State Pier

The 10-year-old Connecticut Port Authority has been scrutinized for past leadership spending, ethics violations by a staff and board member and the redevelopment of the State Pier in New London.

The New London State Pier is currently being used to build wind turbines for New York’s South Fork Wind project. Its final construction cost the state and taxpayers over $300 million.

Orsted said they would invoke part of a harbor development agreement to handle the time-sensitive loadout of the wind turbine parts for their South Fork Wind project in New York. Their turbine supplier will handle the loadout until State Pier union members return to work in New London.

There’s mixed reaction after the Connecticut Bond Commission approved $30 million to complete the redevelopment of the State Pier in New London to be a hub for the offshore wind industry, which has cost triple the original price tag.

WSHU’s Brian Scott-Smith spoke with Kevin Blacker, an outspoken critic of the Connecticut Port Authority’s redevelopment of State Pier in New London. Blacker is being questioned by police for painting pink stripes on the doors of the state Capitol.

Governor Lamont pushes back on criticism of his administration’s handling of the State Pier project in New London.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Stefanowski, during a visit to New London on Thursday, called out the Connecticut Port Authority and Governor Ned Lamont over the scandalous process of turning State Pier into a hub for the offshore wind industry.

Speaker of the House Matt Ritter took swift action on Saturday after a WSHU report identified Don Frost as the Connecticut Port Authority board member who received illegal gifts from a vendor seeking business. Now, his replacement has also drawn criticism.

Lawrence McHugh, the chairman of the University of Connecticut Board of Trustees for nearly a decade, will replace Donald Frost of Fairfield on the Connecticut Port Authority’s board of directors — after a WSHU investigation.

The identity of the Connecticut Port Authority board member who accepted illegal gifts from a vendor seeking business has been revealed in documents obtained by WSHU through a freedom of information request.