Norwich city manager unveils plan for first half of nearly $30 million American Rescue Plan funds

July 06, 2021 12:00 am • Last Updated: July 07, 2021 7:21 pm

By Claire Bessette
Day Staff Writer

Norwich — Human services programs, plans to develop a heritage park at the historic Uncas Leap site, funding for arts and affordable housing, along with economic development and a boost to community policing are included in the first half of the city's anticipated nearly $30 million federal COVID-19 relief funds.

City Manager John Salomone presented his proposal to the City Council on Tuesday for spending nearly $10 million of the first $14.6 million in funding — $10.65 million directly to the city from the American Rescue Plan and another $3.76 million in the city’s portion of funds allocated to New London County.

The city expects to receive another $14.6 million in May 2022 under the same guidelines.

Salomone will ask for City Council approval for the spending plan in early August. His plan unveiled Tuesday leaves $5.4 million “in reserve,” he said. City officials are examining whether certain projects would qualify for the funding, including upgrades to the city’s fire radios and emergency dispatch systems.

Norwich Human Services would receive $2.1 million, the Uncas Leap heritage park also $2.1 million, and another $2 million would be allocated to the Norwich Community Development Corp. to revive the former downtown revitalization program. Salomone said the new NCDC funding could be used citywide as matching grants to building owners for code improvements or to create so-called “vanilla box” prepared spaces, including some specifically for restaurants, to attract new businesses.

The city Human Services Department, which has been on the front line of the city’s COVID-19 response, would receive $889,000 for basic needs, $175,000 for employment support, $185,933 for staffing support, $250,000 for health services, $250,000 for mental health services and $350,000 for the Recreation Department, overseen by Norwich Human Services.

While Norwich Public Utilities is not eligible to receive “revenue loss recovery” funds, Norwich Human Services could use the funding to help residents pay past-due utility bills. Salomone did propose spending $800,000 to expand water and sewer lines along Browning Road in the vicinity of the city’s former landfill.

He also budgeted $300,000 for the Norwich Police Department to address gun violence and to enhance community policing efforts. His presentation came hours after police investigated a shooting at the corner of Greene Avenue and Cedar Street, in which a parked vehicle’s window was shattered. Salomone said he regretted cutting the police budget at the last minute in mid-June, eliminating funding for three vacant police officer positions. He said he would ask that the new funding emphasize community policing.

Salomone’s plan includes two new “very exciting” proposed partnerships with longstanding community entities. He proposed a $1.2 million partnership between Habitat for Humanity of Eastern Connecticut and the city’s community development, $360,000 to help complete the agency’s planned multi-home project on Margerie and Sylvester streets and $840,000 for other housing rehabilitation projects in the city.

The city’s funding would supplement $1.56 million in Habitat’s non-ARP funding for the 10 new homes on Margerie and Sylvester streets. For the rehabilitation projects, the city would offer houses taken through foreclosure to Habitat for rehabilitation to provide affordable homes for residents and return them to the tax rolls.

“We want to provide economic stabilization for Norwich households and local businesses,” Salomone said.

The second partnership would be with the Southeastern Connecticut Cultural Coalition to assist Norwich arts venues and programs that suffered greatly with the COVID-19 shutdowns, Salomone said. He would look to the coalition to review applications from arts groups, and funding could include proposals for public art in key areas, possibly including the new roundabout planned for Franklin and Main streets downtown.

“It goes a long way, arts and culture, to manage the perception of Norwich as a welcoming community,” Salomone said. “And of course, to coordinate arts, culture, history and heritage events and activities as part of tourism, economic development, and just the soul of the community in so many ways.”

Wendy Bury, executive director of the cultural coalition, said the group made similar partnership proposals to all cities and towns in the region, realizing no municipality has an arts department with staffing to oversee grants programs. She envisioned a competitive grant application process for the entities and wants to encourage collaborations among arts organizations and programs.

The two partnerships will require written memorandums of understanding with Habitat for Humanity and the cultural coalition, as well as a new agreement with NCDC for the economic development portion.

The Uncas Leap park project has been in the works for the past several years. The city received state and federal grants to start the project, including creating a new public parking lot and partially demolishing a former granite mill. The plan calls for the remaining open walls of the mill to be used as a “ruin” with walking trails through openings. The granite blocks removed from the upper floors will be fashioned into an amphitheater for outdoor concerts, history lectures and programs. The granite blocks from the partial demolition are now piled up on the property.

Salomone said without the $2.1 million in ARP funds, the city would be waiting for years to obtain grants to finish the project.

Because the site is of paramount historic significance to the Mohegan Tribe as well as to early European settlement of Norwich, Salomone said the city has been working closely with the tribe throughout the planning process for the park. The area is part of the site of a 1643 battle between the Mohegan and Narragansett tribes.

“This addresses a number of areas,” Salomone said. “Tourism, open space, ability for local people to have a recreational area. There’s not a lot of recreation in that area at all. We think it’s very key to tourism and the history of the city.”

c.bessette@theday.com