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Dear Friend,
I hope you've had a great summer.
I was recently in Killingly to meet with local officials and discuss federal grants the city recently secured. Here with an update on how the funds are being put to use.
Federal Funding Delivers for Killingly
First, I stopped by the Ballouville Mill -- a former manufacturing site that has been abandoned since the 1970s and is fraught with structural challenges. The site was also regularly used as a dumping ground for toxic chemicals, making it costly and complicated to rehabilitate.
Now, thanks to a $800,000 federal Brownfield Grant via the federal Infrastructure Law, Killingly will be able to begin assessing and rehabilitating the land for future community and economic development, like housing.
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| Last week, Rep. Courtney joined Killingly Town Manager Town Manager Mary Calorio, Town Council Chair Jason Anderson,Town Council Vice Chair Kevin Kerttula, Town Planner Johnathan Blake, Natural Resources Officer Allison Brady, Chair of Economic Development William Cheng, Vice Chair of Economic Development Todd Cooke, and Director of Economic Development Jill St. Clair at the Ballouville Mill |
The grant will also allow the town to assess the Danielson-Putnam Twin Drive-In to support future emergency services, as well as replace the Borough Wastewater Treatment Facility to support critical infrastructure needs. There’s still a lot of work ahead to rehabilitate the land, but this federal grant will go a long way to assessing and cleaning up the land for future economic opportunity. Congratulations to Killingly for their persistence in securing this federal funding.
Killingly’s $800,000 grant is part of a larger initiative made possible by the Infrastructure Law that is delivering federal grants across eastern Connecticut to clean up land stymied by abandoned properties for future use and development. Thank you to Town Manager Mary Calorio, Town Council Chair Jason Anderson, Chair of Economic Development William Cheng, Director of Economic Development Jill St. Clair, and more local officials for providing me with an update.
After stopping by the Ballouville Mill, I went over to the Killingly Historical Society to discuss a $50,000 grant they received from the National Endowment of the Arts. The funding will support community engagement, arts programming, and public art that celebrates the local Laotian and greater Southeast Asian communities – which have strong roots in Killingly.
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| Then, Rep. Courtney joined Killingly Historical Society President Bernie Mitchell, Board of Director's Member Lynn La Berge, Town Historian Margaret Weaver, Librarian Director Claudette Stockwell, and more at the Killingly Historical Society |
In fact, back in the late 1970s, families in Killingly sponsored Laotian refuges at the end of the Vietnam war, and now, Killingly is home to a vibrant Laotian community. The new grant will allow the Historical Society to showcase their stories and their connection to Killingly’s identity. Thank you to Historical Society President Bernie Mitchell, Board of Directors Member Lynn La Berge, and Town Historian Margaret Weaver for sharing your work with me and congratulations on your success in securing this grant.
Thank you for taking some time to read my update. For more local news like this, subscribe to my weekly eNewsletter.
If we can be of any assistance, don't hesitate to give my Norwich office a call at (860) 886-0139.
Sincerely,
Joe Courtney
Member of Congress
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