Old Canton Axe Factory Earmarked For Large State Grant

CANTON, CT — One of Canton's most historic buildings is the subject of a state grant that will help fund its environmental remediation and, possibly, future development there.

Gov, Ned Lamont Wednesday, Dec. 4, announced he has approved a series of state grants totaling $20 million to support the remediation and redevelopment of 21 blighted properties consisting of 150 acres of contaminated land in 18 municipalities across Connecticut.

One of those properties is the 19.3-acre Collinsville Axe Factory, located at 10 Depot St., Canton.

Vacant for several decades, a $200,000 state grant will fund an environmental site assessment, remedial action plan, geotechnical investigations, market study, and building infrastructure needs assessment at the site.

The goal, Lamont said, is to help further the restoration and reuse of the historic mill properties for housing development.

The factory operated by the defunct Collins Manufacturing Co. closed for good in 1966 and has been vacant ever since.

The grants are being released through the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development’s Brownfield Remediation and Development Program.

These state investments, state officials said, will leverage approximately $530 million in private investments and facilitate the creation of 1,392 units of new housing, as well as the growth of new businesses.

“All of these blighted properties have been vacant for years when we should be using them to grow new businesses and support the development of badly needed housing,” Lamont said in a statement.

“This series of state grants enables us to partner with developers who will take these zombie properties and bring them back from the dead, cleaning up contaminated land and bringing life back to these neighborhoods.”

“Under the leadership of Gov. Lamont, Connecticut continues to make impactful investments in our communities that are building vibrancy, creating jobs, and improving the lives of our residents,” said state Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Daniel O’Keefe.

“This latest round of brownfield investments is noteworthy for the high amount of private investment it is leveraging and for how it is helping to address one our state’s most pressing needs – increasing the supply of quality housing.”

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

From March 15, 2023: 'Canton's Collinsville A Symbol Of The American Dream'