Gov. Malloy: State of CT Will Invest $3.8M to Establish Community Center

Gov. Malloy announced Wednesday that the state of Connecticut will invest $3.8M to establish a community center to serve all ages. He was joined by Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton to announce the Danbury Community Facility Collaboration’s plans.

The alliance that will facilitate the plans is made up of local nonprofits and led by the Connecticut Institute for Communities, Inc. (CIFC). They are working with the Danbury War Memorial Association to purchase the old Danbury YMCA building on Boughton Street, which recently closed.

“By investing in this facility that so many depend on, we will ensure that this now-vacant building will be restored into productive reuse and the programs and services that were lost due to the closure of the YMCA will be replaced,” Gov. Malloy said.

Officials with the YMCA on Boughton Street in Danbury announced the reason for the closure in July was due to ”restructuring.” They shifted its memberships and programs to the Greenknoll Branch in Brookfield.

Gov. Malloy announced the state will fund nearly $4M of the project’s total cost of more than $5M.

James Maloney, president and CEO of CIFC said all those involved in this project are “profoundly grateful to Governor Dan Malloy for his visionary leadership,” adding, “he clearly has a deep understanding for what makes a healthy community function at its best.”

Maloney noted that the Danbury YMCA had a pool that served the community and that Danbury is largest city on the state without a Boys & Girls Club. This was the reason he approached the Governor regarding this project. The CIFC will work with the War Memorial Association to facilitate the plans for the old YMCA building and allow their members to use the pool as well.

Patch file photo

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