KG+D Architects Vice President Erik Kaeyer unveiled concept designs of the proposed Hindley, Royle and Holmes elementary school additions at a Board of Education meeting last month. The designs were unanimously approved by the Board of Education. The estimated construction budget for all three schools is a little over $68 million, with base bids coming just under budget, officials said. All three buildings were last updated in the late 1990s. All three designs have been presented to the Architectural Review Board and are expected to enter Planning and Zoning hearings toward the end of November.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Darien-schools-68M-Hindley-Royle-Holmes-upgrade-17520217.php

Bradley International Airport competed its $210 million ground transportation center in July and already has its sights set on other projects. In July, the airport received a $20 million federal grant that will go toward a larger $185 million redevelopment of Bradley’s facilities. That project is expected to take about two years, officials said in July. The Charter Oak Bridge Project combines two initiatives that officials say will help reduce congestion and improve safety on Interstate-91 in Hartford County. The project – which cost about $240 million – has mostly wrapped up. The work included relocating an exit ramp on I-91 to provide an extra lane and ease safety concerns from merging traffic. The largest resort casino in the Northeast is adding more space for its 30th anniversary. In November, Foxwoods Casino will open its 80,000-square-foot Rainmaker Expo Center for trade shows and sporting events. The casino will also begin construction for a $85-million project that will add 50,000 feet of gaming space and a 13,000-square-foot restaurant to the Ledyard resort.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Major-development-construction-projects-ct-17519809.php

The city has chosen Pennrose, a developer active in 20 states, over the Glendower Group, development arm of the Housing Authority of New Haven, as preferred developer for mixed-use development at the former Horace H. Strong School site in the heart of Fair Haven, officials announced Wednesday. The Pennrose plan, presented at a community meeting Sept. 14, would preserve the original school building as affordable housing and live/work artists space and create an LGBTQ-friendly, 100 percent affordable rental development. The estimated total cost of the project is $25 million, with a projected completion date of 2025, the release said. The city anticipates a three-year planning and construction timeline, officials said. A definitive development agreement will be negotiated and submitted to the Board of Alders for review and approval. Quarterly status updates will be provided to the community via the meetings of the Fair Haven Community Management Team.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/New-Haven-chooses-Pennrose-for-Strong-School-17552973.php

If Cromwell grants a tax abatement and state traffic officials give their approval, a developer says the deteriorating and long-vacant Red Lion hotel in Cromwell could soon be razed to make way for 254 apartments, 20 townhouse condos and a mid-sized restaurant and retail plaza. Developer Martin Kenny said he will set aside 5% of the apartments as affordable housing, but cautioned that the entire project is contingent on getting property tax breaks from the town. Kenny’s plan would start with demolition of the entire building along with part of its parking garage. Because of environmental contamination, that job alone is estimated to cost $2.4 million, Alter said. Construction is estimated to take two years, but won’t start until after the demolition and cleanup are completed. The company and its consultants emphasized that it’s too soon to discuss a specific schedule or completion target.

https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-news-connecticut-berlin-crowne-plaza-20221102-ey37dqmeyndttkymcr6xjen6gm-story.html

A spokesman for Orange-based Avangrid’s Park City Wind project said the company remains committed to the renewable energy project and plans to redevelop a portion of Bridgeport’s waterfront as a staging area for the project, despite a delay of the completion date. Park City Wind’s announcement of the delay was made by Pedro Azagra Blàzquez, Avangrid’s chief executive officer. Blàzquez said the one-year delay in the Park City project as well as for Avangrid’s Commonwealth Wind project, which will supply renewable energy to Massachusetts, is necessary because the company’s focus “is on improving the project economics and renegotiating our PPAs (power purchase agreements) because of the difficult environment.” Word of the delay comes at time when the project should be moving ahead. Connecticut’s federal legislative delegation announced this week that the Bridgepport Harbor Authority will receive a $10.5 million grant for design and construction of the staging area. Park City Wind already has a construction office in the city and in 2021 announced it had leased space at Barnum Landing to use as a construction and staging area.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/business/article/Avangrid-reaffirms-Bridgeport-plans-amid-delays-17552928.php

A local developer has resubmitted plans to build an elderly housing complex on Sperry Lane and Foxon Road after appealing the town’s previous decisions to deny the project. The Planning and Zoning Commission has received another application from The Bluffs LLC proposing to build four residential buildings with 380 one- and two-bedroom units at the site of the former Girl Scout campsite. Conditions of the current proposal were stipulated as part of a Superior Court settlement between the town and the developer following an appeal of the PZC’s decision to deny previous applications for the project. Town Attorney Michael Luzzi said in a statement that settling litigation with the developer was in the town’s best interest. In lieu of fighting the case in court, the two sides settled on terms that allowed the developer to proceed with a modified version of the project. To enable development of the property, the parties agreed to approve a change in the zoning designation for 31 and 100 Sperry Lane and 161 Foxon Road. They also agreed to approve text amendments for zoning regulations pertaining to the Planned Elderly Facilities District.

https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/Elderly-housing-application-resubmitted-to-PZC-17549650.php

With less than $1 million remaining of $255.5 million of state and private funding for the New London State Pier redevelopment, it’s not clear how any additional costs will be paid for as crews race to finish the project in time for staging offshore wind construction scheduled for next spring. Just $334,138.29 was available for completing the project when the Connecticut Port Authority Board voted last month to move $3.7 million in lease payments out of escrow to cover escalating costs officials pinned on unexpected problems encountered during construction. Asked if the Eversource/Ørsted offshore wind partnership would consider providing more funding if it was needed to complete the State Pier renovations, Justin May, a spokesman for the partnership, said the companies are hopeful the project will continue on budget, and will work closely with the Port Authority. Despite the hurdles, delays and funding concerns, both the Port Authority and the offshore wind partnership say they are still on track to use the pier for the construction of South Fork Wind – a 132 megawatt offshore wind farm being built off the coast of Rhode Island.

Lamont Silent, Eversource and Ørsted Non-Committal on Added State Pier Funding

A study of the Route 161 corridor extending from the Flanders section of town to Main Street in Niantic reveals one of southeastern Connecticut’s busiest stretches, with traffic in the growing beach town threatening to get worse over time. A report on current and existing conditions administered by the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments (SCCOG) backed up what drivers already know: There is anything but a free flow of traffic in certain spots at certain times of day. The study is happening against the backdrop of a $142 million Interstate 95 project at exit 74 that went out to bid last week. Among the scheduled work is the replacement of the deteriorating Interstate 95 bridge to accommodate widening of Route 161 underneath and the addition of a new looping frontage road. Construction on the interchange could start as early as January, according to bid specifications. But while that state project will cover about a half-mile of Route 161, the regional corridor study takes a wider look.

https://www.theday.com/local-news/20221031/study-underway-to-reduce-traffic-along-route-161-in-east-lyme/

The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded a $7 million grant to help fund the construction of a $18.5 million industrial marine complex along the banks of the Thames River. The money will benefit Mohawk Northeast, a heavy construction and engineering company with a marine services division based in Groton, which intends to build a marine terminal and metal fabrication facility just north of the Gold Star Memorial Bridge in New London. The $7 million for the project is part of $701 million being awarded nationwide to 41 projects in 21 states and one territory. The funding was made possible in part by an infusion of funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and other appropriations by Congress, Courtney said. Mohawk, which already has a fleet of barges, cranes and tugboats, services large clients that include the Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts departments of transportation, Electric Boat, U.S. Coast Guard, Amtrak and the U.S. Navy. Mohawk has pledged $11.5 million towards the project and is awaiting final approval of permits for the work from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

https://www.theday.com/local-news/20221031/federal-funds-kick-start-marine-facility-project-in-new-london/

Nieves, Mayor Joe Ganim, U.S. Rep. Jim Himes and others gathered to tout the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ issuance last Wednesday of a permit that will allow the final five-percent worth of design to be completed and the city to seek bids for the installation of a new Congress Street span. The Congress Street drawbridge got stuck in the open position in 1997, during Ganim’s first tenure in office. He was re-elected in 2015. The rusty hulk was demolished in 2010 under Finch, who called it “the city’s most visible reminder of infrastructure neglect. The army corps could not immediately be reached for comment. But Shannon King, a spokesperson for that federal agency, in an Oct. 21 emailed statement following release of the state DEEP permit wrote, “We expect the Army Corps of Engineers’ permit to be issued over the next few weeks. Design for the project will be completed by the end of 2022. Construction is set to begin in spring 2023 and completed in fall 2024.” Himes earlier this month said he would not be shocked if, given the passage of time, it winds up costing more than $24 million. But that will not be known until the city solicits prices from contractors.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Bridgeport-officials-Congress-St-Bridge-to-be-17546824.php