$950K Grant To Help Remediate Contaminated Soil At Stamford Site

STAMFORD, CT — Gov. Ned Lamont on Wednesday announced the approval of a series of state grants totaling $20 million that will be used to support the remediation and redevelopment of 21 blighted properties consisting of 150 acres of contaminated land in 18 municipalities across the state, and included is $950,000 for a project in Stamford.

The money was given to the Western Council of Governments to complete excavation and remediation of contaminated soil on a 3.8-acre site at 39 Woodland Ave. in Stamford, according to a news release from Lamont's office.

Redevelopment plans include mixed-use development with 714 new units of residential housing, as well as parks and pedestrian connections to the Stamford Transportation Center and the harbor.

Overall, the $20 million worth of grants will be used to support the costs of cleaning up vacant properties so they can be redeveloped and put back into productive use to support economic growth and housing needs.

"All of these blighted properties have been vacant for years when we should be using them to grow new businesses and support the development of badly needed housing," Lamont said in a news release. "This series of state grants enables us to partner with developers who will take these zombie properties and bring them back from the dead, cleaning up contaminated land and bringing life back to these neighborhoods."

The grants are being released through the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development’s Brownfield Remediation and Development Program. These state investments are expected to leverage approximately $530 million in private investments and facilitate the creation of 1,392 units of new housing, as well as the growth of new businesses.

"Under the leadership of Governor Lamont, Connecticut continues to make impactful investments in our communities that are building vibrancy, creating jobs, and improving the lives of our residents," Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Daniel O’Keefe said in a news release. "This latest round of brownfield investments is noteworthy for the high amount of private investment it is leveraging and for how it is helping to address one our state’s most pressing needs – increasing the supply of quality housing."

For more information on Connecticut’s Brownfield Remediation and Development Program, click here.