$6.75M State Grant For Refurbishment Of Near Century Old Goffe Street Armory Celebrated

NEW HAVEN, CT — State and local officials Friday celebrated a $6.75 million state grant to recondition and rejuvenate the Goffe Street Armory.

According to the office of Mayor Justin Elicker, and Gov. Ned Lamont, the Connecticut Community Investment Fund grant will "finance construction to help bring the near century old armory to a state of good repair, enabling the reactivation and repurposing of the building into a career-connected learning hub, new housing, and community programming."

Elicker, Lamont, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, state Senate President Martin Looney other community, city, and state leaders met to "share next steps for the city’s long-term project to reactive and repurpose the building."

According to the mayor, over the past several years, the city has "collaborated closely with the community-led Armory Community Advisory Committee as well as the Board of Alders, State Delegation, and other stakeholders to reactivate and reimagine the uses for the armory."

"Based on community input, the building's three new uses will include a new career Pathways Academy in partnership with New Haven Public Schools, new housing to help address the city’s and state’s need for additional units, and other local community uses and programming," a news release from Elicker reads.

The new $6.75 million CIF grant will provide the funds needed to rehabilitate the building and help bring it to it to a state of good repair – including stabilizing its exterior and roof; abating, remediating and removing hazardous materials; and ADA and code compliance – paving the way for the future fit out of the building for its new uses.

A little Armory history

Built in 1930, the Goffe Street Armory — also known as The New Haven Armory — has served as a historic landmark in the city for nearly a century and is one of the largest unoccupied spaces in the Elm City at 155,000 square feet.

In the past, it hosted gubernatorial inaugurations, performances by musical legends such as Stevie Wonder and Frank Sinatra, the Black Panther Trial proceedings, and emergency relief efforts. Its remarkable versatility — from military facility to cultural venue to emergency shelter—reflects New Haven’s and Connecticut's rich social, cultural, and political history.

The armory was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2021 for its architectural, military, and social history significance over the last century — and, more recently, listed on the Connecticut Freedom Trail in 2023 for its significance to the Civil Rights movement and Black heritage.

Armory has hosted emergency relief efforts, music legends Stevie Wonder and Frank Sinatra, and was venue for Black Panther trial proceedings.