The two-year dispute between Gales Ferry residents and the developer seeking to level the north side of Mount Decatur took a new turn this week when the company sued the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission for rejecting the special permit. Gales Ferry Intermodal, owned by Massachusetts-based Jay Cashman Inc., filed an appeal on Monday at state Superior Court in New London, asking it to overturn the commission’s rejection. The company argued that it had demonstrated regulatory compliance, stressing that there was no “substantial evidence” to support the rejection. The project was pitched as a revenue generator for the town and had Ledyard Mayor Fred Allyn III’s support, but it garnered strong opposition among many Gales Ferry residents. The company accused the commission of making speculative and illegal assumptions instead of considering that the developer would follow the proposed development plan. The lawsuit mentioned that Eric Treaster, a member of the Ledyard Zoning Appeals Board, testified against the application during the hearings and coordinated with members of the Gales Ferry District to oppose GFI’s proposal. It argued that this violated Connecticut’s general statutes and unfairly influenced the proceedings.

Developer Sues Ledyard for Rejecting Mount Decatur Project

Across New Jersey and across the country, trade unions have millions of workers ready to step onto job sites. These skilled workers are ready to build data centers, hydrogen hubs and other megaprojects in the pipeline. Millions more await a call to join as apprentices. The backlog of workers eager to join unions speaks volumes about the demand for good-paying construction jobs. So, no, the problem isn’t a lack of people who want to work construction – it’s a lack of employers willing to invest in local workers by paying fair wages and providing strong job protections. That begins with workforce development, and union apprenticeship programs are the gold standard for workforce development, offering rigorous training, hands-on experience and a direct path to a sustainable career. Apprentices receive sustainable wages, health benefits and pensions – all of which keep workers invested in their communities. We need more contractors and developers willing to pay fair wages and commit to building a system that can meet demand. And more than anything, we need people to recognize the long-term value of hiring skilled union labor instead of chasing short-term, low-cost fixes.

https://www.nj.com/opinion/2025/02/the-real-construction-crisis-isnt-a-labor-shortage-its-a-wage-shortage-opinion.html

The city claimed the neglected building, at 36 North Main St., from a New York investor in 2013 for unpaid taxes. With lobbying from former Mayor Neil O’Leary’s administration, Gov. Dannel Malloy dedicated $10 million in state bond funding to help defray redevelopment costs. And, in 2023, the city sold the decaying property to Green Hub Development for $900,000. Using the state’s money, and about $5 million of its own, Green Hub performed an extensive overhaul of the building. Work wrapped up in December, well ahead of schedule, and UConn began relocating programs there in January. Green Hub’s three major projects — the dorm and two office buildings — all received 10-year tax deals from the city. O’Leary managed to secure $7.7 million in state grant funds to defray costs of renovating and retrofitting the Howland Hughes building, and then $10 million more for the Odd Fellows rehab.

With third major project completed, Green Hub Development becomes major player in Waterbury’s downtown revival efforts

The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved Tuesday night a 50-unit senior housing development on 16.5 acres of land at 186 Foster St. In a more contentious decision later that night, the commission voted 5-2 to allow for construction of a roughly 1.31-megawatt solar photovoltaic system at 379 Scantic Road, on 6.35 acres of farmland owned by Draghi Farms along the East Windsor border. In March 2024, C-TEC Solar petitioned the Connecticut Siting Council to allow for construction of a 1.66-megawatt solar facility on the Foster Street lot, notifying officials in South Windsor and neighboring Manchester and drawing concerns from both. In July 2024, South Windsor’s legal counsel declined to consent to an extension requested by C-TEC, which would have extended the deadline for the Siting Council to decide by six months.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/journalinquirer/article/ct-solar-south-east-windsor-draghi-farm-ctec-20217114.php

Downtown will be dug up when two big construction projects totaling about $20 million begin sometime in the spring, forcing the Branford Fest and other popular events to find a temporary home. The projects — reconstructing a long stretch of Main Street and renovating the town green will be done concurrently. The projects are largely funded by state grants. The $12 million Main Street Reconstruction Project will be funded 100% by a Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program grant, town officials said. The town was also awarded a $500,000 grant from the Small Town Economic Assistance Program to go towards the estimated $8 million-plus Green Revitalization project. Scheduling construction on both projects is dependent on state approvals, Hoefferle said. The roadwork project is much needed as Main Street is “at the end of its useful life” and needs a total rebuild, town officials said. The last major rebuild was done about 30 years ago.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/shoreline/article/branford-town-green-main-street-projects-20188987.php

The continuing construction at the site of the new South Norwalk School remains on schedule as contractors prepare to demolish four of the properties the city acquired to make way for the project. The $70 million-plus school is on track to open this fall and welcome pre-kindergarten through third grade students for the first academic year; in subsequent years, it will serve all elementary school students. The Norwalk school project has a maximum 60% reimbursement rate from the state. In his January state of the city address, Mayor Harry Rilling announced the fall opening for the new school building. That timeline still holds true, Lo said, but with at least 10 separate contractors on site, he said he won’t know until late April whether the work any of the project’s parts could cause a delay in opening the school on time. Regardless, Lo said the project is “progressing very well.” Part of that progress is the demolition of four properties the city acquired to make way for the new building for the South Norwalk School.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/education/article/south-norwalk-school-construction-timeline-schedul-20177661.php

Plans for a prominent downtown corner that envision a new development anchored by a regional bus transit center could unfold far more slowly that city officials had hoped, now that the latest round of a state grant program does not include funds to tear down a vacant, decaying structure on the site. The city had sought $22.3 million from the state’s Community Investment Fund to demolish the One Talcott Plaza office and parking garage complex between Capital Community College — the former G. Fox & Co. department store — and the burgeoning North Crossing project around Dunkin’ Park, the city’s minor league ballpark. Instead, at this week’s CIF board meeting, the redevelopment project — estimated to cost $200 million — received a planning grant of $250,000. CIF, which seeks to foster economic development in traditionally underserved communities, approves grants on a competitive basis. This week, 35 projects and programs were approved for funding, totaling $77 million. The projects included $10 million for the redevelopment of the languishing Enfield Square mall. The next round of grants will be voted on Sept. 30.

Massive CT redevelopment to unfold slower than hoped. Federal transportation funding could be issue

The U.S. DOT has rolled back a Biden-era policy that included environmental and social considerations in federally funded infrastructure projects, according to a Monday memo from the agency. The move rescinds two Federal Highway Administration memos, issued in 2021 and 2023, both titled “Policy on Using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Resources to Build a Better America.” Former President Joe Biden’s policy advised state and local agencies receiving funds from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to prioritize projects that advance equity and environmental goals. The recission memo states that that policy will have no role in DOT programs going forward. The rescission is the latest effort from the Trump administration to dismantle Biden’s signature policies. Previously, the DOT announced that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had authorized a series of actions to advance President Donald Trump’s agenda to “rescind woke policies” and roll back regulations. In January for example, the DOT said it would give grant preferences to “communities with marriage and birth rates higher than the national average.”

https://www.constructiondive.com/news/dot-removes-equity-environmental-criteria/742173/

Lamont met separately with the Trump’s Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum while in the nation’s capital in late February for a meeting of the National Governors Association. A spokesman for the governor said each meeting lasted approximately 30 to 45 minutes. While the meetings generally covered the region’s energy challenges, Lamont said they also waded into specific discussions about federal permitting for state-of-the-art nuclear reactors as well as the future of Constellation Energy’s liquefied natural gas import terminal in Everett, Mass. Connecticut, like the rest of New England, gets the majority of its electricity from nuclear and natural gas, with the much of the remainder split between renewable sources such as solar and wind, along with imports from Canada. Trump promised to dramatically lower the cost of energy, largely by increasing the production of oil and natural gas, Lamont pointed out. But in New England — where there are no mines or wells extracting fossil fuels — the high cost of electricity is driven in part by the need to transport natural gas long distances across pipelines running through multiple states. Increasing the region’s supply of natural gas, therefore, will require expanding pipelines crossing over from Canada or New York, or constructing new facilities capable of offloading LNG from ships. Either of those options would likely require buy-in from Connecticut’s neighboring states.

After D.C. meeting, Lamont sees path to working with Trump on energy

The latest bids for installing sewers in the beach communities came in under budget, putting the project on track even as many residents continue to oppose the plans as both overpriced and unnecessary. The town has struggled for more than a decade to settle on a plan that would satisfy the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection at a cost that local residents on fixed incomes can afford. The town’s Water Pollution Control Authority is analyzing bids received in late February. The lowest was $8.7 million for the work in Sound View and Area B, less than the $9.5 million approved by referendum in 2019. The Old Colony Beach Club Association is also reviewing bids for its construction and the shared infrastructure for the project, which was below the amount authorized for bonding. The sewer project for the Miami Beach Association still has not received bids, and the Old Lyme Shores Beach Association has yet to request bids.

Low Bids Give Sewers a Boost in Old Lyme