Connecticut News

A redevelopment plan for the former Hartford Trade School building at 110 Washington Street would create approximately 57 affordable and workforce housing units through a $33.6 million project by Arch Communities and Boston Communities. The 1928 building, which has been used as a city warming center, is pending approval from the city council and environmental reviews, with construction potentially starting in spring 2026. Source: courant.com

Connecticut Siting Council voted 5-3 to reject United Illuminating's plan to build a high-voltage transmission line through Fairfield and Bridgeport using steel monopoles up to 195 feet high. The decision marks an unexpected victory for local critics who argued the project would be a visual blight, though UI expressed shock at the decision and is exploring legal options. Source: ctmirror.org

Connecticut faces significant uncertainty planning its energy future as the Trump administration eliminates federal tax credits for wind and solar, halts offshore wind development, and issues stop-work orders for projects already under construction. State officials are grappling with how to meet clean energy goals while ensuring grid reliability, with DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes acknowledging natural gas and oil may need to remain part of the solution longer than planned. Source: ctmirror.org

Seven Connecticut technical high schools are slated to receive solar installations through a collaboration with the Connecticut Green Bank, delivering 4.6 megawatts of clean energy and $5.9 million in lifetime cost savings. The projects will include workforce development components offering classroom and onsite education to students, with a groundbreaking event scheduled for October 29 at Howell Cheney Technical High School in Manchester. Source: yahoo.com

Hartford's PeoplesBank Arena officially reopened following a major renovation aimed at transforming the downtown venue into a modern sports and entertainment hub. Upgrades include new seating, premium suites, enhanced rigging capabilities, and improved concourse technology, with Stevie Nicks headlining the first concert on Saturday. Source: hartfordbusiness.com

Spinnaker Real Estate Partners is completing a major $67 million adaptive reuse project in Hartford, transforming a vacant office building into residential housing units as part of the city's downtown revitalization efforts.

The new $199 million Bullard-Havens Technical High School facility in Bridgeport is approaching completion, featuring state-of-the-art technical education spaces and modern infrastructure to serve Connecticut's technical education students.

Local residents are voicing opposition to a proposed 96-unit apartment development planned along the New Haven municipal border, raising concerns about density, traffic, and neighborhood character in the suburban area.

The City of Shelton is moving forward with plans to develop a site located off Constitution Boulevard Extension, marking a new phase of commercial and infrastructure growth in this Connecticut municipality.

A historic factory building on Winchester Avenue in New Haven is being demolished, representing the ongoing transformation of the city's former industrial sites and making way for potential redevelopment opportunities.

A rally is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday at Shiloh Baptist Church in Bridgeport to protest United Illuminating's proposed monopole project. The controversial plan calls for installation of 195-foot tall monopoles carrying power lines through Bridgeport and Fairfield, potentially taking one-third of the church's property. The grassroots group Empowering Fairfield is calling on UI to come to the table with solutions acceptable to affected communities and businesses. Source: patch.com

The Connecticut Siting Council's consideration of United Illuminating's monopole project has sparked over two years of bipartisan opposition from lawmakers and Fairfield County residents. After a Superior Court judge ruled in April that the council wrongly approved the project without community input, the council voted again in September via straw poll to support the same plan. Governor Ned Lamont intervened asking for a delay, stating he wouldn't "let UI rush into a bad decision." The 195-foot monopoles would require utility easements from homes, businesses, and historical sites including the Pequot Library and Shiloh Baptist Church. Source: wshu.org

Mayor Roberto Alves and city officials announce over $100 million in public and private investments reshaping downtown Danbury. Projects include the $24.5 million Ives Bank development bringing 100 professionals to Main Street, Catholic Charities' 20 workforce housing units at 68 Main Street, and 79 senior units on Boughton Street by Connecticut Institute for Communities. The city is also advancing a $9 million state-funded Streetscape Renaissance Project adding fiber optics, underground utilities, and pedestrian-friendly enhancements. New businesses including Blend and Brew coffee bar and Escapology escape rooms have opened downtown. Source: patch.com

New Haven won approval from the Community Investment Fund 2030 board for $6.75 million to help convert the vacant 155,000 square foot Goffe Street Armory into a new vocational-technical school. The State Bond Commission must still approve the funds before they become final. Mayor Justin Elicker says the grant, years in the making, will fund rehabilitation work including exterior brownstone stabilization, roof repair, asbestos removal, ADA compliance upgrades, and reactivation of the historic drill hall. The project also includes plans for new housing units and other community uses. Source: newhavenindependent.org

The Elicker administration plans to sell George Street parking lots to a public-private partnership between Glendower Group and NYC-based developer LMXD for construction of 171 new apartments in New Haven's Ninth Square. The seven-story, 156,000-square-foot building will include 51 affordable units with income limits ranging from 30 to 80 percent of area median income, ground-floor retail space, and rooftop solar panels powering amenities including a fitness center and co-working area. The developers aim to secure financing by Q2 2026 with full completion projected for 2029. Source: newhavenindependent.org

United Illuminating is preparing for six months of new remediation work addressing PCBs, petroleum hydrocarbons, and arsenic-contaminated soil at the old English Station site at 510 Grand Ave. Mayor Justin Elicker continues defending his controversial proposal to convert the contaminated 8.6-acre former coal and oil-fired power plant into a public park and outdoor pool. At Tuesday's mayoral debate, Elicker argued the capped site would be safe and provide swimming opportunities for young people, while Republican challenger Steve Orosco called for the site to become a "revenue-generating machine" with manufacturing jobs. Source: newhavenindependent.org

Governor Ned Lamont announced a $50.5 million state investment in downtown New Haven's Innovation District to boost the life sciences industry and position the city as a national hub for quantum technologies. The investment includes $32 million in public infrastructure improvements and $17.2 million for a third lab-office building at 101 College Street to be built atop the never-completed Route 34 connector. The funding also supports a $1.3 million New Haven Innovation Center and infrastructure to facilitate development of the former Coliseum site, creating substantial construction opportunities and cementing New Haven's reputation in cutting-edge research and innovation. Source: newhavenindependent.org

New Haven is preparing to issue Requests for Proposals for two former school buildings transferred from New Haven Public Schools to city ownership, including the former West Rock STREAM Academy and a Fair Haven Heights property at 311 Valley Street. Mayor Justin Elicker expressed optimism about receiving responses that will satisfy community needs while the school district expects to save approximately $74,000 annually in utility and maintenance costs. The RFPs represent redevelopment opportunities that could transform vacant educational facilities into community assets through adaptive reuse projects. Source: newhavenindependent.org

The Hartford Land Bank is embarking on a new phase by undertaking new construction projects rather than exclusively focusing on rehabilitation of existing properties. This strategic expansion represents a significant shift in the land bank's approach to addressing Hartford's housing and development needs, creating additional opportunities for construction contractors and building trades. The new construction initiative demonstrates the land bank's evolving role in urban redevelopment and its commitment to comprehensive neighborhood revitalization through diverse development strategies. Source: ctnewsjunkie.com

East Hartford is actively pursuing brownfield remediation and redevelopment projects to transform contaminated or underutilized industrial sites into productive properties for new construction and economic development. The brownfield program addresses environmental contamination while creating opportunities for commercial, residential, and mixed-use development on previously unusable parcels. These remediation efforts represent significant infrastructure investment and construction opportunities as the town works to revitalize former industrial properties and expand its tax base through sustainable redevelopment. Source: easthartfordct.gov