Larson Announces $2 Million to Boost Downtown Development

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 16, 2008

Contact: EmilyBarocas /202-225-7295/202-593-1377

LARSON ANNOUNCES $2 MILLION TO BOOST DOWNTOWNDEVELOPMENT

HARTFORD, CT - Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01) announcedtoday that the City of Hartfordwill get a huge boost in the downtown development of the Front StreetProject. The Department of Housing andUrban Development will award a $2 million Brownfields Economic DevelopmentInitiative (BEDI) Grant and a $5 million Section 108 Loan for construction andclean up at the Adriaen's Landing Project site.

This site will be a part of an exciting new retail andentertainment district that will revolutionize Hartford's downtown area. The development zone includes the Connecticut ConventionCenter and the ConnecticutScience Center,currently under construction. These hubswill serve as a funnel to the new stores and restaurants the BEDI grant andloan will allow us to build.

Congressman Larson said, "I am thrilled with HUD's decision to help finance this importantproject and ensure a bright future for the City of Hartford. This development will bring stores, restaurants and most importantlypeople to our great city. I would liketo thank Connecticut'sSenators Dodd and Lieberman for their help in securing this money. And, I look forward to dining at our newrestaurants as soon as they open."

Congressman Larson wrote a letter and called the Departmentof Housing and Urban Development in support of the City of Hartford's grant application. Larson said heis pleased the City of Hartfordand Front Streetdeveloper The HB Nitkin Group, can now move forward in the development andconstruction of the site.

"The City of Hartford has made greatstrides in the last few years to redevelop and reinvigorate our downtown. This money will give us a push to take thearea to the next level," said Congressman Larson.

The Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI) is acompetitive grant program that HUD administers to stimulate and promoteeconomic and community development. BEDI is designed to assist cities with theredevelopment of abandoned, idled and underused industrial and commercialfacilities burden by environmental contamination.

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