HARTFORD – The Lamont administration is releasing $28.2 million in state grants to be used to support the remediation and assessment of 16 blighted properties, including five in four Fairfield County municipalities.
Gov. Ned Lamont made the announcement Wednesday as part of the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development’s (DECD) Brownfield Remediation and Development Program. The grant funds are designed to help bring more than 200 acres of land in 13 towns and cities back into productive use so they can be redeveloped and support the state’s economic growth, including through hundreds of new housing units.
In total, this round of grants is projected to leverage more than $354 million in private investments and lead to the creation of approximately 835 housing units, including 157 designated as affordable.
“By cleaning up blighted and vacant properties, we can put this land back into productive use in smart ways that support the growth of businesses and new jobs, and also to build new housing, which is significantly needed,” Gov. Lamont said. “Through the remediation of these properties, we are creating new opportunities to revitalize neighborhoods and transform otherwise unusable lots into new spaces where businesses can thrive and residents can live.”
DECD Commissioner Daniel O’Keefe said these investments in these dormant, polluted sites are critical to helping communities capitalize on opportunities for reinvention.
“This round of funding has a significant impact in many areas, especially in supporting the creation of new housing, which is crucial to furthering the economic progress we’ve achieved in recent years,” he added.
The grants to the Fairfield County communities under this round include:
- Bridgeport: $3 million to the Bridgeport Economic Development Corporation to support soil remediation at the 16.86-acre site located at 731 Seaview Ave. Formerly home to CarTech’s steel mill operations, the privately owned site is impacted by widespread contamination. Remediation will prepare the site for redevelopment, enabling Bridgeport Boatworks to occupy a newly constructed facility and allowing Hornblower Marine to expand their operations within existing on-site buildings.
- Greenwich: $4 million to the Western Connecticut Council of Governments for demolition, soil and groundwater remediation, and site assessment of the 1.22-acre, privately-owned property at 275 Mason St. that spans 7 parcels. The site has a history of industrial and commercial use, including blacksmithing, stone cutting, and automotive operations, with its most recent use being a Honda dealership. These remediation efforts will enable development of 55 housing units as part of the Mason Street East TOD project. The project is located near the Greenwich Train Station and bus transit.
- Greenwich: $4 million to the Western Connecticut Council of Governments for demolition, soil and groundwater remediation, and limited site assessment of the 0.37-acre, privately-owned property at 290 Mason St. that spans 3 parcels. The site has a history of industrial and commercial use. These remediation efforts will enable the development of 20 housing units as part of the Mason Street West TOD project.
- Newtown: $200,000 to the Connecticut Brownfield Land Bank Inc. for the assessment of the 33.4-acre site of the former Charles Batchelder Co., an aluminum smelting plant, located at 44 and 46a Swamp Road. Funds will be used to fill data gaps on the two parcels from previous remediation activities to further the town’s plans to use the site for a solar field and/or new industrial/commercial space.
- Shelton: $4 million to the Shelton Economic Development Corporation for cleanup of the 1.3-acre, privately owned site located at 235 Canal St. The site has a history of manufacturing uses, including hardware, cutlery, railway lighting and equipment, and operations as a tool and machine shop. Demolition/abatement and remediation of the site will enable the construction of 100 units of housing on the site.
Other communities receiving grants include Ashford, Willington, Chaplin, Torrington, Hartford, Killingly, Watertown and West Hartford.
