Press Releases
06/07/2024
Governor Lamont, Senate President Looney, Speaker Ritter Announce $74 Million in State Grants To Support Economic Development in Historically Underserved Communities
State Bond Commission Approves Fourth Round of Grants Under the Community Investment Fund 2030
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont, Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven), and Speaker of the House Matt Ritter (D-Hartford) today announced that the State Bond Commission this morning approved the release of approximately $74 million in state funding to support the fourth round of grants under the Community Investment Fund 2030.
This state grant fund was created in 2022 to support economic development in historically underserved communities across Connecticut. It is overseen by a 21-member board that is co-chaired by Senator Looney and Speaker Ritter and administered by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development. The board reviews grant applications and makes recommendations to the governor, who in his capacity as chairman of the State Bond Commission authorizes and advances the recommendations to the commission so it can give final approval to release the funding. The program is anticipated to release up to $875 million in grants over a five-year period.
Eligible projects include capital improvements, such as those focused on affordable housing, brownfield remediation, infrastructure, and public facilities, as well as small business support programs that provide revolving loans, gap financing, microloans, or start-up financing. In addition to promoting economic or community development in the municipality, projects must be intentionally designed to further consistent and systematic fair, just, impartial treatment of all individuals, including those belonging to underserved and marginalized communities such, as Black, Latino, indigenous and native American persons, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; persons comprising the LGBTQ+ community; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.
“Each of these grants are focused on infrastructure improvement projects that will enhance the economic vibrancy of historically underserved neighborhoods and help these towns and cities revitalize their economic base,” Governor Lamont said. “I am glad that we could partner with each of these organizations on these projects so that we can drive growth in communities across Connecticut.”
“As co-chair of the CIF Board, I am gratified to see the latest round of funding approved by the Bond Commission,” Senator Looney said. “Urban centers in Connecticut operate from a point of structural disadvantage, lacking a large taxable property base and without a regional or county system for provision of social services. State investments from the CIF in our cities and other underserved communities in Connecticut recognize the difficulty they face and support so many worthy organizations and projects.”
“Projects that may have been overlooked in the past now have access to game-changing capital that can uplift entire neighborhoods,” Speaker Ritter said. “And communities have a strong voice with CIF to fund the projects they see as keys to their future growth. I give Governor Lamont a lot of credit for seeing the need for this transformative program and standing behind CIF to ensure its success.”
This fourth round of grants support 27 projects in 18 towns and cities. They include:
Municipality: Bloomfield
Recipient: Town of Bloomfield
Award Amount: $4,000,000
Description: “Rockwell Park Improvements” – CIF will fund improvements at Rockwell Park.
Municipality: Bridgeport
Recipient: Bridgeport Economic Development Corporation
Award Amount: $8,000,000
Description: “Connecticut Sports & Community Infrastructure” – CIF funds will be used towards remediation of 20-acres of brownfield sites including portions of 255 and 363 Kossuth Street, 83 - 153 Howe Street, and 141 – 173 Stratford Avenue, and an area of land between 141 Stratford Avenue and 255 Kossuth Street, and establishment of sustainable waterfront location through coastal resiliency and flood mitigation infrastructure. The CIF Funds will support the public greenspace and park aspects of the project.
Municipality: Bridgeport
Recipient: Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, Inc.
Award Amount: $5,156,141
Description: “Washington Park Community Preservation” – CIF funds will allow Preservation CT and the Washington Park Revitalization Committee to conduct studies and perform critical renovations to seven locally and nationally significant places located within 5 city blocks. Funds will support state and national Register documentations of buildings throughout the neighborhood.
Municipality: Danbury
Recipient: City of Danbury
Award Amount: $1,325,000
Description: “South Main Street Revitalization” – CIF funds will improve sidewalks at the intersection of Park & Main, renovate Elmwood Park and provide for a neighborhood drainage study.
Municipality: Groton
Recipient: Thames Valley Council for Community Action (TVCCA)
Award Amount: $2,000,000
Description: “Groton Early Childhood Education Center” – CIF will fund predevelopment for a new building resulting in an expansion of childcare.
Municipality: Hamden
Recipient: Town of Hamden
Award Amount: $8,689,491
Description: “Affordable Housing Development” – CIF funds will support 64 new affordable housing units, a Community Hub facility, and pedestrian and streetscape improvements around 2980 State Street.
Municipality: Hartford
Recipient: Asylum Hill Neighborhood Association
Award Amount: $3,092,721
Description: “Aetna/Comet Diner” – CIF funds will be used to complete remediation, renovate and reactivate the historic diner, and provide a local community meeting space.
Municipality: Hartford
Recipient: Charter Oak Cultural Center
Award Amount: $6,500,000
Description: “Renovation and Restoration of 21 Charter Oak Avenue” – CIF grants funds will renovate Connecticut’s first synagogue at 21 Charter Oak Avenue and historic 25 Charter Oak Avenue. The Charter Oak Cultural Center City School for the Arts will add 8 classrooms and update ADA compliance.
Municipality: Hartford
Recipient: Overlook Development Corporation
Award Amount: $5,527,250
Description: “Willow Creek” – CIF funds will provide pre-development, site improvements and infrastructure for connectivity of the streets, utilities and sidewalks for Willow Creek.
Municipality: Hartford
Recipient: Northeast Neighborhood Partners, Inc.
Award Amount: $900,000
Description: “Hartford Workforce Hub” – CIF funds will support the development of the Hartford Workforce Hub in the Swift Factory.
Municipality: Manchester
Recipient: Town of Manchester
Award Amount: $3,500,000
Description: “Downtown for All – 21st Century Library” – With the aid of CIF funds, Manchester will build a modern, accessible, downtown library surrounded by Complete Streets enhancements to safety.
Municipality: Mansfield
Recipient: Town of Mansfield
Award Amount: $250,000
Description: “Municipal Services Campus Master Plan” – CIF planning grant funds will support community engagement and the creation of a Master Plan for the town’s municipal facilities.
Municipality: Middletown
Recipient: Community Health Center, Inc.
Award Amount: $2,130,500
Description: “The Urban Garden Greenhouse” – CIF funds will build a four-season glass greenhouse on the Community Health Center, Inc. campus. The multi-purpose greenhouse will provide opportunities for community educational programming, community meeting space and growing starter trees for transplantation in partnership with the City of Middletown and local organizations to create a tree canopy.
Municipality: Naugatuck
Recipient: Borough of Naugatuck
Award Amount: $5,754,493
Description: “Rubber Avenue Corridor Revitalization” – CIF funds will transform the Rubber Avenue Corridor by investing in infrastructure to promote private investment while enabling connectivity and increasing resiliency through stormwater drainage upgrades in the Nettleton Avenue area.
Municipality: New Britain
Recipient: Boys and Girls Club of New Britain
Award Amount: $250,000
Description: “Building Brighter Futures Together” – CIF funds will support the renovations and updating of Camp Schade to be more accessible and provide a safe and modern summer camp.
Municipality: New Britain
Recipient: City of New Britain
Award Amount: $250,000
Description: “Mount Pleasant - Myrtle Street Corridor” – CIF funds will assist with the community engagement and Master Planning of transformation of 20 acres of distressed area into a sustainable community by outlining the project’s scope, goals and design.
Municipality: New Haven
Recipient: Continuum of Care, Inc.
Award Amount: $2,750,000
Description: “Ella-Blake Project” – CIF funding will enable Continuum of Care to purchase its two facilities at 977 Ella Grasso Boulevard and 163 Blake Street. Funds will preserve 58 units of affordable housing.
Municipality: New Haven
Recipient: Friends Center for Children
Award Amount: $250,000
Description: “Flint Street Family Campus” – CIF will provide a planning grant for community engagement and design of the Flint Street Family Campus.
Municipality: New Haven
Recipient: Haven’s Harvest
Award Amount: $250,000
Description: “Phase 2 Planning” – CIF funds will allow for planning towards community engagement and a feasibility study of the intersection of its work and the needs of the community in the Fair Haven neighborhood.
Municipality: New Haven
Recipient: New Haven Museum
Award Amount: $350,000
Description: “Planning for 325 Lighthouse Road and 114 Whitney Avenue” – CIF planning funds will allow for community engagement, a master plan and designs for renovations and upgrades for the museum’s two sites.
Municipality: New London
Recipient: Lyman Allyn Art Museum
Award Amount: $1,620,357
Description: “Lyman Allyn Park” – CIF funds will allow the museum to complete the Lyman Allyn Park, a 12-acre urban park with lighted walkways, sculpture gardens, an event stage, a water feature and green spaces.
Municipality: Norwalk
Recipient: Norwalk Redevelopment Agency
Award Amount: $3,000,000
Description: “South Norwalk Streetscape Improvements” – CIF funding will make significant capital improvements to public infrastructure to support pedestrian infrastructure and align with completed mobility study.
Municipality: Norwalk
Recipient: Sound Communities, Inc., (Norwalk Housing Authority)
Award Amount: $3,444,751
Description: “45 Meadow” – CIF funds will support replacement of 54 units of obsolete affordable housing with 55 modern, energy efficient, affordable housing units and amenities.
Municipality: Norwich
Recipient: City of Norwich
Award Amount: $2,000,000
Description: “Waterfront Revitalization” – CIF funds will provide for public improvements at Howard T. Brown Park.
Municipality: Plainfield
Recipient: Town of Plainfield
Award Amount: $250,000
Description: “Recreation Facility Master Plan” – CIF will fund community engagement and a town-wide planning study for the Parks and Recreation Department.
Municipality: West Haven
Recipient: University of New Haven
Award Amount: $250,000
Description: “Expanding Dental and Health Services for West Haven” – CIF planning funds will assist in community engagement and identifying a site in West Haven for the university’s proposed dental and healthcare clinic.
Municipality: Windham
Recipient: CLICK, Inc.
Award Amount: $2,799,222
Description: “Promoting Equity by Regional Food Hub Expansion” – With CIF funds, CLICK will renovate its current kitchen to create a processing and cold storage facility, add a second-floor mezzanine space for offices and build-out a community training space.
For more information on the Community Investment Fund 2030, visit portal.ct.gov/communityinvestmentfund.
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