The Connecticut Bond Commission this week sent more than $31 million in funding to southeastern Connecticut to bolster economic development, make small harbors safer and more accessible, improve air quality in schools, and upgrade one city library.

Among the largest allocations was a new Community Investment Fund created last year for historically underserved neighborhoods.

The commission earmarked $19 million for a Norwich business park, a New London community center and improvements to Poquetanuck Village in Preston.

The Norwich Community Development Corporation received $11.3 million to fund 2,700 feet of a new access road into the 384-acre second business park in Occum from Route 97 near the Interstate 395 Exit 18 ramp to an intersection with Canterbury Turnpike.

New London received $7.2 million for the construction of a projected $40 million community center at Fort Trumbull. The long-awaited center will offer a space for recreational activities, rooms for educational and community use and house the city's recreation and youth affairs departments.

The city already had $35 million for the project, including the $30 million bond approved previously by the City Council, federal American Rescue Plan Act funds and state grants. In January, the city approved the project’s first contract totaling $30 million for infrastructure costs but doubt remained on where the remaining funds for the overall project would come from.

Preston received $400,000 to pay for design and engineering work for the Poquetanuck Village traffic calming project. The plan calls for creating a village atmosphere for the historic section of town now used as a speedway between routes 2 and 12.

Preston has received preliminary approval for a $3 million Local Transportation Capital Improvements Program grant for construction of the proposed improvements, but lacked the funding for design and engineering work.

State Rep. Holly Cheeseman, R-East Lyme, a ranking member of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee with a seat on the Bond Commission, described the program as one of the largest boons to the region.

She said the authorization was good news for Norwich, New London and Preston, even as she acknowledged other communities were left disappointed.

She pointed to Montville, which earlier this year requested $1.6 million for a proposed $2.3 million animal control facility. The money would supplement $800,000 in pandemic relief funds allocated by the town.

Cheeseman also represents portions of Montville and Salem.

She said Community Investment Fund administrators will work with towns that didn’t receive the award “to help them figure out where they fell short” so they can apply again.

The program will award up to $175 million each fiscal year through 2027. Applications for the next round are due by June 15.

Port Authority

Norwich and Preston benefited from more than half a million dollars for improvements to small harbors through a Connecticut Port Authority program.

The commission authorized $289,490 to address decaying pilings at Howard T. Brown Memorial Park at Norwich Harbor as part of a wider effort to replace floating concrete docks and ramps at the aging facility. The final chunk of state money leaves the total $1 million upgrade project fully funded.

The state is covering 80% of the overall project, with the city picking up 20%. The city’s share already is in place as part of the capital improvements budget and a portion of the city’s federal American Rescue Plan Act grant.

Norwich Harbor Management Commission Chairman H. Tucker Braddock on Thursday said the project went out to bid this week. He hopes the work will be complete within 12 months.

He noted the upgrades will make the facility safer and accessible to those with disabilities.

“We hope it will bring more people from greater distances down to the water that may not otherwise have an opportunity to be on the water,” he said.

The commission also approved $45,000 to cover design costs for an improved stone walkway leading from Norwich’s riverfront Heritage Walkway to the bank of the Yantic River. The site now features large stone slabs, but the stones have shifted over the years, with one large slab out of place.

Stonington received $250,000 to formalize plans for an upgrade to the north pier of the Town Dock. The money is in addition to $900,000 in federal funding announced earlier this year.

Town Engineer Chris Greenlaw in Feburary said the ultimate cost will not be known until a preliminary design and cost estimate are completed.

The north pier at the nearly two-century-old Town Dock is in need of repair due to age, sea level rise, erosion and wave damage. An application for the federal funding stated the 100 pilings are all in various stages of damage, along with the framing system beneath the dock.

State Rep. Aundre Bumgardner, D-Groton, said the money will support the continued operations of the state’s last commercial fishing fleet.

““Stonington’s Borough and the 41st District have been doing sea-to-table since 1750, and I applaud the Bond Commission for supporting our small businesses and shoreline economy,” he said.

Air quality and a library

The commission allocated $75 million to the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services’ HVAC Indoor Air Quality Grants Program for Public Schools for upgrades to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

The air quality program is funded by the bond commission allocation and $75 million from the state’s share of federal pandemic-relief funds. Lamont on Wednesday announced the first round of funding, which directs $56 million in grant awards to 49 schools.

Locally, that shakes out to $6.2 million for Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School, $3.05 million for Lyme Consolidated School, $2.7 million for Center School and $55,208 to Preston Veterans’ Memorial School.

In Lyme-Old Lyme, HVAC work comprises the bulk of planned upgrades to four of the district’s five buildings estimated to cost $57.5 million. The Preston funds will cover 61% of the $89,872 total project cost for updating and replacing air controls.

The commission also voted to send $95,000 to the New London Public Library for building improvements to bathrooms, reading rooms and elevators. The money was directed to the New London library after funds previously allocated to libraries in Sharon, Greenwich and Derby went unused.

e.regan@theday.com