Siting Council approves Manchester solar project on nearly 30 acres
MANCHESTER — State officials have approved a Lake Street solar facility that has proved controversial among some neighbors. The Connecticut Siting Council approved a petition from North Haven-based solar developer Greenskies Clean Energy to build a 1.2-megawatt solar photovoltaic electric generating facility at 81 and 93 Lake St., two largely vacant agricultural properties totaling close to 30...
Woodbury's Charcoal Chef to reopen after Roxbury 'barbecue pitmaster' buys the 70-year-old eatery
WOODBURY — After restaurateurs Jeff Schmidt and Nicole Minard worked “pretty insane” hours to open their second barbecue place eight months ago, they never dreamed they would try to open a third so soon. But when Schmidt learned that Woodbury’s iconic Charcoal Chef went on the market last summer, he couldn’t pass it up — “It just screams barbecue joint,” he said. The Charcoal Chef ...
LuAnn’s Bakery & Café opens fourth eatery in downtown Hartford, following Ellington, Stafford sites
HARTFORD — LuAnn’s Bakery & Café opened its fourth location in The Brownstone Building at 190 Trumbull St., on the corner with Asylum Street, March 31. Restaurateur Josh Virkler was attracted to the historic structure built in 1861 that is also known as the Charter Oak Bank Building in Hartford. “I actually first fell in love with this super cool building that we're in,” Virkler said...
The SoNo Collection in South Norwalk listed for sale amid statewide mall shakeups
More than seven years after it held a brief reign as America's newest mall, The SoNo Collection is up for grabs in South Norwalk amid contrasting fortunes for Connecticut's remaining enclosed malls. The SoNo Collection was listed for sale in March by commercial real estate brokerage JLL, on behalf of investors who bought out shares of developer Brookfield Properties not long after the mall opened...
Middlefield forester seeks approval for solar panel array
MIDDLEFIELD— The Middlefield Planning and Zoning Commission is considering an application for a special permit to install a 984-panel, .975 megawatt solar voltaic array in the Rockfall section of town. If approved, the array would be built on six acres at 39 Cherry Hill Road, which is the location of Connwood Foresters Inc. The array, which would convert sunlight into electricity, would also b...
How a Darien developer is turning blighted properties into new housing and commercial spaces
DARIEN — What was once a vacant office property inside an industrial park on West Avenue in Stamford is now a 76,000-square-foot high-bay warehouse — the result of an idea by developer Joe Vaccaro that the site could be something more. “There was no way a tenant would lease it,” Vaccaro said. “So we bought the property and demolished the office building.” Vaccaro, president and partne...
Colonial CT house, older than the United States, listed for almost $800K
Believed to be older than the United States, the house at 45 Main St., Essex has hit the market for $799,900. While property records state the house dates back to 1754, information provided by the Essex Historical Society details that the house was most likely built by Joseph Parker in 1719 and was renovated and expanded by the Bull family. Colonial-era captain Edward Bull bought the house from ...
Influencer Paige Lorenze finds buyer for her Fairfield home, after buying new property with Tommy Paul
Last month, influencer Paige Lorenze and tennis star Tommy Paul announced they had purchased a new home in Connecticut. At the time, Paul's Boca Raton, Fla. mansion was listed as "contigent," with Lorenze's 2.14-acre property in Fairfield still on the market. This week, Realtor.com exclusively reported that Lorenze has found a buyer for her Fairfield County home, which is listed as "pending" on ...
East Hartford starts demolition of Founders Plaza building for 300 apartments in Port Eastside plan
EAST HARTFORD — An $840 million plan to revitalize property along the Connecticut River began to take shape Monday. Town and state officials celebrated the start of demolition of the former Bank of America at 99 Founders Plaza, one of four properties that are part of the housing-centric redevelopment of Founders Plaza known as Port Eastside. Developers behind the project have described it as ...
Norwalk Mainstay Relaunches, Steps Up With Wood-Fired Grill
NORWALK — Valencia Cocina has emerged from a makeover. The Venezuelan restaurant — formerly Valencia Luncheria — underwent a three-week renovation in January. It now has a fresh name and […] The post Norwalk Mainstay Relaunches, Steps Up With Wood-Fired Grill appeared first on CT Examiner....
The Needle in the Haystack
Dear Elizabeth, I have read several of your columns and hope you might have advice for me. I am a married man, retired, financially secure, and lacking only a small facet […] The post The Needle in the Haystack appeared first on CT Examiner....
Months-old Grievance Alleges Intimidation by Stamford Schools Leader
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When Debate Becomes Inconvenient in Hartford
One of the most fundamental rights in a free society is the ability of citizens to speak to their government and participate in decisions that affect their lives. In Connecticut, […] The post When Debate Becomes Inconvenient in Hartford appeared first on CT Examiner....
Connecticut Has a Spending Problem.
The legislative session has begun in Hartford and the Democrats with their supermajority have already proposed three different tax increases (HB 5133-increase income tax rate, SB 101 — a “Mansion” […] The post Connecticut Has a Spending Problem. appeared first on CT Examiner....
Connecticut Is Multilingual, So Our Policies Must Catch Up
Walk into any school, workplace, or small business in Connecticut and you will hear Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Polish, Arabic or English spoken, sometimes all at the same time. According […] The post Connecticut Is Multilingual, So Our Policies Must Catch Up appeared first on CT Examiner....
Third Lawsuit Filed Alleging Abuse by Litchfield Track Coach
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East Lyme Board Rejects Former Selectman’s Return, Fills Vacant Seat
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Norwich Diocese Begins Payouts to Over 160 Sexual Abuse Victims
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