FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, June 23, 2023

SEN. OSTEN WELCOMES STATE BONDING FOR NECESSARY PUBLIC PROJECTS IN NORWICH AND LEDYARD

St. Vincent de Paul, Jubilee Park, Gales Ferry FD Benefit from State Investments

NORWICH – State Senator Cathy Osten (D-Sprague) announced today that the State Bond Commission is expected to approve a combined $2.7 million in state aid for three public projects in the region when the commission meets next week in Hartford.

After recent input from Sen. Osten, next week’s State Bond Commission agenda includes:

· $1.7 million for the St. Vincent de Paul Place soup kitchen on Cliff Street for capital renovations and improvements including elevator work, windows and clinic build-outs. St. Vincent de Paul Place is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich and has been serving the poor in the region since 1979.

· $500,000 for park upgrades, including drainage improvements, to Jubilee Park Lower Broadway. Castle Church is overseeing plans to turn Jubilee Park into a gathering place for city events.

· $500,000 for a new roof and fire equipment for the Gales Ferry Volunteer Fire Department in Ledyard, which was founded in 1942. The department moved into its station on Route 12 in 1986 and has since refinished the firehouse exterior and replaced the front apron with a concrete pad.

“I’m always advocating up in Hartford for eastern Connecticut to get its fair share of state bonding, and I believe these are three very worthwhile projects that deserve state support,” Sen. Osten said. “I look forward to the positive changes that these investments will have on the quality of life for tens of thousands of people in the region.”

The State Bond Commission is scheduled to meet at 10:30 a.m. Friday, June 30 in Room 1-E of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.