Gov. Announces $500K Grant for Work on Meriden HUB

Meriden is slated receive a $500,000 grant from the state for flood control-related engineering and construction at the city's HUB site, Gov. Dannel Malloy announced Friday in a statement.

The city is one of 23 communities that will net about $16 million in grants and loans for brownfield redevelopment projects from the Department of Economic and Community Development if the state's Bond Commission approves the funding.

“Investing in these redevelopment efforts is smart policy—we create jobs and thriving communities, expand our tax base, and clean up pollution in Connecticut,” Malloy said in a statement.

The state's DECD Commissioner Catherine Smith said that the allocations were part of a renewed commitment to redeveloping its brownfields – former industrial or commerical sites that are likely spots of contamination.

“In the last six months alone, we’ve gotten more than $33 million in brownfield funding out the door to our cities and towns and other parties that are helping to capitalize on the economic potential of these sites.  Cleaning up these sites so they are ready for redevelopment is vital to our efforts to spur economic activity and make our communities more vibrant and accessible.”

This grant follows a from the state announced in December 2011 to clean up contaminated soil at the HUB, and is part of the city's overall plan to turn the 14.4 acre grass and concrete site in Meriden's downtown into a city park. The proposed park is slated to be built to retain floodwaters as part of the city's efforts to mitigate flooding downtown.  

The city plans to break ground on the HUB project sometime in 2012, City Manager Lawrence Kendzior said at a 2011 public hearing. Kendzior was unavailable for comment Friday afternoon.

City councilor Brian Daniels said the grant was another indication of state officials' strong support for Meriden's flood control efforts.

"The state's continued commitment to addressing flood control in Meriden is extremely important," Daniels said. "We appreciate the governor's continued support for the City of Meriden."

The Bond Commission's next meeting is scheduled for March 30.