Berlin Program to Receive Half-Million Dollar Grant

BERLIN, CT - The Facade and Landscape Program in Berlin was among 20 projects in towns and cities across Connecticut which will receive nearly $11 million in funding under a competitive grant program that will support transit-oriented development and responsible growth, targeted at boosting economic activity and creating jobs.

The grants, which were announced Wednesday by the governor's office, come under the state's Responsible Growth and Transit-Oriented Development Grant Program, which is administered by the Office of Policy and Management (OPM) and relies on a combination of funding from the Responsible Growth Incentive Fund and the Transit-Oriented Development and Pre-development Fund.

Berlin will receive $500,000 to fund additional projects under the town's successful Facade and Landscape Program, which was previously funded through STEAP. This program provides assistance to commercial property owners in the rail TOD zone, and core shopping districts to upgrade their facades and landscaping. The program will help retain and attract new businesses and encourage pedestrian activity in the vicinity of the rail station.

"Investing in transportation is critical. Transportation and the future of our economy are fundamentally linked. Our focus is on not only improving overall quality of life for residents in these areas, but also encouraging economic development by making our towns and cities more accessible," Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said. "These grants will help us take another step towards making our state more competitive."

"The grants announced today will make Connecticut a better place to live, work, and compete in the 21st Century. These projects will improve pedestrian connections, increase multimodal transportation options, encourage infill development and discourage sprawl. And they complement the historic investments being made in public transit under the Let's Go CT! initiative," OPM Secretary Ben Barnes said. "By promoting transportation alternatives, the projects will decrease emissions and road congestion in high traffic areas. This is the type of critical funding that we must continue to invest in our towns and cities."

Other towns receiving funding include Branford, Canton, Clinton, Danbury, Hartford, Madison, Meriden, New Canaan, New Haven, Old Saybrook, Waterbury, Westport, Windsor and Windsor Locks.