Governor Lamont announces $45 million in funding for 12 projects that will boost community vibrancy and livability

Press Releases

04/06/2022

Governor Lamont announces $45 million in funding for 12 projects that will boost community vibrancy and livability

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that the State of Connecticut is allocating $45 million to twelve cities and towns under his administration’s new mandate. Connecticut Communities Challenge Grant Program. The grants leverage approximately $74 million in non-state and private dollars and will support projects that improve the quality of life and the vibrancy of communities across the state. In keeping with the program’s objectives, more than 50% of the funding will be invested in struggling Connecticut municipalities.

This is the first round of funding under the program, which is administered by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD). The second round is expected to launch in the fall of 2022, and the DECD is expected to award up to $100 million in grants over the next few years.

“Investing in our communities is a key part of our plan to accelerate sustainable and equitable economic development in Connecticut,” Governor Lamont said. “This new grant program we have launched will have far-reaching impacts as we emerge from the pandemic stronger than ever, creating new jobs, improving the vibrancy and quality of life in our neighborhoods and making every corner of state even more attractive for investment. and opportunity.

“These projects demonstrate how important public-private partnerships are in driving local economic development and community revitalization efforts,” DECD Deputy Commissioner Alexandra Daum said. “I strongly believe that collaborative planning and investment leads to more impactful proposals and results. When completed, these twelve projects will expand Connecticut’s housing stock, create jobs, boost the vibrancy of our downtowns, and generally make Connecticut communities even better places to live, work, and play.

The project descriptions, locations and grants awarded under this first round are as follows:

• East Hartford ($2 million; 133 and 211 Riverside Drive): The city will partner with Goodwin University to build a publicly accessible marina on campus that will include new crossing slips and a water taxi. Future phases will include restaurants and accommodations.
• Hartford ($6.3 million; 1355-1363 Main Street): The city, in partnership with the San Juan Center, Inc. and the Carabetta Development, LLC, will develop 43 mixed-income apartments, ground-floor commercial space 7,358 square feet of roadway and new public/recreational space in the first phase and 18 residential units and 1,200 square feet of commercial ground space in the second phase. The project will connect and improve pedestrian connections between North Crossing and the Clay Arsenal area.
• fatally ($1 million; 128 Main Street and 30 Furnace Street): To convert an underutilized parking lot on Danielson’s historic Main Street into a public space with clever wayfinding, colorful and ADA-compliant walkways, public pop-up park improvements, murals, canopy lighting, permanent outdoor seating, public WiFi, electric car charging stations and a multi-generational sensory art park.
• Mansfield ($4,854,595; 113-121 South Eagleville Road): The city will partner with the Mansfield Nonprofit Housing Development Corporation to develop Eagleville Green, a 42-unit mixed-income housing development. Grant funds will also be used for pedestrian safety, extending and improving sidewalks and pathways on South Eagleville Road, and improving the west entrance to downtown Storrs.
• Middletown ($4,500,000; 418 to 422, 428, 545 and 584 Main St. and 99 Union St.): The city and its private partners, the YMCA, DFC of Middletown and 545 Main Realty LLC, will adaptively reuse vacant and underutilized buildings to create up to 30 new residential units and approximately 40,000 square feet of commercial space. The project also includes upgrading the YMCA property’s HVAC system that will help rehabilitate 62 single-bedroom units for low-income men. Retail spaces will include two storefronts on the first floor, a specialty market, two restaurants, a rooftop bar, office and community space.
• New Haven ($5,355,840; State Street from Audobon Street to George Street): The city will realign State Street from Audobon Street to George Street to unlock the redevelopment potential of multiple parking lots for transit-oriented development/mixed-use development for potential construction at 652,000 square feet of finished space, including 447 new residential units and 80,000 square feet of commercial space.
• New London ($5,985,460; multiple addresses on State Street, Bank Street, Water Street, South Water Street, etc.): City and partners will implement projects for historic preservation, storefront enhancement, adaptive reuse and sanitation and support the development of vacant properties into state-of-the-art mixed-use spaces for residential and commercial use. The project will result in 54 mixed-income housing units, 10 boutique hotel rooms and over 5,000 square feet of retail space. The project will also allow the Center des arts de la Garde to host larger productions.
• norwalk ($6,000,000; 30 Monroe Street, 15-17 Chestnut Street): The Norwalk Redevelopment Agency, in partnership with the city and Spinnaker Real Estate Partners LLC, will provide and develop critical infrastructure that will enable the development of vacant and underdeveloped sites. used for a – use/transit oriented development adjacent to the station. It will include a minimum of 200 mixed-income residences, 10,000 square feet of retail space, a public plaza and 60 public off-street parking spaces. The infrastructure upgrades will help support the potential development of an additional 500 new residential units in the area.
• Norwich ($2,000,000; former YMCA property, 337-355 Main St.): The city, in partnership with Mattern Construction Inc., will adaptively redevelop and reuse former YMCA property, located at a gateway important part of the city, on approximately 20,000 square feet. . of office and retail space and 5,000 square feet of high-ceilinged storage space.
• Stamford ($2,528,879; 553, 571, 575, 583, and 670 Pacific Street): The city, in partnership with Scrap Works LLC, will upgrade underutilized properties on Pacific Street to create a year-round beer garden and a food truck lot, an authentic German Beer Hall, cafe, social coworking space, pilot brewery and tasting room and event space. The project will also create affordable retail opportunities by building the basic infrastructure required for potential future tenants such as furniture, fixtures, equipment investments, rental credits, art, etc.
• Winchester ($1,818,854; 35 Willow Street, Bridge Street, Rowley Street and other downtown Winsted locations): The city, in partnership with Miller Crossing Willow LLC, will remediate and adaptively reuse the property at 35 Willow Street to house new businesses/offices. Grant funds will also be used for sidewalk and street intersection realignment and repairs, wayfinding, public art/mural, and downtown walking tour educational signs.
• Windsor ($2,500,000; 144-152 Broad Street): The city, in partnership with 144 152 Broad Street LLC, will redevelop Windsor Center Plaza into 40 apartments and 5,560 square feet of first floor retail space housed in four new structures. The property is located 500 feet from Windsor Station.

The Connecticut Communities Challenge program was created last year to fund a wide range of revitalization projects with the goal of creating approximately 3,000 new jobs. The program is an important part of Governor Lamont’s Economic Action Plan – a strategic set of initiatives that totals more than $750 million over five years, matched by approximately dollar-for-dollar private funding and other non-state funding that will result in a forecast of 80,000 New Work.

Additional details about the Connecticut Communities Challenge program are available online at portal.ct.gov/DECD/Content/Business-Development/05_Funding_Opportunities/CT-Communities-Challenge-Grant.

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