Deal appears to advance Costco mega-warehouses in CT. Traffic a worry: ‘Awful lot of trucks here’
Barely two months after Costco
sued a town for blocking two proposed mega-warehouses, the town agreed
to a negotiated settlement that will probably let plans for both buildings move
ahead.
Plainfield’s planning and zoning commission in
March turned down Costco’s plan for an accessway to its planned
1.1-million-square-foot freight depot in Canterbury, a decision that also
stopped the company from building a second, relatively similar building on
Plainfield land nearby.
If a court approves the settlement, Costco would move much closer to being
able to construct the Canterbury depot. But the second component, the
1.1-million-square-foot Plainfield distribution center, wouldn’t be guaranteed
because Costco would still have to go through a special permit review.
In the settlement, Costco agreed to some changes in
landscaping and a long driveway from Route 12 to address complaints from
neighbors. But there is still widespread public concern that several hundred
trips a day by tractor trailers will severely worsen traffic on Route 12 and
other nearby roads.
Costco plans a 1.1 million-square-foot of warehouse space
split between two separate buildings next to each other, with one in Canterbury
and the other in Plainfield. Canterbury has already approved its half, which
would receive wholesale deliveries from suppliers and warehouse them before
they’re shipped to Costco’s stores. Costco describes the Plainfield building as
a distribution center that would process online orders.
Many Plainfield residents have balked at the prospect of
clearing scores of acres of vacant fields and former farmland to accommodate
two enormous buildings, fleets of trucks and sprawling parking fields. But
others say the projects offer hundreds of jobs as well as major new tax
revenue; Costco has estimated the Canterbury side alone will yield more than
$750,000 a year for that town.
When Plainfield’s zoning commission rejected a zone change
by a 3-2 vote in March, it affected both halves of the project since the best
access to the Canterbury land is across property on the Plainfield side. Costco
and the owners of four large tracts in Plainfield sued, saying commissioners
ignored evidence at hearings.
When he laid out terms of the proposed settlement this week,
Plainfield Town Attorney Mark Branse told commissioners that the deal allows
them to lock in some specific promises from Costco that legally couldn’t be
required during the standard review for a zone change request.
Branse also emphasized that while the public doesn’t get a
voice about the settlement proposal, residents will get to speak about the
project itself when Costco undergoes a hearing for its special permit request.
Rep. Doug Dubitsky, R-Chaplin, this week said he’s available
to help Canterbury or Plainfield officials if they want to speak with state
transportation officials about infrastructure improvements that might reduce
the traffic impact.
“My concern is finding a way to get the trucks in and out
without danger or clogging up the roads,” Dubitsky said.
“Many Plainfield people are concerned because they already
have (large, new distribution centers from) Amazon and Staples, and they just
got Uline. There’s also the tire-shredding plant and the wood gasification
plant. There’s an awful lot of trucks here already.
“If the towns want some engineering on Route 12 or the
intersection of Lathrop and Route 12, I’m here to help,” he said. “You can’t
deliver anything without going through that intersection, and if you add a few
hundred more truck (daily) there will be problems.”
Construction begins on 150 apartments along Connecticut River in East Hartford
EAST HARTFORD —
Construction has begun on a 150-unit
apartment project along the Connecticut River,
with leasing expected to begin next year.
West
Hartford-based developer Simon Konover, in a partnership with Fairfield-based
Eastpointe LLC, plans to build 150 apartments on a 35.3-acre property at
341 East River Drive. Previously billed as a $47.5 million project, the planned
development would include 21 studio units, 36 one-bedrooms, 67 two-bedrooms,
and 26 three-bedrooms, spread across three three-story buildings and one
four-story building.
Simon Konover has owned the property for more than 40 years,
and company officials have previously said they explored an office development
at the site but pivoted away as the
region's office-space market weakened.
The Planning and Zoning Commission approved a subdivision
for the development in August 2025, and a special permit application in
September 2025. The developers held a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday to
celebrate the beginning of construction, which is expected to take 15 months.
Greg Konover, president of Simon Konover, said Thursday that
each building will be constructed sequentially and leased out as they are
completed, with the first scheduled to go online in about 12 months.
"We will begin leasing in that first building
immediately after it's delivered," Konover said. "This time next
year, we expect to be signing our first leases and having our first
move-ins."
The project is supported by both state and local
governments. The company sought a
10-year, $6.5 million loan from the Capital Region Development
Authority to help fund the project, and the State Bond Commission awarded the
loan in December 2024.
Town officials approved a tax agreement for the project in
May 2025, abating taxes and capping permit fees for the new construction over
an eight-year period. Under the agreement, taxes will be fully abated on
the first year, decreasing annually on a set schedule to 35% by the eighth
year.
Konover said the project is also being funded by a 3.5-year,
$37 million construction loan from M&T Bank.
A press release from the development team states that
planned monthly rents range from $1,800 to $3,400. Amenities to be included
with the apartments include private garages, access to Riverfront
Recapture's trail system, a clubhouse with various fitness and leisure
facilities, and seasonal outdoor amenities including a pool. Once complete, the
property would be managed by Konover Residential Corp.
Konover said many of those amenities are expected in new
construction at this point, but the greatest and most unique amenity will be
the riverfront access. He said it will provide both a wide variety of outdoor
recreation and an easy way to get to Hartford on foot or with a bicycle.
"You can fish. You can run, jog. There's an
amphitheater back there. ... It's a pretty nice amenity and maybe overlooked by
some because, you know, we don't have a lot of residential in the area,"
Konover said.
The development would take up roughly 10 acres of the
35.3-acre property, with the developer having donated 19.7 acres to East
Hartford for conservation.
Konover said his company owned land that went nearly right
up to the river, and even included some trails and walking paths that were
already being used by the public. He said that land made little sense for its
plans, so donating it to the town for passive recreation is a
"win-win."
"The last thing we would want is development between us
and the river," Konover said.
Proposal for $69.5 million rehabilitation hospital heads to Branford planners
BRANFORD — A proposal for what could eventually become an
80-bed inpatient
rehabilitation facility on the former Hilltop Orchard property off
East Main Street is headed to the Planning and Zoning Commission, even as the
developer awaits a state ruling on whether the project can move forward.
Encompass Health, a Birmingham, Ala.-based for-profit
company and the nation's largest provider of inpatient rehabilitation services,
is seeking approval to build the facility at 596, 612 and 616 E. Main St. The
company operates more than 175 hospitals nationwide and served at least 225,000
patients in 2024.
An Encompass spokeswoman declined to comment.
The company filed an application last year with the state
Office of Health Strategy for a required Certificate of Need, which must be
approved before construction can proceed. The proposed one-story facility would
total 54,765 square feet and be built on land owned by Wayne Cooke and entities
associated with his family.
Designed for patients recovering from serious illnesses and
injuries, the facility would be constructed in two phases. The initial phase
would include 50 beds, while a second phase would add 30 beds and a gymnasium,
according to plans filed with the town.
Encompass does not provide drug or alcohol rehabilitation
services, according to its zoning application.
A Certificate
of Need hearing was held April 16 in Hartford. Local officials,
including First Selectman Josh Brooks, spoke in support of the project, while
two potential competitors — Gaylord Specialty Healthcare of Wallingford and
Hospital for Special Care in New Britain — voiced opposition.
The state has not yet issued a decision, according to Wendy
Fuchs, a spokesperson for the Office of Health Strategy.
The Planning and Zoning Commission is scheduled to consider
Encompass' application during a remote
special meeting June 23 at 7 p.m.
Town officials say the estimated $69.5 million project would
be a significant asset for Branford. The site sits across Route 1 from property
once proposed for a Costco warehouse club.
“It’s definitely a plus for not only the town but the
region,” said Perry Maresca, Branford’s manager of economic and business
development.
“We’ve got a need. … We’ve got an aging population. … You’re
getting more operations. It’s just something that’s desperately needed in the
area,” Maresca said.
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.
A preliminary “site concept” map shows a future second phase
that would add 30 beds and a 900-square-foot gymnasium, totaling 18,050 square
feet. A company representative said last year the expansion area was included
to allow for additional beds "when and if it is needed" and was not
part of the initial application, a company representative said last year.
Encompass previously developed a 40-bed, $39 million
rehabilitation hospital in Danbury on a 13-acre site in The Reserve near the
New York border.
Maresca has said Branford's sewer infrastructure, along with
the site's proximity to Interstate 95 and Tweed New Haven Airport, likely
helped attract Encompass to the location.
The accessibility also makes it easier for out-of-town
family members to visit loved ones recovering at the facility, he said.
“If somebody’s had an operation, they can come back and they
can check in on them and see how they’re doing, and it’s easy to get in and
out,” he said.
Torrington road paving project to begin next week on several streets
TORRINGTON — Traffic-flow disruptions and detours are
expected Monday as the city is set to begin milling and paving on five roads in
town.
Road construction, reclaiming and paving will be done on
Persechino Drive, Crestwood Drive, Eno Avenue, Riccardone Avenue and Starks
Hill Road, weather permitting.
The work is expected to take about two weeks.
Residents and visitors are not allowed to park their
vehicles within the street right-of-way at any time. Tickets will be issued and
vehicles in violation will be towed at the owner’s expense.
Drivers can also anticipate traffic and detours throughout
the time of construction, as there will be one-way alternating traffic and
daily road closures.
Residents can stay up to date with project progress, changes
and other information by signing up for the Torrington Alerts Community
Notification System at torringtonct.gov.
Updated Liberty Crossing plan to be unveiled at public forum in Stonington
Lee Howard
Stonington — An updated plan for a massive, mixed-use
development first approved by the town years ago on Route 2 directly off
Interstate 95 will be discussed at a public forum at 6 p.m. Thursday at the
Pawcatuck VFW Post 1265 in Pawcatuck.
The original Liberty Crossing development plans that
included a Lowe's hardware store and Target never came to fruition, but now a
new project is being proposed by Breslin Realty Development Corp. of Long
Island nearly 20 years later. In a letter inviting residents to the public
forum, David Orwasher, chief development officer for Liberty Crossing LLC, said
Breslin Realty is now "pursuing with the town a new development proposal
with a modified character."
First Selectman Bill Middleton said Thursday in a brief
interview that the public forum idea was his, as this was a big project that
citizens deserved to hear about in advance.
"Just really information for the neighborhood," he
said. "The biggest fear is the fear of the unknown."
The Breslin project is planned diagonally across from
another large-scale development approved in 2024 that is currently under
construction. The $80 million READCO development, known as Stonington Village,
is at the former Regal/Hoyt's Cinema site on Route 2 in Pawcatuck, and it
includes 232 apartments in six buildings along with an 80,000-square-foot
Technology Center.
Middleton noted that previous administrations had set aside
the Route 2 corridor for commercial development, and a similarly large 68-acre
plan had been previously approved for the Breslin site but never built.
"That area was built for this," he added.
According to online plans for the sites at 480 and 534
Liberty St., the project is tied to an unspecified new grocery store, yet
unbuilt, and includes 80,000 square feet of retail space, four build-to-suit
areas supporting drive-through outlets as well as 142 townhomes, 12 villa
apartments, 82 garden apartments and 162 residential units in a three-story,
mixed-use retail area. A 5,000-square-foot office building is also part of the
development plans.
Orwasher, in a phone interview Thursday, said the number of
housing units and the mix of retail is still not settled. But he said while the
Liberty Crossing plans that ended in the 2008 financial crash was focused on
big-box stores such as Lowe's and Target, the new plan calls for smaller
retailers.
Reports of an Aldi's and Starbucks as part of the
development, he said, were premature.
Orwasher said he was particularly proud of the residential
properties being planned as part of the development, though he didn't want to
give anything away before showing plans to the community on Thursday.
"We're not the type that think of the neighbors
second," he said. "It's a challenging site with a big hill, but we're
not planning to tear down paradise."
Orwasher said he expects neighbors to express concerns about
a number of issues, including traffic, but noted that the road nearby already
had been widened in anticipation of the development originally expected to
start around 2008, and new stoplight infrastructure is also in place.
He added that traffic studies are in progress.
Orwasher said he expects to submit a formal plan for the
site within a few months of Thursday's forum. He didn't have an estimate on how
long the Planning & Zoning review process would last.
"Breslin has been working to thoughtfully plan a
mixed-use residential and commercial development intended to provide a broader
range of housing opportunities, along with commercial uses designed to
complement the character and scale of the surrounding community," Orwasher
said in his note to residents. "Before formally submitting an application
to the town, we would like to invite neighboring property owners to meet with
the ownership group, development team, and key design consultants to review the
proposed plans and learn more about the project and solicit your input."
Online information promoting the new development indicates
Breslin is "now leasing" commercial space in the development, which
will include town water and sewer services. The Breslin Realty website also
promotes the site as being close to Rhode Island beaches, the Foxwoods and
Mohegan Sun casinos, Mystic Seaport and local golf and boating destinations. A
nearby Electric Boat warehouse is also highlighted.
"Stonington, Connecticut, is a charming coastal town
known for its picturesque harbor, and historic homes," the website added,
"making it a popular spot for both residents and tourists."
The Breslin letter to residents highlights the need for
sharing "accurate information" and for hearing feedback "in a
constructive and collaborative setting."
"As fellow members of the Stonington community,"
the Orwasher letter said, "we want this project to contribute positively
to the area by creating thoughtfully designed housing opportunities and
community-oriented commercial and recreational spaces."
The public forum will be held at 160 S. Broad St.,
Pawcatuck.
Google vows $50M for skilled trades training
Major tech companies are pouring their money into the
skilled labor crisis. Google announced Thursday it would invest $50
million into training for the building trades.
The money will support 14 labor unions and four trade and
contractor associations, aiming to reach 300,000 workers across 20 states. The
goal is to help level up training and outreach, which will better educate a new
wave of workers to help meet the sky high demand on construction projects,
including data center builds.
Google’s announcement follows a similar move from Meta just days earlier. The social media giant on Monday pledged $115 million to form America’s Workforce Academy and create a pipeline of workers for its various projects.
Where Google’s effort differs greatly from Meta’s is the end
goal.
The investment from the company behind Facebook and
Instagram promised free skills training, followed by a job opportunity on data
center construction projects in regions where it is pursuing builds.
Google, on the other hand, is investing in workforce
development for people interested in the trades “no matter where they want to
work,” Maggie Johnson, global head of Google.org, wrote in the post announcing
the funds.
The tech giant’s announcement outlined some of the specifics
with partners who will use the funds to pursue closing the skilled labor gap.
For example, TradesFutures, an organization created by North
America’s Building Trades Unions, will increase union construction career
access by scaling placement for apprenticeship readiness and registered
apprenticeship programs.
Google previously had invested
in the electrical training Alliance — an organization created by the
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the National Electrical
Contractors Association — intending to train 100,000 electrical workers and
30,000 new apprentices in the U.S. Now, etA will aid local training programs by
bringing resources to infrastructure hubs in a mobile training center pilot.
Meanwhile, the United Association’s International Training
Fund, in partnership with the Mechanical Contractors Association of America,
will develop a five-year roadmap for scaling the plumbing, heating,
ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration sectors. That will help give
workers skills necessary for the construction and maintenance of infrastructure
for data center builds.
Finally, the International Training Institute for the Sheet
Metal and Air Conditioning Industry, backed by the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and
Transportation Workers and Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors, will
modernize its coursework and apprentice support and implement new AI tools.
“No single entity can solve this American workforce shortage
on its own,” Johnson wrote in the announcement. “There needs to be engagement
across industry, civil society and government, so we can build modern
on-the-job training and expand apprenticeships together.”