Downtown Manchester Project Getting Millions In State Aid

MANCHESTER, CT — Manchester is in line to receive more than $7 million from the state for a downtown refurbishing project.

Gov. Ned Lamont, Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven), and Speaker of the House Matt Ritter (D-Hartford) Friday announced that the State Bond Commission has approved the release of $99 million in state funding to support the second round of grants under the Community Investment Fund 2030, a grant program established in 2022 to support economic development in "historically underserved" communities across Connecticut.

The Community Investment Fund 2030 is administered by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development and overseen by a 21-member board that is co-chaired by Senator Looney and Speaker Ritter. The board reviews applications and makes recommendations to the governor, who approves and forwards the applications to the State Bond Commission in his capacity as its chairperson. It is anticipated to release up to $875 million in grants a five-year period.

A total of $7.5 million has been earmarked for a project in Manchester called, "Downtown for All – Streetscape." The award will help fund a portion of the Downtown Streetscape project, designed to make Downtown Manchester more accessible and connected for pedestrians and cyclists through streetscape redesign, road diet, cycle track and public space improvements.

Eligible projects include capital improvements, such as those focused on affordable housing, brownfield remediation, infrastructure, and public facilities, as well as small business support programs that provide revolving loans, gap financing, microloans, or start-up financing. In addition to promoting economic or community development in the municipality, projects must be intentionally designed to further consistent and systematic fair, just, impartial treatment of all individuals, including those belonging to underserved and marginalized communities such, as Black, Latino, indigenous and native American persons, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; persons comprising the LGBTQ+ community; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.

"The Community Investment Fund was established last year to improve the economic vibrancy of historically underserved neighborhoods," Lamont said. "Over the next several years, this program will be responsible for providing an incredible amount of opportunities for Connecticut's cities and towns to revitalize their economic base and chart a path of equitable growth. Each of these projects supports this goal, and I am glad we’ve been able to get them approved."