Lamont Announces $4 Million Grant for New Britain Main Street Development

Gov. Ned Lamont (D) announced that the Main Street development next to the Police Headquarters is receiving a $4 million grant to build a six-story apartment building on the site.

The Governor said that the funding is part of a $23 million round of grants for different projects under the state Connecticut Communities Challenge Grant program.

“We created this grant program to help our towns and cities build more housing and improve our ability to attract businesses and grow jobs,” Gov. Lamont said. “These grants are targeted toward projects that will make neighborhoods even more attractive for private investments and increase new opportunities for residents.”

The New Britain grant, the Governor’s office says, is for the “Strand” project, which,

promises to bring a much-loved piece of New Britain history back to life while providing modern, amenity-rich housing. The Strand’s moniker and design features pay homage to the former Strand Theater, one of the grandest theaters in the Northeast during its time, which sat approximately on the same site. The Strand will produce approximately 100 market-rate and affordable units in addition to over 3,700 square feet of ground floor restaurant and retail, complete with a “marquee” and facade harkening back to the old theater. The project represents a critical infill opportunity and maximizes the land’s cultural and economic value potential, right-sized for location and walkable to transit and all downtown has to offer.

The grant program, the Governor’s office says, “has awarded more than $95 million in support of projects in 21 cities and towns.”

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