Shelton's Constitution Boulevard To Be Extended With $5M State Grant

SHELTON, CT — Constitution Boulevard in Shelton will be extended after a $5 million state grant-in-aid was approved last week as part of a billion-dollar package of Connecticut projects from the State Bond Commission.

The Shelton project will cut a road into the 70-acre parcel known as the MAS property, in which Fairfield-based Bigelow Tea recently announced plans to purchase a 25-acre portion for a new warehouse.

Shelton intends for the MAS property to be developed commercially, and Mayor Mark Lauretti expressed his gratitude to the state for assisting in that initiative.

"I want to offer a special thank you to Governor Lamont for his recognition that the prosperity enjoyed in Shelton spills over to the State of Connecticut in terms of tax revenue, job growth, business retention and expansion that is so vital to the future growth of our state," Lauretti said in a statement. "The extension of Constitution Boulevard will allow businesses to come here and grow here, thereby perpetuating the evolution of an old industrial blue-collar city into a diverse employment hub in the State of Connecticut."

Before the road can be completed, Shelton still has to purchase about 5 acres at 55 Blacks Hill Road, but officials and the property's owners are far apart on a price. Shelton is considering condemning the property and having a judge set a fair market value for the parcel.

Instrumental in receiving the funding were Shelton's Republican state legislators, Reps. Jason Perillo and Ben McGorty and Sen. Kevin Kelly.

"This has been a great team effort that included the mayor, Rep. McGorty and Senator Kelly whose help was invaluable," Perillo said. "We made our pitch to the Governor’s office and they agreed that this was a great economic development opportunity that could not be missed. This will keep a Connecticut business right here in Fairfield County (Bigelow Tea) and lead to additional business development. Additionally, these projects keep taxes on residents low while also providing more tax revenue to pay for city services."