Officials have narrowed the sites they are considering for a new federal courthouse in Hartford to two, a 2.2-acre Allyn Street parking lot and a 10.2-acre site at the corner of Asylum Avenue and Woodland Street now occupied by 74-year-old state government office building. The U.S. General Services Administration has issued a 381-page draft Environmental Impact Statement on the courthouse project, for which Congress has appropriated $335 million. The GSA is seeking public input on the siting issue at a hearing Wednesday and in written comments that can be submitted until Dec. 16. As to the renovation options, the draft says, Ribicoff building tenants not affiliated with the court would need to be removed temporarily to provide “swing space” for the court during the project, which would involve “major structural work.” Wednesday’s public hearing is to run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The Lyceum Center, Conference Center 1, 227 Lawrence St., Hartford.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/hartford-new-federal-courthouse-ct-allyn-asylum-19900977.php

Bristol officials announced Wednesday that the city is accepting requests for proposals from developers and others for the sale and development of a remediated brownfield property located across the street from ESPN’s campus. The property, at 894 Middle St., encompasses three contiguous parcels owned by the city. Combined, the parcels make up an approximately 15-acre site. The city said it invites proposals that enhance economic development through the “best use” of this site. It is specifically interested in commercial/industrial prospects that will “enhance the local economic base through a redevelopment project that meets high standards of design, exhibits high market feasibility, offers employment opportunities, and that can offer other benefits to the community.”

Bristol issues RFP for ‘prime development property’ near ESPN

Residents can look forward to the construction of a new Hillcrest Middle School after a majority of residents voted to approve it Tuesday. Unofficial results from the Registrar of Voters Office show the town’s referendum ballot question get over 13,000 “yes” votes. The Hillcrest project costs approximately $142,375,000. Democratic Registrar of Voters Jean Rabinow shared the unofficial totals of votes to-date — 13,268 residents voted yes and 6,628 residents voted no. Semmel said he’s ready for the project to start and appreciates the support of the residents. Jeff Wyszynski, principal at Hartford-based Tecton Architects. designed Trumbull’s District Master Plan, which breaks down structural issues among all 13 schools and lists each one by order of greatest need. Hillcrest Middle School was selected as the first building that was in the worst physical state.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/trumbull-hillcrest-middle-school-referendum-19891029.php

Officials with the Waterbury Inland Wetlands Commission approved developer Bluewater Property Group’s plan to build an Amazon fulfillment center on the Naugatuck line, after hearing opposition from a handful of residents with environmental concerns. Located on a wooded hilltop in the Waterbury-Naugatuck Industrial Park just off Route 8, the Amazon facility would support between 500 and 1,000 jobs depending on seasonal needs, along with construction jobs as the fulfillment center gets built. Several members of Connecticut State Building Trades unions attended in a show of support for the project. Naugatuck Mayor Pete Hess has projected that taxes from the Amazon fulfillment center would add about $2.5 million in revenue for each city.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/business/article/ct-amazon-waterbury-naugatuck-bluewater-19893129.php

Principal Bryan Rickert said the 117,000-square-foot building is bursting at the seams and staff are forced to convert various spaces into other uses against their original design. There is referendum vote looming on Tuesday to decide if the town can build a new school. The question on the ballot says “Shall the $142,375,000 appropriation and bond authorization for the planning, design and construction of a new Hillcrest Middle School be approved?” If the majority of residents vote yes, the project can move forward and officially begin. And if not, construction can’t happen and the process would have to start all over again. According to the town charter, a referendum vote is required for projects that exceed $15 million. The Hillcrest project costs approximately $142,375,000 and the town would pay around $82.5 million.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/trumbull-hillcrest-middle-school-project-19879816.php

Organizers are confident a project that includes bringing an MLS Next Pro soccer team to Connecticut will have a transformative effect on the region. But a year after the pitch was made public, questions remain regarding just how much money the project could cost taxpayers, and whether a stadium will come to fruition in time for the team to play its first games in Bridgeport in 2026. Last week, the Bridgeport Planning & Zoning Commission tabled for the time being any consideration of the stadium and larger development while the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection assesses the project under a coastal review procedural process. Swanston has invested more than $1 million himself in the project to date. But far more than that will be required to underwrite the cost of the stadium and additional development like apartments, a hotel and other recreational draws like restaurants to have the project pay off for investors. The stadium facility alone could cost $75 million according to a budget document from earlier this year reviewed by CT Insider, not including “soft” costs like design work or any cost overruns during construction.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/business/article/ct-united-bridgeport-swanston-mls-soccer-altchek-19829047.php

The $5.4 million project intended to improve pedestrian and motorist safety in the area of Route 10 and West Main Street is expected to be completed in late spring after a couple of hurdles have caused a three-month timeline to become nearly a year. Funded through the Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program, the project includes roadway redesign at the intersection, new concrete pavement, drainage work, new sidewalks, decorative crosswalks, the installation of benches, and modified traffic lights. The Plantsville Safety & Streetscape Project also added rapid flashing beacons at the crossing at the Linear Trail. Paramount Construction began work in March on West Main Street westbound, from the firehouse to the Hyde Away Café, followed by work on South Main Street near the post office and Main Street from Grove Street to West Main Street.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/recordjournal/article/southington-plantsville-construction-safety-19844476.php

The Connecticut Siting Council has approved a contentious $3.75 million solar facility planned for Town Farm Road after months of resistance from both residents and local officials. Avon-based Lodestar Energy filed a petition in February for a 4,702-panel, 1.93-megawatt solar photovoltaic electric-generating facility on 12.1 acres of unused farmland at 141 Town Farm Road in Enfield. The proposed facility lands exclusively in the Siting Council’s jurisdiction per state statute, a sticking point among elected officials in Enfield and beyond. Members of the Siting Council voted 5-1 on Oct. 24 to accept a decision and order to issue a declaratory ruling on Lodestar Energy’s petition, allowing the project to move forward. Bill Syme, the lone dissenter, said that he still took issue with the loss of “prime farmland” from the construction and how close the facility would sit to residential properties.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/journalinquirer/article/ct-enfield-lodestar-energy-solar-town-farm-road-19879824.php

The Renaissance City Development Association (RCDA) the city’s development arm, brokered an agreement in 2023 that included selling 6.28 acres split among three parcels to RJ Development + Advisors, LLC for $500,000. RJ Development, which built The Beam, a 203-unit apartment complex on Howard Street, pitched building two 250-unit apartment complexes on Nameaug and Walbach streets, and constructing a 1,200-space parking garage at 26 East St. Wednesday’s deal was finalized less than two months after the City Council on Sept. 16 approved nearly $6.5 million in tax breaks over 20 years to RJ Development, which would cover about half the $13 million in estimated pre-construction costs. In exchange, the city will receive approximately $18 million in tax revenue over the life of the agreement. Felix Reyes, the city’s director of planning and economic development, said Friday large-scale development projects move in cycles tied to larger market and real estate forces.

https://www.theday.com/local-news/20241103/sale-of-the-last-city-owned-fort-trumbull-parcels-to-developer-finalized/

“We’re rocking and rolling … from a construction standpoint,” said XL Center General Manager Ben Weiss. “The construction is everywhere, and we’re dealing with it.” Weiss and construction manager Robert Houlihan updated the Capital Regional Development Authority on Friday with the latest in the $145 million revamp of the aging arena. Between 30 and 40 construction workers are now on the job at the XL Center, getting ready to demolish the current bowl and make way for a revamped arena with upgraded seating, locker rooms, an elite club and a new commercial kitchen. Construction hasn’t impacted attendance so far at the arena, which drew 12,300 people for pop singer Sabrina Carpenter’s sold-out concert on Oct. 2, according to CRDA Executive Director Michael Freimuth. Work is also under way for a new commercial kitchen at the XL Center, with plans to upgrade the food offerings for premium areas as well as the arena as a whole, Freimuth said. Better food has the potential to boost the arena’s per-attendee spending and overall revenue.

https://www.nhregister.com/business/article/ct-hartford-xl-center-renovations-uconn-games-19879966.php