Groton awarded state grant to clean up Groton Heights School property
Groton — The town will receive a $150,000 grant from the state Department of Economic and Community Development for remediation work on the former Groton Heights School property, Governor Dannel P. Malloy announced Wednesday.
The town is among eight municipalities across Connecticut slated to receive state grants "to assess, remediate and revitalize blighted properties in their communities — also known as “brownfields” — and put them back into productive use," according to the announcement. A total of $3.6 million will benefit 11 projects comprising 59 acres, the news release states.
The roughly two-acre property at 244 Monument St., located in the City of Groton and owned by the Town of Groton, holds a school building that was constructed in 1912, but closed in 2007, according to a town description of the property.
Paige Bronk, the town's economic and community development manager, said Wednesday that due to the age of the building, there are contaminants such as lead and asbestos within the building that need to be remediated as part of the redevelopment.
"We’re very excited to have received this grant," Groton Town Manager John Burt said Wednesday. "It helps us to realize the renovation and reuse of the former Groton Heights School, which is an important landmark within Groton."
The anticipated remediation work includes abatement of "asbestos, lead-based paint, and PCB and microbial materials."
"Our Office of Planning and Development Services did a great job pursuing and obtaining the grant," Burt added. "I’m also thankful to the State for recognizing the importance of this project."
"We're very excited that we have been successful, that the state of Connecticut responded to our grant proposal and awarded our request in entirety," Bronk added.
Following a request for proposals for the property, Bronk said final discussions are being held with a preferred developer regarding the property's reuse, but there is no formal agreement yet. He expects a public announcement about the future of the property in 2019.
"It is a partnership between the town, the developer, and also the city, and this grant will definitely help move the project forward in dealing with the remediation needs," Bronk said.
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