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US DOT promotion of ‘vehicular travel’ hits popular CT greenway trail hard. What it lost.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration cancelled funding for at least six biking and walking trails across the country, including a $5.7 million grant slated for Connecticut’s Naugatuck River Greenway Trail, or the NRG Trail. In a letter dated Sept. 9, Maria Lefevre, executive director for the office of the under secretary of transportation, said the administration is prioritizing “projects that promote vehicular travel.” The U.S. Transportation Department rereviewed the grant individually, the letter stated, and withdrew funding because the project “no longer aligns with DOT priorities.” The grant was funded through former President Joe Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure bill and the NRG Trail was selected for funding in June 2024. The NRG Trail would connect 11 towns in the Naugatuck River Valley. The planned route snakes along the river for 44 miles, bridging towns from Litchfield to Waterbury to Derby. The trail has been in the works for almost three decades, and the pulled federal grant would have helped close the remaining gaps. It would have funded segments of the trail totaling roughly 16.5 miles. Progress on those parts of the trail — in Thomaston, Watertown, Waterbury and Naugatuck — will halt until NVCOG can secure alternate funding.
Ridgefield voters rejected a new $85.6M public safety building. Will they vote yes on the revise?
Ridgefield officials are preparing for their second attempt to get the construction of a new public safety building approved. A referendum on the project will be on the ballot in November, though one such vote on the initiative already failed earlier this year. Marconi said the project failed in February’s referendum vote, when it had initially cost $85.6 million. He said due to public feedback, the project is now $8 million cheaper. The changes included taking out a concrete garage, reducing the square footage and reducing the cost of the site work. The $77.4 million building at 36 Old Quarry Road is designed to house both police and fire crews due to their dilapidated stations.
Enfield OKs zone change for former MassMutual site redevelopment with apartments, condo complex
Officials have approved a zone change that could pave the way for 464 housing units on the former MassMutual site. Branford-based MB Financial Group plans to reuse the office campus at 85 and 100 Bright Meadow Blvd., last occupied by insurance company MassMutual, as a primarily residential development with some commercial space. MB Financial Group purchased the properties for $4 million in May of this year and submitted a zone change application for the two properties in September. Eric Zuena, founding principal of ZDS Architecture, said Thursday that the developer sees the MassMutual campus as “a wonderful opportunity” to revive a well-kept but vacant property and add housing stock to Enfield and the broader Connecticut market.
Central roof among more than $20 mil of approved projects
More than $20 million in bonding for several facilities upgrades, preventative maintenance projects and construction of a new animal control facility was approved at Tuesday’s Board of Finance meeting. In addition to the animal control facility, the Board of Finance approved improvements at local schools and the Rockwell Park Revitalization Project. They also approved some streetscape repairs. Mayor Jeff Caggiano said the city is expected to see some shared reimbursement from the state of Connecticut on most of these projects. The Rockwell Park improvements will be matched with a grant from the Federal government, he said. At last week’s Board of Education meeting, the Board approved a $28.8 million “renovate as new plan” for the school, which would have a projected state reimbursement of 84.64%, leaving $4.42 million for the city to cover. That plan will need Board of Finance and City Council approval, but were not on the agenda Tuesday.
Norwalk breaks ground for $2.7M West Rocks Road sidewalk improvement project
The project will create connected sidewalks fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act for all of West Rocks Road, Rilling said. It will also create three raised crosswalks near Winston Preparatory School, West Rocks Middle School and All Saints Catholic School so pedestrians can cross safely. “The neighbors are really excited because the raised crosswalk and bike lanes and wider sidewalks tend to be traffic calming as well,” said Rilling, who was joined at the event by other local and state leaders, including U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th District, state Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, Common Council President Barbara Smyth, and Jim Travers, Norwalk’s director of Transportation, Mobility and Parking. At the ceremony, leaders gathered together in front of a mound of dirt to put a shovel in the ground, signifying the beginning of the construction of the $2.7 million project. Funding for the project includes a $1.4 million federal grant and a $1 million Local Road Accident Reduction Program grant through the state Department of Transportation, Rilling said.
West Haven OKs $32.9M to replace two pump stations that could be health hazards if they break
The city will rebuild two shoreline pump stations that are beyond their useful life. This week, the City Council approved a $32.9 million bond ordinance for the planning, design and construction of new pump stations on East Avenue and Dawson Avenue. City officials said the cost of not doing so could have a deleterious impact on public health. Quadir said the Dawson Avenue pump station, last upgraded in 1993, and the East Avenue pump station, last upgraded in 2005, could present a health hazard if they were to break down as it could lead to sewage overflow. The city will finance the costs with a mix of local and state funding, applying for a DEEP Clean Water Fund grant to cover 20% of the project and using sewer use charge payments to cover the remaining 80%, which will accrue 2% interest over a 20-year period. Last summer, after city officials realized that West Haven was not collecting any fees for new construction for connecting to the municipal sewer system, the council passed a new ordinance allowing the city to charge a fee.
Bridgeport power plant demolition seemed like an earthquake to some: ‘Felt the house shake’
That early-morning rumble many city residents awoke to early Sunday morning wasn’t an earthquake — it was the sound of a controlled implosion targeting a shuttered coal-fired power plant in the South End. Around 4 a.m., officials set off a series of charges that destroyed a large portion of the power plant. While much of the plant was detonated Sunday morning, the plant’s three distinctive smoke stacks — considered a local landmark by some — will remain in place until they, too, are torn down next year. Bridgeport Station Development, a New York-based LLC, purchased the property in 2023 for future redevelopment. Those plans are still being finalized but are expected to focus on housing. The state provided $22.5 million to help pay to tear the old plant down. Its three smokestacks, including the 500-foot red-and-white striped tower that is considered a Bridgeport landmark, are supposed to be demolished next spring. Some are trying to save the “candy cane” but so far Bridgeport Station Development is sticking with its plan to raze it.
https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/bridgeport-ct-power-plant-implosion-earthquake-21071749.php
New Haven area economy to get $50.5 million boost from CT for life sciences industry
The state plans to invest $50.5 million to create public infrastructure and facilities in downtown New Haven to boost the state’s life sciences industry and the emerging sector of quantum technologies. These investments will be supported by the first grant award in the state’s Innovation Clusters program, a $100 million initiative that aims to support research, innovation and business growth in industries and technologies that state officials expect to be long-term economic engines. “What makes Connecticut is unique is not just the science — though Yale and UConn are global leaders in quantum research — it’s the way those strengths connect with the entire higher education system,” said QuantumCT CEO Albert Green. “Together, they are preparing a diverse and skilled workforce that will drive this innovation.” “We are the voice of 300 member organizations, and that means countless individuals that need more from us each and every day,” said BioCT CEO Jodie Gillon. “It is time to put a shovel in the ground. We need to expand Connecticut’s capacity to train, develop, network and maintain our incredible talent pool.”
Costco pursues new warehouse in Plainfield over alternative CT sites
Nearly 35 years after opening its first Connecticut warehouse club store in Brookfield, Costco wants to build its first New England distribution hub at the other side of the state — creating shorter trip times from its closest distribution center in New Jersey. Last week, Costco representatives held a public meeting for Plainfield residents on plans for a distribution warehouse that could span 1.1 million square feet of space if approved by the town and officials in Canterbury, with the target property crossing the town line. The site eyed by Costco is a nearly 440-acre tract between Norwich Road, Butts Bridge Road and Tarbox Road that is screened today with trees, a short distance from Lowe’s Way where Lowe’s Home Centers has a similar-size warehouse. Lowe’s is the town’ largest taxpayer with a net assessment of just over $56 million in the most recent year on record.Town approval would be required only if a new user wanted to modify the building or property, Buckheit said.
Shortcut or setback? Proposed bridge from CT to Long Island would risk Sound’s fragile ecosystem
For nearly 90 years, backers of a bridge straight to Long Island from Connecticut or mainland New York have promised less traffic, faster commutes, new jobs and increased revenue. But some experts warn that the mega-project could jeopardize the health of Long Island Sound and halt the painstaking progress that has been made in restoring one of the region’s most important ecosystems. While many of the project’s details need to be worked out, Shapiro says the bridge would generate $8 billion to $10 billion in annual revenue and ease traffic on Interstate 95 and the Merritt Parkway, two of the country’s busiest corridors. One of the biggest concerns would be construction noise caused by pile driving and other intense underwater activity, which creates high-frequency sound waves capable of damaging marine life. This noise can impair hearing, induce stress, disrupt communication and force animals to relocate, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service. In severe cases, the loud noises could cause bleeding, tissue damage and even death for some animals, including fish.
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