Bridgeport will receive $3,176,000 to revitalize three deteriorated properties while Stratford gets nearly that much to clean up an old industrial site, the state announced on Wednesday.
Bridgeport will receive a $2 million loan to remediate a 12.2-acre parcel in the South End/Seaside neighborhood. The completed project there envisions 1,200 residential units around the University of Bridgeport.
Another $1 million loan will be used to transform a 0.8-acre parcel in the downtown historic district into a planned mixed-use, mixed-income redevelopment project that will include 50 residential units.
A $1,176,400 loan will help the city remediate and develop another 3-acre parcel to be used for 156 residential units, retail and a charter school.
The town of Stratford will receive a $2,850,000 grant to demolish and remediate the 10.5 -acre Contract Plating site. The plot will is slated for a mixed-use, transit-oriented development.
“Brownfield remediation projects like these pave the way to a bright future for Bridgeport,” said state Sen. Andres Ayala, D-Bridgeport, who made the announcement along with Gov. Dannel Malloy and other officials. “These three unused pieces of land will be transformed into space that will house new families, welcome businesses into the neighborhood and provide our children with new educational opportunities.”
A total 20 sites in 16 communities around the state are set to receive brownfield remediation and redevelopment funding totaling $27 million in grants and loans. The state Office of Brownfield Remediation and Development ”“ which uses state and federal money ”“ said $62 million has gone to remediation statewide in the last last two years.
“Many of Connecticut”™s brownfield sites have been abandoned or underutilized for decades because the costs of redeveloping these properties are too expensive for municipalities or private developers to take on by themselves,” said Malloy. He called the funding “the largest round of brownfield remediation funding ever in the state”™s history.”
“Bridgeport”™s investing in the future,” said Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch, a Democrat. “We”™re doing so in part by revitalizing run-down properties.” He thanked Malloy “for his unwavering support of our state”™s largest city.”
“a great article…thank you…”