West Haven Board Approves $2.5M Downtown Grant Request

West Haven’s $2.5M Grant Request Clears State Board

WEST HAVEN, CT — The state Community Investment Fund 2030 Board approved West Haven’s $2.5 million grant request Tuesday, Sept. 22, for downtown public infrastructure upgrades, Mayor Dorinda Borer announced. The vote advances the proposal but does not complete the state’s funding approval process.

The State Bond Commission must still consider the next step of final approval, according to the city. The state’s CIF program says the Office of the Governor reviews applications and the CIF Board’s recommendations; the State Bond Commission approves grants.

West Haven Plans Focus on the Green, Curtiss Place and Businesses

The city says the grant would fund comprehensive streetscape improvements intended to increase foot traffic, improve pedestrian accessibility and attract commercial businesses to central West Haven. The proposal covers two public spaces: the historic West Haven Green and the plaza and alleyway at 9 Curtiss Place, off Campbell Avenue.

The city describes those sites as anchors for a broader effort to revitalize the central business district. Planned public-space improvements would support entertainment and events while encouraging commercial investment, according to Borer’s announcement.

The proposed project also includes a microgrant program for small businesses in West Haven’s Village Improvement District. The city says the grants would support leaseholder improvements, efforts involving vacant storefronts and exterior facade upgrades. The announcement does not provide a dollar breakdown between public-space work and business grants.

State Bond Commission Approval Is the Next Step

The CIF Board’s vote moves West Haven’s request forward; it is not the final state approval. The state program identifies the State Bond Commission as the entity that approves project grants. The city announcement did not give a date for the commission to consider West Haven’s request.

The city says the grant application followed a year of study and strategy. West Haven hired a professional consultant to gather public input and conduct a market study, then developed a Municipal Development Plan that Borer submitted with the application.

The city said the plan rollout will take about two years. The announcement did not identify a construction start date or provide a detailed schedule for work at the Green, Curtiss Place or participating businesses.

The Community Investment Fund 2030 is a statewide program administered by the state Department of Economic and Community Development. The state says the fund will award up to $767 million over five years. For West Haven, the next step is State Bond Commission consideration of the proposed $2.5 million award.

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