State Approves Grant For Cleanup Of Red Lion Hotel Property

CROMWELL, CT — The state is funding the preliminary stages of a new use for an old central Connecticut hotel site.

Gov. Ned Lamont Wednesday announced the approval of a series of state grants totaling $20 million that will be used to support the remediation and redevelopment of 21 blighted properties, including the old Red Lion Hotel in Cromwell.

The properties consist of 150 acres of contaminated land in 18 municipalities across Connecticut. The funds will be used to support the costs of cleaning up the vacant properties, "so they can be redeveloped and put back into productive use to support economic growth and housing needs," Lamont said.

A total of $3 million is going to the town of Cromwell for abatement, demolition, and remediation activities at 100 Berlin Road, the former site of the Red Lion Hotel. The cleanup will pave the way for the redevelopment of the 12.74-acre property into a 254-unit mixed-use development, Lamont said.

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

He added, "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," Governor Lamont said. "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."

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