Gov. Malloy: State Will Support Efforts of Danbury Nonprofit Alliance to Establish Community Center for Residents of All Ages

Press Release

Governor Dannel P. Malloy, joined by Mayor Mark Boughton and other state and local leaders, today announced that the state will invest nearly $3.8 million to advance the plans of the "Danbury Community Facility Collaboration" to establish a new community center that will serve the Greater Danbury area. The alliance, which is made up of local nonprofit entities led by the Connecticut Institute For Communities, Inc. (CIFC) and the Danbury War Memorial Association, Inc., is working together to purchase the now-closed YMCA of Danbury building and convert it into a community center.

"By investing in this facility that so many depend on, we will ensure that this now-vacant building will be restored into productive reuse and the programs and services that were lost due to the closure of the YMCA will be replaced. We are also creating more opportunities for adults and senior citizens to enjoy recreational activities while providing Danbury's youth a support system outside of school and opportunities for a brighter, more successful future," said Governor Malloy. "And, our investment in the War Memorial is equally as important because it will not only serve the community today but will also honor and preserve the legacy of the sacrifices made by our veterans for generations to come."

Governor Malloy announced that the state will commit $3,798,000 for the Danbury Community Facility Collaboration's initiative, which will cover about 75 percent of the $5,064,000 total project cost. Part of the plan for cooperation between the two agencies also includes significant renovations to the War Memorial totaling $498,000 and $800,000 for renovations to a building affiliated with the alliance that will house the Head Start early childhood education program for Danbury. The alliance expects to raise 25 percent of the total project cost -- about $1.2 million - from private sources.

"We have been working hard with our state and nonprofit partners to pay tribute to our veterans by making necessary renovations to the War Memorial and get this community center up and running. By providing quality early childhood education and after-school programs in a safe environment, we are giving Danbury's youngest citizens a better chance to become healthy and productive adults," said Danbury Mayor Boughton. "This home for Head Start and the Boys & Girls Club will benefit the entire community and I thank Governor Malloy, the Danbury Community Facility Collaboration and our state delegation members for their continued support for the City of Danbury."

"Plans to fund the advance of the "Danbury Community Facility Collaboration" and create an open center for growth in our community is very encouraging," said State Rep. David Scribner (R-107). "Providing active outlets for local services to start, stay and thrive in Danbury is vital to giving our homegrown talent the opportunities necessary to keep them here in Connecticut."

"I am thrilled to hear that the former YMCA building will once again be used as a place for the community to come together," said State Rep. Richard A. Smith (R-108). "It is not only great for City Center but also for the entire Danbury area to have a place to go and socialize."

"Governor Malloy once again reaffirms his commitment to the community organizations that enrich lives throughout the state," said State Rep. David Arconti Jr. (D-109). "I applaud the work of the Danbury War Memorial Association and the Connecticut Institute For Communities for their work in moving this forward. I look forward to a successful center that will serve many in the Greater Danbury area for years to come."

The Danbury branch of the regional YMCA closed last summer and had been home to the city's only public recreational pool. Because Danbury is the largest city in the state without a Boys and Girls Club, CIFC recently proposed purchasing the now-vacant YMCA building, and converting it into a Boys and Girls Club. The purchase and renovation of the YMCA building is expected to cost between $1.5 million and $2 million.

"All of us involved in the Danbury Community Facilities Collaboration are profoundly grateful to Governor Dan Malloy for his visionary leadership. Our Governor clearly has a deep understanding for what makes a healthy community function at its best," said James H. Maloney, JD, President and CEO of the Connecticut Institute For Communities (CIFC), one of the Collaboration members. "His action today shows Governor Malloy's personal commitment to the well-being of our pre-school and school-aged children, our honored Veterans, and our Seniors, all of whom are the direct beneficiaries of his Danbury initiative. The Governor's program of community facility improvements announced today also would not have been possible without the guidance and support of Mayor Mark Boughton, who has again demonstrated his dedication to the Danbury community."

CIFC approached the City's other major social services provider, the Danbury War Memorial, and proposed that the two organizations agree to avoid having competing programs by collaborating on the effort. Members of the Danbury War Memorial, which also serves as a recreational and educational facility, will be allowed to use the pool at the new Boys and Girls Club.

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