Gov. Ned Lamont and state Sen. Jorge Cabrera, D-Hamden, arrive with a crowd at a press conference Thursday in Ansonia.
ANSONIA — Connecticut’s governor and a cadre of elected officials were in the city Thursday to celebrate the city receiving $1 million from the state to go toward the environmental assessment, demolition, and remediation of the former Farrel Foundry and Machine Co. site at the corner of Main Street and North Main Street.
“Recharging Ansonia. Recharging Connecticut. That’s how we do it together,” Gov. Ned Lamont said during a press conference with three hulking industrial buildings in the background. “It starts right here in the Valley. This was the economic heart and engine of Connecticut. This is what this project is all about.”
Mayor David Cassetti holds up a long grant application. He’s with state Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria, state Sen. Jorge Cabera, and Gov. Ned Lamont.
Audio and photographs from the event have been incorporated (along with plugs for weekend events in Ansonia) into the latest video episode of “Navel Gazing: The Valley Indy Podcast” Click the play button below to watch.
The $1 million Brownfield grant comes after a $600,000 state demolition grant last year.
The money will clean up about 3.5 acres of land the city wants to see used as commercial or industrial space.
The property itself will be put up for sale through a bidding process. RugPadUSA, a carpet-padding manufacturer that moved from Bridgeport to Ansonia in 2017, is very interested in acquiring the property to expand their operations. Currently the manufacturer is next to the property.
There are still some 50 acres — the former Ansonia Copper & Brass complex — that Ansonia, in partnership with elected officials in Hartford, is working to get ready for redevelopment, too.
State Rep. Kara Rochelle, D-Ansonia, addresses the crowd.
The $1 million Brownfield grant is a major boost for downtown Ansonia, and is further proof that the city’s Main Street is on the rise.
A number of restaurants have planted roots on Main Street, in stately old multi-level buildings under renovated apartments.
A new police department with space for a senior center is being built within an existing building at 65 Main St.
The new police station (with senior center) under construction in Ansonia.
The upper floors of office space in the area of 158 Main St. (and a building two doors down) received approvals to be redeveloped into apartments, though the work has been delayed.
Construction is underway at 153 Main St., where new apartments will fill long underused properties.
The rolling redevelopment project happening in the city’s downtown is happening building by building, said Bill Purcell, the president and CEO of The Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce.
“Up and down Main Street, we’ve seen a resurgence of retail activity and restaurants. It’s become a restaurant destination,” Purcell said.
A radio reporter interviews Sheila O’Malley, Ansonia’s grant writer and economic development director.
The $1 million grant celebrated Thursday is the result of a bipartisan effort between local and state officials in a city that has seen its share of partisan bickering and elbow jabs.
Sheila O’Malley, the city’s grant writer and economic development director, completed the voluminous grant application. State Rep. Kara Rochelle and state Sen. Jorge Cabrera gathered the support needed in Hartford. The money itself is coming through the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development’s Brownfield Remediation Program
In addition to Gov. Lamont and Purcell, speakers Thursday included Mayor David Cassetti, Rochelle, and Cabrera, along with David Morgan of TEAM, Inc.
“We are grateful to you, Gov. Lamont, for recognizing 35 N. Main St. as a key Brownfield site and a gateway into Ansonia Copper & Brass,” Cassetti said, alluding to the larger parcel of industrial land next door.
“What we’re seeing is that a strong partnership of local and state partners (and) a state investment can make a difference and will revitalize this community. I am beyond appreciative to Gov. Lamont for seeing our vision and for partnering with us to make it happen,” Rochelle said.
Cabrera noted the importance of communication among public officials, regardless of political affiliation.
He said Ansonia’s delegation in Hartford started chatting with the Cassetti administration prior to the start of the just-ended legislative regular session to get a sense of legislative priorities.
“We may have disagreements, but there’s one area we all agree — it’s way past time to clean up properties like this,” Cabrera said.
The Cassetti administration is Republican. Cabrera, Rochelle and Lamont are Democrats.
State Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria, R‑Seymour, was on hand even though she doesn’t directly represent Ansonia in the state legislature. But Klarides-Ditria said a healthy economy in Ansonia benefits Ansonia’s neighbors in Derby and Seymour, the communities she represents, along with Beacon Falls.
“Both First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis and I have supported redevelopment efforts here for many years. It will bring Seymour residents here, and vice versa. We’ll share the wealth and it will help everyone.”
Gov. Lamont addresses the crowd Thursday.
