The state’s Bond Commission Friday (July 25) approved a $500,000 grant to the City of Ansonia for downtown redevelopment.
Mayor David Cassetti will formally announce the grant at a press conference Monday morning at the Palmer Building at 153 Main St.
Ansonia Economic Development Director Sheila O’Malley said the money will go to a variety of different uses — feasibility studies, environmental studies, engineering costs, and possibly construction and/or demolition — with respect to a number of properties in the downtown area.
Cassetti and other city officials were in Hartford Friday morning for the bond commission’s meeting.
O’Malley said she made a request for the money through state Rep. Linda Gentile.
“We’re concentrating our efforts on sites that have been laying fallow that could be turned around, sold and developed,” she said. “The sites that we have left are really difficult sites, with some complex issues. This will help market them.”
Among the city-owned properties that could benefit from the money: the Ansonia Technology Park building at 497 E. Main St. and the Palmer Building at 153 Main St., two properties the city owns and has been trying for years, unsuccessfully, to get a developer to take off its hands.
The grant could also be used to spur redevelopment at two large privately-owned downtown properties occupied by the Farrel Corp. and Ansonia Copper and Brass.
Once home to bustling factories that churned day and night, the properties are now mostly empty, with deteriorating buildings blighting downtown.
“(The city is) 6.4 square miles and some of these properties in the downtown area occupy over 60 acres,” O’Malley said. “That’s enormous for a city our size.”
“We’re looking to get them back on the tax rolls,” O’Malley went on. “Laying fallow or being underused is not helping Ansonia. Anything we can do to enhance these properties is going to serve the city well.”
In a prepared statement, Cassetti said the money dovetails with the objectives he set when taking office.
“My priority has always been attracting, retaining and expanding business in Ansonia in order to increase our grand list and reduce taxpayer burden,” said Cassetti. “This money will go a long way towards achieving those goals.”
“It’s very good news for the city,” Cassetti said Friday afternoon. “Now we have to see how we’re going to spend the money. There’s numerous things we can use it on. But we’re going to use it the right way, that’s for sure.”
A breakdown of the budget for the grant provided by O’Malley earmarks the cash as follows:
- $410,000 infrastructure improvements (demolition, acquisition, cleanup)
- $55,000 Engineering, design and inspection
- $25,000 Planning
- $10,000 Administrative and Legal
Gentile thanked Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who controls the Bond Commission, as well as city officials.
“I want to thank the Governor for understanding the challenges that old, historical manufacturing towns face and recognizing the potential that we can achieve.” Gentile said in a statement. “Additionally, I’d like to thank Mayor Cassetti for his vision for the reuse of our industrial properties and Sheila O’Malley for working with me to put together a comprehensive grant application. And finally I would like to thank my colleague, Senator (Joseph) Crisco for his help and support with the legislative process.”
Crisco said the grant is “yet another example of Connecticut’s ongoing commitment to its cities and towns to help them prosper and grow. State bonding is an investment in our citizens and their possibilities, and I’m proud to have voted for this funding and to bring it home to the people of Ansonia.”
“Investing in town centers is a critical part of our strategy to create jobs in towns and cities across our state,” Malloy said in a statement. “Downtown Ansonia is an area that has tremendous potential, and I’m happy that the state could provide assistance for this project. I want to thank Rep. Gentile and Sen. Crisco for their constant support for their districts.”
