The state has announced a total of $27 million in grants and loans for 20 environmental remediation and redevelopment projects in Connecticut.
The money is for brownfield remediation. That's a term you've probably heard before, but might not exactly understand. "A brownfield is any site where redevelopment or reuse hasn't happened because of contamination or the perception of contamination," said Tim Sullivan, director of brownfield development in the state.
Sullivan said the grant process basically works like this: prove downstream economic impacts -- things like job creation, or more property taxes -- and the state will give grants or loans to fund redevelopment.
"One of the big challenges facing a lot of particularly urban places, but really downtowns throughout the state, is that these former manufacturing facilities are located right in the heart of downtown," Sullivan said. "As a result, they create a lot of blight. They are not very active -- people get in there and are doing things they shouldn't be doing -- and they create challenges for neighborhood and communities."
Since 2011, the state has given $90 million to these types of projects. Governor Dannel Malloy's administration said the most recent round of brownfield funding -- $27 million -- is the largest in state history.
Among the notable projects: a $2.7 million state grant to New Britain for redevelopment of land near the end of the new CTfastrak busway set to open early next year.
