Manafort Wins Dual Awards for Major Projects in Conn.
At the Associated General Contractors of Connecticut (AGC)
BuildCT Awards held on, Feb. 12, 2026, Manafort was honored with the
Construction Manager/General Contractor Mid-Size Renovation Award for the
Bloomfield Public Library — Prosser Library project.
This recognition reflects the collective effort and
dedication of Manafort's team alongside the skilled contractors,
subcontractors, design partners and client representatives who worked together
to preserve and enhance this important community resource.
Manafort also was awarded the Construction Manager/General
Contractor Award for New/Large Construction for its work on the Great Wolf
Lodge Mashantucket project. This major destination highlights the exceptional
coordination, craftsmanship and teamwork of all project partners involved,
whose collaboration helped bring this complex and high-profile project to life,
according to the company.
"These awards are a testament to the strength of
collaboration across every level of the project teams," the company said.
"Manafort is proud to work alongside outstanding contractors,
subcontractors, partners and clients whose shared commitment to quality and
excellence continues to drive successful outcomes across the region."
Manafort Brothers Inc. was selected to perform the civil and
utility work, as well as the concrete construction for the new Great Wolf
Lodge, a 549-room, 91,000-sq.-ft. family resort and indoor water park complex
adjacent to the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn.
The project included comprehensive site development and
infrastructure improvements to support this significant hospitality
destination. Manafort's scope encompassed earthwork, retaining wall
construction, installation of drainage and utility systems, final pavement and
all civil and concrete work associated with the pool and indoor water park
facilities to support the resort's aquatic features.
In addition, Manafort provided all cast-in-place concrete
services for the project, including footings, foundation walls, grade beams,
structural slab on grade, shored slabs, columns, piers, concrete curbs, pads,
and concrete work associated with the site finishes, ensuring a durable and
precise foundation for this large-scale facility.
Lane closure on CT interstate bridge, weight restriction on another span, begin Monday. What to know
There will be bridge inspections on the Bulkeley Bridge in
Hartford and East Hartford this month and that means upcoming lane closures,
according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation
This work is scheduled to begin on Monday, April 6 and be
completed on April 23, 2026.
There will be a daytime lane closure on Interstate 84
westbound from April 6 to April 9, 2026, during the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 3:00
p.m., according to the DOT. That means the right lane of I-84 westbound will be
closed over Bulkeley Bridge, according to the DOT.
Traffic control signing patterns will guide motorists
through the work zone on the bridge, according to the DOT
There also will be nighttime lane closures on I-84 eastbound
from April 20 to April 23, 2026, from 8:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m., according to the
DOT. That means the right lane of I-84 eastbound will be closed over the
Bulkeley Bridge, and that traffic control signing patterns will guide motorists
through the work zone there as well, according to the DOT.
The agency warns that motorists must be aware modifications
or extensions to this schedule could be needed due to “weather delays or other
unforeseen conditions.”
Motorists also are asked to maintain a safe speed when
driving in this area.
Further, the Department of Transportation said that a 20-ton
weight restriction will be imposed for the Putnam
Memorial Bridge, also over the Connecticut River. This bridge,
accessible from Interstate 91, links the towns of Wethersfield and Glastonbury.
The weight limit is effective April 6, 2026, according to the DOT.
The restriction will be in place “until specific work under
the associated project is completed, but no later than November 3, 2028.”
The agency noted the restriction is connected to related to
bridge rehabilitation project awarded to ROTHA Contracting Company on
February 27, 2026, at a cost of $48 million.
The project purpose is to address “the structural
deficiencies of” the Putnam Bridge, which
carries Route 3 over the Connecticut River, “in order to maintain safe
travel for all facility users and to maintain a ‘state of good repair,’”
according to the DOT. “The project includes repairing or replacing
deficient structural members, improving the condition rating of all structural elements
to “satisfactory” (6) or better, concrete deck patching, and installing a new
waterproofing membrane and overlay,” according to the state agency.
The project is being administered by the Bureau of Engineering and Construction, Office of Construction, District 1, in Rocky Hill, Connecticut, according the the DOT.
Siting Council approves Manchester solar project on nearly 30 acres
MANCHESTER —
State officials have approved a
Lake Street solar facility that has proved controversial
among some neighbors.
The
Connecticut Siting Council approved a petition from North
Haven-based solar developer Greenskies Clean Energy to build a
1.2-megawatt solar photovoltaic electric generating facility at 81
and 93 Lake St., two largely vacant agricultural properties totaling close
to 30 acres.
The project consists of two separate but connected solar
arrays, with a 750-kilowatt facility on 93 Lake St. and a 450-kilowatt facility
on 81 Lake St. taking up a total footprint of 6.3 acres with a combined 2,136
modules.
The original petition filed by Greenskies in August billed
the facility as providing "multiple benefits" to the town, state, and
region through production
of renewable energy, and the Siting Council's decision echoes that
sentiment.
The draft decision and order, dated March 27, states that
the Siting Council finds there is a "public benefit" for the
construction of the facility and that it would not have a "substantial
adverse environmental effect," and that the council will therefore issue a
declaratory ruling for the proposed facility.
The Siting Council's draft opinion, dated March 27, states
that pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes, the
council has "exclusive jurisdiction" over the facility proposed
by Greenskies and shall approve by declaratory ruling any such project as long
as it "meets the air and water quality standards of the Department of
Energy and Environmental Protection and the Council does not find a substantial
adverse environmental effect."
The opinion states that the proposed facilities would be
remotely monitored on a 24/7 basis and comply with relevant building,
electrical, and fire protection codes, and Greenskies would work with local
emergency responders and file an emergency response plan. Noise generation and
air quality would comply with state standards, and DEEP would need to issue a
stormwater permit prior to construction.
The opinion further states that Greenskies has expressed a
willingness to install landscape plantings and implement best management
practices for stormwater in response to neighborhood concerns about visibility
of the facility and water quality.
Members of the Siting Council approved approved the plan in
a 7-0 vote Thursday, with one member recusing themselves. Few spoke about the
project in detail during the meeting, though one member briefly discussed his
issues with the plan.
Bill Syme said the proposal from Greenskies was not
"one of (his) favorites" due to prime farmland being taken out of
production, but that he could foresee minimal impact to neighbors and the
environment.
Khristine Hall said she was happy that a condition for a
post-construction noise study was included, though noted it is typical for the
Siting Council to do so.
"Even though the host parcel owner was not concerned
about the noise, which may be above the noise limits, I think it's important to
have that study and see what the compliance is once the facility is
started," Hall said.
Chance Carter thanked staff members for working on the
documents, and said he was pleased to see that the approval requires Greenskies
to work with the town's fire department to ensure emergency services can reach
the site.
New developer emerges for stalled New London mill apartment project
John Penney
New London — A prospective new developer seems poised to take over a stalled plan aimed at transforming a dilapidated and toxic mill property into an apartment complex.
The City Council at 7 p.m. on Monday is scheduled to discuss a state brownfield clean-up grant application requesting $6 million to continue remediation work at a 96,000-square-foot former mill at 90-100 Garfield Ave.
The application is the result of a partnership between the city and the Vesta Corporation, a Weatogue-based developer of more than 20,000 apartments in 13 states and the District of Columbia, including two affordable complexes it manages in New London.
Felix Reyes, the city’s director of economic development and planning, said Wednesday that Vesta has entered into a sales and purchase agreement with the property’s current owner, Garfield Mills LLC, to buy the former Edward Bloom Silk Co. mill and the land it occupies.
Garfield Mills, which bought the property in 2019 for $239,000, long promised to build an 87-unit apartment complex where the 107-year-old mill stands. But, to the frustration of city officials, the project never progressed past exterior clean-up work that was kick-started with the help of a $1 million state Municipal Brownfield Grant awarded in 2024.
In addition to the state’s contribution, the city also extended its support in the form of a $2.16 million tax break agreement approved by the City Council in October 2023. Under that agreement, Garfield Mills would pay an annual tax bill of $20,000 for the first four years of the 20-year agreement during the construction phase, with those amounts increasing by 2.5% annually in most subsequent years.
The city currently collects about $20,000 in annual taxes from the building and 3.5-acre site, but officials anticipated that figure would jump significantly after its redevelopment.
City officials said in January that another firm was interested in acquiring the property, but the identity of the potential buyer was not confirmed until this week.
Vesta lists two New London apartment complexes in its portfolio, including the 295-unit Winthrop Square Apartments and Townhomes on Federal Street and the Londonberry Gardens Apartments complex with its 86 apartments on Third Avenue. Both cater to lower income renters.
Reyes said the Garfield Avenue project — dubbed “Whaling City Lofts” in the state grant application — calls for all its 87 apartments to be affordable, unlike the Garfield Mills version, which planned to set aside 20% of its units for low-income renters.
He noted that the final sale of the property by Vesta is contingent on the company getting additional state Department of Housing and other funding.
“Vesta, like with any affordable housing project, will be spending millions in the interim on things like initial analysis and other pre-construction work,” Reyes said.
Vesta representatives did not return calls for comment on the mill project.
The mill is located in the city’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Garfield Mills District, an incentive zone created by the council in 2022 that allows a portion of any increase in tax revenues from rising property values to be set aside for infrastructure improvements in that area.
Under that plan, 50% of tax revenue realized by increases in assessed value in the district gets recycled back into the neighborhood for various improvement projects, including new sidewalks, parks and lighting, with the remainder funneled into the city’s general fund.
City Law Director Jeffrey Londregan earlier this year said an attorney representing a possible purchaser of the mill contacted his office with questions about the TIF zone.
Mayor Michael Passero on Friday said he was optimistic that Vesta will be able to accomplish was Garfield Mills couldn’t with the vacant mill property.
"They're certainly a well-established, very large developer of affordable housing,” he said. “And they have a good track record with these kinds of projects."