An application for a $100 million redevelopment project at the former Red Lion hotel property progressed through part of the town’s review process this week, bringing it another step closer to fruition. The Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency on Wednesday unanimously approved permits for the Lord Cromwell — a proposed mixed-use complex at 100 Berlin Road that will contain a combination of residential, commercial and recreational spaces. The application now advances to the Planning and Zoning Commission, where it will be subject to a public hearing for a special permit approval, Town Planner Stuart Popper said. A majority of the hotel property is already developed, Cassidy said. As part of the project, the structure will be completely razed, and a portion of the parking garage will be reused, plans show.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/middlesex-county/article/Cromwell-approves-permits-for-100-million-17430554.php

As state officials and business leaders line up to support a planned expansion of Tweed New Haven Airport, the two neighboring cities – New Haven and East Haven – are in a battle over an unequal share of the economic benefits and environmental costs of the project. Both New Haven and East Haven qualify as “environmental justice” communities – a term that takes into account poverty and the racial composition of a census tract – and under a federal executive order dating to 1994, projects like the Tweed expansion must identify and address “disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of its programs, policies, and activities on minority populations and low-income populations.” Edith Pestana, the state official in charge of overseeing environmental justice for DEEP, acknowledged that she has received numerous complaints about airport emissions from residents neighboring Tweed, but said that because the environmental assessment is under the purview of FAA, her jurisdiction is limited.

Tweed Expansion Pits Lamont’s Economic Agenda Against Environmental Justice Goals

City leaders moved forward with a plan to demolish and clean up portions of the former Hotchkiss Mill property, recommended by Economic Development Director Rista Malanca. The plan requires Torrington to apply for a $1.5 million grant from the state Department of Economic and Community Development, from its Municipal Brownfield Grant program. In August 2021, a development group led by Paul Janerico, owner of Water’s Way and Paydirt LLC, presented the City Council with a concept design of the properties at 199 Water St., formerly known as the Hotchkiss Bros. factory, north to 229 Church St., formerly known as the Minetto building. Malanca’s proposal calls for “selective demolition” of the buildings that cannot be salvaged, as well as removal of hazardous materials. The CT State Historic Preservation Office has reviewed and approved the demolition plan, she said.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Torrington-moves-forward-on-development-at-former-17430807.php

More federal funds are on the way for the city’s Route 34 widening project. The additional $5 million boost, announced last week by U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, means that the project’s estimated $18.7 million cost is now fully funded, according to Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments Executive Director Rick Dunne. When complete, the new Route 34 will double the number of traffic lanes through downtown Derby, where the road doubles as the city’s Main Street, and add a pedestrian walkway. Construction finally began on the project earlier this year, according to Morgan. The city has also gone ahead with utility upgrades since new apartments are also scheduled to be constructed near the road. But construction has yet to begin on that separate project as of June due to ballooning construction costs. The project is expected to be completed by fall of 2024 according to Morgan.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Derby-to-receive-5-million-in-federal-funds-for-17431575.php

Nearly a dozen residents raised concerns about road closures, safety and access to emergency services recently at the public information meeting for the proposed replacement of the Merryall Road bridge. With a rating of four out of 10, the Merryall Road bridge (located over the West Aspetuck River) has been classified as in “poor condition” and deemed one of the five worst bridges in Litchfield County. The town has been considering repairing the bridge for several years. WMC Vice President Keegan Elder saidthe cost of the project would be approximately $4 million. Half the funding would come from state funds and half from town funds. Construction would take place from April to November of next year.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/newmilford/article/New-Milford-aims-to-replace-one-of-worst-bridges-17432949.php

Dan Onofrio, president of the Bridgeport Regional Business Council, recalled receiving a request from a city-based business looking for overnight accommodations for several executives. RCI is aiming to break ground on hundreds of luxury apartments this fall which, Ganim noted, “Will be complimented by the construction of a new hotel.” But he offered no additional details. “I think we’ll be breaking ground early next year” on a 150-room hotel, Christoph said afterward in an interview. The location is Stratford Avenue between East Main and Pembroke streets. He said the loss of the 40-year-old Holiday Inn last winter — John Guedes is renovating it into furnished apartments — might have helped increase investors’ interest in the Steelpointe site by taking rooms out of the market, but was not beneficial to the city.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Developer-eyes-early-2023-groundbreaking-for-17432517.php

After almost two hours of debate, the Board of Education voted to send a request to borrow $57.5 million for school renovations to voters on November 8. If approved, the borrowing will pay for planning the project and then installing new boilers, updated electrical systems and HVAC systems in Mile Creek Elementary, Lyme Consolidated School, Center School and Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School. The money will also be used to bring the buildings up to code where necessary, to install sprinklers in two of the buildings and make sure that all buildings are compliant with the American Disabilities Act. The district expects to receive $9.7 million back in reimbursement from the state, reducing the total cost to about $48 million. “The big chunk is the HVAC,” said Warrington. “You have unit ventilators that are totally outdated. We don’t even install those. They’re probably 20 years out of service. You’re going to get to the point where Ron Turner can’t even service those pretty soon.”

$57.5 Million Proposal Heads to Lyme-Old Lyme Voters, as Packed Room Debates Board Oversight

Early this year, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) weighed in on the construction equipment market’s expansion, saying that a number of challenges could present obstacles. Short-term factors such as the lingering pandemic, ongoing supply-chain issues and persistent labor shortages were chief among AEM’s list of challenges. Secondary to those issues that have emerged to dampen enthusiasm were deglobalization and inflation. But the association believes workforce will remain a prevalent issue for equipment manufacturers for the foreseeable future. Supply-chain problems plaguing ag and construction equipment manufacturers also remain a major issue. “COVID-19, followed by growing numbers of employees leaving the workforce, have led to both shutdowns and scarcity of products,” he added.

https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/high-demand-for-new-used-construction-equipment-continues-despite-challenges/57820

Among the many concerns voiced by Norwich Mayor Peter Nystrom, a staunch opponent of the project, was the potential cost of upgrading underground Norwich Public Utilities water, sewer and natural gas lines. The reconstruction project runs 1.3 miles from an area west of the New London Turnpike intersection to Fairmount Street, with six proposed roundabouts, a median divider and single lanes of traffic in each direction. While the DOT would be responsible for the entire cost of relocating all current Norwich utility infrastructure that are impacted by the work, the city would pay for additional work such as placing electrical lines underground or replacing old water and sewer lines that could be damaged by the project. According to a financial report compiled by city Comptroller Josh Pothier, moving the lines underground would cost an estimated $10.6 million, while relocating lines above ground was estimated at $2.8 million, putting the city utility’s cost at $7.8 million if the city chooses that option.

https://www.theday.com/local-news/20220908/state-and-city-to-share-millions-in-utility-costs-for-proposed-route-82-roundabouts/

The Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency on Wednesday tabled until October its decision on a proposal to construct a 1.04-million-square-foot warehouse on 250 acres in the Mattabesset River watershed. These are the latest development in the saga to consider the controversial application from Scannell Properties, the same developer who constructed the 403,000-square-foot facility on County Line Road now occupied by Amazon. The application has been stuck in the agency’s review process since it was first presented in November 2021. Public hearings have been extended multiple times, and last month, the agency voted to table its discussion on the issue until Wednesday. If approved by the agency, the matter would advance to the Planning and Zoning Commission, where it would require at least one more public hearing. The project will also require special permits from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and Department of Transportation, according to Cody.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/middlesex-county/article/1-million-square-foot-Cromwell-warehouse-decision-17427797.php