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In Setback for Diamantis, Judge to Allow Admissions of Fraud by Co-Conspirators in State Contracting Case
A federal judge has refused to prevent a jury from hearing that co-conspirators of former state deputy budget director Konstantinos Diamantis, who is accused of using his position overseeing the state’s school building office to solicit bribes from construction contractors, admitted to defrauding the government. U.S. District Judge Stefan Underhill entered the ruling earlier this week setting up jury selection in the case to begin Oct. 3. Diamantis was fired from his post as a deputy budget director by Gov. Ned Lamont after the state received a subpoena from federal prosecutors in 2021 seeking information about Diamantis and a host of projects and companies he was involved with. Diamantis also stepped down from his job overseeing the state’s school construction office. He is accused, according to court documents, of misusing his former position as a state official to demand and receive payments and benefits from different construction contractors. Specifically, it is alleged that Diamantis, as the head of the state’s Office of School Construction Grants and Review, used his position to solicit and receive bribes from Acranom Masonry, Inc., of Middlefield, through its principals Salvatore Monarca and John Duffy, and Construction Advocacy Professionals LLC, of Moosup, through its principal Antonietta Roy.
A bridge to Long Island? Prolific Bridgeport-area housing developer has ideas he wants to share
Shapiro is not the first to envision this bridge — with a lower level for train service connecting Metro-North to the LIRR — traversing the Sound. New York officials have commissioned studies in the past on this, but Shapiro hopes to spur interest in Connecticut for this project. Shapiro said such a bridge, with its connection in Bridgeport, would help to revitalize the Park City and bring financial benefit to the Valley and state while alleviating traffic in lower Fairfield County. Next step, he says, is making the public aware this is a possibility. Then it would be bringing in the federal government, which could provide a source of millions in grant money to offset costs. Shapiro said the greatest benefit would be cutting traffic bottlenecks in New York City and Connecticut, specifically I-95 and the Merritt Parkway in Fairfield County, two of the worst, most congested stretches in the country. He said a $39 bridge toll — less than the cost of the ferry and 1/5 the travel time — would pay for construction in 48 years, and this does not consider any other economic benefits.
CT’s stake in Revolution Wind dates to 2018: The State Pier, turbines and an unexpected stop order
Back in 2018, when state officials selected a to-be-built offshore wind farm called Revolution Wind to provide hundreds of megawatts of power to Connecticut, it marked the first time the state had ever procured such power. Revolution Wind was expected to begin commercial operations next year, providing energy to both Connecticut and Rhode Island. But in August, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued an order for the project to pause. Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration has said the cancellation of Revolution Wind would lead to higher electric bills, a less reliable grid and unemployed workers. The project has also been tied to a controversial overhaul of the State Pier in New London that cost more than $300 million — about $200 million of which was funded by the state.
New Haven begins $13.2M Whitney Avenue improvement project this week
Whitney Avenue, one of the city’s busiest arteries, is about to undergo a long-planned $13.2 million makeover of nearly its entire 1.5-mile length. About 10,000 vehicles use Whitney Avenue daily. Over the past five years, there have been 378 automobile accidents on the roadway — an average of one to two crashes a week. While there have been no fatalities, there have been three serious injuries and 12 accidents involving cyclists, Elicker said. The project will span two phases. Construction on the first phase, from the New Haven-Hamden line to Canner Street, is scheduled to begin this week and is expected to be completed by mid-2026, Elicker said. The second phase will run from Canner Street to Trumbull Street, two blocks from where Whitney Avenue begins at Grove Street in downtown New Haven, and is projected to be completed in 2027, officials said.The project is funded through the state Department of Transportation’s Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program. It is part of the city’s and CT DOT’s ongoing efforts to improve road safety and commuting options for all users.
Vote delayed on proposed power line through Bridgeport, Fairfield
Opponents of a proposed high-voltage transmission line in Fairfield County won a temporary reprieve on Thursday as the Connecticut Siting Council voted to table the issue to allow more time to study alternative routes. The move came two days after Gov. Ned Lamont waded into the dispute over the transmission line by writing a letter to the Siting Council, asking it to postpone a final vote that had been scheduled for Thursday. At the same time, Lamont said he was meeting behind the scenes with the project’s developer, United Illuminating, about a compromise. “My office is in the process of convening a meeting with representatives of all parties to facilitate a discussion on potential alternatives and a path forward,” Lamont said. Likewise, local officials from the two towns impacted by the proposed transmission line expressed relief at the delay. Earlier this month, the council held a non-biding straw poll in which a majority of council members voted to support the project.
Housing options at UConn increase as school, developers try to keep pace with escalating enrollment
The rise in both on- and-off-campus developments in Storrs in recent years mirrors UConn’s larger enrollment growth efforts, and the number of projects underway suggest surges in both enrollment and the university’s growing housing footprint around its main and regional campuses are not slowing down. Amidst record-high enrollment, the university is currently housing a record number of almost 13,400 students in Storrs, with housing at full capacity, said UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz. At the same time, new off-campus options have opened up, with a massive student housing development in the works that would add more than 1,000 beds for Storrs students. The Georgia-based development firm Landmark Properties bought the site in the spring, with plans to begin construction in late 2025, according to a news release.
Dozens of CT waterways identified as ‘impaired waters’ in new report
A 40-page list of impaired waterways in Connecticut that the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection included in a report to Congress has spurred DEEP’s estimate of nearly $5 billion in wastewater infrastructure needs over the next 20 years. In general, water quality in most streams, rivers and lakes in Connecticut is sufficient to support fish and other aquatic life communities. DEEP’s estimate of $250 million a year in wastewater infrastructure needs over the next two decades was included a report that states are required to submit to Congress every two years under the federal Clean Water Act regarding the overall quality of waters in their state. DEEP reports that demand for construction funding though the state’s Clean Water Fund has never been higher since its establishment in 1987. The Clean Water Fund provides a combination of grants and loans to municipalities for wastewater infrastructure projects undertaken at the direction of DEEP. It is financed through a combination of federal funding and state bonding. The Clean Water Fund had made commitments totaling nearly $4.6 billion in grant and loan assistance through the 2024 fiscal year, according to the latest annual report by the state treasurer’s office.
I-691, I-91 and Rt. 15 interchange work irks Meriden residents: ‘The whole house feels it’
State officials said the construction on interstates 91 and 691, and Route 15 (Wilbur Cross Parkway) interchange in Meriden will address the high number of motor vehicle incidents that have resulted in more than 2,200 crashes over that past 11 years. Between Oct. 2, 2023 — after construction began — and Aug. 1, there were 1,419 crashes, nearly 300 of which resulted in injuries, and two fatalities as drivers made their way through the active work zone, according to data provided by Connecticut Department of Transportation spokesperson Eva Zymaris. The goal of the state project, estimated to be complete by 2030, is to make the interchange safer for drivers. Once done, crews will have replaced and rehabilitated several bridges in the corridor and improved traffic flow across multiple travel lanes, Zymaris said.
https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/meriden-ct-highway-construction-route-15-i-91-21051495.php
Your questions answered about Costco’s proposed Plainfield/Canterbury site
The depot facility would be built in Canterbury. Once that is complete, Katz said the company is planning build another 1.1 million square-foot building on the Plainfield property. Katz said when and whether that happens depends upon the company’s growth. Costco representatives anticipate that the depot facility will process an average of 600 trucks per day. Marchisano said deliveries and shipments start at 5 a.m. and end at 4 p.m., and occur Monday through Saturday. During the meeting, residents from both towns raised concerns about potential impacts on the environment, property values, traffic safety and road conditions along with creating light and sound pollution and straining emergency services like fire and emergency medical services. During the construction phase, Marchisano said, Costco’s contractors typically hire local subcontractors. Katz and Marchisano said Costco is still in the early planning stages and has not established a timeline for construction and operation.
Developer proposes technology center on former Pawcatuck cinema site
The Architectural Review Board on Monday unanimously approved the design of an 80,000-square-foot technology center on Route 2 in Pawcatuck that members referred to as “groundbreaking” and “innovative.” READCO of Old Lyme proposes to construct the Stonington Technology Center, a four-story building with office, conference, research and development space on the former Hoyt’s/Regal Cinema property. Meanwhile Stonington Village, a 232-unit residential, retail, professional and medical office space, is being developed on the same property. Both projects are part of a Neighborhood Design District, a floating zone that requires a master plan for the site and provides the commission with a great deal of discretion about various aspects of the project. The technology center is part of a Master Plan amendment for the district and must be approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
https://theday.com/news/789383/developer-proposes-technology-center-on-former-pawcatuck-cinema-site/
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