State Gives Mixed-Income Apartment Project Over $1.2M In Blight Funds

BROOKFIELD, CT — Plans to remediate contaminated soil and to abate and demolish the former dry cleaning business at 20 Station Road received a boost from a state grant Monday for blighted properties.

The $1,207,938 grant will enable the construction of a three-story affordable mixed-income apartment building by Brookfield Village Station Road, LLC.

The grant is part of approximately $24.6 million in state funding to local communities help with the costs associated with assessing and remediating 41 blighted parcels of land in 16 towns and cities across Connecticut for the purposes of putting them back in to productive use.

The grant and loan funding are from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development’s Brownfield Remediation and Development Program. The state assistance is expected to leverage approximately $625 million in private funding and will help in the investigation and clean-up of approximately 86 acres of land.

"Cleaning up blighted properties that have been vacant for decades and putting them into productive use will ultimately generate private investment equal to many times these state grants," Governor Ned Lamont said.

"If we remediate these properties now, we can turn an eyesore into an asset, revitalize neighborhoods, and transform otherwise unusable property into new space for businesses and residents."

"Remediation of brownfields is critically important for the health of our environment, and the health of our communities," Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes said.

"Ensuring that these sites are properly cleaned up will contribute to safer communities and will open the door to significant economic benefit once remediated. Brownfield locations are also the wise choice for development and growth, as these properties and the surrounding areas have had significant infrastructure investments in water, sewer, transportation, and energy."