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June 24, 2020

Ready for relaunch: Grant money to aid downtown businesses

PHOTO | New Haven BIZ New grant money will help city businesses reopen following the pandemic shutdown, including helping with outdoor dining areas.
By Michelle Tuccitto Sullo

Two utility companies are helping downtown businesses in New Haven and Bridgeport reopen after closing due to the coronavirus. 

United Illuminating and Southern Connecticut Gas, both subsidiaries of the Orange-based Avangrid, announced the grant awards this week. The money will go to support businesses such as restaurants and retailers in both cities. 

The utilities will provide a $20,000 grant to help the Economic Development Corporation of New Haven/REX Development provide grants to help New Haven’s restaurants and retailers provide safe outdoor dining and shopping space.

An additional $20,000 is going to Bridgeport’s Downtown Special Services District so it can help businesses in the Park City reopen. 

Tony Marone, president and CEO of Avangrid Networks, noted how the pandemic has been particularly hard for many small, independent downtown businesses that rely on foot traffic.

“By providing this support, we hope that we can help these small businesses adapt to new health and safety requirements and spring back as the economy reopens,” Marone said in an announcement.

In New Haven, ECD/REX plans to use the money to help downtown restaurants and shops acquire and deploy the plastic barriers, ramps and signage they need to set up safe outdoor dining and retail areas. The money will also be used for a public art program to decorate the barriers. 

Ginny Kozlowski, executive director of REX Development, said small companies drive the economy, and helping them get back in business means more employees get back to work.

“Our restaurants that have been so negatively impacted by the COVID crisis now have the opportunity to expand their capacity and host more customers with the outdoor spaces that will be created by this grant,” Kozlowski said. 

Lauren Coakley Vincent, president and CEO of the Bridgeport Downtown Special Services District, said the relaunch grant program will be a “point of hope” as the city and its downtown area rebuild from the pandemic.

Contact Michelle Tuccitto Sullo at msullo@newhavenbiz.com.

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