CT Construction Digest Friday June 20, 2025
Train stations in Windsor Locks expected to be completed by September
WINDSOR LOCKS — A new double-track train station supporting a rail line between Hartford and Springfield, Massachusetts, as well as the historic downtown train station, are both expected to be constructed and renovated by early this fall.
The $65 million new train station has been under construction for about three years, and the "major initiative" is expected to revitalize downtown Windsor Locks by attracting new daily visitors, First Selectman Scott Storms said.
The project is the culmination of several local administrations and is being completed in a timely manner and less than its initial budget.
The historic train station is also being renovated to compliment the new modern train station, with both expected to be completed by September, Storms said.
Several other improvements along Main Street are also planned, such as a walking path, and exterior sidewalk and ramp work that will connect both train stations.
Considering the station's close proximity to Bradley International Airport, travelers are likely to provide a boost to the local economy by visiting nearby businesses, Storms said.
"I think you're going to have a more viable downtown area," he said, adding the new transportation opportunities and housing construction are "all tied in together."
"I think it's transformative for our town," Storms said. "It's very exciting."
Meanwhile, the state has awarded a $4 million grant for brownfield remediation on the parcel adjacent to the train station.
The grant will be used to clean up ash and waste on the land, as the historic train station used the property for a dumping ground.
Once remediated, the land will be home to a $42 million mixed-use complex with a design that connects it to the new train station.
Boston-based Trinity Financial already has local approval for 120 workforce housing units in two buildings, along with roughly 9,000 square feet of retail space.
Construction on the first phase of the project consisting of about 70 apartments is expected to begin this fall and run through 2026, Storms said.
Because all of the new construction is being done in the town's Tax Increment Finance, or TIF, district, taxes will be spread throughout the district, leading to more future developments, Storms said.
Storms' main concern is the increased traffic downtown that will come from the new developments.
However, "there's no way to avoid that with the location of the new train station and the buildings," he said. Ultimately, the developments are "very positive for our community."
Contaminated New Haven sites at old coliseum, along Quinnipiac River to get $1.8 million remediation
NEW HAVEN — A portion of the former New Haven Veteran's Memorial Coliseum site and property along the Quinnipiac River are among about two dozen sites across Connecticut to receive grants from the state for remediation and other blight abatement efforts.
The 1.13-acre coliseum site, 275 South Orange St., is currently a parking lot and was awarded $880,000. The funds will be used for site remediation that will enable the construction of a phase of a multi-use development that will include 7,159 square feet of retail space and 120 residential units.
The other New Haven site, chosen through the Department of Economic Community Development’s Brownfield Remediation and Development Program is a 1.34-acre site located along the Quinnipiac River at 185, 212 and 213 Front St.
The $947,500 grant will be used for the demolition and abatement of blighted buildings and excavation of petroleum-impacted soil. The site has a history of industrial use, including a coal yard, fuel tank farm, and metalworking shop. The remediation, officials said, will pave the way for the construction of 70 residential units, retail spaces, and a 29,000 square foot green space and boardwalk to improve pedestrian access.
New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said the city has set an ambitious goal of building 10,000 new housing units over the next ten years, with at least 30 percent of those being affordable or deeply affordable units.
"These grants will help activate and transform two previously underutilized properties into two exciting new developments that will add nearly 200 new units towards that goal," Elicker said. "Both sites are high-profile properties, one the former site of the New Haven Coliseum and the other prime waterfront property along the Quinnipiac River, and their development represents yet another clear demonstration of the continued excitement for and investment in the future of New Haven.”
Regarding 275 South Orange St., Elicker said that after years of underutilization as a parking lot that it's been "amazing to see the former New Haven Coliseum site transformed into a new multi-use development with new housing and businesses that are expanding the footprint of downtown New Haven."
As for Front Street along the Quinnipiac River, Elicker called it one of the most picturesque locations in all of New Haven.
"However, this part of Front Street currently represents a bit of an eyesore with a stretch of blighted buildings," he said. "The plans to tear down these old buildings, remediate the properties, and replace them with new housing units, retail space, green space and a pedestrian boardwalk with waterfront access represents a very exciting development for the Fair Haven community.”
Fereshtah Bekhrad, owner of the Front Street properties, said Tuesday that the grant is an important addition and major development to the project, especially related to remediation of the contamination. Bekhrad said she is hopeful to complete the project, which covers 80,000 square-feet of land, in about three years.
Will Cannon, development manager for Spinnaker Real Estate Partners, said Tuesday that the company is grateful for the continued support from the city and the state in advancing the coliseum redevelopment.
The recent award of a brownfield grant supplements private investment to bring critical infrastructure improvements and environmental remediation closer to reality, directly supporting the delivery of new mixed-income housing, job opportunities and long-term tax revenue for the City," Cannon said "We look forward to the continued collaboration as we advance this next phase of the project."
The state released a total of $18.8 million grants that will be used for the assessment and remediation of 227 acres of contaminated land across Connecticut. The funding will support 23 properties in 19 towns and cities, helping cover the costs of cleaning up these parcels so they can be redeveloped and returned to productive use, state officials said.
This round of funding is projected to attract $218 million in private investment and facilitate the creation of 450 housing units. Approximately 52% of the total funding will be allocated to distressed municipalities, officials said.
“Old, polluted, blighted properties that have sat vacant for decades do nothing to stimulate our economy, grow jobs, and support housing growth,” Governor Lamont said. “With these grants, we are partnering with towns and developers to take unused, lifeless properties and bring them back from the dead, rejuvenating land that can be used for so much more and can bring value back to these neighborhoods.”
West Hartford receives two remediation grants from the state
WEST HARTFORD — The town is among about two dozen municipalities in the state to receive grants in the latest round of funding from the state Department of Economic and Community Development’s Brownfield Remediation and Development Program.
West Hartford received a $200,000 grant for assessment activities of the former AC Petersen Ice Cream production facility, a 1.02-acre site located at 240 Park Road. The assessment and subsequential cleanup will allow the building’s existing businesses, including the Playhouse on Park, a performing arts theater, to expand into the environmentally affected areas that have been unused or underused for several decades, according to state officials.
Another $688,000 grant will focus on demolition and remediation of the 1.21-acre site located at 579 New Park Ave. The remediation activities will enable the construction of a mixed-use, transportation-oriented development project that will include 70 residential housing units, officials said.
West Hartford Town Manager Rick Ledwith said assessment grant for 240 Park Road would be a critical step toward assessing and ultimately remediating the site to support the expansion of existing businesses, including Playhouse on Park, calling the area "a vibrant and well-loved part of town."
"We are incredibly grateful to the state of Connecticut for this support. It is a small step toward solidifying Playhouse on Park’s future on Park Road," Playhouse on Park Executive Director and co-founder Tracy Flater said. "We are at the very beginning stages of planning to acquire and remodel our space; and to acquire and redevelopment the plant to include office, teaching, rehearsal space and more. This first step of assessing for contaminants is a critical one."
Regarding the brownfield grant for the remediation of 579 New Park Ave., Ledwith said the support will help advance the development of the Jayden, a transformative mixed-use, multifamily development within the town's transit-oriented development district.
"This project not only aligns with our goals for redevelopment and affordable housing expansion, but also represents an important step in continuing the growth of our TOD corridor and enhancing connectivity for our residents," Ledwith said.
The grants are part of a total of $18.8 million in state grants that will be used for the assessment and remediation of 227 acres of contaminated land across Connecticut, and allow them to be restored to productive use, state officials said.
This round of funding, officials said, is projected to attract $218 million in private investment and facilitate the creation of 450 housing units. Approximately 52% of the total funding will be allocated to distressed municipalities.
“Old, polluted, blighted properties that have sat vacant for decades do nothing to stimulate our economy, grow jobs, and support housing growth,” Gov. Ned Lamont said. “With these grants, we are partnering with towns and developers to take unused, lifeless properties and bring them back from the dead, rejuvenating land that can be used for so much more and can bring value back to these neighborhoods.”