Connecticut Awards Brownfield Grants and Loans

Last week, Gov. Dannel Malloy announced the award of $27 million in grants and loans that will fund 20 remediation and redevelopment projects throughout Connecticut. This is the fifth round of brownfield funding spearheaded by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD).

The awards comprise 14 grants to municipalities and economic development agencies, totaling over $20 million, and six loans to project developers and owners and a municipal agency, totaling over $6 million. In his press release, Gov. Malloy noted that most projects awarded funding in this round include a housing component (both market-rate and affordable housing) as part of their redevelopment plans.

The governor also stated that, with this round of awards, Connecticut has allocated nearly $90 million in state money to brownfield funding since 2011. He compared this amount to the $190 million invested nationally by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency since 1995.

Among the larger of DECD's fifth-round awards were:

• $4 million grant to Science Park Development Corporation to remediate a 9.4-acre parcel in New Haven to facilitate reuse of the former Winchester Repeating Arms site as a 200-unit residential complex;
• $2,850,000 grant to the Town of Stratford for demolition and remediation activity at the 10.5-acre former Contract Plating site to support a mixed-use/transit-oriented development; and
• $2,717,000 grant to the City of New Britain for remediation of the site of the former police station to facilitate a mixed-use/transit-oriented development at the terminus of the CTfastrak busway.

In May of this year, the governor announced the availability of $20 million in grants and loans under this fifth round. Applications had to be filed with DECD by June 30. For more information regarding this announcement and the application process, see our May 16 alert here.

Gov. Malloy's press release relating to last week's announcement, which includes the list of the 20 awardees, can be viewed here.

Should you have any questions regarding brownfield redevelopment, please feel free to contact any of the attorneys listed above.