Two Danbury Sites Selected For State Redevelopment Grants—Here’s What That Means

DANBURY, CT — The State of Connecticut has tapped two sites in Danbury for grants intended to support their cleanup and redevelopment.

The city will receive a $200,000 grant for the environmental assessment of the former Fairfield County Courthouse. This assessment will enable future reuse of the building as municipal office space in the historic district.

Mayor Alves has been eyeing the Courthouse since taking office and has collaborated with the city's delegation in Hartford on a conveyance of the property from the State of Connecticut.

“Thanks to the collaborative partnership Danbury now has with the State of Connecticut, our interest and advocacy have led to the preservation of an important treasured building right at the heart of our community,” said Alves. “This transfer ensures that the courthouse remains a part of our community’s story while opening the door for exciting new uses that serve our residents.”

Another $200,000 grant will enable assessment activities at 13 Barnum Court, which was formerly used for hat manufacturing. The assessment work will help identify potential end uses and developers to clean up and reuse the site.

Both grants, announced Wednesday, are part of $18.8 million in state grants to support the cleanup and redevelopment of 227 acres of contaminated land across 19 cities and towns in Connecticut.

The funding, administered through the Department of Economic and Community Development’s Brownfield Remediation and Development Program, will assist 23 properties in environmental assessments and remediation. The goal is to prepare the sites for new uses such as housing, commercial development, parks, and community centers.

According to state officials, this round of funding is expected to attract approximately $218 million in private investment and facilitate the development of 450 housing units. About 52 percent of the grants are earmarked for distressed municipalities.

“Old, polluted, blighted properties that have sat vacant for decades do nothing to stimulate our economy, grow jobs, and support housing growth,” Gov. Ned Lamont said in a statement. “With these grants, we are partnering with towns and developers to take unused, lifeless properties and bring them back from the dead, rejuvenating land that can be used for so much more and can bring value back to these neighborhoods.”

"City officials have been debating for several months what to do with theses properties, and I believe the first step was to get some state brownfields funds to do an environmental assessment of each property so we can see what we're dealing with," said State Sen. Julie Kushner (D-Danbury). "Once again I am so pleased to be partnering with Mayor Alves to bring stare resources to Danbury to help improve the lives of our residents and the economic vitality of this city."

Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Daniel O’Keefe said the program continues to produce benefits for both local governments and residents.

“Our brownfield redevelopment efforts continue to produce great results, not only for the communities that can now capitalize on new opportunities for growth and vibrancy but also for the residents who directly benefit from the new end uses for these reclaimed properties, whether it be housing, parks, commercial space, or community centers,” O’Keefe said.