Norwich will get a little more help with turning a blighted property into land that will bring economic development.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont released $18.8 million in grants from the Department of Economic and Community Development’s Brownfield Remediation and Development Program on June 12. The money will go toward 23 blighted properties in 19 communities statewide. This includes $100,000 to Norwich for assessing the Norwich side of the former Norwich State Hospital property, a press release from the governor’s office states.
“With these grants, we are partnering with towns and developers to take unused, lifeless properties and bring them back from the dead, rejuvenating land that can be used for so much more and can bring value back to these neighborhoods,” Lamont stated in the press release.
File photo of the Norwich side of the former Norwich Hospital.
Other eastern Connecticut communities receiving funds include East Lyme and Stonington.
More: Potential brownfield grant funding could make former Norwich Hospital land useable for housing
Assessment
Norwich was already awarded a $250,000 planning grant through the Community Investment Fund 2030, so Norwich now has $350,000 for this work. This funding will help determine what kind of remediation is needed, how long it will take, and how much it will cost, Norwich Community Development Corporation President Kevin Brown said.
“This is a step before actually remediating,” he said. “We can’t really answer the question for when this will start and when this will end until the assessment phase is over.”
By next summer, Norwich will start applying for grants from the State of Connecticut and the Environmental Protetion Agency for the actual remediation work, Brown said.
Plenty of possibilities for the remediated property
The assessment results will also determine what the property can be best used for, so Brown doesn’t want to be strictly committed to one idea yet. However, two things he’s considering is synergy with the adjacent future Preston Riverwalk, and the need for affordable housing in Connecticut, he said.
“Whatever the study informs us, we have to recognize that this is the gateway from Route 12 in the south to the City of Norwich, and we want it to feel that way,” Brown said.
It’s also possible to take the two properties and make it a joint venture between Norwich and the Mohegan Tribe, who own the Riverwalk. In any case, Norwich would never do anything that would hinder the Riverwalk, Norwich Mayor Peter Nystrom said.
This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Norwich State Hospital site gets grant, according to CT governor