May 18, 2026Edition

Connecticut's repeal of the 40-year-old Transfer Act was expected to ease environmental review requirements when commercial properties change hands, but banks are likely to keep demanding extensive contamination testing — effectively becoming the new gatekeepers for environmental risk.

Maine-based Milestone Funeral Partners recently acquired four Connecticut funeral homes, part of a broader national consolidation trend as aging family-owned operators face mounting pressure from rising costs and a lack of succession options.

After failing to win state support for a planned waterfront stadium in Bridgeport, CT United FC will base operations at Norwich's aging Dodd Stadium — a move that will require millions in public investment to modernize the 31-year-old facility.

Hartford HealthCare is investing more than $1 billion to remake 15 buildings on and around its Hartford campus, with a major focus on expanding the emergency department at Hartford Hospital, where average wait times last year were the worst in the state.

New CEO Nitin Mhatre is preparing to upgrade Stamford-based First County Bank's digital banking capabilities and expand its use of artificial intelligence as the community lender competes for younger customers against larger institutions.

A defaulted $4 million city-backed loan and mounting costs have stalled Carlos Mouta's plan to convert the vacant former Whitney Manufacturing building into 235 apartments and commercial space, though Hartford officials say they remain committed to the Parkville redevelopment.

The Bar Harbor, Maine-based nonprofit has exceeded the hiring targets tied to nearly $290 million in state support for its Farmington genomic medicine facility, but Connecticut has yet to receive any royalty payments and direct startup creation has been limited to two spinouts.

Connecticut insurers are among the companies expanding executive protection programs amid a heightened threat environment, with corporate boards increasingly treating those measures as governance safeguards rather than executive perks.

Travelers and other public companies are pushing the SEC to reclassify executive security costs as necessary business expenses rather than personal perks, a change critics warn could reduce transparency in proxy filings.

Some Connecticut lenders are scaling back new apartment deals amid concerns about concentration risk after multifamily loans more than doubled as a share of banks' overall portfolios over the past six years.

Closing Connecticut's affordable housing gap requires layered financing structures combining tax credits, public grants and private capital — and lenders should play a broader role moving projects from concept to completion.