New London ― Anyone curious to see what $100,000 worth of grant funding looks like only needs to take a stroll downtown and look up, preferably after the sun sets.

Dozens of new streetlight toppers went live this month on State and Bank streets, part of a massive, years-in-the-making city beautification and revitalization effort that’s drawing funding from federal, state and local sources.

On a recent weeknight, Majan Pierre, owner of the newly opened Favorites Bistro Bar on Bank Street settled customers into tables where the aroma of jerk chicken, fried plantains and other Caribbean-inspired fare wafted by.

“It’s all definitely brighter and more welcoming here,” she said. “I’ve been to St. Louis’ downtown and that’s what this reminds me of. It feels more downtown-ish now.”

The 65 LED lights replace older, less efficient models that tended to glow, rather than illuminate, said Felix Reyes, director of the city’s Office of Planning and Development.

“The old ones weren’t functional lights; they’d light up around the bulbs but didn’t cast any light down on sidewalks or parking areas,” he said.

News of the lighting upgrades made its way to the City Council on Monday after Mayor Michael Passero raved about the new additions.

“You’ve got to check out all the new lights installed downtown,” he told councilors. “It’s such a startling change.”

The lights are the latest capital improvement project carried out by the city in recent weeks and months. More than 60 enclosed trash receptacles designed by local artists were placed on State and Bank streets in April. Two weeks ago, new cobbled road pavers were installed on Bank Street.

“We also took down several dead trees, all part of the holistic approach we’re taking to make the idea of downtown as a tourist destination a reality in the next two years,” Reyes said.

The conclusion of that timeline is expected to dovetail with the opening of the new National Coast Guard Museum on the city’s waterfront in 2025, an attraction Reyes estimated will bring up to 300,000 visitors a year to New London.

“We have to prepare and accommodate for that with parking, signs and other economic development amenities that will also foster an increased population growth,” he said.

All those improvements come at a cost, though.

The trash containers, which Reyes said are similar to “Bigbelly-style” models throughout the Boston area, cost $234,000 and were paid for with a combination of federal American Rescue Plan Act monies; state “nip” bottle surcharge fees distributed to the city; and New London City District funding.

The $100,000 price tag for the new light fixtures was covered with a portion of a $5.9 million state Communities Challenge Grant awarded to the city by the state Department of Economic and Community Development in April 2022, supplemented with ARPA funding.

The city has applied for an additional $2.4 million state challenge grant and is expected to be notified of the application’s status in July, said Reyes.

The Bank Street road surface facelift, completed this month and paid with city bonding, will be followed by a post-Labor Day sidewalk project that will add new brick-accented walkways to an area heavily frequented by pedestrians.

“It’s the city’s responsibility to create a safe, clean environment where businesses can thrive,” Reyes said, rattling of a list of other recently completed downtown projects, including the restoration of the “Whaling Wall” mural and upgrades to the Garde Arts Center. “This is the execution year for all that planning.”

All that work seems to be making a positive impression on residents.

Yvette Mulholland stopped by for a quick cut-and-color at State Street’s New Look Hair Salon on Tuesday afternoon. Outside the shop, one of the new light fixtures stood decorated with purple and white flower baskets.

“(The lights) just bring a bright, new aura to the environment,” she said, fiddling with a strip of foil in her hair. “I come downtown all the time to the bars and restaurants, and this is the kind of thing you want to see.”

On Friday, as he waited for his barber shop to open, long-time city resident Jermaine Oddman watched his 6-year-old son, Gianni, drum his heels on the side of one of the street’s new trash receptacles.

Oddman, 26, said the area’s beautification push is a smart way to make the downtown area more attractive to visitors and residents.

“It makes you want to go out, even if it’s just for a walk,” he said.

j.penney@theday.com