A nonprofit group announced Thursday that it has awarded the town of Seymour a $10,000 grant to develop a plan for a downtown riverwalk.
Seymour was one of six communities to receive a grant from the Connecticut Main Street Center, a nonprofit that focuses on downtown revitalization and economic development.
There is no established route the path would take — the money will pay for an architect to figure that out. Once the architect puts that plan together, the town will pursue funding to actually build the walkway.
State Sen. Rob Kane on Thursday said in a statement that the greenway would promote development “by linking our downtown area to the beautiful Naugatuck River.”
“The proposed greenway trail and riverwalk will be a large and highly walkable attraction, appealing to families and nature enthusiasts, shoppers and diners,” Kane’s statement went on. “This project will not only be an economic asset to downtown Seymour, providing it with consumers that otherwise may look over our beautiful town, but will also be an asset to our local residents. The park and greenway will encourage healthy living and a pleasant social climate in Seymour.”
John Simone, the president and CEO of Connecticut Main Street Center, agreed.
“Historic preservation and the revitalization of our Main Streets create jobs, bring vacant buildings back on the tax rolls and add value and vitality to adjacent buildings and neighborhoods,” Simone said in a press release announcing the grants. “This year’s winners are taking steps to implement these types of positive changes by proactively planning for the growth and improvement of their downtowns.”
The grants were made through the organization’s “Preservation of Place” program, supported by the state’s Historic Preservation Office with funds from the state’s Community Investment Act.
Through the program, CMSC has awarded $288,030 in “Preservation of Place” grants to 16 communities since 2008.
The other grants announced Thursday, each for $10,000, went to:
- the Town of Kent for a Planning & Engineering Study for its Village Center Streetscape;
- the City of Bridgeport for the Little Asia Historic Streetscape and Archway Project;
- the Town of Putnam for the Putnam Downtown Center Signage and Wayfinding Design Project;
- the Westville Village Renaissance Alliance for the Westville Village Public Parking Comprehensive Design & Marketing Plan;
- and the Northwestern Connecticut Regional Planning Collaborative for the NW CT Village Center Vitality Tourism Marketing Campaign.
Since 2008, CMSC has awarded $288,030 through the Preservation of Place grant program to sixteen Connecticut communities, leveraging over $768,427 in local Main Street initiatives. The program receives support from the State Historic Preservation Office with funds from the Community Investment Act.
