Several Hartford Community Projects Receive State Funding Friday

State of Connecticut

HARTFORD, CT — A massive economic development funding package announced by state officials Friday will have significant benefits in Hartford, according to state officials.

Governor Ned Lamont, Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven, and Speaker of the House Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, announced Friday the State Bond Commission has approved the release of approximately $77 million in state funding to support the sixth round of grants under the Community Investment Fund 2030.

This sixth grant round supports 35 economic development projects in 21 towns and cities across Connecticut, including several project in the state's capital city.

The Community Investment Fund was created by the Connecticut General Assembly and Lamont in 2022 to support economic development in historically underserved communities across Connecticut.

Eligible projects include capital improvements, such as those focused on affordable housing, brownfield remediation, infrastructure, and public facilities.

In addition, they support small business support programs that provide revolving loans, gap financing, microloans, or start-up financing.

Project in Hartford benefitting include:

• Asylum Hill Congregational Church, $3,789,482 — “Earl Exum Community Resource Center” – Asylum Hill offers a range of community programs, including food assistance, youth outreach, educational programs, and resources for low-income individuals and families. AHCC plans to remediate, remodel, and re-purpose the garden level to address identified needs by providing space for existing service providers seeking to establish a more accessible presence in the Asylum Hill neighborhood.

• City of Hartford, $1.6 million — “Homestead Acquisition” – The City proposes to acquire three properties within the Homestead Redevelopment Corridor between Sigourney and Garden streets. The city is currently developing a redevelopment plan for the Homestead Corridor. The Homestead Avenue Redevelopment Plan aims to employ a mix of land use strategies to transform this key thoroughfare in the Upper Albany neighborhood.

• City of Hartford, $250,000 — “Talcott Plaza” – The City of Hartford will plan a major redevelopment project to revitalize Downtown Hartford at the Talcott Street Plaza to include mixed-use development that will include the opportunity for a large commercial tenant and expansion to include residential units.

• YWCA Hartford Region, Inc., $1,500,000 — “Center for Racial Justice and Gender Equity” – YWCA is committed to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting justice, freedom, and dignity for all. YWCA proposes HVAC system enhancements as part of renovating its 50-year-old Hartford building to establish The Center for Racial Justice and Gender Equity.

• Clay Arsenal Community Development Corp., $250,000 — “Beacon & Walnut Planning” – The Clay Arsenal Community Development Corporation focuses on economic development and poverty reduction in Hartford’s Clay Arsenal neighborhood. The CIF Planning Grant will fund predevelopment activities towards transforming two blighted sites into sustainable, mixed-use, transit-oriented developments.

“Through this grant program, we are helping municipalities throughout Connecticut make improvements in underserved areas that will enhance their economic vibrancy and revitalize neighborhoods,” Lamont, chairman of the State Bond Commission, said. “I am glad that we can partner with these towns and cities and other organizations to make these improvements that will drive growth in our state.”

“The Community Investment Fund is one of the most transformative economic development tools we’ve created in recent years,” added Looney. “These grants are targeted investments to uplift underserved communities, assist struggling nonprofit social service organizations, promote equity, and spur long-term economic growth across Connecticut."

Said Ritter: “Investing in transformational projects can provide a huge boost to nonprofits, communities, and even entire regions of Connecticut.”

For more information and for the full list of municipalities benefitting, along with the projects, click on this link.