SENATOR MARX WELCOMES VOTE SUPPORTING $6.02 MILLION IN STATE GRANTS FOR NEW LONDON COMMUNITY HALL, PLANNED PARENTHOOD RELOCATION PROJECTS

Today, State Senator Martha Marx (D-New London) welcomed a vote by the bipartisan Community Investment Fund 2030 board, commonly known as CIF, that will bring $6.02 million in grant funding to New London to support two grants. The first will provide $4 million to New London’s Mercer Community Hall project, while the second will invest $2.02 million toward Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, Inc.’s relocation to New London.

The CIF vote is a necessary step toward final approval of the CIF plan by the State Bond Commission, which must vote in the next 60 days.

“To know these funds are one step closer to providing a new venue for local events, adding another draw for the surrounding region, and promoting better health and access to care throughout New London is reassuring and wildly positive for our community,” said Sen. Marx. “They’re the kind of investments that revitalize our community and provide our city with valuable resources that will last for decades.”

Sen. Marx wrote letters of support for both projects.

The Mercer Community Hall Project involves New London partnering with the Garde Arts Center to renovate and expand Mercer Community Hall. This seeks to enhance community engagement and accessibility through the arts, utilizing the hall’s downtown location to offer affordable event space, support local arts and workforce opportunities and keep local events local. The center is hoped to host 270 events in its first year and 540 events by its fifth year, with programming including town halls, cultural festivals and educational workshops.

Planned Parenthood’s relocation to New London will involve the renovation and expansion of the property at 467 Ocean Avenue in New London to become the organization’s New London health center. Planned Parenthood health centers promote high-quality family planning and reproductive services. Once work is complete, the center is expected to serve more than 5,500 people annually, increasing productivity and patient satisfaction and reducing the number of patients traveling to other Planned Parenthood health centers.

The Community Investment Fund 2030 (CIF) was created by a bipartisan vote of the General Assembly in 2021 and is funded through state bonding.

The CIF fosters economic development in historically underserved communities across the state. The CIF will provide a total of up to $875 million to eligible municipalities as well as not-for-profit organizations and community development corporations that operate within them.

Grants are available for capital improvement programs, like brownfield remediation, affordable housing, infrastructure, clean energy development and home/public facility rehabilitation; small business capital programs like micro loan programs, gap financing and start-up funds supporting small businesses; and planning for capital projects, like community engagement processes, feasibility studies, development of project plans and construction budgets.