The city will bond some $15 million, with proposed projects ranging from roadwork, building maintenance, new vehicles and esports arenas in both high schools. In all, the aldermen approved $2.2 million for design and construction of sanitary sewers and wastewater facilities; $7.7 million for various public improvements, and $4.95 million for the school district. The school money will cover $1.65 million for partial replacement of the Orchard Hills Elementary School roof and $2.2 million in various maintenance work at the schools. Milford’s esports has grown from a club to a full-fledged CIAC-sanctioned sport, “serving a unique population of students who might not be interested in traditional high school sports but thrive in this competitive environment,” Glennon said. The $7.7 million for city bonding will cover the purchase of four sanitation collection trucks ($1.98 million), a new fire truck ($1.98 million), $1.1 million for various building maintenance work and $1.1 million for completing the fiberoptic conversion project.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/milford-15m-bonds-esports-roadwork-buildings-20220221.php

A development firm has closed on the acquisition of a site next to UConn’s Storrs campus where it plans to build a 738-bed student housing property. Landmark Properties says it will begin construction on the 1.56 acre site at 134 North Eagleville Road later this year. The site, which has previously been proposed as the location for a different student housing development, is within walking distance of UConn’s academic buildings, student center and athletic complexes. The new plans, which Landmark is calling The Mark Mansfield, will also include 7,000 square feet of retail space for the Huskies Tavern, currently located on the site. This is Landmark Properties’ second property in the Storrs market. The Standard at Four Corners is scheduled to be completed in fall 2025.

Developer buys 1.56-acre site near UConn’s Storrs campus for large-scale, 738-bed student housing project

The USS District of Columbia will be among the most expensive ships in U.S. history, when the nuclear submarine launches years from now into the Thames River at a projected cost of $16 billion, at last report. The South Yard assembly building at General Dynamics Electric Boat — dubbed Building 600 — has been assigned an appraised value of nearly $640 million for the October 2023 grand list, according to the town of Groton’s tax assessor. That increases the value of the 75-acre shipyard campus by roughly 60% on paper, to more than $1.6 billion. General Dynamics built the “shed” facility for assembly of the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine, which the U.S. Navy plans to phase in as the replacement for its existing, Ohio-class subs nearing the end of their planned lifecycles. As construction in Groton ramped up between 2019 and 2020, the company reported a $155 million increase in capital expenditures supporting its marine systems segment, which includes Electric Boat and shipyards in Maine and California. Including development costs, the total program is currently projected to cost $130 billion. Once complete, the South Yard assembly building at Electric Boat would likely take on assembly work for a planned attack submarine fleet that, over time, would replace today’s Virginia-class subs.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/business/article/ct-groton-electric-boat-valuation-20216965.php

V20 Group of Darien, the new owner of 6.9 acres at the industrial site, met with neighbors on March 4. On March 11 the Stamford Planning Board unanimously approved V20 Group’s application to consolidate three parcels, knock down six buildings, and put up a 112,800-square-foot, single-story warehouse. Things are moving fast. Joe Vaccaro, who runs V20 Group with his father, John Vaccaro, told neighbors in a letter that demolition at the site is underway, set to be finished by the end of March. Bill Hennessey, the land use attorney who represented V20 Group before the Planning Board, said that in the Stamford area there is “high demand for flex-industrial buildings … that are adaptable to different uses,” such as light manufacturing, shipping, or fitness facilities. He anticipates multiple tenants, similar to what V20 Group developed on West Avenue in Stamford, Hennessey told the Planning Board. That warehouse is fully leased, with two main tenants. One is window company Renewable by Anderson, which has space for light assembly, a showroom and offices, Hennessey said. The other main tenant is a sports training facility, he said.

Warehouse Plans Spark Fears in Glenbrook Neighborhood

The city is seeking $6.9 million in state grants for environmental cleanup at the historic Yankee Pedlar Inn and at former industrial sites around town. Glenn Carbone, operations manager for Torrington Company site owner IRG Realty Advisors — and the mayor’s brother — said taking down two more buildings at the 70 North St. property will help ready it for possible redevelopment. He said the company has had discussions about putting a fuel cell that could power the property and construct buildings for innovative manufacturing. Preliminary sketches indicate the possibility of putting in two or three manufacturing buildings, plus a fuel cell, he said. The $600,000 would also cover the cost of securing contaminants and facilitate ground and soil remediation to remove and cap contamination revealed after the buildings are razed, Lopez said. Last October, the city applied for a $24 million grant to develop state-of-the-art facilities on the site and to expand Dymax at 318 Industrial Lane.

https://www.ctinsider.com/waterbury/article/torrington-brownfield-grants-yankee-pedlar-inn-20221262.php

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