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Connecticut Main Street Center, the downtown revitalization and economic development nonprofit, selected seven organizations and municipalities to receive a total of $70,000 in Preservation of Place grants this year.
The 2014 grants will be used to provide Connecticut communities in Bridgeport, Canton, Essex, New London, Norwalk, the Northwest corner, and Willimantic "with targeted resources to increase their capacity to plan for preservation and revitalization initiatives in their downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts," according to a release.
Norwalk 2.0 received a grant for the Freese Park Artist Village Plan. The organization will receive between $5,000 and $14,500 in Preservation of Place grant funds.
“Historic preservation and the revitalization of our Main Streets create jobs, bring vacant buildings back on the tax rolls and add value and vitality to adjacent buildings and neighborhoods,” said John Simone, CMSC President and CEO. “This year’s winners are taking steps to implement these types of positive changes by proactively planning for the growth and improvement of their downtowns.”
The Preservation of Place grant program provides a source of funding for new initiatives that can be integrated into, and leverage, comprehensive Main Street preservation and revitalization programs. The funds are meant to be flexible to meet individual community need, according to the release.
“The diversity of locations, from the Northwest Corner of Connecticut to New London, matched with the diversity of projects, from creative placemaking in urban open spaces to organizational and leadership development that will improve the management function in downtown, will allow each community to respond to their greatest current need, actively creating their direction of growth,” Simone said.
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