Amazon pays $20M for roughly 200 acres in Enfield

Michael Puffer

Online retail giant Amazon has paid $20 million for two undeveloped parcels in Enfield totaling around 200 acres, one of which had recently been approved for development of an 819,000-square-foot warehouse.

In a deed recorded April 23, Amazon bought a 181.4-acre undeveloped property at 35 Bacon Road, and a neighboring 22.1-acre property from Massachusetts-based Winstanley Enterprises.

Winstanley is one of the most active developers in Connecticut, particularly in the industrial sector. In 2023, the company won a court battle against a group of Enfield residents who had challenged local land-use approvals of an 819,000-square-foot warehouse at 35 Bacon Road. 

The property once belonged to the campus of greeting card maker Hallmark.

Winstanley Principal Adam Winstanley initially anticipated breaking ground on a $135 million speculative development in early 2024, but later opted to wait until a user was identified. On Tuesday, Winstanley confirmed the sale of his property. 

The 22.1-acre site has a conservation restriction on it and will remain as open space, he noted. He referred any additional comment to Amazon.

Amazon confirmed the purchase and said its plans for the property are in the early stages. The company said it would provide more information at a later date. 

The Enfield sale was recorded just two days after the announcement of Amazon’s $2.5 million purchase of a 157-acre wooded site spanning the border of Waterbury and Naugatuck.

There, Amazon plans to build a roughly 3.2 million-square-foot logistics center. The building, which has been approved for up to 130 feet in height, will use robotics to help sort merchandise. 

Construction is expected to begin imminently.

DOT will cut funds to transportation projects with DEI: Duffy

Julie Strupp

In an April 24 letter, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned DOT funding recipients against engaging in diversity, equity and inclusion practices, which he said violate federal law. Duffy also told grantees that they must cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal officials or face “enforcement actions.”

Grantees who violate those policies could lose their transportation funding, Duffy said. “It is the policy of the Department to award and to continue to provide Federal financial assistance only to those recipients who comply with their legal obligations,” per the letter.

The DOT may audit grantees and take back funding used for unpermitted activities, according to the letter. Duffy urged transportation agencies to contact a DOT representative proactively to ensure they are in compliance.

Duffy’s new letter puts DOT funding recipients on notice, citing instances where grantees did not cooperate with ICE and other immigration enforcement investigations or issued driver’s licenses to people in the U.S. illegally, and warns that such actions “may give rise to civil and criminal liability.” He also told grantees to ensure that they are hiring subcontractors and other businesses that are permitted to work in the U.S. and that exclusively employ legally permitted workers.

Since assuming office, Duffy has authorized a series of actions to advance Trump’s directive to “rescind woke policies” and slash regulations, while vowing to give grant preference to regions with higher-than-average birth rates. Last month, the DOT rolled back a Biden-era policy that included environmental and social considerations for projects it funds. 

In an April 2 hearing, Duffy defended the Trump administration’s freeze on already-approved projects so agencies can review them for mentions of climate change, environmental justice or equity. He did not say whether grant awards that are not yet finalized could be rescinded, but promised to enact the will of Congress when it comes to funding infrastructure: “I’m not going to hold up any projects.”

Duffy’s letter also said funding recipients must not engage in “discriminatory actions” while administering contracts, hiring or in other policies and procedures, and to make personnel decisions based on merit. Grantees are also prohibited from allocating award money “based on suspect classifications.”

“Whether or not described in neutral terms, any policy, program, or activity that is premised on a prohibited classification, including discriminatory policies or practices designed to achieve so-called ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion,’ or ‘DEI’ goals, presumptively violates Federal law,” according to the letter.

In an interview Thursday on Fox Business, Duffy reiterated that Democrat-led states that don’t comply with the Trump administration’s interpretation of federal law will see their transportation funding cut, AOL reported.

“Hopefully, this will incentivize those states to get in line with commonsense American principles and policies, which the president has laid out. If they do, they don’t have a problem,” Duffy said in the Fox interview. “But if they don’t comply, we’re not going to approve their grants and the flow of billions of dollars into their states.”

Six School Upgrades Planned for New Haven, Conn.; Amazon Facility to Be Built in Waterbury

New Haven Register & CT Insider

As part of ongoing repair and improvement efforts, New Haven Public School (NHPS) officials in Connecticut are proposing six renovation projects, including roof and swimming pool replacements across the district.

"We know that there are a lot of renovations and repairs that are desperately needed across the district as it relates to facilities," New Haven Superintendent Madeline Negrón said. "Those are going to be things that eventually we have to get done."

The proposed projects include swimming pool replacements at Conte-West Hills School and Wilbur Cross High School; roof replacements at Truman School, Wilbur Cross High and James Hillhouse High School; and the construction of a new central office at 424 Chapel St. in New Haven.

The plan is to eventually move the central office from 54 Meadow St. to the second floor of the Chapel Street building, the New Haven Register reported April 22, 2025.

"They certainly all needed work, especially the roofs and the pools," according to Board of Education Vice President Matthew Wilcox.

The total cost of the six projects is estimated at $25.1 million, the Register noted.

In January 2025, the district conducted a walk-through of the Wilbur Cross and James Hillhouse high schools in response to a complaint filed with the Connecticut Department of Labor's Division of Occupational Safety and Health by the New Haven Federation of Teachers.

In addition, on Feb. 13, 2025, there was a leak reported inside an English classroom at Wilbur Cross, which is an issue that has been difficult to address because the building's roof has solar panels.

The complaint cited concerns about mold, leaks, air quality and HVAC issues at the two schools.

While the report found no "evident deficiencies," Justin Harmon, director of marketing and communications at NHPS, said the district has plans for projects and upgrades across the entire school district.

Negrón said NHPS plans to apply for a Connecticut Department of Administrative Services Office of School Construction non-priority grant, which, if approved, would mean the district is only responsible for 34.1 percent of that amount — or approximately $8 million.

Resolutions formally documented by New Haven's Board of Education and the Board of Alders are needed so NHPS can apply for the grant.

The projects align with the district's long-term facilities plan and are essential to maintaining safe, functional and equitable learning environments for students and staff, according to a statement from Christine Bourne, business director of the NHPS Central Office.

"Timely submittal and approval of these resolutions allows the district to pursue reimbursement opportunities through the state's construction grant program," she said.

The projects were presented to New Haven's Board of Alders at its April 7, 2025, meeting, with a final vote scheduled for May 5, 2025.

Amazon Warehouse to Be Built On Waterbury-Naugatuck Line

A new 3.2 million-sq.-ft. Amazon fulfillment center stradle the border of Waterbury and Naugatuck is about to begin after Waterbury officials announced April 21, 2025, that they had completed the sale of 157 acres of land for the project.

Site work for the five-story Amazon warehouse will begin in the coming days, according to a news release from the office of Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski Jr., which noted that the final cost of the land was $2.5 million.

The project is expected to generate more than 300 construction jobs and, eventually, as many as 1,000 full-time jobs, according to the mayor's office.

"Waterbury and Naugatuck are great places to live and work and we're pleased to be establishing local operations here," Glendowlyn Thames, Amazon's senior manager of economic development, said in the news release.

More details about the fulfillment center's launch schedule will soon be announced, Thames added.

Naugatuck Mayor N. Warren "Pete" Hess said local officials have considered other development proposals for the area in the past.

"For decades, many different proposals, ranging from a mall to a dog track, were considered for this land, but none came to fruition due to the steep and difficult terrain, particularly in accessing the site from Waterbury's South Main Street," Hess said in a statement. "That all changed when I partnered with then-Waterbury Mayor Neil O'Leary. Together, we devised a collaborative solution that allowed access to the property through the Naugatuck Industrial Park, making development finally feasible."

The sale comes after Bluewater Property Group entered into a purchase and sale agreement with the city of Waterbury and the borough of Naugatuck in 2022, according to Pernerewski's office.

"The collaboration between Waterbury and Naugatuck, paired with the commitment from Amazon and Bluewater, has turned a long-overlooked property into a site of immense potential." Pernerewski said. "This facility will provide meaningful employment opportunities and generate economic momentum for years to come."