Gov. Dannel P. Malloy yesterday announced that the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) is providing $7.9 million in grants to 14 towns and cities across the state for brownfield remediation and assessment activities. The projects comprise 187 acres of redevelopment.

“Putting brownfield sites back to productive use is an economic win-win for the environment and our economy,” Malloy said in a statement. “The funding announced today will be a great benefit for municipalities as they begin the process of turning these contaminated properties into economic opportunities.”

The grants include:

• Bristol – 894 Middle Street: $1,339,000 grant to remediate a city–owned site to enable the installation of a proposed fuel cell on the rear portion of the site, enabling commercial/mixed used development on the street frontage.
• Cheshire – 493 West Main Street: $750,000 grant to continue abatement and remediation of the Ball & Socket factory, which is being converted into a mixed–use arts and cultural facility, leveraging state and federal historic tax credits.
• Colchester – 139 Westchester Road: $518,000 grant to demolish and remediate the abandoned Norton Mill complex, which has been vacant since the 1960s. The site will be converted into a riverfront park, supported by federal funding.
• Enfield – 98 Prospect Street: $550,000 grant to remediate an abandoned, former industrial site. Once remediated, the town intends to sell the site to an Enfield business to facilitate the expansion of their facility on an adjacent parcel.
• Hartford / Hartford Housing Authority – Chester A. Bowles Park: $2,000,000 grant to abate, demolish and remediate the Chester A. Bowles Park housing complex to enable its redevelopment as a mixed–use, mixed–income development. Phase I of the redevelopment includes 74 rental residential units and 29 homeownership units.
• Middletown – 27 Stack Street: $825,000 grant to remediate and abate a historically significant abandoned mill building into affordable housing, leveraging state and federal historic tax credits.
• Portland – 222, 230, and 248 Brownstone Avenue: $750,000 grant to remediate three vacant former industrial parcels immediately adjacent to the Brownstone Exploration and Discovery Park. Remediation will enable expanded parking for the park, public access to the riverfront and the development of a restaurant and visitors center.
• Stamford – 1056 Washington Boulevard: $362,000 grant to remediate a former gas station and dry cleaning site to enable the completion of the Mill River Park and Greenway.

Assessment Projects

• Berlin: $35,600 grant to continue the investigation of 73 Woodlawn Road.
• Derby (Valley COG): $85,000 grant for investigation of 251 Roosevelt Avenue.
• East Lyme: $200,000 grant for investigation of 224 Main Street.
• North Haven: $200,000 grant for investigation of 250 Universal Drive, part of the Cedar Hills Infrastructure Improvement District.
• Torrington: $100,000 grant for investigation of a portion of the Stone Container facility at 200 Litchfield Street.
• Waterbury: $198,000 grant to continue the investigation of the Freight Street District.