Windsor Granted More Than $520K To Close Riverwalks Trail System Gap

EAST WINDSOR, CT — The State Bond Commission on Thursday approved the release of $99 million in state funding to support the second round of grants under the Community Investment Fund 2030, a grant program established in 2022 to support economic development in historically underserved communities across Connecticut. Among the projects is $522,500 to complete a Riverwalk extension and build a bridge spanning Decker’s Brook, closing the gap in the trail system between Hartford and Windsor’s Riverwalks.

Under terms of the grant, CIF funding will be used to add a 825-foot trail section to complete a seven-mile Riverwalk system across Windsor Meadows State Park and Decker’s Brook stream. The application includes a project labor agreement to hire a work crew of previously incarcerated persons, according to the office of Gov. Ned Lamont.

The second round of grants supports 28 projects from 20 municipalities.

The Community Investment Fund 2030 is administered by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development and overseen by a 21-member board, which reviews applications and makes recommendations to the governor, who approves and forwards the applications to the State Bond Commission in his capacity as its chairperson. It is anticipated to release up to $875 million in grants over a five-year period.

"The Community Investment Fund was established last year to improve the economic vibrancy of historically underserved neighborhoods," Lamont said. "Over the next several years, this program will be responsible for providing an incredible amount of opportunities for Connecticut’s cities and towns to revitalize their economic base and chart a path of equitable growth. Each of these projects supports this goal, and I am glad we’ve been able to get them approved."