Costs associated with renovations to the 64-year-old Veterans Memorial Pool aquatic complex have risen significantly over the past two years — from $2.6 million to nearly $8 million — an increase of 200 percent now that the project is considered a rebuild. The feasibility study conducted in 2015 called for a remodeling of the facility, but a rebuild was necessary, causing the price to quickly rise, Nocera explained. “It was well beyond its years,” he said of the complex. The pool has been closed to the public since summer 2020. The new state-of-the-art complex is expected to be ready by summer 2023. Project plans were first unveiled in October 2020. Demolition of the site began last September.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/middletown/article/Cost-of-Middletown-pool-complex-project-now-a-17427866.php

Darien’s five-year affordable housing plan is approved and headed to the state three months after the initial deadline. Under Connecticut law, all 169 municipalities were required to submit affordable housing plans at the beginning of June to address the statewide housing shortage. The commission is also considering tracking progress on affordable housing with an annual report, though it would not be a formal requirement. The commission is waiting on the 2020 census data to confirm the number of affordable housing units Darien must meet to achieve a third moratorium on affordable housing. The town was previously granted two four-year moratoria, exempting the community from state-mandated affordable housing projects.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Darien-officials-approve-overdue-affordable-17428619.php?src=sthpdesecp

Developer Greg Vaca is bringing more detailed plans to the town Planning and Zoning Commission next week for his Windsor Center Plaza project. He is now presenting his final plan for design development to the board at the next regular meeting Tuesday where members could vote to approve. His multi-phase project would turn an outdated strip mall at 144 Broad St., into a mixed-use residential development. Town officials have said that projects such as this aim to revitalize the town center and support the state’s investments in transit-oriented improvements. Vaca will get a $3.2 million state grant from the Connecticut Communities Challenge program that supports transit-oriented development projects that revitalize existing properties, and provide community space and areas for walking and biking.

Developer seeking next approval for Windsor Center mixed-use apartment project

Despite strong opposition voiced by residents and business owners, the City Council Tuesday night voted 4-3 along party lines ― Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed ― to allow state transportation engineers to continue designing the controversial plan to reconstruct Route 82 with six roundabouts. The project is divided into two phases to create six roundabouts from Asylum Street to New London Turnpike, install a median divider to prevent left turns and eliminate seven traffic lights. Tuesday’s discussion and council votes pertained to Phase 1, which calls for three single-lane roundabouts and one temporary red light at the Dunham Street intersection. Construction of Phase 1 is planned to start in spring of 2025 and be completed in fall of 2026. Phase 2 would begin in 2027.

https://www.theday.com/local-news/20220907/norwich-city-council-allows-dot-to-continue-designing-controversial-route-82-roundabouts/

An Indianapolis-based company has partnered with Steelpointe’s father/son RCI development team to build and manage a previously announced luxury apartment complex there. Flaherty & Collins Properties, according to its website, is the “Midwest’s largest and most experienced” developer of multi-family properties, with over $2 billion in projects completed and a half-billion in development. The Christophs last winter obtained a 12-year tax cut from the city to build as many as 1,500 high-end apartments, and a $990,000 grant from the state in January to remediate the property. A power plant was once located on the land. The first phase of construction — 420 new rental apartments and 10,000 square feet of commercial retail space – represents a $200 million investment by RCI and Flaherty, according to the partners.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Bridgeport-gets-Midwestern-investor-for-17424673.php

The West Haven Board of Police Commissioners voted to approve the reopening of Water Street Tuesday night, the latest indication that city officials no longer are counting on developers of a stalled shoreline development project to move their project forward. The closure of Water Street was intended to aid development of a proposed upscale outlet mall development — The Haven — that first would have required demolition of several buildings over several blocks. Christine Gallo, chairwoman of the city’s Economic Development Commission, said she expected the decision to have a more immediate effect on traffic than on economic development. Although Rossi has remained impartial about whether The Haven outlet mall project will come to pass, saying her immediate focus is in seeing the developer pay to demolish the blighted buildings on the site, others have declared the project officially dead — including Borer and Gallo.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/West-Haven-looks-to-reopen-Water-Street-amid-17425870.php

The construction unemployment rate rose to 3.9% in August, a significant jump from July’s near record low of 3.5%, providing evidence that the sector’s overheated jobs market is beginning to cool without cratering. With wages expanding 5.2% in all industries over the last year, and 5.3% in construction, it’s an indication that a combination of inflation and rising pay rates have induced workers back to their jobs, after the exodus of the Great Resignation. While year-over-year construction wage gains are still historically high, they only jumped by 5 cents in August from the month before, less than a tenth of a percent, to $34.82 per hour on average. That also could signal more measured times ahead for contractors, who have been dealing with the double hit of rising wages and costs on materials.

https://www.constructiondive.com/news/construction-unemployment-rose-in-august-and-thats-good-news-for-contract/631146/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202022-09-06%20Construction%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:44325%5D&utm_term=Construction%20Dive

President Joe Biden on Friday announced the 21 winners of the Economic Development Administration’s $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge, but a set of eight projects centered on the port of New London was not one of them. The Offshore Wind Industry Cluster had been named one of 60 finalists, out of 529 applicants, in December. Each finalist received $500,000 to further develop its project for Phase 2, in which 20 to 30 coalitions would get between $25 million and $100 million each. “We’re going to move forward, because we’re still funded from our Phase I through December 2023,” Whitescarver said, and that funding includes a regional economic competitiveness officer. According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the 21 winners of the Build Back Better Regional Challenge include projects that add solar energy to former coal land, support manufacturers transitioning to electric vehicles, establish a digital finance sector in Tribal communities, rebuild pharmaceutical supply chains to lower drug costs, and more. Each winner is getting between $25 million and $65 million, which comes from American Rescue Plan Act funds.

https://www.theday.com/local-news/20220906/local-offshore-wind-coalition-not-among-projects-chosen-for-millions-in-federal-funding/

The district’s nearly $160 million two-campus project pushes on as construction at the high school and middle school continues. The project is expected to be completed in 2024. The state is reimbursing the city for 80% of the cost of most parts of the project. Kate McCoy, assistant superintendent of magnet pathways and district operations, said one-half of Bennie Dover Middle School is complete. The area of the former Chapman Technical High School, the oldest section of the campus and built in the 1930s, awaits demolition, McCoy said. Ritchie said the district is rebuilding handicap accessible playgrounds at three elementary schools‒ Nathan Hale, Winthrop and C.B. Jennings‒ using ESSER funds. Installation at Nathan Hale is expected to start this month.

https://www.theday.com/local-news/20220906/major-building-projects-continue-as-new-london-students-return-to-school/

A $200 million, mixed-use development project with 420 rental units and 10,000 square feet of commercial retail space is slated for Bridgeport’s waterfront in Steelpointe Harbor. The project is a partnership between Indianapolis-based Flaherty & Collins Properties, RCI Group and the city of Bridgeport. Bridgeport Mayor Joseph P. Ganim said the project “will truly make a significant impact to benefit Bridgeport’s economic and community development potential. According to the project website, the city council in January 2022 approved a tax abatement for this phase of the Steelpointe Harbor project, calling for a two-year construction period and one year to secure tenants. The city would receive almost $24,000 a year in taxes for the first three years as the residential units are being built and leased. Following that timeframe, the city would then get $1.26 million in year four, with a 2% increase each year up until year 10, reaching $1.47 million.

https://www.newhavenbiz.com/article/200m-waterfront-development-slated-for-bridgeports-steelpointe-harbor