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Newtown battle over ‘top-tiered’ soccer complex pits artificial turf against sensitive environment
A plan for a Route 25 soccer complex that has gained the support of at least 100 Newtowners may require the developer to hire an independent engineer to review environmental impacts of the fields’ synthetic turf. A conservation activist and two members of the town’s wetlands commission are asking for the developer of the 33-acre property to pay for third-party review that will study the development’s impact on the environmentally sensitive wetlands surrounding the nearby Pond Brook. The developer gave the wetlands commission a letter of support signed by what appeared to be more than 130 Newtown residents in favor of “a state-of-the-art outdoor soccer facility designed to provide a top-tiered experience” with “high quality synthetic turf and shock absorption for safety and optimal ball control.” Guidera said she felt “strongly” that “toxins and PFAS will not be good for the environment” and that she was “not in favor of the turf,” according to meeting minutes. A handful of residents spoke against the soccer field proposal during the Oct. 8 hearing, citing concerns about water quality. Two others spoke in favor of the development, saying it was preferable to the controversial apartment complex alternative from 2023.
https://www.newstimes.com/news/article/newtown-soccer-fields-artificial-turf-route-25-21109834.php
Former Route 9 eyesore in Middletown reborn as apartments
The long-vacant Alfredo’s Riverside Restaurant, hard by Route 9 South and in the shadow of the Arrigoni Bridge, is being reborn as apartments — part of a developer’s broader effort to breathe new life into neglected city properties. The brick building at 141 Bridge St., the last one on the dead-end street, is expected to be ready for leasing applications by Nov. 1, according to developer Dominick DeMartino. The Bridge Street project is one of a half dozen neglected buildings in the city that DeMartino, who has been in the development business for more than three decades, bought during and after the pandemic. The city helped secure $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding and state Department of Economic and Community Development grants to assist with the rehabilitation projects, DeMartino said. Middletown Mayor Gene Nocera said Thursday that DeMartino goes the extra mile on restoration projects and has an eye for quality that will last decades.
Detours, lane closures and more among upcoming CT road projects. Here’s where.
Drivers on portions of Route 2 can expect to see some road work later this month. The work in Colchester will be on Route 2 westbound at the Exit 20 off-ramp to Route 149, which will be closed, and there will be a detour, according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation. The work will begin on Monday, Oct. 27 and the exit will remain closed for several months while rehabilitation work is done Route 2 westbound bridge over Route 149, also known as Westchester Road. Route 2 eastbound Exit 20 also will take traffic to Route 149. According to the DOT, the work includes pavement rehabilitation and resurfacing of the eastbound and westbound Route 2 roadway as well as drainage modifications, safety improvements to upgrade guide rails and bridge improvements between the new Exit 20 and Exit 25 on Route 2 eastbound and westbound. The overall project will be performed by American Roma JV at a cost of $43,699,900. The work is scheduled to be completed by Nov. 30. 2026. DOT asks that motorists maintain a safe speed when driving in all work areas.
Shelton close to $4M in state funds to remediate Canal Street site for apartment plan
Shelton Economic Development Corp. President Sheila O’Malley said the city is hoping to be awarded roughly $4 million in state grant money to remediate 235 Canal St., former home to Apex Tool & Cutter Co. The money will be used to remediate the property, which is owned by the Watts estate but under contract to developer John Guedes of Primrose Companies. While no plans have yet been filed for the site, O’Malley said Guedes is preparing plans for a 100-unit apartment complex with a two-level parking garage dubbed The Riverbank. O’Malley said this project will require some $25 million in private investment. This is Guedes’ latest development along Canal Street. He said the combined total of units built, units under construction and the soon-to-be filed new building brings his total to 697. These two projects presently under construction are close to $40 million.
How do you move a river? Waterbury Mixmaster overhaul could do just that
After a years-long study, the state Department of Transportation has narrowed down the possible design options for a long-term overhaul of the congested, crash-prone interchange of Interstate 84 and Route 8 in Waterbury known as the Mixmaster. A key difference between the two options, which will now go through the environmental review process, is that one calls for the Naugatuck River to be moved eastward to create space for Route 8 to be unstacked and reconstructed on the river’s west bank. How do you move a river, brook or stream? It involves building a new channel and redirecting the existing watercourse to the new one, officials said. Kevin Carifa, the director of DOT’s Office of Environmental Planning, said it is more common than some may think. Either the Naugatuck River Shift or Modern Crossover Interchange would cost an estimated $3 billion to $5 billion, in 2022 dollars. Dean said the river shift would be the “slightly more expensive” option. Actual construction work to rebuild the interchange’s core isn’t expected to begin for at least a decade.
Here’s how Hartford is planning to redesign several of its major roadways, including Main Street
Several projects are underway, or in the planning stages, to modernize and improve the safety of major roadways in Hartford. Among them is the continued effort to overhaul Farmington Avenue, building on work that started last year near the border of West Hartford and Prospect Avenue. Right now, the city is working on improving the stretch of the roadway from Whitney Street to Dennis Street. Deutsch said the city is also implementing quick-build projects — which are cheaper and sometimes installed on a trial basis — to make the roadway safer. The city is also eyeing installing roundabouts on New Britain Avenue, which would accompany a road diet as well — the process of reducing the number of travel lanes. A road diet is also planned on Asylum Avenue in 2026. Most of these projects, Deutsch added, depend on grant funding — which can sometimes delay or change construction schedules. But he says the city likes to always have something ongoing and another project ready to move onto.
Meriden reviews $191M projects for Pulaski and Hooker schools; city share estimated at $23M
City and school officials are reviewing new design studies for a new Casimir Pulaski Elementary School and a renovated Thomas Hooker Elementary School, which would cost the city an estimated $23.27 million after state reimbursements. The district now has three projects under consideration as part of its long-term facilities plan: building a new Pulaski School at 1 King Place, renovating the existing Thomas Hooker building and repurposing the current Pulaski site. If the city and state approve the plans, the district can move forward with detailed design work. If the project remains on schedule, construction is projected to be completed by fall 2031. The total cost for a new Pulaski Elementary School is estimated at $129.27 million, with the state expected to reimburse $116.8 million. The city would fund $16.06 million, which would cover the demolition of the old Meriden-Wallingford Hospital.
State begins construction on $35.2M redevelopment of Waterbury train station
Gov. Ned Lamont and state Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said the long-anticipated project will modernize the historic Union Station building, improve accessibility and enhance the overall rider experience on the Metro-North Waterbury Branch Line. The project is part of the Lamont administration’s broader initiative to upgrade all six stations along the branch line. In Waterbury, the improvements include a new high-level, 350-foot platform compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), real-time arrival displays, security enhancements and a 1,600-square-foot indoor waiting area inside Union Station, which will reopen to the public for the first time in decades. Federal funding will cover $28.1 million of the project’s cost. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) called the investment “desperately needed,” noting that the upgrades will improve daily life for thousands of commuters. Construction of the indoor waiting area is scheduled to begin next month, with platform work starting in early 2026. The new station is expected to open in fall 2026. Substitute bus service will be provided during construction to minimize rider disruption.
CT moving ahead with $52.5M expansion of EV charging network after Trump initially blocked funds
Federal highway officials have given the go-ahead to Connecticut’s updated plan to use $52.5 million in federal funding to expand the high-speed charging network for electric vehicles in the state. The Trump administration in February paused the distribution of funds to states through the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program, but reopened the funding program in August in the face of legal challenges and political pressure. The decision in August to relaunch the NEVI program caught some observers by surprise. A judge had ordered federal officials to release funds to certain states that had sued but not to others, and the administration could still have appealed that ruling. The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that was enacted in 2021 allocated $52.5 million in NEVI funds to Connecticut over five years to upgrade existing fast-charging direct current infrastructure and construct new DC charging stations. The state has committed just $1.4 million of that federal funding, according to the state Department of Transportation. For the moment, Gov. Ned Lamont said his administration is proceeding on the assumption that the state will receive all $52.5 million in pledged NEVI funds.
All four of North Haven’s elementary schools could be rebuilt, board chair says
All four of North Haven’s current elementary school buildings may not be around much longer. Board of Education Chair Ronald Bathrick announced at Thursday’s school board meeting that they could soon be rebuilt. Following an audit team’s assessment into what work needs to be done to get the district’s six school facilities “up to par,” Bathrick said it became evident that financially, the best course of action is to replace the four elementary school buildings. Bathrick added that it is likely Ridge Road Elementary and Montowese Elementary would be built first as those students can stay in the old building while the new one is under construction. When the new Ridge Road and Montowese buildings are done, the students will move into the schools so Green Acres and Clintonville students could move into the old Ridge Road and Montowese schools while their new buildings are being built. “The entire process should take approximately four years from start to finish,” Bathrick said. It is too early to say when construction could take place as it will take Bathrick and district officials another four to six months to prepare a formal rebuild plan. But Bathrick said the plan, once it’s ready and approved, is to get everything done “as soon as we can.”
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