Governor Lamont Announces Funding To Support the Redevelopment of 12 Unused, Blighted Properties

(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Ned Lamont announced today that his administration is releasing $15.2 million in state funding to support assessment and remediation activities at 12 blighted properties across Connecticut, helping cover the costs of cleaning up these unused, polluted parcels so they can be redeveloped and returned to productive use, including for the creation of new housing and other economic development and job growth opportunities.

The grants are being distributed through the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development's (DECD) Brownfield Remediation and Development Program. This round of funding will support investigation and cleanup activities on 267 acres of land and are expected to leverage more than $81 million in private investments.

"By partnering with towns and developers, we can take unused, blighted properties that have sat vacant for decades and bring them back from the dead, rejuvenating these parcels and bringing life back to these neighborhoods," Governor Lamont said. "Through the remediation of these properties, we are creating new opportunities to transform otherwise unusable lots into new spaces that support housing growth and new business opportunities."

"Connecticut's economy is strong and getting stronger. We are making targeted, strategic investments that turn these underutilized, often blighted properties into attractive investment opportunities," DECD Commissioner Daniel O'Keefe said. "Our brownfield redevelopment programs successfully leverage the private dollars needed to turn compromised properties into centers of economic growth and community revitalization."

The assistance announced today under this funding round includes:

• Ansonia and Seymour: $4,000,000 grant to The Connecticut Brownfield Land Bank, Inc. for the removal and management of previously identified contaminated sediments at the Kinneytown Dam, a 170.89-acre hydroelectric facility that spans the Naugatuck River at 0 Hotchkiss Terrace in Ansonia and 677 South Main Street and 769 Derby Avenue in Seymour. The project is part of a larger dam removal project that aims to restore the watershed and public access to the river.

• East Hartford: $100,000 grant to the town for environmental assessment and remedial planning activities for a 20.5-acre site at 832 Silver Lane. The site was formerly part of the Silver Lane Plaza, which was previously occupied by a dry-cleaning business. The grant will enable the town to advance remediation and position the site for redevelopment.

• Enfield: $1,500,00 loan to the town for the abatement, remediation, and monitoring of the 4.90-acre, privately-owned site at 132 Weymouth Road. The property was built as a Gateway Foods Supermarket but has since been used for various purposes, including a bar/restaurant, a dry cleaner, and a trade school with an auto repair training center. These abatement and remediation activities will enable the adaptive reuse of the building for multiple purposes, including flexible retail, small-scale office space, co-working, and other appropriate business uses.

• Hamden: $100,000 grant to the town for environmental assessment activities at 344-350 Putnam Avenue. The site, formerly an automobile body and repair shop, has been vacant for more than 35 years. Grant funds will support environmental assessment, site characterization, risk assessment, and the development of a remedial action plan to guide cleanup of contamination of the site. These activities will enable the redevelopment of the site into a 16-unit entry-level and affordable condominium project.

• New Britain: $2,673,038 grant to the Housing Authority of New Britain to abate, remediate, and demolish the Mount Pleasant public housing facility at 100 Richard Street. The 19.81-acre site will be redeveloped into a mixed-income housing complex. Phase 1 will include construction of 72 units; 70% of the units will be deed restricted for 30 years to be offered at or below 60% of the Area Median Income.

• Norwalk: $200,000 grant to the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency for the assessment of the 2.46-acre, privately-owned site at 108 Water Street along the Norwalk River. These assessment activities will help advance the plan to transform the property into a mixed-use waterfront development with 59 residential units, a hotel, and approximately 36,000 square feet of office space, along with supporting retail and public-facing uses within walking distance of the South Norwalk Train Station.

• Norwalk: $200,000 planning grant to the Western Connecticut Council of Governments, in partnership with Open Doors, to advance a comprehensive strategy for a cluster of underutilized properties in the Colonial Village Neighborhood of South Norwalk. These include multiple known and suspected brownfield sites associated with historical industrial uses, including manufacturing facilities, auto repair operations, and other light and heavy industrial activities. The planning grant will help integrate prior investments, prioritize sites, and develop an implementation strategy to support redevelopment that advances housing stability, economic mobility, and environmental resilience.

• Plainville: $541,000 grant to the town for demolition of the White Oak building at 1 West Main Street as part of Phase 3 of the ongoing remediation and redevelopment project at the 15-acre site. The grant funds will support hazardous material abatement and demolition of the existing office structure, soil sampling, remediation, and monitoring beneath the building footprint. These cleanup activities will advance redevelopment of the site as a mixed-use project.

• Shelton: $1,500,000 grant to the Shelton Economic Development Corporation for the remediation of a 1-acre site at 255 Canal Street. The contaminated site was historically used for power generation and manufacturing. Grant funds will support targeted soil removal, installation of an engineered control to prevent exposure and vapor intrusion, and associated regulatory activities. These remediation activities will enable the construction of a 48-unit mixed-income residential development with public riverwalk access.

• Thomaston: $200,000 grant to the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments for the assessment of the 12.44-acre site at 165 Main Street. The property was previously the site of the historic Seth Thomas Clock Factory, and funds will be used for environmental assessment, hazardous building materials survey, and the development of a remedial action plan. These assessment activities will enable the applicant to establish a plan to convert the property into affordable housing.

• Waterbury: $200,000 grant to the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments for assessment of the 2.75-acre site at 389 Meadow Street. There are numerous areas of concern already identified for further investigation at this landmark site, and these new funds will supplement these efforts. The assessment activities and subsequent remediation action plan will facilitate the redevelopment of the property, which will include 40 residential apartment units.

• Waterbury: $4,000,000 grant to the Waterbury Development Corporation (WDC) for Phase 3 of the abatement and remediation project of the 17.46-acre site at 698 South Main Street. This grant request is part of an ongoing endeavor to remediate the former Anamet site.Since Phases 1 and 2 of the project, the WDC has completed assessment work, finalized the remaining cleanup costs, and identified a partner developer. These continued Phase 3 remediation activities will prepare the site for long-term leasing for a commercial warehouse, distribution facility, and office complex.

For more information on Connecticut's Brownfield Remediation and Development Program, visit www.ctbrownfields.gov.