Gentile reminds developers of brownfield grants

Application deadline is June 30

State Rep. Linda M. Gentile

     State Rep. Linda M. Gentile, D-Ansonia, reminded area developers and local leaders that the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development is accepting applications for a new round of funding to help remediate and redevelop brownfield sites throughout the state.   

     Applications for the pool of $20 million in grants and loans are due by June 30.

     “Bringing these brownfield and contaminated sites back online is an important investment by the state,” Gentile said. “We know that towns and individual businesses can’t pay for the total clean-up on their own, and this funding will help to alleviate some of these costs. I strongly encourage Naugatuck Valley residents and businesses to apply for this funding. I thank the Governor and DECD for recognizing the need for cleaning up these sites.”

     According to DECD, awards made under this round of funding may be used for a range of brownfield remediation and redevelopment activities, including abatement, demolition, site investigation and assessment, groundwater monitoring, installation of institutional controls, and professional services fees associated with redevelopment including attorney’s fees, and planning, design and consulting fees.

     Eligible applicants for grant funding include municipalities and economic development agencies; municipalities, agencies and both for-profit and nonprofit developers are eligible to apply for low-interest loan funding. 

     Grants applicants can request funding of up to $4 million; loan applicants can request funding of up to $2 million.

     The rating and ranking sheet for this funding round, which provides further details on application criteria, as well as the program application, is available at ctbrownfields.gov. 

     Applications must be submitted to DECD, 505 Hudson St. Hartford, CT 06106-7106 no later than June 30.

    Questions related to the application must be submitted to brownfields@ct.gov by June 9, 2014; responses will be posted at ctbrownfields.gov by June 16, 2014.

This is a press release from Gentile's office.

Commissioner to address small business owners at Shelton event

SHELTON - Commissioner Catherine H. Smith of the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) will offer a brief seminar to area small business people beginning at 9 a.m. Friday at the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce office, 10 Progress Drive.

She will introduce them to the state’s small business assistance programs including the highly successful Small Business Express (EXP), Subsidized Training and Employment (Step Up), and Job Expansion Tax Credit (JET) programs.
Immediately following the Commissioner’s presentation, DECD staff will be available to meet with individual small businesses to discuss the opportunities available to them.

“We have some of the best tools to help small businesses in the country, and in the past two years, we have helped hundreds and hundreds of small business people achieve their goals,” Smith said. “Connecticut has experienced the best two-year record of job growth since the late 1990s, with tens of thousands of private sector jobs created. We’re looking to continue that trend, so we’re coming out to the valley to make it a little easier for local business people to learn about our programs, and meet some of our economic development staff.”

The presentation is being hosted by the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce, and the Connecticut Business and Industry Association is co-sponsoring the event.

To register, email your first and last name, phone number, company name and address, to SmallBusinessExpressEvent@ct.gov. For more event information, call 860-270-8052.

Visit DECD on the web at www.decd.org.


This is a press release from the Department of Economic and Community Development.