Cash Approved To Fund Historic Hartford Diner's Resurrection

HARTFORD, CT — A beloved and historic diner in the capital city is being recommended for a multi-million dollar grant that could help resurrect it sometime in the future.

The state's Community Investment Fund 2030 Board Tuesday unanimously recommended funding be awarded to help renovate and, eventually, reopen the classic Aetna Diner In Hartford, which is located at 267 Farmington Ave.

Built in the late 1940s, the classic diner shuttered in the early 2000s.

It, reportedly, had celebrities from a bygone era eat there, including Eddie Fisher, Zsa Zsa Gabor, and Telly Savalas.

Though born as the Aetna Diner, over the decades it had multiple names as its ownership changed repeatedly.

The board oversees the state's Community Investment Fund 2030, which is a large block of funding totaling $875 million that aids economic development projects for eligible municipalities and nonprofit groups.

The board meets regularly

Monday, the board met in Hartford and approved a $3.1 million grant award for the Asylum Hill Neighborhood Association, which is spearheading a project to revive the diner.

According to a summary of the project submitted to board members Monday, the funding will be used to "renovate and reactivate the historic diner."

The facility also will be able to provide community meeting space for local groups and organizations in that area, according to the summary.

The Aetna Diner project was one of 27 statewide approved on the list of eligible projects and board members did not discuss it individually.

For more information on the Community Investment Fund 2030, click on this link.