HAMDEN – Senate President Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) and Senator Jorge Cabrera (D-Hamden) today welcomed the approval of $1.75 million in state grants to help build a new Fire Station 2 in southern Hamden and for the expansion of The Children’s Center of Hamden.

The board of the Community Investment Fund 2030 approved the funding today in Hartford. The approved projects will now be placed on the next State Bond Commission agenda.

“The Community Investment Fund specializes in transformative economic development grants, and both of the Hamden projects approved today are certain to improve the economic and social vitality of the town,” Sen. Looney said. “I’m especially pleased to see that Fire Station 2 in Hamden is going to be rebuilt. The existing structure is far too antiquated to provide the level of modern fire protection that residents have come to expect.”

“Once again, State of Connecticut funding is making a real difference when it comes to economic and community development in cities and towns all across the state. Today’s CIF grants are the seeds that create the growth and modernization that Hamden needs and that its citizens deserve,” Sen. Cabrera said. “A new fire station not only protects the public, but it will protect the firefighters who serve Hamden. Expanding the Children’s Center helps all of Hamden and will improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable children and families in our city.”

The CIF Board today approved $1.5 million toward the estimated $7.5 million cost to build a new 15,410-square-foot Fire Station 2 to serve the residents of southern Hamden. The existing Fire Station 2 was built in 1912 and has exceeded its service life and can no longer support modern fire operations or firefighter health and safety requirements. The new facility will be constructed on a town-owned 3.4-acre parcel situated at the southeast corner of Putnam Avenue and Gallagher Road and feature four drive-through apparatus bays, modern decontamination, gear storage facilities, living quarters with appropriate privacy, wellness spaces, administrative offices, and a multi-purpose space featuring a Community Hub. Groundbreaking could take place in September 2026, with substantial completion by January 2028.

The CIF Board also approved a $250,000 planning grant for The Children’s Center of Hamden to evaluate and improve its aging seven-building campus to expand access to behavioral health, substance use, and related services. Planning activities include feasibility studies, campus improvement assessments, and community engagement through surveys and focus groups. The Center, founded in 1833, is a nonprofit providing behavioral health, educational, and supportive services for vulnerable children and families, serving about 65 Hamden families annually.