Waterbury’s Board of Aldermen, meeting Monday night, accepted a $2 million state brownfields grant toward cleanup costs of industrially polluted sites adjacent to the Brass City Food Hub in the South End. Â
The board also signed off on the hire of Glastonbury-based BSC Group to a contract worth up to $775,000 to: develop a clean-up plan for nearly 2.5-acres on Mill Street and at 777 South Main St.; and study the viability of adding a marketplace and greenhouse to the existing food hub and then design those buildings.
The Waterbury Development Corp. – the city’s development arm – led a $3.5 million effort to build a “food hub” for nonprofit Brass City Harvest. The hub, which opened almost exactly three years ago, was built to clean and process produce and other foods from area farmers up to U.S. Food and Drug Administration standards.
That would provide a valuable service to area farmers, while also providing food and revenue for Brass City Harvest to carry on its mission of providing fresh, healthy food to locals in need.
“I think Brass City Harvest provides vital services to Waterbury and surrounding communities and we are excited to partner with them to expand their services and programs,” said interim WDC Director Thomas Hyde, whose agency will lead efforts to expand the Brass City Harvest facilities.
Aldermen accepted a $2 million grant through the state Department of Economic and Community Development, to be used toward the cleanup effort around Brass City Harvest’s food hub. It is in an area of Waterbury where densely concentrated heavy industry had fallen into abandonment and decay. Waterbury has applied for a $1 million federal grant for the cleanup as well.
Today, the area around the food hub has one of the highest concentrations of poverty in Connecticut. The administration of outgoing Waterbury Mayor Neil O’Leary has focused heavily on cleaning blighted factory complexes in the area, setting the stage for redevelopment.
“This is another example of the restoration of the South End of Waterbury and the value the food hub will bring to the residents of the South End and the city at large,,” O’Leary said. “It’s really going to be transformational.”
