New London Awarded $1.2 Million Grant To Redevelop The Day Building

NEW LONDON, CT — The state is injecting $1,237,500 into a downtown revitalization project in New London, according to a statement from Gov. Ned Lamont. The funds will go toward redeveloping The Day building, including façade repairs, energy efficient upgrades, window repairs, and roof replacement.

About 35 new residential units are planned, including 20% affordable units. Four new commercial spaces will be created along with a museum space to display the The Day’s historic newspaper collection.

The project will remove an industrial facility to create a new public park. Several beautification elements on city-owned land are also part of this project, including art installations, gateways, signage, and green space activation measures, according to the statement.

The grant comes via the Connecticut Communities Challenge Grant program, which will distribute $23 million to projects in eight communities. The program was created in 2021 and is administered by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development. The recent announcement represents the third round of grants.

“We created this grant program to help our towns and cities build more housing and improve our ability to attract businesses and grow jobs,” Lamont said in a statement. “These grants are targeted toward projects that will make neighborhoods even more attractive for private investments and increase new opportunities for residents.”

The initial round of grants under this program was released in April 2022, and a second round was released in December 2022.