Connecticut News

Connecticut's State Bond Commission approved over $31 million for Hartford economic development projects as part of a $3 billion bonding package. Funding includes $17.5 million through the Capital Region Development Authority for downtown parking garage repairs, Capitol Hotel renovation loans, and $6.5 million for North End affordable housing and daycare projects led by Mutual Housing Association and Citadel Community Development.

Shelton-based ALKA Inc. seeks to amend an approved Planned Development District at 493 Bridgeport Avenue to build five one-bedroom townhouses. The site, near Walmart and Crown Point Center, was originally approved in 2016 for a gas station and convenience store but failed to generate retail interest. Each townhouse would include a garage with two parking spaces.

Santander Bank provided $88 million in construction financing for Benedict Court, a 120-unit multifamily property in Greenwich. The consortium led by Lonicera Partners, Nimbus Properties, and Benedict Capital will build the development at 7-23 Benedict Place with 72 market-rate and 48 affordable units, plus 170 underground parking spaces. Completion scheduled for August 2028.

Local organizations face a January 20 deadline to submit redevelopment proposals for two former New Haven school buildings vacant since 2021. The former West Rock STREAM Academy and Quinnipiac Real World STEM School closed during COVID-19 due to outdated HVAC systems. Nonprofits including Hope for New Haven and All Nations Christian Academy are preparing bids to repurpose the properties for daycare, educational, and community uses.

Woodbridge zoning commissioners voted 6-0 to amend town zoning rules prohibiting future projects similar to a 96-unit mixed-income apartment complex they approved just one month earlier. The reversal came after over 150 residents gathered to oppose the December 2025 approval of the four-story development at 804 Fountain Street on the Woodbridge-New Haven border, which would include only 12 affordable units.

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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.