Year-Round Beer Garden, Food Truck Lot Proposed For Pacific Street

STAMFORD, CT — Pacific Street in Stamford is about to get a facelift.

On Tuesday, Gov. Ned Lamont announced that the state is awarding $45 million to 12 municipalities under the newly established Connecticut Communities Challenge Grant Program. The funds are intended to boost community vibrancy and livability.

About $2.5 million is earmarked for Stamford, which will be used with Scrap Works LLC to retrofit underutilized properties on Pacific Street (553, 571, 575, 583 and 670 Pacific Street) to create a year-round beer garden and food truck lot, an authentic German Beer Hall, coffee shop, social coworking space, pilot brewery and tasting room and event space, according to an announcement from Lamont.

The project will also create affordable retail opportunities by building the baseline infrastructure required for future prospective retail tenants such as furniture, fixtures, equipment investments, rent credits, art and more.

The award was given to this project based on its focus of creating a lively commercial area that increases foot traffic, prioritizes streetscape improvements while also preserving and reinvesting in the historic buildings on Pacific Street.

There is no timeline yet for the initiative to commence, according to Lauren Meyer, a spokesperson for Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons

"I’m thrilled that the city of Stamford was awarded this grant," Simmons said in a news release. "The Scrap Works Initiative will invest in affordable retail opportunities for residents and reinvigorate underused properties to create a variety of mixed-use spaces for work and leisure. I want to thank Gov. Ned Lamont and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner (David) Lehman and his team for their focus on investing in projects that improve the vibrancy and quality of life of Connecticut residents. The city of Stamford is looking forward to working with Scrap Works on this exciting endeavor."

Loren Nadres, director of economic development for Stamford, echoed those sentiments, and said the city is "thrilled" that the initiative was funded.

"The unique vision of this project is aligned with the Mayor’s priority to build a more inclusive, vibrant, and innovative city," she said.

Conor Horrigan, creator of the Scrap Works Initiative, said a South End neighborhood study commissioned in 2018 found that a neighborhood Main Street was desired.

"The Scrap Works Initiative is designed to bring this vision to life by taking existing and often vacant buildings and properties on Pacific Street that ooze character and history, cleaning them up and retrofitting them, and bringing in small scrappy businesses that give that community feel and vibe," Horrigan said in a news release. "This new ‘Main Street’ will preserve the character of the South End and help Stamford in its goal of becoming one of the best cities in the U.S."

This is the first round of funding under the new Communities Challenge Grant Program, which is administered by the CT DECD. The second round is expected to launch in the fall of 2022, and DECD is expected to award up to $100 million in grants over the next several years.

"Investing in our communities is a key part of our plan to accelerate long-lasting and equitable economic development in Connecticut," Lamont said in a news release.

"This new grant program we launched will have wide-ranging impacts as we emerge stronger than ever from the pandemic, creating new jobs, improving the vibrancy and quality of life in our neighborhoods, and making all corners of the state even more attractive for investment and opportunity."