State Senator Joan V. Hartley (D-Waterbury) today announced approval for two state grants to help revitalize dormant parcels in Waterbury. The first will help underwrite remediation and demolition at the brownfield site of the Washington Avenue Business Park, which will be transformed into a mixed-use development. The second will be used to remediate the property at 313 Mill Street after a fire there.
Senator Hartley said these are two of nine grants awarded directly to municipalities after a competitive application process. The state Department of Economic and Community Development awarded a total of more than $10 million for the nine projects.
“Waterbury’s rich history as the former Brass Center of the World is a story that needs updating, and the state’s program to help with environmental assessments, remediation, planning, and demolition is a vital part of what will be the next chapter for these properties,” Senator Hartley said. “We continue to make definitive progress to revitalize valuable urban sites like these to restore them to productive use and return them to local property tax rolls.”
Senator Hartley said the city and the Waterbury Development Corporation will receive $780,000 toward the work required at the Washington Avenue Business Park and $2 million for site remediation at the Mad River Development site, across from the Anamet remediation project that is already underway with state funding awarded last year.
“In towns and cities throughout Connecticut there are blighted and vacant properties that could be brought back to productive use and boost economic growth,” said Governor Dannel P. Malloy, while announced today’s grants. “These funds will have immediate impact for the municipalities—allowing them to pursue community revitalization. Cleaning up pollution and restoring these sites is a fundamental part of strengthening our economy.”
“The state’s brownfields remediation strategy is sound for many reasons, in terms of preserving open space with revitalized urban properties, and using existing transportation and utilities infrastructure,” Senator Hartley said. “And once these parcels are restored to productive use they are more readily accessible to an urban workforce, without adding to regional traffic and commuter congestion.”