Farmington and Simsbury are among six Connecticut communities that will collect more than $2.1 million in state grants for infrastructure improvements, authorities say.
The governor’s office announced Wednesday the latest round of Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) grants:
- Farmington: $350,000 to improve the access and usability of Farmington Avenue through the Bioscience Corridor and the historic Farmington Village. The project includes improved signage for visitors entering Farmington from I-84, and improvements to streetscapes and bus shelters. Additional bus shelters will protect riders from the elements and encourage increased usage of bus transit that runs on Farmington Avenue.
- Simsbury: $150,000 to complete the construction of the Simsbury Veterans Memorial. The memorial will recognize and honor the 104 Simsbury residents who gave their lives to serve and protect this country. The memorial is designed to represent democracy with four ten-foot, white granite columns engraved with the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, symbols of American Democracy and the 104 names of Simsbury’s deceased veterans.
- Bethany: $500,000 to convert the old Bethany airport hangar into a recreation building and emergency shelter. The building will become the hub for recreation grounds serving over 1,100 participants in outdoor and indoor activities. The new addition of indoor space would expand the number of recreation programs and participants. It will be an accessible, conveniently located community asset in an area being considered as a “village center” that will be an incentive for expanded and new businesses. It will also serve as an emergency shelter when needed.
- Hebron: $391,000 for the replacement of Marjorie Circle Bridge over Jeremy Brook, which is more than 50 years old. This bridge is used by a nearby residential community, church and those accessing Town Hall. The improved infrastructure will also provide better access for emergency vehicles to reach other parts of town that may be unreachable during high-volume traffic times at surrounding major intersections.
- Greenwich: $250,000 for the construction of a two-story facility to house the food and clothing distribution services of the non-profit organization Neighbor-to-Neighbor, which serves thousand of adults and children. The project will allow for expanded services, increased space for volunteers, and overall improvement to the delivery of food and clothing to low-income Greenwich area residents. The facility will be ADA-compliant and energy efficient. Plans include an elevator, greater assortment of products, a conference room for on-site meetings and activities and adequate parking.
- New Milford: $498,253 for the expansion of the highly-utilized recreational room at the New Milford Senior Center . This expansion will grow the recreational space to double its current square footage. The project will enable the center to keep more activities on site, alleviating transportation challenges for area seniors.
