Ansonia officials say the city will use a $50,000 grant to revise zoning regulations, figure out ways to market the city’s downtown, and use city-owned buildings in the area.
Mayor David Cassetti announced the grant, from the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation through its “Vibrant Communities” initiative, at a press conference on Main Street Tuesday.
“This Vibrant Communities Initiative grant will allow us to achieve a variety of objectives in our downtown corridor,” Cassetti said in a prepared statement, which is posted below.
“It will provide the City, property owners and other stakeholders with professional information and tools to accomplish successful reinvestment in the downtown areas,” Cassetti added.
The mayor said the $50,000 will be put toward “three core objectives:”
- Implementing “business-friendly zoning” downtown, by working with the city’s land use boards and residents “to craft flexible new regulations that encourage investment and provide design standards that will enhance the value of the downtown.”
- A downtown marketing study “to give potential developers the information and tools to determine if Ansonia is the correct fit for them, and vice versa.”
- A feasibility study “that will assist us with the redevelopment of City‐owned and underutilized historic assets, such as the Ansonia Armory.”
Cassetti also announced the first of several meetings the city’s Economic Development Commission plans to hold with business owners give businesses “a direct pipeline to our city departments and resources.
Cassetti credited Keith Murray, a local lawyer and chairman of the Economic Development Commission, for pushing the initiative.
The first forum is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 22, at 9:30 a.m. in City Hall.
The mayor’s prepared statement from Tuesday’s event is below.
