for construction. The first stop was the undeveloped parcel of land once owned by the Casertano family, located at Marion Road and Jarvis Street. The current plan calls for the new school to be constructed on existing fields, while the current Norton building will be demolished after the project is complete. Solan acknowledged that construction work would impact the neighbors, but he said steps will be taken to minimize and mitigate that. The meeting then moved to the task of developing the Requests for Qualifications (RFQs) for architecture and construction services.

https://www.myrecordjournal.com/News/Cheshire-Citizen/Cheshire-News/Building-Committee-Takes-First-Look-At-School-Locations?

The town bought the property at 100 Barnes Road and is planning to renovate the former 3M office building into a new police station. At the Oct. 13 meeting, architect Brian Humes of Jacunski Humes Architects gave a report on environmental testing of the building. Jeffrey Anderson is the vice president of preconstruction at Downes Construction, the project’s construction manager. Polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, are a manufactured group of organic chemicals consisting of carbon, hydrogen and chlorine atoms, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection website. Fishbein, an attorney and state representative from the 90th House District, said the wording in the minutes opens the town up to future litigation should anyone working in the building be diagnosed with cancer. Humes responded in an interview Wednesday that the comment reflected the fact that there are no requirements to test for PCBs and he does not recommend such testing. “PCB investigations are a requirement for federally funded and federally supported projects. There is no federal funding which is being utilized for the renovation of the building for the Wallingford Police Department,” he said.

https://www.myrecordjournal.com/News/Wallingford/Wallingford-News/Wallingford-council-member-questions-report-on-contaminants-at-building-to-be-renovated-for-new-poli.html