CT Construction Digest Thursday May 1, 2025
NEW HAVEN — Tweed New Haven Regional Airport has filed inland and tidal wetlands permit applications with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for the airport's proposed expansion, including runway extension, a new eastside terminal and associated parking and roads.
The filing by the Tweed New Haven Airport Authority and The New HVN LLC, the subsidiary of Avports LLC that manages the airport, comes 16 months after the Federal Aviation Administration approved Tweed's plan, issuing a "Finding of No Significant Impact."
It was also met with continued concern from some.
East Haven Mayor Joe Carfora said the town, home to part of the airport and to the proposed new terminal, "continues to thoroughly evaluate this application. Despite repeated requests of Avports and the Tweed Authority to be consulted on this application, the town has not been."
"From the outset of the (FAA) Environmental Assessment process, the town engaged multiple experts to assess the proposed project and its potential impacts, including all of the many environmental impacts," Carfora said. "Our environmental professionals have consistently indicated that the project's effects would be significant and harmful unless key changes are made to the scope of the project."
The expansion first was announced on May 6, 2021 — at the same time that city and Tweed officials, joined by Gov. Ned Lamont, announced that Avelo Airlines would begin service to and from Tweed.
The only air service Tweed had at that time was 5-day-a-week American Eagle service to Philadelphia, which it subsequently lost that September, before Avelo, a low-priced start-up airline, began flying to and from New Haven in November 2021.
The relatively short length of Tweed's runway and its small terminal — along with road access that currently cuts through a largely residential neighborhood in the Morris Cove section of New Haven's East Shore — have long inhibited Tweed's efforts to grow.
Traffic issues rose up to cause serious issues at Tweed during the holiday peak travel season in December — just as Breeze Airways began service to and from Tweed alongside Avelo — creating traffic jams on the way to and from the airport and delays going through security inside the existing terminal.
"This submission is a major step forward in (Tweed's) nearly century-long effort to unlock new opportunities for Southern Connecticut through expanded air service and improved transportation infrastructure, while delivering one of the most comprehensive environmental and flood resilience plans ever undertaken for a regional airport in Connecticut," Tweed said Wednesday in a news release.
The proposed expansion includes expanding Tweed's one remaining runway from the current 5,600 feet to 6575 feet, construction of a new 80,000-square-foot terminal on the East Haven side of the airport — which straddles the New Haven-East Haven border — and infrastructure improvements.
The proposed runway extension project would lengthen the runway by 639 feet to the south and 336 feet to the north, for a total of 975 feet in additional length.
The other infrastructure improvements include 4,000 additional parking spaces, new service roads to serve the terminal, which will be built on what currently part of the area that once was used for Tweed's former cross-wind runway, and new asphalt aircraft aprons.
The terminal would include four formal gates and a total of six "boarding positions." The airport's new access road would come in from Proto Drive, off Coe Avenue in East Haven. Vehicles come from Interstate 95 would approach the airport on Hemingway Avenue in East Haven.
Tweed filed the applications following completion of the airport's 90 percent runway design review and a required 60 percent design review for the proposed new terminal, which would replace the existing terminal off Burr Street in New Haven, which was built for the Special Olympics World Summer Games in 1995.
“This submission represents the culmination of years of hard work, collaboration, and a deep commitment to environmental stewardship and responsible growth,” said Jorge Roberts, CEO of Avports, which is owned by Goldman Sachs. “We are proud to take this important step forward with a plan that supports the needs of our growing region while carefully prioritizing the protection of our natural resources.”
New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker called the application submission and the coming DEEP public review process "both important milestones as we look to develop a new passenger terminal in an environmentally responsible manner.”
Gov. Ned Lamont said of the applications, "The Tweed New Haven Airport expansion project is an important piece of Connecticut’s transportation and economic future. It's a growing regional asset with the capacity to support high-quality air service, better competition, and real convenience for travelers across Southern Connecticut. Such an expansion can attract new carriers that meet the needs of our residents, businesses, and visitors,” Lamont said.
East Haven and Connecticut Fund for the Environment have appealed the FAA's finding of no significant impact.
The DEEP "has long been a trusted steward of Connecticut’s natural resources. We expect the department will conduct a thorough and impartial review of the significant environmental impacts associated with this proposal," Carfora said. "The Town of East Haven fully intends to participate in this process and to exercise all legal rights and remedies under the state’s environmental and land use laws.”
CFE Senior Legal Director Roger Reynolds said the organization has a copy of the DEEP applications but has not yet gone over them in detail.
"I think all we can say at this point is we will be looking at it and engaging," Reynolds said. "We also hope and expect DEEP will do a more serious job of evaluating and addressing these issues than the FAA did in its (Environmental Assessment.) Also, as you know, I expect East Haven will be engaging in this as well."
The Tweed release states that "this historic investment" in airport expansion will mitigate environmental impact through a mitigation plan to address wetlands issues, flood resilience and air quality.
The mitigation project would aim to offset the "unavoidable impacts" to 9.31 acres of wetlands by enhancing 28.5 acres of tidal wetlands and creating 3.61 acres of new tidal salt marsh, according to the release.
To improve hydrology, "tide gate operations will be modified to enhance tidal exchange and salinity ... creating favorable conditions for native vegetation," the release states.
With regard to birds that live and breed in the wetlands, the plan includes a "grassland bird habitat mitigation plan" that would permanently conserve 25 acres of land specifically to support wildlife, protecting habitat for declining grassland bird species. It would include a five-year monitoring plan, it states.
Tweed plans to hold six public community meetings between June and November, with each focused on key topics like environmental quality, economic development, quality of life, traffic and noise, the release says.
West Hartford nonprofit continues $100M expansion and redevelopment of its affordable housing campus
WEST HARTFORD — The ongoing $100 million redevelopment and expansion of the West Hartford Fellowship Housing campus is continuing, with the first of the nonprofit's brand-new units ready to be occupied soon.
The Starkel Road property provides critical housing to people 62 and older and adults with disabilities — as evidenced by their long waiting list — but its buildings were also showing their age and needed updates that bring residents modern amenities and upgrades that make the building more accessible.
In the end, the nonprofit will bring dozens of more units through the expansion, totaling more than 300 affordable housing residences by the end of the expansion.
"From design to construction, to housing our mission, this project is a beacon of hope for our residents," Mark Garilli, its chief executive officer, said in a statement. "We are working hard to erase the stigma around the word ‘affordable’ and these buildings are a shining example of what affordable housing could and should be."
The first phase of construction, which broke ground in November 2023, is nearly finished — a grand opening is being planned for June. Units are expected to be at least 50% larger than they currently are, with washers and dryers added. Common spaces will also be improved for residences.
Phase two of the plan is expected to begin shortly after that. The nonprofit is also eyeing its third phase, which will replace 77 of its units. The nonprofit just received $2.1 million in low-income housing tax credits at the most recent Connecticut Housing Finance Authority meeting, which the nonprofit said equates to around $19 million in equity from private investors.
In March, Garilli told CT Insider about the need for this type of housing, particularly as rent rises and some senior living facilities close their doors.
"Our average age is around 74," Garilli said. "They're more independent. In the new development, affordability, safety and security is top of mind for them and ease of mobility and opportunity to stay with us throughout whatever challenges aging might come along with them."
Amazon buys Enfield land for $20M, plans for new warehouse but timeline unclear
Amazon has completed the purchase of 200 acres of land in Enfield for $20 million, with the company having already aired plans to build a new distribution warehouse.
Amazon spokesperson Mike Murphy confirmed the purchase Wednesday, saying only that "plans are in the early stages" without providing a timeline for development at the 35 Bacon Road site.
"Amazon represents a major opportunity for job growth and economic development," said Aaron Marcavitch, Enfield's director of economic and community development on Wednesday. "We are glad they chose Enfield and Connecticut and look forward to working effectively with them through the permitting and development process."
Earlier in April, Amazon received approval to build a huge warehouse on nearly 160 acres on the Waterbury-Naugatuck line, with a projected employee base of 1,000 people. The company has existing fulfillment, sort and distribution centers in Cromwell, Manchester, North Haven, Wallingford and Windsor.
A state tax conveyance document lists the Enfield purchase price at $20 million. Amazon completed the transaction on April 22 with prior owner Winstanley Enterprises, a Concord, Massachusetts-based developer that has an office in Windsor.
Winstanley Enterprises bought the Bacon Road parcel in 2016, and released a conceptual plan for a warehouse totaling as much as 815,000 square feet of space, which was approved by the Enfield Planning & Zoning Commission. The project triggered litigation by local opponents but that was later settled.
Winstanley owns a warehouse next door at 25 Bacon Road totaling more than a million square feet, which it leases to packaging vendors Plastipak and Veritiv; and to DSM-Firmenich subsidiary i-Health based in Shelton, which sells Culturelle and other probiotics products.
Amazon is slated to release its first-quarter results on Thursday afternoon. Profits totaled $59.2 billion in 2024, as revenue rose 11% from a year earlier to $638 billion.
The company has been working to expand its warehouse count to get more products closer to customers, and to include more items in a single package from any one order in an effort to trim costs. With Amazon already using robotics in Connecticut warehouses for tasks such as transporting bins of products to stations for packaging in advance of shipment, the company has been piloting the use of a more automation at a warehouse in Shreveport, Louisiana.
"We are very, very encouraged by what we're seeing there," said Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, speaking in early February on a conference call. "We have plans now to start to expand that and roll that out to a number of other facilities in the network — some of which will be our new facilities and others of which we'll retrofit existing facilities to be able to use those same robotics innovations."
Stoneridge in Mystic plans $40 million expansion
Lee Howard
Mystic — The StoneRidge retirement community has announced plans for a $40 million addition to its 32-acre campus that will include a new wing with 72 apartments attached to its existing buildings.
StoneRidge Senior Living Community officials said Monday that plans still need to be approved by the Stonington Planning & Zoning Commission, but they are hoping to break ground for the project next spring and be finished within three years. The project, which would involve 14 new assisted living apartments and 54 independent units, would also include improvements to its dining area and amenities such as a woodworking shop that some of its current 350-plus residents have requested, they added.
The new wing will include 143,000 square feet of common space that will include a dining area, maker space, multipurpose room and a "wellness hub" with cardio and weightlifting equipment. Fourteen assisted living apartments will be at ground level, with independent living apartments on the second, third and fourth floors. Preliminary drawings show the new wing located between existing structures and the memory care unit, auditorium and the Avalon Health Care Center.
"It will accommodate our residents, especially as they age," said Executive Director Pamela Klapproth. "This will fulfill what residents have been asking for."
The new wing will be the final phase of the retirement community project. Opened as a continuing-care community in 2004, it offered a range of options for residents as they age including assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing and rehabilitation. It is now known under the newly adopted industry term of Life Plan community to emphasize the active lifestyle many residents engage in as they age in one place.
In an April 23 press release, StoneRidge said the 20-year-old facility is at capacity with a growing waitlist for its 322 units. Last month, U.S. News & World Report recognized StoneRidge with the 2025-2026 Best Independent Living and Best Continuing Care Retirement Community awards, and StoneRidge Senior Living also has been honored as tops in customer satisfaction by the rating firm JD Power.
StoneRidge is well known for hosting a wide variety of programs while transporting its residents to local shopping areas, doctor appointments and theaters. The community annually hosts a biography project at Pine Point School in which students interview residents about their lives.
"Our residents appreciate the quality of life here and the long-term security of a Life Plan community," Klapproth said in a release. "The lifestyle offered allows them to focus on what’s important to them, whether it's volunteerism or education, fitness or woodworking, they can participate with their neighbors and forge new friendships."
StoneRidge said SB&A Architects of Ames, Iowa, has been hired to do the building design work. The construction firm has not yet been named.
The new assisted living apartments fulfill StoneRidge's master plan of having a dedicated area for seniors needing more assistance with day-to-day tasks, officials said. They added that over the years, StoneRidge has changed as seniors' preferences have evolved, such as now being more likely to want two meals a day from dining services as opposed to only one in the early years.
Klapproth said she expects to hire an additional five to 10 staff members, mostly in housekeeping and dining, when the new wing is completed. StoneRidge currently employs about 220 full- and part-time personnel.
Marketing director Jamie Cornell said in a phone interview that StoneRidge is already taking applications for the new apartments and can take prospective residents on tours of the campus. She can be reached at (860) 572-5615.
"We're all excited for the project," Klapproth said. "It's a great win-win."