The ongoing $100 million redevelopment and expansion of the West Hartford Fellowship Housing campus is continuing, with the first of the nonprofit’s brand-new units ready to be occupied soon. In the end, the nonprofit will bring dozens of more units through the expansion, totaling more than 300 affordable housing residences by the end of the expansion. The first phase of construction, which broke ground in November 2023, is nearly finished — a grand opening is being planned for June. The nonprofit just received $2.1 million in low-income housing tax credits at the most recent Connecticut Housing Finance Authority meeting, which the nonprofit said equates to around $19 million in equity from private investors.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/westhartford/article/west-hartford-ct-fellowship-housing-affordable-20299953.php

Tweed New Haven Regional Airport has filed inland and tidal wetlands permit applications with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for the airport’s proposed expansion, including runway extension, a new eastside terminal and associated parking and roads. The expansion first was announced on May 6, 2021 — at the same time that city and Tweed officials, joined by Gov. Ned Lamont, announced that Avelo Airlines would begin service to and from Tweed. The relatively short length of Tweed’s runway and its small terminal — along with road access that currently cuts through a largely residential neighborhood in the Morris Cove section of New Haven’s East Shore — have long inhibited Tweed’s efforts to grow. The proposed expansion includes expanding Tweed’s one remaining runway from the current 5,600 feet to 6575 feet, construction of a new 80,000-square-foot terminal on the East Haven side of the airport — which straddles the New Haven-East Haven border — and infrastructure improvements.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/tweed-runway-terminal-new-haven-environment-ct-20303015.php

Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration plans to invest in a new gas heating system for state office buildings in downtown Hartford, but the decision has fueled backlash from state and local activists who say it will spew pollution into surrounding neighborhoods and undermine the governor’s own climate goals. The administration’s plan would upgrade a facility that supplies heating and cooling to an underground network of pipes connected to 15 buildings in downtown Hartford known as the Capitol Area System. The system — also called the “loop” — includes several government buildings including the Armory, the Supreme Court Building and the Legislative Office Building, as well as private ones like the Bushnell Theater. (The Capitol itself relies on a separate system to heat and cool the 146-year-old building.) Environmental and climate activists seized upon the project, arguing that it offered the Lamont administration an opportunity to de-carbonize more than a dozen buildings at once through the installation of electric boilers or a geothermal heating and cooling system. But earlier this year the Department of Administrative Services announced that it was opting to move forward with a “hybrid” approach, utilizing both heat pumps and newer natural gas boilers to power the system. The upgrade is estimated to cost roughly $42 million and take several years to complete.

Plan to heat CT state buildings with natural gas system riles advocates

As part of ongoing repair and improvement efforts, New Haven Public School (NHPS) officials in Connecticut are proposing six renovation projects, including roof and swimming pool replacements across the district. The proposed projects include swimming pool replacements at Conte-West Hills School and Wilbur Cross High School; roof replacements at Truman School, Wilbur Cross High and James Hillhouse High School; and the construction of a new central office at 424 Chapel St. in New Haven. The plan is to eventually move the central office from 54 Meadow St. to the second floor of the Chapel Street building, the New Haven Register reported April 22, 2025. The total cost of the six projects is estimated at $25.1 million, the Register noted. In addition, on Feb. 13, 2025, there was a leak reported inside an English classroom at Wilbur Cross, which is an issue that has been difficult to address because the building’s roof has solar panels. The complaint cited concerns about mold, leaks, air quality and HVAC issues at the two schools.

https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/six-school-upgrades-planned-for-new-haven-conn-amazon-facility-to-be-built-in-waterbury/67863

In an April 24 letter, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned DOT funding recipients against engaging in diversity, equity and inclusion practices, which he said violate federal law. Duffy also told grantees that they must cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal officials or face “enforcement actions.” The DOT may audit grantees and take back funding used for unpermitted activities, according to the letter. Duffy urged transportation agencies to contact a DOT representative proactively to ensure they are in compliance. Since assuming office, Duffy has authorized a series of actions to advance Trump’s directive to “rescind woke policies” and slash regulations, while vowing to give grant preference to regions with higher-than-average birth rates. Last month, the DOT rolled back a Biden-era policy that included environmental and social considerations for projects it funds. In an April 2 hearing, Duffy defended the Trump administration’s freeze on already-approved projects so agencies can review them for mentions of climate change, environmental justice or equity. He did not say whether grant awards that are not yet finalized could be rescinded, but promised to enact the will of Congress when it comes to funding infrastructure: “I’m not going to hold up any projects.”

https://www.constructiondive.com/news/dot-cut-transportation-funds-dei-ice/746631/

Online retail giant Amazon has paid $20 million for two undeveloped parcels in Enfield totaling around 200 acres, one of which had recently been approved for development of an 819,000-square-foot warehouse. In a deed recorded April 23, Amazon bought a 181.4-acre undeveloped property at 35 Bacon Road, and a neighboring 22.1-acre property from Massachusetts-based Winstanley Enterprises. Winstanley is one of the most active developers in Connecticut, particularly in the industrial sector. Amazon confirmed the purchase and said its plans for the property are in the early stages. The company said it would provide more information at a later date. Construction is expected to begin imminently.

Amazon pays $20M for roughly 200 acres in Enfield

Norwich is one step closer to turning the Rose City Senior Center and the nearby athletic areas into the RecPlex. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont visited Norwich Friday to recognize the $5.1 million in state funds from the Community Investment Fund (CIF) 2030 program that was announced in March, and the city officially got two weeks ago. The lion’s share, $4.9 million will go toward improving Fontaine Field and its accessibility to the neighboring Rose City Senior Center. Another $250,000 will go toward redevelopment plans for the Norwich portion of the former Norwich State Hospital. The Fontaine Field work could start as soon as the week of April 28, and will be finished by the end of 2025. Fontaine Field will be closed in the fall, and alternate arrangements are being worked on with the schools and permittees, Norwich Human Services Director Kate Milde said. Transforming Fontaine Field has been a priority for Norwich Human Services for a few years. Work on Fontaine Field will include replacing the field with synthetic turf, adding spectator stands, enlarging the parking area, and adding accessible walkways to the senior center, Milde said.

https://www.norwichbulletin.com/story/news/local/2025/04/26/ct-funded-improvements-fontaine-field-norwich-community-investment-fund-turf-stands-parking-walkways/83276652007/?tbref=hp

Construction of the new Wilton police station is now slated to finish at the end of the year, with communication issues on the work prompting a delay of the $19 million project. The contractor, A. Secondino & Son Inc. of Branford, has asked about a completion date in the fall, Department of Public Works Director Frank Smeriglio said at a recent meeting. The town has not yet approved that nor discussed the implications of a later finishing date, he said. But DPW Assistant Director/Facilities Manager Jeff Pardo said the new police station is more than 50% complete and will likely take even longer than Secondino predicts. The original schedule called for the project to be done this summer, but there is still work to do on the roof and the interior, where 90% of the sheetrock is up but is not ready for paint. The windows are still covered in plastic. Pardo said he’s tried to express his concerns and talk to the project manager from Secondino, but the project manager shows up only to virtual meetings “maybe once a month” and never walks through the building. “It’s not a good thing,” he said. “I’ve never had a project manager not walk through the building.”

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/wilton-police-headquarters-delay-construction-20292807.php

Built by Amtrak and owned by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the permanent pier provides an alternate fishing location while the Ferry Landing pier / boardwalk in Old Lyme is closed to make way for Amtrak’s construction of a new Connecticut River Bridge between Old Lyme and Old Saybrook, according to a press release. Construction is underway to replace the 118-year-old bridge with a modern, moveable bridge that will improve the customer experience by eliminating delays, providing faster journeys, and modernizing another critical infrastructure asset that benefits the entire Northeast corridor, the statement continued. It is one of several passenger rail investments underway in Connecticut, including the WALK Bridge Replacement in Norwalk, Devon Bridge repairs in Milford, new stations in Windsor Locks and Enfield, and more projects led by the state Department of Transportation. Once the new Connecticut River Bridge is in service and the old bridge has been demolished in 2029, Amtrak will build a new and improved, fully accessible 1,000+ foot long observation deck and stairway at Ferry Landing State Park that would open in 2030/2031.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/amtrak-deep-fishing-pier-haddam-eagle-landing-ct-20297862.php

Water levels in the Dean’s Mill Reservoir Dam may look lower than usual, but the Aquarion Water Co. wants to assure residents their drinking water is just fine, and there is no cause for concern. “If customers notice that it is down low, it’s because we are purposely doing that,” said Aquarion Director of Corporate Communications Peter Fazekas. Fazekas said the 5-foot reduction in typical water levels and equipment in the area are part of a $2 million project to complete routine maintenance on the Dean’s Mill Reservoir Dam. “Because it is masonry, it does need maintenance over time,” he said. He explained that the rehabilitation requires a dry work area, so the water levels are being artificially lowered, and the company has installed an additional cofferdam to allow access to the base of the dam. He said the work is anticipated to be finished in June. “We expect this to last 25-plus years once this project is complete,” Fazekas said.

https://theday.com/news/734311/aquarion-undertaking-dam-work-to-deans-mill-dam/