Officials have approved plans for a 200,000-square-foot warehouse along a railroad in an industrial area. The South Windsor Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved Tuesday night a special exception for a warehouse at a currently vacant 16-acre lot at 250 Rye St., including a rail spur to connect to the Connecticut Southern Railroad. Approval conditions placed on the project include prohibiting truck queuing on Rye Street, with an alternate truck queuing plan to be required if backups do occur, and requiring submission of a final plan for the rail spur prior to state approval. New warehouses in South Windsor and across Connecticut are often constructed without a specific named tenant, with many developers referring to such projects as “speculative” builds. A narrative included in the application, received by the PZC on Feb. 25, described the project as a “rare opportunity” for a tenant desiring both truck and rail access, and stated that the market has a high demand for “high-quality industrial zoned sites.”

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/journalinquirer/article/south-windsor-rye-street-warehouse-20292554.php

As part of ongoing repair and improvement efforts, New Haven Public School officials 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 and James Hillhouse High School; and the construction of a new central office at 424 Chapel St. On Feb. 13, 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 high schools. While the report found no “evident deficiencies,” Justin Harmon, director of marketing and communications at NHPS, said the district has plans for projects and upgrades across its schools. The total cost of these six projects is estimated at $25.1 million.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/new-haven-public-schools-pool-roof-replacement-20286805.php

State officials on Tuesday celebrated the final adoption of new rules governing environmental cleanups at Connecticut’s industrial and commercial sites, with the change expected to yield billions in economic activity and thousands of new jobs. The General Assembly’s Regulations Review Committee, on Tuesday, approved regulations outlining a new released-based approach to environmental cleanup. The new regulations are expected to take effect in spring 2026. DECD economists estimate the new system will unlock $3.78 billion in new GDP growth in the next five years, bringing $115 million in new revenue to the state and more than 2,100 new construction jobs. In a nutshell, the new system relies on pollution releases being cleaned as they happen or are discovered. The biggest complaint against the 40-year-old Transfer Act has been the wide net it casts, dragging in all properties at which more than 100 kilograms (about 220 pounds) of hazardous waste was processed or generated in any one month from Nov. 19, 1980 onward. Under the law, those properties – even ones where there was never any known discharge or spill – had to undergo costly environmental testing and review before a sale could be completed.

State lawmakers approve Transfer Act replacement, expected to yield billions in economic activity

The legislature’s Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee approved bills Tuesday that would reduce Connecticut transportation construction debt and would gradually phase out property taxes on motor vehicles — in the 2030s. The Democratic-controlled finance panel, which must complete action on all its bills by the close of business Thursday, is expected to take up several revenue proposals Wednesday, including a new measure to create a state income tax credit for low- and middle-income families with children. Those revenue bills, along with a spending plan adopted Tuesday by the Appropriations Committee, will form a blueprint to guide final negotiations with legislative leaders and Lamont on a new state budget for the next two fiscal years. One bill, enacted with bipartisan support Tuesday, would cap reserves in the budget’s Special Transportation Fund at 18% of the STF. Any other unspent dollars would be used to pay down transportation debt. The STF, which gets most of its funding from sales and fuel tax receipts, finished with surpluses approaching or surpassing 10% in each of the past three fiscal years, and the Lamont administration projects a $159 million or 7% surplus this fiscal year.

Finance panel backs bill to shrink CT transportation debt

Project labor agreements in Illinois did not have a statistically significant effect on projects’ construction costs, as the award amounts for winning bids were not higher on PLA projects compared to those without PLAs, after accounting for other factors. That’s according to a new report from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute detailing the economic impact of PLAs on construction in Illinois. PLAs were associated with a higher share of construction work awarded to minority-, women- and veteran-owned businesses. Specifically, these groups saw market shares increase between 1 to 2 percentage points in PLA-covered projects. “This increased opportunity facilitates broader access to public contracts for historically underrepresented groups — an important factor in promoting equity and diversity in the construction industry,” said co-principal author, Robert Anthony Bruno, director of the labor education program and a professor in the school of labor and employment relations at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

https://www.constructiondive.com/news/plas-illinois-construction-costs-bids/744596/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202025-04-21%20Construction%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:72416%5D&utm_term=Construction%20Dive

Shari DiDomenico wiped away tears on Monday morning as she recalled the tragic death last year of her 26-year-old son Andrew, a state Department of Transportation road maintenance worker who was struck by an alleged drunken driver on Interstate-91 in Wallingford. She stood on a dirt construction site before about 100 neon-vested and hard-hatted DOT workers, highlighting the theme for National Work Zone Awareness Week as nearby traffic whizzed by on I-91. The DiDomenicos have been joining advocates pushing the General Assembly for tougher penalties for motorists caught speeding through work zones or ignoring warning signs. Top state officials including Gov. Ned Lamont, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and DOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto joined workers, law enforcement officials and a federal transportation representative in underscoring the importance of this year’s theme, which is “Respect the zone so we all get home.”

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/politics/article/ct-dot-worker-killed-safety-zone-20286218.php

A Pennsylvania-based development group has purchased 157 acres from the city of Waterbury for $2.5 million, setting the stage for construction of a roughly 3.2 million-square-foot logistics center. Waterbury and Naugatuck officials, on Monday, confirmed the sale of the site – which stretches over the city’s southern border and into Naugatuck – to Bluewater Property Group. The sale marks a key milestone in a years-long effort to get the massive Amazon warehouse built. Separately, an Amazon-affiliated limited liability company — Amazon.com Services LLC — paid $4.8 million in 2022 for a 55,349-square-foot, 1980-vintage industrial building on 8.5 acres at 191 Sheridan Drive in Naugatuck. The project is expected to support more than 300 construction jobs and, once operational, could create up to 1,000 full-time equivalent jobs with benefits.

3.2M-sq.-ft. Amazon facility to start construction at Waterbury-Naugatuck site after $2.5M land sale

Local opposition is growing against a proposed trash-to-energy plant that would process 1,800 tons of solid waste per day on an 81-acre parcel within a residential zone. In the letters, addressed to residents “near the intersection of Norwich Road and Black Hill Road,” Attorney Lee Hoffman of Pullman & Comley said his client Smart Technology Systems, LLC is in the process of submitting project applications to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Hoffman said the plant would produce roughly 45 megawatts of electric power each day by recycling refuse-derived fuel and “recycled commodities.” Hoffman said the project would include a “bulk waste handling facility for material separation, a gasification system, anaerobic digester, boiler system and steam turbine generator for electric generation.” According to a 2024 report from the DEEP, 40% of the state’s municipal solid waste is being shipped out of state for disposal, raising costs for consumers as the state’s aging infrastructure fails to keep pace with local needs.

https://theday.com/news/728262/plainfield-opposing-plans-for-a-trash-to-energy-plant-in-a-residential-zone/

Take Stonington and Old Lyme, for instance. On the surface, they are similarly wealthy towns with a rich maritime history. But when it comes to development, Old Lyme is much more restrictive and Stonington a bit more commercial. So perhaps it should be no surprise that one of the most extensive projects in the region just got underway off Route 2 in Pawcatuck, where Old Lyme developer Michael Lech is helping oversee a $50 million-plus plan to build about 500,000 square feet of apartments, retail, offices and commercial spaces expected to make a significant addition to Stonington’s tax base while providing a good amount of affordable housing in a village atmosphere. Lech’s company has combined forces with Trio Properties LLC of Glastonbury to complete Stonington Village, the first phase of which should be ready in a little over a year. They held a ribbon cutting last month with development partners Colliers Engineering & Design, KBE Building Corporation and Liberty Bank to celebrate the project’s beginning phase with dignitaries including U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.

https://theday.com/news/728722/whats-going-on-big-project-underway-in-stonington/

Work is beginning on a project to replace an Interstate 95 bridge in West Haven, due to be completed by the end of 2027. In a parking lot beside the bridge at Exit 43, a 0.8-mile stretch of highway in West Haven that travels over 1st Avenue and Metro-North railroad tracks, a coalition of public officials welcomed the start of the $136.5 million construction project on Thursday. In addition to replacing the bridges, the project includes extending the southbound lane from Exit 44 to create a continuous travel lane, which will ultimately serve as an exit-only lane for Exit 43. There will also be drainage improvements, officials said. The improvements aim to reduce congestion, help traffic flow better and make the road safer, officials said. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said 90% of the project is from federal funding and the federal government must maintain its commitment.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/west-haven-i-95-bridge-replacement-project-begin-20281052.php