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New Canaan Receives State Grant For Downtown Improvements

NEW CANAAN, Conn. — New Canaan received $215,000 from a state grant Thursday to make several infrastructure upgrades to the town’s downtown area.

A new state grant will allow New Canaan to build a pocket-park in the Locust Avenue parking lot soon.

A new state grant will allow New Canaan to build a pocket-park in the Locust Avenue parking lot soon.

Photo Credit: File Photo

The improvements will include completing the Town Hall renovation and building the Locust Avenue parking deck, a statement from Gov. Dannel Malloy’s office said. The projects are expected to provide attractive amenities for pedestrians and additional municipal parking to improve commercial viability.

Funds will be used to buy and install decorative lighting and to construct a pocket park, sidewalk connection and two stamped concrete crosswalks, the statement said. Read more about the New Canaan project here.

The grant New Canaan received was part of nearly $5 million in Main Street Investment Fund grants awarded to 14 municipalities, the release said. The program, which is administered through the state Department of Housing, is designed to help improve town commercial districts, attract businesses and improve pedestrian access and livability in town centers, the release said.

“This program is unique in that it builds a working partnership between state government and the smaller communities that are striving to strengthen their commercial centers and attract additional business.  I applaud the leadership in Berlin, and in the other 13 towns, for their focus on creating accessible and livable downtowns,” Malloy said in the release.

“There is a recognizable link between housing, economic and community development. All three are interdependent and all are crucial factors in the overall economic strategy that is moving Connecticut forward,” said Housing Commissioner Evonne M. Klein.

Awards have to be less than $500,000 and can be used for building improvements, signs, lighting and streetscape improvements.

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