CT Construction Digest Tuesday June 30, 2026

More Connecticut towns are banning data centers before they even get proposed

Jordan Nathaniel Fenster

Three Connecticut towns so far have passed moratoriums on the construction of data centers — and they likely won’t be the last. Many municipalities around the state have considered similar bans, whether or not a project has been proposed.

Proposals to build data centers are often met with significant local opposition, with concerns ranging from environmental issues to energy usage to noise. But experts say a ban on data centers is often a town’s attempt to maintain a measure of control over large development projects within its borders.

“Relatively few proposals for data center development have been submitted in our communities,” said Betsy Gara, executive director of the Connecticut Council of Small Towns. But towns and cities are considering temporary bans “to allow time to establish appropriate regulations,” Gara said. 

Groton was the first Connecticut municipality to institute a temporary moratorium on the construction of data centers, back in 2022. That temporary ban became a permanent restriction a year later, with Groton adopting zoning regulations to allow data centers only under 12,500 square feet in size.

That ban emerged from a proposal to build a data center next to the Millstone nuclear power facility. But in Morris, a two-year data center moratorium was passed in May despite there being no such proposal. However, two large solar developments for Morris had been approved by the Connecticut Siting Council against the town’s objections.

When West Haven passed a similarly preemptive one-year moratorium on data centers earlier this month, Mayor Dorinda Borer said, “There’s a lot of challenges with data centers that can impact electrical rates and the environment and the health of the community.”

Gara pointed out other concerns for cities and towns. 

“Many rural towns have seen farmland eaten up by utility-scale solar developments and are concerned about the potential loss of additional agricultural land. As a result, they are exploring ways to preserve farmland and maintain the quiet, rural character of their communities,” she said.

“Suburban communities are also questioning whether large-scale data centers are compatible with their planning and development goals. From the perspective of many municipalities, projects that consume significant amounts of land while generating relatively few permanent jobs can be difficult to justify,” Gara said. 

Data centers are essentially warehouses that house computer servers. And as artificial intelligence continues to proliferate, more servers and therefore larger data centers are required. There are no so-called hyperscale data centers in Connecticut, usually defined as facilities exceeding 1 million square feet, though there are many smaller data centers around the state, according to datacentermap.com.

When a data center proposal was considered last June in Bloomfield, planning and zoning commissioners raised concerns over noise, the height of the building, the proximity to Bradley International Airport and the loss of open space. A year later, the project has not been approved.  

Brian O’Connor, chief lobbyist for the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, said there are legitimate concerns over the largest data centers, including the use of water as a coolant and the use of electricity. But there is also opposition based on what data centers represent as AI use grows, he said.

“I think people are speculating that there’s going to be a substantial amount of job losses tied to data centers,” O’Connor said. Moratoriums on data centers, he said, are “trying to preempt and slow down the change in how the world does business to a certain degree, and they’re like, 'let’s catch our breath here and make sure we’re doing the right thing.'”

But not all municipalities are opposed to the idea. Norwich Mayor Swarnjit Singh said, “As a city we are open to data centers.”

Norwich has its own, dedicated utility company, and O’Connor said municipal-based power generation can make a difference. Data centers, he said, are often looking for “proximity to power and cheaper power in order to run their operation.”

Wallingford also has its own power grid, and in 2024 it voted to change zoning regulations to allow for data centers in its Watershed Interchange District. 

But the decision to pause data center development is often based on how a municipality views itself. Many towns similarly instituted temporary bans on dispensaries after the state approved legal cannabis sales, O’Connor said. 

“I think the footprint of a data center is pretty large, particularly where it will stick out in a more rural area, let’s say a cleared farmland, and all of a sudden you see this big shiny metal object that’s drawn off a local river,” he said. “It’s a change in the perception of the town, potentially.”

Many towns and cities, O’Connor said, believe that one development can lead to more.

“It’s kind of like the solar arrays, when once it starts, when does it stop,” he said. “I think people are concerned that that might happen with data centers as well.”

Waterford again rejects housing plan for former airport site

Jack Lakowsky

Waterford — A developer whose controversial plan to allow up to 1,500 housing units to be built on the former Waterford Airport site was rejected in March, has now seen the town reject its scaled-back request.

Mathon Funding, a firm that owns and wants to develop 188 acres at 140 Parkway South, recently proposed a zone change that would have allowed up to about 790 housing units. The firm's application called for 600.

The Planning and Zoning Commission last week again denied Mathon's application. Had it passed, Mathon was expected to submit a site plan with more information, like the state's report on if the road and traffic signals need improvement and further reports on potential impact on wildlife, which was a chief concern for residents back in March.

Project documents called for preserving the remaining 128 acres of Mathon's property, which is off the Cross Road commercial and industrial area, mostly along Jordan Brook and Nevins Brook.

Units would've been split between 12 apartment buildings and 23 townhouses, and project engineer Brandon Handfield had said the development would have created an opportunity for more housing in the area and meet the needs of future residents.

Commission Chairman Greg Massad, who publicly disclosed that he has unrelated business dealings with Handfield and later voted to approve the zone change, said he thought it was a "good, reasonable plan" for the property.

Massad said the current, more industrial-leaning zoning opens up the property to less desirable development.

"What could go here is something we really do not want," Massad said.

Commissioner Tim Conderino, however, said approving the plan as presented would've been rushed.

"I don't see what the urgency is for this to be approved with so many lingering questions," Conderino said, adding he was concerned the developer might propose a site plan with 100 extra units, still within the limit of the rejected zone change.

Conderino was also concerned about the project using too much of the town's sewer capacity. Commissioners Karen Barnett and Doris Crum had concerns about increased traffic buildup and wanted more clarity about if the project would've included affordable housing units, potentially allowing the developer to bypass certain zoning regulations.

As in March, residents of the area were concerned about traffic and wildlife in the wooded area.

Another point that came up during deliberations were possible improvements that would be needed to Waterford Parkway South, and as Planning Director Mark Wujtewicz researched this, he learned that the town does in fact own the road.

Wujtewicz said decades ago, the state gave the road to the town, and the Representative Town Meeting approved the transfer at the time. It then went to the Board of Selectmen to sign the agreement, but there's no record that ever happened.

Now, Wujtewicz said, the town is working to affirm its possession of the road.

The property at 140 Parkway South has swapped hands several times over the past 40 years.

According to Wujtewicz's report on the project, the large parcel has been unused since 1987, when the Waterford Airport ended operations. Then in 1990, the town approved the site for a business park that never came to be, with that developer abandoning the project five years later.

Nothing substantial has occurred there since, except a 2020 application from a concrete manufacturer that was quickly withdrawn.

Town of Killingly discusses details of proposed Amazon warehouse VIDEO

Lauren Drapeau

KILLINGLY, Conn. (WTNH) — The Planning and Zoning Commission for the town of Killingly heard details about a proposed Amazon warehouse that would come to town on Monday.

The commission discussed concerns with increased traffic once up and running, how fire departments would get the water necessary to put out potential electrical fires and more.

If approved, the new facility would be built off Westcott Road. It would cost around $200 million and will bring 500 full-time jobs.

The Planning and Zoning Commission cannot make a decision until July 20.

CT Construction Digest Monday June 29, 2026

Years-long CT gas pipeline stalled at the finish line. Why the $200M+ project faces a permit dispute

Edmund H. Mahony 

After seven years, $150 million and 31 of 34 miles already under ground, the state has halted a pipeline project designed to provide a more dependable natural gas supply to the booming southeastern Connecticut economy.

The reason for what could become years of delay is a decision by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection requiring a comprehensive environmental review of parts of a mile or so of what remains to be completed of Eversource’s southeastern Connecticut gas resiliency project.

The environmental impact evaluation is limited to a plan to install gas pipeline on a little more than a mile of Eversource electric rights of way that cross the rugged granite ledges of two state parks on either side of the river where the towns of Middletown, East Hampton and Haddam meet.

To the west, the right of way crosses about 100 feet of a narrow strip of Penn Central rail line that is now Connecticut Valley Railroad State Park. On the east, about a mile of pipe would run across the south end of Hurd State Park, part of which was donated to the state by one of the companies that became Eversource, the Hartford Electric Eight Company. Connecticut River

The central piece of the yet-to-be completed stretch of pipeline would be tunneled beneath the Connecticut River. The stretch beneath the river is excluded from the environmental impact evaluation because DEEP said it doesn’t have permitting authority over the submerged land.

If, after the environmental review, the work proceeds, no one would see much of it because there would be little surface disturbance. About two-thirds of the 6,700 feet of 16 inch steel pipe beneath the river and crossing parts of the two parks would run through subterranean tunnels drilled by a high tech boring machine.

The purpose of the 34 mile pipeline from Middletown to Montville is to increase pressure in the existing distribution system and enable the company to continue gas service in the event of a failure by bypassing the trouble spot. Eversource said the region’s high volume gas customers include two casinos; four colleges, including the U.S. Coast Guard Academy; Pfizer’s global Research and Development center; the U.S. Naval Submarine Base; and the Electric Boat division of General Dynamics, which is hiring 8,000 people this year and building the nation’s top defense priority, the Columbia class ballistic missile submarine.

DEEP said it is requires an environmental evaluation because Eversource is modifying an easement it has over state land by installing a gas line where only electric transmission lines have been permitted. The company wants to run the pipe below massive, metal pylons carrying transmission lines that once tied the Connecticut Yankee nuclear power plant in Haddam to the electric grid.

For months, contractors with heavy equipment have working along the rights of way to maintain the electric lines.

Not surprisingly, Eversource Gas and its customers disagree with DEEP about the evaluation and resulting project delay. The disagreement has touched on larger questions about whether the state is moving to phase out natural gas, a fossil fuel, before securing adequate replacements.

“I urge DEEP to prioritize the completion of this project and recognize its essential role in safeguarding the well-being of Southeastern Connecticut,” Tony Sheridan, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut, wrote in a news opinion column. “The remaining work in Hurd State Park should be approached with thoughtful environmental consideration — but also with the urgency that energy security demands.”

DEEP said in written answers to questions that its environmental impact evaluation is required by law. The department said the evaluation has started and will delay the project at least through spring 2027 because an analysis of the pipeline’s environmental impact on the utility rights of way needs to be studied over all four seasons.

Eversource Gas, which is paying for the state consultant hired to do the impact evaluation, predicted it will delay completion of the project by two or possibly three years. The company estimates delay will push project cost from $193 million to $214 million. As of last month, the company said it had spent $146 million on the project so far.

The gas resiliency project took root about 5 years ago after severe winter storms and deep freezes knocked out power for prolonged periods during the administration of former Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.

“When I became governor I inherited a state that had been hands off on a lot of these issues,” Malloy said. “The storms bared how unprepared we were. The reality had been that there had been a lack of investment over a long period of time. It was all hands on deck quite frankly because no one had been on decks for a long time.”

Unlike today, policy makers then looked favorably on natural gas and even incentivized conversion to gas as an alternative to oil-generate energy.

In response to political pressure, Eversource Gas examined its distribution system’s “resiliency and redundancy” and developed a plan to strengthen it, president Kevin Kelley said. It proposed building 80 miles of pipeline across the state, the most important part of which would be the 34 mile southeast gas resiliency project connecting Montville and Middletown.

The Public Utility Regulatory Authority approved the project, calling it “a fundamental public policy goal, essential to the state’s economic vitality and protection of the public health, safety and welfare.”

Among other things the pipeline would deliver natural gas to fuel cells — like one operated by the town of Colchester that uses an electrochemical process to produce electricity from gas without combustion.

Eversource Gas began construction at the Montville end of the pipeline in 2019. A year earlier it had begun obtaining annual permits from DEEP that allowed it to do geological tests on the company electric rights of way through the parks in connection with locating the pipeline. The permits permitted “geotechnical borings” tests associated with pipeline design.

There were some restrictions on the testing. DEEP notified Eversource by letter that the state was placing conditions based on concern for two species of plants, two species of insect, two species of turtle, a snake and a bird found in the Hurd Park right of way.

“There should be a qualified herpetologist on site to avoid adverse impacts to all state listed reptile species,” DEEP’s letter said. “All personnel working on the project must be apprised of the reptile species description and the possible presence of a listed species, and instructed to relocate turtles and snakes found in work areas or notify the appropriate authorities to relocate individuals.”

To protect the plants, DEEP said all boring had to be done 15 feet away from the listed plants — one of which, the sand blackberry, establishes “utility transition corridors” as habitat. In addition, Eversource was to “install avoidance fencing, flagging or similar measures in the field for all known populations (of the plants)… under the supervision of a qualified botanist.”

To protect the two insect species, Eversource was instructed to avoid test borings at certain times of the year.

There is disagreement between Eversource and DEEP over how and when the company learned the project must submit to an Environmental Impact Evaluation and the ensuing delay.

DEEP said the evaluation is a legal requirement triggered because Eversource wants to modify its easement permitting electric lines on state land in order to permit the additional installation of a gas line. Kelley said the company believed the existing easement was satisfactory and wasn’t told otherwise until after investing years of work on he project.

“So they were well aware that we were planning on going in the easement that our electric friends have,” he said. “We have done some environmental studies on it. We didn’t feel that we had to go through this process. This all came to us as a surprise. Again, the state was well aware that we had this project on going. They approved it in our rate case. We were in contact with DEEP and PURA regarding this as we went through our rate case, explaining where we were at with the program, the costs, all of those things.”

“And then we ran into a roadblock with DEEP when they announced that we had to go through the (environmental impact evaluation) process,” he said.

DEEP acknowledges that it permitted years of testing on the easement associated with pipeline construction. But it said in a statement that doesn’t exempt the project from an impact evaluation.

“DEEP has issued separate licenses for testing related to the gas line dating back to 2018, licenses required in part because the easements did not provide for natural gas,” the agency said. “DEEP reminded Eversource of this need for new or modified easements in March of 2023, and Eversource applied for easement modifications in August of 2025.”

“The Connecticut Environmental Policy Act requires Environmental Impact Evaluations for state agency actions that could have significant environmental impacts where the full degree of the impact is unknown.” DEEP said. “Here, the full degree of the impact remains unknown, but the expansion might significantly affect the environment, given how rich in species and sensitive habitat the proposed easement area is.”

There also is disagreement over discussions between the two sides about whether Eversource needed to get approval from the state legislature in order to cross the Connecticut River with a gas pipeline.

“DEEP initially communicated that they wouldn’t entertain an application for an easement modification within Hurd State Park, claiming that we lacked necessary legislative approval, as the river crossing authority may come up as an issue and that they wanted to help us be aware of that,” an Eversource spokeswoman said.

Eversource said there was a six month project delay in 2024 while it argued that legislative approval was not necessary. Among other things, the company said it has crossed rivers with gas lines at least five times – rivers from Stamford to Ledyard – without obtaining approval from the Legislature. In the end, Eversource said DEEP decided to press the requirement for an environmental evaluation.

DEEP said the question of legislative approval arose because it advised Eversource that it does not have authority to grant easements beneath rivers.

“DEEP shared that those rights may need to be secured from the Connecticut General Assembly, and that ultimately, it’s Eversource’s responsibility to ensure it has the requisite land rights under the river to construct this project. DEEP communicated that whether or not Eversource has those rights would not affect DEEP’s work on the issues within its jurisdiction regarding the river crossing, such as permits,” the agency said.

DEEP said the purpose of its Environmental Impact Evaluation is not to approve or deny projects. The agency said ithe evaluation “recommends mitigation measures to avoid impacts if the pipeline moves forward, and examines alternatives to the proposed action.”

If Eversource does not agree to recommended mitigation measures, or if the easement modification were denied because the evaluation concludes the environmental harm is so great it could not be mitigated, DEEP said, “Eversource may opt to evaluate other options.”

Eversource said source said it already tried that.

Kelley said the company looked at eight alternative locations to cross the river before settling on on the route through the parks.

“Based on the easement we had, this is the perfect place,” he said. “It still is the perfect place to cross.”

If the project should be denied, Kelley said, “We would be in a full scale panic.”

Draft ruling clears way for 7,462-panel solar project near Glastonbury school

Andrew Larson

A proposed 4-megawatt solar facility spanning about 19 acres in Portland is on track for state approval after the Connecticut Siting Council issued a draft opinion endorsing the project.

In its June 18 draft ruling, the council found that the project would provide a public benefit and cause no substantial environmental harm, and that it meets the legal threshold for approval under state energy policy.

Those findings portend council approval of the project, which includes 7,462 solar panels on a 41.9-acre property owned by Walnut Hill Farms LLC. The site is accessed from Old Maids Lane in Glastonbury.

The $9.5 million project would sell power to Eversource Energy under a 20-year tariff agreement. According to the draft findings of fact, North Haven-based Greenskies Clean Energy expects to begin construction in spring or summer 2027, with the facility fully commissioned by the end of 2027.

If that schedule holds, the project would meet the federal deadline for the Investment Tax Credit, which requires solar projects receiving the benefit to begin commercial operation by Dec. 31, 2027.

The Siting Council’s final decision deadline is Oct. 22.

The proposal drew concerns from neighboring Glastonbury because the site sits about 1,050 feet south of Nayaug Elementary School.

Glastonbury was granted party status in the proceeding, and Old Maids Lane resident Charles Walsh participated as an intervenor. Both raised concerns about construction noise, potential glare and long-term site restoration.

The council addressed those concerns, but largely sided with the developer. The draft opinion directs Greenskies to coordinate construction activities with the town and school and to conduct a post-construction noise study to verify compliance with state standards.

Glastonbury, represented by Hartford law firm Halloran Sage, filed comments with the council seeking stronger conditions in the final ruling, including a firm requirement that pile driving occur during school recesses.

Construction would require clearing about 5.2 acres of trees and 4.8 acres of an apple orchard.

The facility is designed to operate for at least 20 years. During that time, Eversource would own the electricity, capacity rights and renewable energy credits generated by the project.

Waterbury Branch trains to be replaced by buses for nearly a year starting July 20 

Brianna Gurciullo

This Wednesday, fares will go up 5% for customers taking CTrail and Metro-North Railroad trains in Connecticut.

On top of that, riders on the Waterbury Branch will switch entirely to bus service starting July 20 because of construction at four of its six stations. Rail service is expected to return in June 2027.

Waterbury branch riders have experienced such switches previously. Buses replaced trains for about two months in 2024 after extreme rainfall resulted in washouts along the rail line. In 2021, trains were unavailable for four months because of infrastructure upgrades.

Last Thursday afternoon at the Bridgeport train station, where the Waterbury Branch connects to the New Haven Line, Abrina Geyer was about to board a bus that already runs on the line between trains.

She said she thinks the full switch to buses, which are a bit slower than trains, will “be inconvenient for a lot of working people and people traveling, period,” and so will the fare hike.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation has said the fare increase and a previous 5% hike that took place in September 2025 were necessary to maintain rail service levels amid rising costs.

Adam Bosworth, who was taking the train Thursday because of car trouble, said he thinks the fare increase has to be done.

“But I think it’s going to take a lot away from people who can’t afford it,” he said.

DOT conducted what is known as an equity analysis last year, finding that the 10% total increase wouldn’t result in a “disparate impact or a disproportionate burden on minority or low-income customers.”

In a statement, agency spokesperson Eva Zymaris said that whenever buses replace trains in the state, fares are charged to cover the costs of bus service. She noted that buses are currently running on the Hartford Line in the place of several weekday trains because of infrastructure work by Amtrak.

At an unrelated event Friday in Wethersfield, DOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said riders continue to pay full fare because conductors must still be paid to check tickets and assist customers.

“We still have to pay for full service of the complement of Metro-North staffing,” he said.

Construction on the Derby-Shelton, Ansonia, Beacon Falls and Seymour stations started in May and is scheduled to finish by spring 2028. The work is part of an estimated $193 million effort to upgrade all the stations on the branch, whose ridership and service levels are up about 47% and 35% from pre-COVID levels, respectively.

Officials have said that work at the Beacon Falls and Ansonia stations can’t be done safely while trains are running on the single-track line.

“This includes shifting the track to align with new, longer platforms,” according to a May press release from Gov. Ned Lamont’s office. “Suspending service allows crews to work at both locations at the same time and complete the work as quickly as possible.”

During the outage, DOT also plans to perform bridge, signal and infrastructure upgrades between Stratford and Bridgeport as part of a separate project.

“By completing these efforts together, the state expects to save more than $47 million and shorten the Waterbury Station improvements by approximately one year,” according to the release.

Cheryle Corbo, who takes the Waterbury Branch a couple days a week to avoid paying high gas prices, said she would like to see improvements to the experience on the trains themselves.

“People are loud and obnoxious,” Corbo said. “There’s 17 different iPhones going at the same time, with people’s music blasting. Nobody says anything to them. I think that’s so rude, so unacceptable. They need to work on that.”

Come July 20, Corbo said she will probably drive because she is concerned about the reliability of the buses.

“I only have to come in two days a week. I don’t want to deal with that,” she said. “I’ve heard too many times that the buses don’t show up or they’re late and you don’t have any notification.”

Zymaris from the state DOT said riders “can still expect the same level of service and reliability while being bused to their destination.”

At the event in Wethersfield, Lamont announced that on July 4 and 5, there will be free rides on CTtransit buses and $2.50 fares charged for rides between stations on the Hartford Line and Shore Line East for celebrations of the 250th birthday of the U.S.

Estimated $5 million Middletown roads project expected to lessen crashes

Cassandra Day

MIDDLETOWN — A road construction project — estimated to cost a little over $5 million — awarded state funding years ago has been reworked with a smaller scope.

The Saybrook Road reconstruction and pedestrian access project is slated for Saybrook Road, from Tryon Street to the intersection of East Main Street, Acting Deputy Director of Middletown Public Works Brian Gartner said in an email Tuesday. The area has been identified as having an excess of motor vehicle crashes, and the project aims to address that, local officials said.

Gartner said the project is estimated to cost anywhere between $5.1 million and $5.3 million.

Construction will be primarily funded by a $3.3 million state Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program grant, Gartner said during a presentation to the Common Council at its June 1 meeting.

“The potential exists for supplemental LOTCIP funding, and will be explored once the design is complete and the final cost estimates are available,” he explained Tuesday.

The city will pay for the project design and nonparticipating construction costs that aren’t eligible for funding. Money will come from speed camera revenue, Gartner said June 1.

The project was initiated in 2013. Recommendations included further work, including on other streets, such as Bow Lane and Wall Street. That is no longer in the plan, Gartner said. 

There were a few problems in the project's first iteration, Gartner said June 1, including that it was a "little too ambitious for funds available at time," he added. 

Nocera said 39 easements were needed from nearby property owners to widen the road in the first rendition, which, he added, proved "impossible." Now, only eight properties would be affected, according to the slideshow.

“We’re looking to take far less property. We’re looking to have far less impacts on private property,” Gartner said June 1. “There will essentially be no impacts on the east side of the road now, where previously we were looking to encroach on several properties pretty significantly with the addition of the bike paths and sidewalks,” he explained.

The city’s 2013 Complete Streets master plan lists Saybrook as a priority to incorporate complete streets policies, according to Gartner's PowerPoint presentation at the June 1 meeting.

Proposed improvements include building an 8-to-10-foot-wide multiuse trail on the west side of Saybrook Road, Gartner said in the email Tuesday. Also, one travel lane in each direction will have 2-foot-wide shoulders. 

“The existing pavement will be milled and overlain except in areas that require widening, and existing curbing will be replaced with concrete curbing,” Gartner said Tuesday. Also, existing catch basins will be relocated as necessary.

Data Gartner obtained from the University of Connecticut Crash Data Repository shows there were more than 50 accidents over a five-year period in the blocks surrounding Saybrook Road, including at the intersection of Mill Street, Wall Street, and the Stop & Shop plaza, he said.

Presently, there is a well-worn but narrow path made by pedestrians, he said during the meeting.

“There are always folks walking on the side of the road. There is no safe passage for people to get from the shopping plaza, to the school, to the apartments. (Bielefield) Elementary School children who walk to school need to cross Saybrook Road. Yet again, there’s no provisions for crosswalks, for sidewalks, there’s no safe way to accommodate this movement,” Gartner continued.

CT Construction Digest Friday June 26, 2026

Proposed $69.5M Branford rehab hospital at Hilltop Orchards site well-received at public hearing

Mark Zaretsky

BRANFORD — A Birmingham, Ala.-based company's proposal to build what eventually could be an 80-bed, $69.5 million inpatient medical rehabilitation facility on the former Hilltop Orchard site off East Main Street received a generally favorable reception from the Planning and Zoning Commission this week, though members postponed a decision while seeking additional information.

Following a public hearing Tuesday conducted via Zoom, the commission continued Encompass Health's application until July 9 after asking for more details on several issues, including planned sidewalks and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

The application seeks two special exceptions for three parcels totaling 20.63 acres.

Among the questions raised was a request from Leslie Johnson of the Branford Bicycle Pedestrian Ad-Hoc Advisory Committee for additional details about sidewalks proposed as part of the project. Johnson also asked whether Encompass Health would comply with updated state requirements for electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

John Knuff, the attorney representing Encompass Health, said he would review the applicable regulations. He said the company may have filed its special exception application before the new requirements took effect but would report back to the commission.

"I'm very pleased to hear (the applicant) is amendable to putting in a sidewalk ... because we feel very strongly that they need to put in a sidewalk," Johnson said.

Commission Chairman Charles Andres agreed sidewalks remain a significant issue.

"There's a major issue involving sidewalks. ... We want sidewalks," Andres said. "On the other hand, there are constraints," including challenging topography.

Alternate member Sharon Huttner also emphasized their importance.

"Even though the law might not say that we are required to have them," she said they are important.

Commission member Joe Vaiuso said he was encouraged by the proposal and praised Knuff and Encompass for doing "a very upstanding job."

While acknowledging sidewalks "are going to be a little bit of a problem to install," Vaiuso said, "Overall, I think it's a good fit for that area. This is going to be a very quiet type of facility. You're not even going to know it's there most of the time."

The proposal also drew support from other speakers.

Lauren Brown of the Branford Land Trust said the organization appreciates Encompass Health's willingness to grant a conservation easement.

"Providing that the terms are acceptable," she said, the land trust "is willing to receive the easement."

Perry Maresca, Branford's manager of economic and business development, said Connecticut continues to see growing demand for inpatient rehabilitation services, particularly east of New Haven.

"There's nothing east of New Haven that can provide what Encompass can provide," Maresca said. "I don't see any bad side, any downside, to this."

Encompass Health, a for-profit company, is the nation’s largest provider of inpatient rehabilitation services, operating more than 175 hospitals that served more than 225,000 patients as of 2024.

The company has proposed constructing a one-story, 54,765-square-foot facility at 596, 612 and 616 East Main St. The property is owned by Wayne Cooke and entities associated with his family.

Plans call for construction in two phases. The initial phase would include 50 beds. A future second phase would add 30 more beds and a 900-square-foot gymnasium, bringing the facility to its planned 80-bed capacity if demand warrants the expansion.

The project also requires state approval through a Certificate of Need from the Office of Health Strategy. A hearing on that application was held April 16 in Hartford, where local officials, including First Selectman Josh Brooks, voiced support. Gaylord Specialty Care in Wallingford and Hospital for Special Care in New Britain intervened in opposition. The state has not yet issued a decision.

Town officials have said the project would benefit Branford. The site is across Route 1 from the property once proposed for a Costco warehouse club.

The property currently includes two homes — one where Cooke and his late wife, longtime WFSB anchor Denise D'Ascenzo, raised their family and another that belonged to Cooke's late parents — as well as the Hilltop Gallery & Design Center.

Encompass Health previously developed a 40-bed, $39 million inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Danbury on a 13-acre site near the New York border.

Opinion: How Lamont fixed loophole that shortchanged our union members

 Anthony Camillucci

Gov. Ned Lamont has long been a champion for Connecticut’s building trades and understands the importance of accountability when investing taxpayer dollars.

In January 2025, our union approached the governor about a fairness and equity issue affecting public construction projects across the state in several licensed building trades, including plumbing, pipe fitting, and sheet metal.

Under Connecticut law, workers on public projects valued at more than $1 million must be paid the prevailing wage — a rate determined by their trade and the location of the project. Prevailing wage laws help ensure that taxpayer dollars are used responsibly, workers earn a living wage, public infrastructure is built to the highest standards, and projects are completed by a highly trained workforce committed to safety and productivity.

Until July 2025, however, a loophole in the state's prevailing wage law allowed contractors to avoid paying prevailing wages to workers performing custom fabrication off-site — even when that work was specifically designed and manufactured for individual public construction projects and are integral to their successful completion. As a result, nearly 30% of the work on some projects was excluded from prevailing wage requirements simply because it was performed in a fabrication shop rather than on the job site. Contractors benefited from lower labor costs, while workers performing the same skilled work for the same public project were paid substantially less.

This issue has become increasingly significant as advances in technology have expanded the use of off-site fabrication in plumbing, heating, cooling, pipe fitting, ventilation, and exhaust systems.

When we met with Governor Lamont in early 2025, he immediately recognized the inequity and supported legislation to close the loophole, which took effect on July 1, 2025.

Consider the experience of one of Local 777’s members who testified at the public hearing before the Connecticut General Assembly in support of this legislation. While employed by a Connecticut-based construction contractor, this member worked on projects that were largely covered by prevailing wage requirements. However, when assigned to perform fabrication work in the shop for a public project, he experienced a pay reduction of more than 3%. He testified that it was degrading to be told he had to work in the shop rather than the field simply because the contractor could save money by exploiting a loophole in the law. Closing this loophole is just one example of Governor Lamont's commitment to protecting taxpayer dollars while ensuring that workers who build, strengthen, and expand Connecticut's infrastructure are treated fairly.

For Connecticut's building trades, what matters most is having leaders who listen to workers and follow through on their commitments. Governor Lamont has consistently demonstrated that partnership.

Connecticut’s workers don't need politicians who just talk a good game or pander for votes. When our members are out in the field building and maintaining our state's most critical infrastructure, we need a partner in the governor’s office who actually rolls up their sleeves to get to work. Governor Lamont is that champion — he understands that respect for labor isn’t about rhetoric; it’s about the tangible results he delivers for the people who build this state every single day.

As proud members of the State’s Building Trades, we support elected officials who fight for us. When it comes to voting in August and November, it is common sense for us to support Ned Lamont.

Anthony Camillucci is business manager with UA Local 777 Plumbers and Pipefitters in Meriden, which represents 3,200 members across the state.

White Oak building set for demolition after grant

Brian M. Johnson

PLAINVILLE — Plainville will receive a $541,000 grant for the demolition of the former White Oak Construction building.

The money was awarded through the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development’s Brownfield Remediation and Development Program. It will help the town to demolish the long-vacant building at 1 W. Main St. as part of Phase 3 of the ongoing remediation and redevelopment project at the 15-acre site. 

Demographics

“We are very pleased to receive the news of funding under this grant program, as this project converts a vacant building and lot into a vibrant mixed-use property,” Town Manager Michael Paulhus said. “The grant funds will allow for the demolition of the front-facing portion of the building along Main Street. The timing of this work has yet to be determined and will likely proceed after an application is reviewed and approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission. In addition to P&Z approval, the Town Council will need to review and approve the sales agreement and potentially demolition plans. At the same time, the town is awaiting approval from CT DEEP for the soil remediation plan for the rear of the property.”

The grant funds will support hazardous material abatement and demolition of the existing office structure, soil sampling, remediation and monitoring beneath the building footprint. These cleanup activities will advance redevelopment of the site as a mixed-use project.

Manafort Newport Realty will develop the site into 175 apartments with ground floor retail and amenities, a 13,000 square foot medical office building and seven acres of open space. The White Oak property, which is adjacent to the Municipal Center downtown, has sat vacant for 24 years. The remediation and eventual re-use of the site has long been a goal for town leaders.

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“We are happy to be receiving this money,” Town Council Chair Chris Wazorko said. “It is another step in the process toward the redevelopment of this site. Initially the plan was for the cleanup to happen first. Now we are looking at doing the demolition first. As dilapidated as this building is, we really want to get it knocked down. That is something that we can do while waiting to get the OK from DEEP.”

The grant was part of $15.2 million awarded for assessment and remediation of 12 blighted properties across Connecticut on 267 total acres of land.

“By partnering with towns and developers, we can take unused, blighted properties that have sat vacant for decades and bring them back from the dead, rejuvenating these parcels and bringing life back to these neighborhoods,” Gov. Ned Lamont said. “Through the remediation of these properties, we are creating new opportunities to transform otherwise unusable lots into new spaces that support housing growth and new business opportunities.”

The grants are expected to leverage more than $81 million in private investments. The grants are intended to help cover the costs of cleaning up “unused, polluted parcels” so they can be “redeveloped and returned to productive use,” creating new housing economic development and job growth opportunities.

$8.7M IN FUNDING FOR SENIOR HOUSING: Former Knights of Columbus building being renovated into ‘affordable housing’

Kathryn Torla

BERLIN — Berlin’s former Knights of Columbus building will soon be renovated into two new buildings containing 70 affordable homes for residents 62 and older thanks in part to newly received state funding.

The Connecticut Department of Housing and the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority have finalized financial agreements for 10 housing developments across the state. Locations of these developments include Berlin, Enfield, Fairfield, Hamden, Morris, Salisbury, Simsbury, Suffield and Waterbury. 

GeographicReference

In Berlin, 143 Percival Avenue will be transformed with the help from the DOH providing $8.75 million through the FLEX program, and the CHFA is allocating 4% LIHTCs expected to generate approximately $8.8 million in private investment, along with $7.9 million in tax-exempt bond financing and $1 million from the Opportunity Fund.

The Berlin transformation will include a large common room, outdoor terrace and 90 parking spaces, which is adjacent to the town’s recreation property and walking trail.

“Housing challenges look different from one community to the next, which is why flexible financing tools and strong partnerships are so important,” said Nandini Natarajan, CEO and Executive Director of CHFA. “These developments will create new opportunities across Connecticut while preserving existing housing, attracting private investment and strengthening neighborhoods for the long term.”

The total project includes 496 housing units, which include 396 affordable units for low and moderate income renters, and 74 of which will be permanent supportive housing. The DOH is providing around $55 million in loans and grants, and CHFA is providing low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC) that will generate more than $67.5 million in private investment along with $31.8 million in financing. 

“Every community needs housing residents can afford, that allows them to remain connected to the places where they work and raise families,” Connecticut Housing Commissioner Seila Mosquera-Bruno said. “These investments reflect the state’s commitment to creating and preserving housing that serves everyone, of all generations and all income levels. We look forward to standing up these projects and more importantly seeing our families thriving in their homes and neighborhoods.”

Developer proposes Stonington Technology Park on Route 2

Kimberly Drelich

Stonington — READCO, an Old Lyme-based developer, is seeking to build a technology park with three large buildings on vacant land it owns on upper Route 2 near Interstate 95.

CEO Michael Lech explained there is now greater demand for technology space than when it received approval for the 80,000-square-foot Stonington Technology Center further south on Route 2.

So READCO is re-envisioning the concept as a technology park, but has shifted the project closer to Interstate 95, he said.

The proposed Stonington Technology Park would serve as a space for high-tech companies in a park-like setting with walking trails, Lech said. The park would be adjacent to READCO's Stonington Village development, where apartments are under construction. There is also a Stop & Shop supermarket and McDonald's, developed by READCO, next to the apartment development.

Readco Holdings, LLC and Readco Hookset, LLC are seeking a zoning map amendment to the Neighborhood Design District to add two office buildings and a light manufacturing building.

Specifically, READCO is seeking approval for two 80,000-square-foot, four-story office buildings, built in phases, and up to a 125,000-square-foot, two-story light manufacturing/research and development facility along the east side of Route 2, Lech said.

He said READCO is also reimagining how the land it owns at the corner of Routes 2 and 49, originally proposed for the technology center, could be used. Ideas include retail shops, entertainment, medical offices and multifamily housing. READCO would need to seek approval for a proposal there.

Lech said READCO, a larger holder of commercial properties in southeastern Connecticut, had noticed the pent-up demand for high-tech office space.

"There's just a lot of growth in this region, and we're anticipating that different technology companies are going to want to have a home in this region," he said.

Lech said the idea is to develop an environment that will lend itself to creating a strong technology footprint.

He said READCO is talking to a handful of prospective tenants for the technology park. He said the target is high-tech jobs, which can be anything from computer programming to computer design.

"They're high-tech, highly skilled, highly educated-type jobs, so it's great for the region," Lech said. "It's great for Route 2. It's great for Stonington, and it'll be unbelievably beneficial to the whole community."

The project is across Route 2 from an large residential and retail project being proposed by Breslin Realty on land it has owned for about 25 years.

No data center

Lech said he gets asked all the time if the plans include a data center. He said the answer is no.

"We have no interest in creating a data center," he said. "We want people. We want employees. We want economic development."

"We've created a little village for people to live in and shop at," he added. "We want to create life along Route 2."

Lech said READCO created the same concept in Old Lyme with the Eastport Office Park, home to Sennheiser Electronics, Brunswick Corporation, Hartford Healthcare, Pepperidge Farms and other businesses. READCO also developed the adjacent Chestnut Hills residential community.

"We see the need along Route 2 to create a comprehensive mixed-use village akin to Old Lyme," he said. "The two sites and towns share very similar attributes."

Lech said READCO plans to install a comprehensive groundwater protection system.

The application is scheduled for a public hearing at 7 p.m. July 21 at the Stonington Board of Education District Office at 204 Mistuxet Avenue in Mystic, according to the town.

Lech said the development would also require site plan approval.

If the proposal is approved, Lech said construction would begin as soon as possible and be completed in about 20 months.

FuelCell lands first data center customer, adds shift at Torrington plant

Andrew Larson

Danbury-based FuelCell Energy has landed its first data center customer, signing an agreement with Florida-based Fit Energy USA LP to supply on-site power for AI data centers.

The company said it is the first such deal for Connecticut’s fuel cell industry.

The agreement, announced Wednesday, calls for an initial delivery of 30 megawatts later this year, with the potential to expand to 380 megawatts as Fit Energy meets future deployment targets.

FuelCell said the systems will be manufactured at its Torrington facility, where the production ramp-up is expected to require a third shift.

The deal marks the first time FuelCell has converted its growing data center pipeline into a signed agreement.

When CEO Jason Few spoke with the Hartford Business Journal in March, the company had not yet secured a data center customer, though it had identified about 1.5 gigawatts of potential projects.

By the end of its second fiscal quarter, which closed April 30, that pipeline had grown to 4 gigawatts, driven largely by demand from data center developers.

Few said the Fit Energy agreement validates FuelCell’s decision to expand the Torrington plant to 500 megawatts of annual production capacity, a plan announced June 8 alongside second-quarter earnings.

The expansion is expected to cost between $200 million and $275 million and take about two years to complete. If fully executed, the Fit Energy agreement would account for most of that added capacity.

The agreement does not commit Fit Energy to purchasing the full 380 megawatts upfront. Instead, the company will be eligible to receive warrants tied to future deployment milestones, a structure FuelCell said is intended to align “long-term value creation with successful project execution.”

The project location is in the United States, but the state has not been disclosed.

Fit Energy, based in Boca Raton, Florida, describes itself as an energy infrastructure company focused on owning and operating generation assets for the digital economy.

FuelCell’s shift toward the data center market has been quick. Three years ago, Few told the Hartford Business Journal that the company was investing heavily in hydrogen technologies. That effort has since been scaled back amid financial challenges that led to workforce reductions in 2024 and 2025.

Earlier this year, the Torrington plant was producing about 41 megawatts of power systems annually, well below its existing 100-megawatt capacity.

FuelCell’s systems generate electricity on-site through an electrochemical process rather than combustion, allowing customers to produce power without relying on the electric grid.

CT Construction Digest Thursday June 25, 2026

Decades of flooding and sewage runoff has plagued Hartford residents. CT officials tout progress

Stephen Underwood

After decades of flooding and sewage runoff plagued residents in Hartford’s North end, officials say the $170 million investment made by the state in 2023, combined with a special fund under the Clean Water Act, has made measurable progress towards fixing one of Connecticut’s long-standing environmental injustices.

After years of tireless advocacy from Hartford leaders to address flooding and inequities in the city, state and local officials, including Connecticut House Speaker Matt Ritter, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection commissioner Katie Dykes, Metropolitan District Commission chairman Donald Currey, and community activists Bridgitte Prince and Cynthia Jennings, gathered Wednesday on the city’s Barbour Street to celebrate the progress that has been made.

“In many communities, aging sewer and wastewater infrastructure is struggling to handle more frequent, intense rainstorms, resulting in street flooding, and in this case, sewage backups in homes,” said Dykes.

“I am so proud that, working together with Speaker Ritter, the city of Hartford, the MDC, and Hartford’s residents, DEEP was able to develop and implement this innovative solution to a critical challenge. DEEP is committed to continuing this critical work, which is so central to our mission of protecting public health and the environment, especially in our most vulnerable communities. I am thankful for Governor Lamont’s support for these unprecedented investments, and I also want to recognize the incredible DEEP staff, whose creativity and hard work was critical to the success of this project.”

In 2023, Gov. Ned Lamont authorized $85 million in state funding from the state’s Clean Water Fund to address sewage overflows in streets and basements. Administered by DEEP officials, the $85 million in enhanced funding was used to create a pilot program for privately-owned infrastructure that is connected to the public sewerage system, and which can contribute to sewage overflows.

Officials say overflows are caused by a combined sewer system that  collects rainwater runoff, domestic sewage and industrial wastewater into one pipe. Normally, it can transport all of the wastewater to a treatment plant. Sometimes the amount of runoff exceeds the capacity of the system. When that happens, untreated stormwater and wastewater flow into nearby waterbodies. Many of these combined sewer systems are over 100 years old, far older than the Environmental Protection Agency, which was created in 1970.

Over the decades, as more awareness spread on environmental issues, municipalities began to phase out combined sewer systems. However several combined systems remain in densely populated areas including Hartford. As Connecticut’s climate changes, more frequent and intense storms have lead to more overflows.

Over the last three years, officials said over 4,200 homes in Hartford’s North End were contacted by the MDC, and over 1,200 participated in the pilot program. The program is separate from The Hartford Flood Relief and Compensation Program, which delivered $12 million to 660 homeowners and businesses through the state comptroller office.

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“We are replacing decades of systemic neglect with real, tangible infrastructure progress in the North End of Hartford,” said Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam said in a statement. “This collaborative effort with CT DEEP and the MDC is about protecting our families’ homes and building a Hartford that can withstand the realities of climate change.”

Officials also said that, from 2023 to March of this year, the MDC has inspected over 10,000 privately owned sewer laterals that connect homes to the public sewer system. During that same time, almost 5,000 laterals were replaced or rehabilitated using state and MDC funding, which is typically a cost incurred by the homeowner and can cost upwards of $10,000, officials said.

“I want to thank Commissioner Dykes for her steadfast support on the flooding issue. We literally created new programs and implemented new ideas in a matter of weeks,” Ritter said.  “In my 16 years at the legislature, this is one of my prouder moments and it would not have happened without Katie and her vision and support.  I wish her the best in her next endeavors and I trust that the residents and businesses of Hartford who were negatively impacted by these floods feel the same way.”

Over 1,000 homes also have had backwater valves installed to prevent public sewer water backing up into homes during high-flow conditions, and almost 500 homes received sewer infrastructure improvements at no-cost to the homeowners, according to the MDC.

Around $30 million of the $85 million committed through the pilot program has been used, according to officials.

“Hartford’s North End has been disproportionately impacted by sewer overflows for too long, and I am glad that the state has been able to step in and provide the support and actions needed to deliver relief to this neighborhood,” Lamont said. “I am grateful to all the partners who’ve been working together to address this complex issue, and I particularly applaud DEEP for the progress they have made.”

In addition to work the MDC is conducting on private property, officials said they have made substantial progress on public sewer infrastructure in the city’s North End. Over the last three years, the MDC has replaced nearly 15,000 feet of storm drains and sewers and has repaired and rehabilitated 125,595 feet of sewer mains, according to the agency. Because of this work, officials said it removes approximately 18 million gallons of combined sewer overflow volume to the Park River each year.

“The flooding was a health hazard and it caused a lot of cancers and a lot of respiratory conditions. We can say that the most important thing that’s happened with this whole project is the fact that people’s lives have been changed for the better,” said Jennings.

Jennings, who once had to wade through standing water to do her laundry and later came down with a health condition attributed to breathing in mold, has been a vocal advocate in fighting for funding to address the flooding. She said that many people in the North End developed health conditions over the years as a result of the unsanitary conditions sewer overflows caused.

“We have so many people who have died from liver cancer and other diseases that they got while living in an unsafe condition. So while it’s important to address the issues with the water and sewers, it is more important to address the health issues people have faced in this community and had no other options.”

Prince, a longtime community activist in Hartford, said that she is pleased to see the progress being made. Prince, along with Jennings, advocated for years to state and city leaders to address the flooding issues. In 2023, Prince filed a lawsuit claiming discrimination based on race that she “demonstrated that the handling of the Hartford sewage outflow victims paled in comparison to the remedies afforded to suburban crumbling foundation victims, who were predominantly white.”

Prince along with Jennings’ advocacy cleared the way for the state legislature to pass several key flood compensation programs.

“Generations to come will now be able to live safely and in a healthier environment by cleaning up the sewage overflows,” Prince said. “You have primarily Black residents in the North End with sewage coming into their homes and then you go to Glastonbury and you’re not seeing the same thing. So we pursued this as discrimination based on race and also location. Again, the demographics in the North End are predominantly Black. So after years of neglect, we have now become a national model. I am just so glad that we pursed it and persevered. We will keep watching over the next 20 years and holding our leaders accountable.”

CT Department of Transportation to close bridge on I-691 in Meriden for 2 months

Cassandra Day

MERIDEN — A bridge over Interstate-691 in Meriden will be closed for rehabilitation for two months beginning Sunday night.

The North Wall Street bridge will be inaccessible to motorists that day starting at 6 p.m., according to the state Department of Transportation. 

It is expected to reopen sometime around Aug. 23.

Pedestrian traffic over the bridge will be allowed throughout the construction period, the DOT said.

Detours will be in place in both directions.

On the highway’s northbound side, from south of the North Wall Street bridge, motorists should travel east on Wall Street, take a left onto Gravel Street, then a left onto Baldwin Avenue, and proceed to North Wall Street.

New Lantern Hill Road bridge opens on Stonington-Ledyard line

Kimberly Drelich

The new Lantern Hill Road bridge at the Stonington-Ledyard town line recently opened, after a nearly nine-month closure for construction.

The new $2.75 million bridge has a wider roadway, as well as improvements to help prevent flooding, Ledyard Public Works Director Steve Masalin said.

Masalin said that in 1983, the Lantern Hill Valley Association, now the Lantern Hill Valley Alliance, had raised concerns that the narrow bridge made it difficult for two-way traffic to safely pass, especially for larger vehicles and trucks.

Since then, the condition of the bridge over Whitford Brook deteriorated so that, in addition to safety improvements, it needed to be replaced, he said. A few years ago, load restrictions were placed on the bridge.

The new structure, which opened last week, is wide enough that two full-sized vehicles can pass in each direction, Masalin said. Before, the bridge was so narrow that drivers would frequently have to slow down and let a vehicle from the other direction pass.

To help prevent flooding, the bridge is also higher and has an expanded area beneath it for water to flow through, he said.

The structure also preserves fish passage, Masalin added.

Masalin said the construction was done by B&W Paving & Landscaping, and WMC Engineers did the design and permitting for the project.

While the construction project faced some hurdles and delays, including the need to temporarily relocate utility wires and a tough winter, he said the crews plowed through.

Masalin said the project required the planning efforts of both towns to move forward. He said Ledyard took the lead on managing and administering construction, while partnering with Stonington.

Stonington First Selectman Bill Middleton said Ledyard Mayor Fred Allyn III was great to work with.

“It was great that we could come together and make that work for both towns,” Middleton said.

The project cost approximately $2.75 million, including construction, contingencies and construction engineering, Masalin said.

Masalin said about half the funding will come from a State Local Bridge Program grant, while the remaining balance of the cost will come out of $3 million in state funding that the Lantern Hill Valley Alliance worked with state Sen. Cathy Osten, D-19th District, to secure.

“It’s a very important bridge for us to get done, because it was the first piece of the puzzle to take care of the watershed in that area,” Osten said.

The rest of the $3 million will go toward other infrastructure projects, such as dams and a culvert replacement, in the area, Masalin said.

Betsy Graham is the president of the nonprofit Lantern Hill Valley Alliance, a lake association formed in 1973 to protect Long Pond and Bush Pond and the dams there.

She said the bridge was designed and constructed with the bridle shiner, a small fish, in mind. The fish is a species of concern in the brook and needs the river base for its life cycle.

Graham said the bridge is also part of the main passageway for residents in the area to get to Mystic.

“Our grocery stores are there. Our doctors are there. I-95 is there. Jobs are there,” she said.

Graham said the bridge had already been down-rated for the load it could carry and was slated for closure in the future, if the problem was not addressed.

Residents felt the impact during the nearly nine-month closure when they had to take detours that added significant miles to their trips, she said.

“We are thrilled that the bridge is reopened,” Graham said.

After decades of delays, construction begins on Manchester Parkade redevelopment

Andrew Larson

A Dallas-based developer was scheduled to break ground Wednesday on Silk City Commons, a 232-unit apartment complex at Manchester’s long-vacant Broad Street Parkade site, formally launching a mixed-use project that has been in the works for nearly two decades.

Anthony Properties, operating through APR Manchester LLC, planned a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday morning with town officials, general contractor Live Oak Contracting and development partner Perry Reid Properties. It comes about two months after Anthony Properties purchased the roughly 23-acre parcel for $3.6 million on April 28.

The roughly $80 million project takes its name from Manchester’s history as a silk manufacturing center. Designed by Dietz & Company Architects, the development will feature market-rate apartments, about 13,000 square feet of commercial space along Broad Street, a pool, pickleball courts, a dog park and community gathering areas.

The site is near the Bigelow Brook Greenway, Center Springs Park and the Cheney Historic District.

The property has sat vacant since discount department store chain Bradlees filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in late 2000 and completed liquidation in 2001.

Town officials first targeted the site for redevelopment in 2008. The effort included a 2021 development agreement with another firm that was terminated in 2022 over financing concerns, followed by litigation that was settled last year.

Anthony Properties emerged as the prospective buyer in October 2025, when it filed an application with the Planning and Zoning Commission.