Shelton Mayor Mark A. Lauretti and James E. Ryan, the former president of the Shelton Economic Development Corporation, received a 2017 Environmental Merit Award from the federal Environmental Protection Agency for the redevelopment of former industrial buildings downtown.
The picture above shows Lauretti (second from left) and Ryan (at left) receiving the awards Wednesday at Faneuil Hall in Boston.
Click here for more background about the award.
The write-up on Lauretti and Ryan from the EPA website reads:
“Mayor Mark Lauretti and James Ryan had the vision and leadership to clean and revitalize Shelton’s former mill district. A 1975 fire that destroyed 10 acres of industrial buildings and displaced 2,400 workers left a legacy of hazardous materials and petroleum contamination in the Shelton Canal & Industrial District. Upon becoming mayor, Mark worked with James Ryan, director of the Shelton Economic Development Corporation, to advance a vision that included a mix of housing, commercial, retail, and open space along the river. They built a team with varied expertise to address complicated brownfields issues and to seek funding. Since 2000, the city and development corporation have been awarded seven EPA assessment grants for more than $600,000, which led to $1.4 million for seven cleanups, five of which are now finished. EPA’s total brownfields investment in Shelton exceeded $2 million and helped leverage $1.1 million in federal funds, $10.6 million in state funds and $80 million from private developers. Mayor Lauretti and James Ryan confronted the challenges of brownfields sites and worked with stakeholders to unlock their redevelopment potential. Most importantly, they created a culture of accomplishment and success in Shelton.”
