Norwich ― In what could be the city’s final adjustments to the spending plan for the city’s $28 million American Rescue Plan Act grant, the City Council last week approved $300,000 for renovations to the Marina at American Wharf and added a second $300,000 to help renovate the long-vacant Reid & Hughes building on Main Street.

The council voted unanimously on these and other funding adjustments to the final round of grants using the city’s federal COVID-19 recovery grants. The funding can be used for broad categories, including economic development, city projects and programs.

In spring, the council approved $300,000 in ARPA money to assist Heritage Housing Inc. with its $5 million plan to renovate the long-vacant former Reid & Hughes department store at 193-201 Main St. into 17 market rate apartments and 2,000 square feet of retail space. The project also received a $550,000 state environmental cleanup grant.

City Manager John Salomone said he recommended the additional $300,000 in ARPA funding for the project after construction bids came in higher than expected, due to inflation and materials shortages. Interior demolition has begun on the Reid & Hughes project.

“The money is needed to bridge the gap of higher construction costs from the estimates of two years ago,” Salomone said.

The $300,000 for the marina is not yet dedicated to any specific purpose, Salomone said, but is designed to help jumpstart renovations there.

In late October, Somers couple Patrick and Brittany Dwyer completed their purchase of the Marina at American Wharf. They plan to make a combination of major renovations and cosmetic improvements, including reopening the seasonal restaurant, bringing back the festival tent on the main patio and possibly installing new boat fueling tanks that were removed several years ago by the previous owner.

The total $600,000 for the two projects was taken from the remaining funds in the $2.5 million Norwich Revitalization Program, administered by the Norwich Community Development Corp. NCDC President Kevin Brown said at the time of the marina sale that he would recommend reserving the maximum $300,000 allowed for one project through the program to assist the new marina owners with renovations.

The lone speaker at last week’s council meeting was former Alderwoman Joanne Philbrick, who called the additional money for the Reid & Hughes building “irresponsible.” The city had owned the vacant building for decades and repeatedly failed in attempts to find a successful development project. Philbrick was on the council when she said she felt coerced into approving city taxpayer dollars toward the previous proposed project that fell through.

“Stop wasting taxpayer money,” Philbrick told the council last week. “Get your heads out of the sand and start doing things that benefit the entire city.”

c.bessette@theday.com