Friday August 1, 2025 Bond Commission Agenda
State grant gets riverwalk project between Windsor and Hartford closer to the finish line
HARTFORD — With
the state awarding $517,000 to install new trailside amenities,
the long-imagined effort to connect Hartford and Windsor along the Connecticut
River has taken another step toward becoming a reality.
When completed, the Joe Marfuggi Riverwalk will feature
a 12-foot-wide, paved multi-modal trail with six scenic overlooks at the
river’s edge, connecting the main paved walkway to an existing single-track
trail running along the top of the riverbank.
The riverwalk will extend 2.2 miles north through
the floodplain forest on what is currently dirt trails or existing levee
maintenance roads and connect to Windsor Meadows State Park.
The grant, through the state’s Open Space and Watershed Land
Acquisition Grant Program and the Urban Green and Community Gardens Grant
Program, will be used to add plantings, signage, and benches along the
Connecticut River.
But don't expect to hit the trail just yet.
"Every project in the Connecticut River plain has its
challenges," said Mike Zaleski, president and CEO of Riverfront Recapture, which
received the grant and is in charge of getting the project — which began in
2017 — over the finish line.
In this case and many others, Zaleski said, the
challenges are getting through the permitting process with the Army Corps of
Engineers and the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
"It's a fairly complex ecosystem and you have to be
careful," Zaleski said. "We have to be methodical."
Zaleski said final permitting is likely to take
eight to 12 months and construction is expected to take about six months,
with completion within two years.
But that won't be the end of Riverfront Recapture projects.
"Our work will never be done," Zaleski said.
"The goal is to connect to towns to the north and the south,"
which could include Cromwell and Middletown to the south.
As for the Marfuggi Riverwalk, Zaleski said the project will
include six overlooks that will offer educational information about different
periods in the 410-mile river's history, including its geology,
industrialization, and the health of the river today.
Officials in Windsor and Hartford applauded the latest
development in the project's completion.
"Windsor is excited for the next segment of Riverfront
Recapture’s long-planned, multi-use trail along the Connecticut River,"
Windsor Town Manager Peter Souza said. "The grant will help to bring
alive the rich history of the river and continue Riverfront Recaptures’ mission
to connect the region and its residents to the river."
Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam said the city appreciates
the state's investment in the creation of accessible green spaces in the city.
“These grants are a powerful affirmation of what so many of
us in Hartford believe — that every resident deserves access to nature, trails,
and clean, vibrant outdoor space," Arulampalam said. "This is about
more than preserving acres, it’s about protecting our quality of life and
ensuring that Hartford’s future is healthier, greener, and more
resilient."
The riverwalk is named after Joe Marfuggi, the late
longtime CEO of Riverfront Recapture. For nearly 30 years, he was involved in
the redevelopment and creation of a nationally recognized network of public
parks along the Connecticut River that attracted millions of visitors and
acclaim.
Stamford Officials to Vote on Master Plan as Zoning Hums Along
Angela Carella
STAMFORD – With city officials soon to vote on a 10-year
master plan of development, and neighborhood groups questioning the plan, the
Zoning Board in July approved or began considering a number of significant
projects.
Before they left for their August break, Zoning Board
members OK’d a general development plan for tearing down the two remaining St.
John’s Towers on Tresser Boulevard and replacing them with 305 affordable
apartments.
Board members approved lighting, landscaping and a street
extension that will allow F.D. Rich Co. to get its building permit and begin
constructing a 198-unit residential tower on Broad Street downtown.
Board members approved a developer’s plan to convert an old
office building on Seaview Avenue in Shippan into a high-end complex of 55
“best in class” condominiums with water views.
They postponed until their Sept. 8 meeting a decision on a
developer’s plans for a complex of 56 condominiums at 700 Fairfield Ave. in
Waterside. The public still needs to weigh in on that project, board members
said.
They postponed until September a decision on an application
to build a 61,000-square-foot, three-story self-storage facility with 522 units
on Commerce Road on the West Side, asking the developer to improve the
aesthetics.
And board members approved a general development plan for
Children’s Learning Centers of Fairfield County on Palmer’s Hill Road, near
Greenwich. The plan is to build a 17,000-square-foot day-care facility for 250
children, and renovate an empty office building on the site to house support
staff.
The approvals, and steps toward approval, come as residents
are learning the details of a draft of the 2025-2035 master plan, drawn up by
the city’s contracted firm, Sasaki Associates. By state law, towns must write a
master plan every 10 years.
Master plan: keep building
The draft, released in mid-July, recommends that the city
build more housing because of continuing demand. It says the city should
encourage development of “accessory dwelling units” – apartments added to
single-family properties – by loosening zoning requirements.
It recommends that Stamford officials “reduce regulatory
barriers” so developers can build more “multiplexes, townhomes, and cluster
housing to increase housing choice and affordability.”
The draft also recommends that developers be allowed to
convert commercial buildings to residential use without zoning approvals, as
long as the project complies with existing regulations.
The Cove Neighborhood Association and others have balked at
some of the recommendations, saying the draft master plan does not address the
housing, parking and traffic congestion, and number of illegal apartments, that
plague residential zones. Thousands of apartments have been built in Stamford
since the last master plan but instead of satisfying demand, they have driven
high housing costs even higher, neighbors have said.
Development is emerging as a top issue in this year’s
municipal election.
Master plan as political point
Mayor Caroline Simmons, a pro-development Democrat who is
running for a second term, wrote the introduction to the 2025-2035 master
plan.
“From investing in our neighborhoods and expanding economic
opportunity to improving connectivity, accessibility, and affordability,
Stamford 2035 offers a practical path forward,” Simmons wrote. “I am confident
that by working together, we can turn this plan into real progress and ensure
Stamford continues to be an inclusive, vibrant, and innovative city.”
Simmons is being challenged by fellow Democrat Michael
Loughran Jr., a retired Stamford police sergeant who is petitioning his way
onto the ballot. If he gets the signatures, he will force a Sept. 9 primary
against Simmons.
Loughran said people who attended meetings hosted by Sasaki
Associates walked around reading poster boards and putting their thoughts on
sticky notes, but the subject calls for public discourse.
“It’s a top-down discussion,” Loughran said. “Instead of
getting input, then coming up with a plan, they made a plan first.”
There is “no one fielding questions,” Loughran said. “The
folks who wrote the plan said there were neighborhood ambassadors. Some of the
ambassadors who were contacted said they didn’t realize they are ambassadors.
So I don’t think it’s a genuine attempt to get input from the community.”
Too much in the master plan “is not practical,” Loughran
said. “It pushes [accessory dwelling units] in single-family neighborhoods,
when that failed the first time.”
The state pushed towns to allow ADUs as of right three years
ago, but offered an opt-out. Stamford opted out.
“More ADUs will add to all the parking issues in the
neighborhoods,” Loughran said. “This plan tries to push people away from using
cars. But I don’t know of any people who will go grocery shopping or pick up
the kids from school on a scooter.”
Last of the affordable houses
Mayoral candidate Nicola Tarzia, a former Board of Education
member endorsed by the Stamford Republican Town Committee, said on social media
that he attended a Sasaki open house on the master plan last week.
“I am very disappointed that the public did not have an
opportunity to truly voice their concerns about what is being proposed. The new
master plan will deeply affect the quality of life of all Stamford residents,”
Tarzia wrote. “Most of Cove, Glenbrook, Springdale, Belltown, Bull’s Head and
the lower Ridges are proposed to be rezoned from single family to 2-4 family
per lot. It’s concerning to me because those neighborhoods contain the last
affordable single-family properties in the city. North Stamford and Shippan,
the two places where single-family properties will be preserved, are too
expensive for middle-class families. I hope that the residents of Stamford pay
close attention to this plan.”
Simmons wrote in the master plan introduction that it
“reflects the priorities of all who call this city home.”
But neighborhood associations say too many people don’t know
about the master plan and did not take part in discussions. The Board of
Representatives’ Land Use Committee will discuss it at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in
the Democratic Caucus Room on the 4th floor of the Stamford Government Center,
888 Washington Blvd. Remote access is available here.
‘I can’t see why you would’
During two busy meetings in July, the four members of the
Zoning Board – it’s missing a fifth member and alternates – did the work of
deciding development. The master plan, once approved, will guide their
decisions for the next decade.
Zoning in Stamford is a smorgasbord, the meetings show.
The Broad Street lot where developer F.D. Rich will build
198 apartments has been empty for many years – an eyesore in a prime downtown
spot. Board members pushed the developer for better lighting, pedestrian
safety, and more greenery.
“I’m looking forward to seeing this,” Zoning Board Chair
David Stein said after the vote.
Board members unanimously approved the general development
plan for Children’s Learning Centers, noting the desperate need for child-care
slots in Stamford.
They voted the same for the St. John’s Towers project, which
helps fill a desperate need for affordable housing.
With so many new residents renting small apartments, there
is demand for self-storage facilities – big-box buildings that most people do
not welcome in their neighborhoods. Zoning Board members pushed the applicant
on the Commerce Road project, Extra Space Storage, to vary the roof line and
add interest with color and materials, including faux windows.
Board members quickly approved the luxury condo project
proposed for Seaview Avenue. The project manager for developer Sun Homes
described floor-to-ceiling windows to maximize the water views, an outdoor deck
for every condo, rooftop pergolas, and one 2,000-square-foot condo with a
2,500-square-foot terrace.
Board member Rosanne McManus said, “It looks beautiful. It’s
nice to have condos before us” for ownership, rather than more rental units.
“Does anyone object to this?” Stein asked the board before
the vote.
“I can’t see why you would,” member Bill Morris said.
Neighbors grit teeth as Old Lyme school construction hammers on
Jack Lakowsky
Old Lyme — On Wednesday afternoon, Mile Creek Road resident
Lee Whitaker was writing in a notebook in her front yard, trying to relax in
the shade.
But across the street, the thunderous sound of metal
pounding into ledge was unrelenting.
"You hear it all day," Whitaker said Wednesday.
Whitaker said that in addition to weekday work, crews
recently began working Saturdays on the Mile Creek School renovation project,
beginning at 7 a.m. and ending at 3 p.m.
The Mile Creek School renovation and addition is the major
part of the Lyme/Old Lyme school district's facilities project, a $57.5 million
endeavor to improve heating, air conditioning and ventilation, handicapped
accessibility, security at Center School, Mile Creek School and Lyme-Old Lyme
Middle School, and to make the buildings comply with fire and building codes.
Project documents state the schools haven't been renovated
in at least 20 years; they will accommodate anticipated growth in the student
population from 1,300 in 2022 to almost 1,600 by 2031.
The work at Mile Creek "is a different story,"
according to Superintendent of Schools Ian Neviaser.
He said Tuesday classrooms are being added to the rear of
the building and the parking lot redone to address traffic concerns on Mile
Creek Road during pick-up and drop-off. The parking lot won't be completely
done until the summer of 2026, but will be accessible when school starts Aug.
27, he added.
Neviaser said crews are working double shifts, cramming in
as much work as possible so Mile Creek is accessible for students when school
starts.
When voters approved the funding in 2022, officials had
aimed to get the project done by August. That's been pushed back. Neviaser
blamed COVID-19-era supply issues at the start of the project.
"That has gotten better, but it did slow down the
project at the front end," Neviaser said. "If there are any changes
or adjustments for students, we'll tell families right away. We have
contingencies, but they're not necessary yet."
The addition to Mile Creek should be done by December or
January, he said.
Mile Creek Road resident Patricia Shippee, who lives next
door to Mile Creek School, recently retired as an art appraiser. She's home
more often and said the construction has been hard for her and her neighbors as
large, noisy trucks come in and out of the work site, she said.
"Having family over is hard," she said.
Both Shippee and Whitaker said they miss the trees that have
been removed for the project.
Neviaser said the 25 trees removed will be replaced by 53
new ones, plus new shrubbery.
"The neighbors have been very patient, and we really
appreciate it," Neviaser said.
56 CT projects are vying for part of $950M. Major housing projects and an arts venue made the list.
There are 56 projects in Connecticut seeking a share
in nearly
$950 million.
And
an ambitious expansion plan for Hartford’s Real Art Ways that has been
percolating for years could break ground later this year, with a key piece of
financing all but assured to fall into place Friday when the commission that
oversees state borrowing is expected to approve $4.5 million for the project.
The State
Bond Commission will convene Friday to consider funding RAW’s
expansion, which is one of a half-dozen projects in Hartford backed by
the Capital Region Development Authority.
Once projects make it onto the bond commission agenda, they
are virtually assured of approval.
RAW — the contemporary arts center that has been a fixture
in Hartford’s Parkville neighborhood for three decades — plans the expansion as
part of a larger, $24 million vision for its building on Arbor Street.
The expansion calls for a major addition that will increase
the size of the arts venue by 50%. The project also includes the addition of
three movie screens, bringing the organization’s total to four. The project
also will add a dedicated area for the performing arts, a new café, and more
space for educational programs.
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Will K. Wilkins, RAW’s executive director, said Wednesday
the arts organization is in the final stages of raising the last $2 million for
the project, which could start construction in the fall.
“It is on a forward trajectory, and we’ve been doing great
with it,” Wilkins said. “And that’s why we’re getting some of this support from
CRDA. They can see this, and, ‘Yup, this thing is happening, and we can help.’
” We still have some work to do, and that’s happening.”
CRDA’s $4.5 million loan is what is known as a “bridge loan”
that will allow the project to move ahead and lock in costs, rather than
waiting to assemble all the funding sources and risk construction cost
inflation and loss of previously-approved grants that could expire. The
loan would bridge financing such as historic credits, federal funds and capital
pledges that will come in within the next few years, according to CRDA.
RAW’s $24 million plan also includes the $4.25 million
purchase of 56 Arbor St. — a former typewriter factory built in 1917 — where
the nonprofit arts organization had leased space for more than 30 years. The
purchase took place in 2021.
The idea behind buying the 4-story, brick building was
grounded in diversifying the sources of the nonprofit organization’s revenue to
include rental income from tenants, many of whom have a focus of arts and
creativity that dovetail with RAW. The overall budget also includes a new roof
and elevator for the former factory.
The state’s investment in the project has been considerable:
$1 million for the purchase; another $3 million in 2022 for the expansion; and
$9.1 million from the Community
Investment Fund in 2023 for a total of $13.1 million.
In addition to the RAW project, other CRDA projects on
Friday’s agenda are:
♦ a $4 million, low-cost loan
for the
conversion of a 5-story building at 150 Trumbull St. in the heart of
downtown Hartford into 46 apartments over retail space now occupied by Max’s
Trumbull Kitchen. The $16 million plans call for the restaurant to remain in
the building with improvements to its space. The building is owned by Brooklyn,
N.Y-based Shelbourne Global
Solutions LLC, downtown Hartford’s largest commercial landlord.
♦a $7 million, low-cost loan to
finance the
construction of an 84-unit apartment building on Wells Street, opposite
Bushnell Park. The new, $21 million apartment building would essentially be an
addition to the rear of 525 Main St. The Main Street building — former
municipal offices — is being converted into 42 apartments and is across from
city hall with two longtime, storefront tenants: Cornerstone Deli and Felix
Shoe Repair.
The two structures — being developed by Spectra Construction & Development Corp. —
would be connected, allowing residents to enter from Main Street or around the
corner at 17 Wells St. and share amenities.
♦ a $1.5 million, low-cost loan
to New Haven-based VASE
Construction LLC to construct a
new building with 20 apartments on Edwards Street, with eight units
designated as “affordable” with the balance, market-rate. The project’s
expected cost is $8.5 million.
♦a $3 million grant to the Metropolitan District Commission to pay for
a portion of a storm water separation project considered vital to the
future development of the Bushnell South area, just south Bushnell
Park.
This parking lot to the rear of 525 Main Street is proposed
for a new apartment building bordering on Pulaski Circle and Bushnell Park.
(Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)
♦$5 million in funding for
repairs and safety improvements to garages operated by CRDA at Church Street
and Adriaen’s Landing in downtown Hartford.
♦a $4 million grant to the
Housing Authority in Hartford to finance critical infrastructure, including
storm water management, at the Village
at Park River housing complex.
Early plans for former MassMutual site in Enfield calls for several public, private amenities
ENFIELD — After a failed attempt to convert the former MassMutual site into a sprawling sports complex fell through, new developers are detailing their early plans for the property, including a variety of new housing, and indoor and outdoor dining for both residents who would live there and the rest of the public.
Developers floated their initial proposal to the Planning and Zoning Commission on July 24.
The vision is to convert the property into a residential community that maintains and adds to the attributes that exist on the campus, said Eric Zuena, founding principle of ZDS Architecture and Interiors out of Washington, D.C., and Providence.
Plans call for converting the office buildings into one- and two-bedroom apartments, as well as between 150 and 160 townhouses to maximize the "vast amenity package that this campus will have," he said.
There are currently several structures on the property, including the office buildings with about 400,000 square feet designed for 2,200 MassMutual workers.
While they are not necessarily ideal for conversion into residential units, parts can be used to build various frills, such as a pet wash and gyms, Zuena said.
For one building, an early proposal calls for the creation of an internal courtyard with an outdoor patio that would be used as a communal space for both tenants and the public, he said.
Townhouses would also have their own designated clubhouse with an outdoor pool, and apartment renters would have their own amenities as well, Zuena said.
The conversion of the office buildings into apartments would coincide with the construction of the townhouses, and later phases would include building a five-story apartment building on the property.
Some members of the commission were concerned about the height of the new building, but developers said it would likely be as high as the existing buildings due to lower elevation and construction differences between office and apartment buildings.
Specifics will come before the commission in the future.
A massive 20,000-square-foot food court that was intended for MassMutual employees would remain, albeit cut to about 12,000 square feet.
Zuena anticipates food and beverages being served in the space, which would be available to both residents and the public.
He also floated some ideas for tenants, such as a sundry shop, hair salon, or small dry-cleaning service.
The goal is to create as many on-site amenities as possible while ensuring the project is still viable, Zuena said.
Many amenities designed for employees can be maintained, including landscaping, "parking for days" in the parking garage, and the day care, Zuena said.
While the parking garage is a bit of a walk from the office buildings, one idea Zuena floated is valet service for residents.
The day care facility is "an amenity that is going to be a differentiator for the people that are going to inhabit this property," he said. "We think the current campus has all the bones to do something special and smart with what is already there."
Carl Landolina, who spoke on behalf of the developers, said while it is typical for a purchaser of a property this size to come before the commission before buying it, the new owners are confident they can see their vision come to fruition.
He noted developers are proposing to carve out sections of the property into four separate lots to make zoning changes and financing easier to obtain.
"We're not going to get one lender to go all in," Landolina said.
Developers are expecting to have to go before the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency before developing a master plan, and then a site plan for the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Last week's presentation was "the first step in many steps," Matt Baldino, assistant project manager for Solli Engineering, said.
Sections of WWII-era plant in New Britain to be restored, repurposed with help of $2M state grant
Deteriorating sections of a sprawling, World War II-era factory complex in New Britain will undergo a major renovation, thanks in part to a $2 million state brownfield grant aimed at advancing industrial redevelopment.
The grant, awarded to the City of New Britain, will support an $8.5 million cleanup and renovation of roughly 123,000 square feet of long-vacant factory space in a five-building, 551,218-square-foot industrial complex that straddles the New Britain-Berlin town line.
The complex sits on 57.2 acres and is owned by Los Angeles-based Industrial Realty Group (IRG), which acquired the property in 1997.
IRG has gradually restored portions of the facility over the past two decades, securing tenants piece by piece. Today, 12 companies operate within the site, employing more than 100 people, IRG staff said.
This $2 million grant helps make the next phase of cleanup financially feasible, Stuart Lichter, IRG founder and president, said Tuesday during a news conference held amid rusting beams and dry-rotted wood inside one of the buildings slated for renovation.
“We’re highly confident well get a manufacturer with a decent number of jobs and that is going to be a huge, huge asset for the community,” Lichter said.
The grant is part of a larger $18.8 million package of brownfield remediation funds announced in June by Gov. Ned Lamont. The funding supports pollution cleanup projects across 19 municipalities and is intended to pave the way for new housing and commercial development.
Deputy Commissioner Matthew Pugliese of the state Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) noted the broader impact of the state’s brownfield efforts, which have totaled $170 million in grants since the program began, resulting in the remediation of more than 2,200 acres of polluted land.
IRG’s New Britain project will prepare three spaces within two buildings for future tenants. The company’s national portfolio spans more than 100 million square feet of industrial space in 32 states. In Connecticut, it controls eight properties.
The South Street complex had once hosted the New Britain Machine Co., a manufacturing outfit that emerged from the merger of a manufacturer of railroad engines and a company that made woodworking machines, according to Connecticutmills.org.
The company expanded with a second plant on the southern outskirts of New Britain during World War I, making fuses, machine gun tripods and other wartime goods. More buildings were added during World War II as the company began making aircraft parts and employment jumped from 950 to a peak of 4,100, according to Connecticutmills.org.
After the war, the company returned to making hand tools, mechanics tools, office furniture and precision machine tools. The New Britain Machine Co. later merged with a California-based conglomerate and then closed the New Britain plant in 1990, according to Connecticutmills.org.