Esty, Malloy, Blumenthal, Murphy, DeLauro, O'Leary Announce $14.4 Million TIGER Grant for Waterbury

Press Release

Today, Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty, Governor Dannel Malloy, Senator Richard Blumenthal, Senator Chris Murphy, Congresswoman DeLauro, and Mayor Neil O'Leary announced a $14.4 million TIGER VI Grant from the United States Department of Transportation to support the "Waterbury Active Transportation and Economic Resurgence" (WATER) project.

"As a Member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I am proud to have helped Waterbury secure the 5th District's first ever TIGER grant to support their WATER Project," said Esty. "This grant will assist Waterbury in a major redevelopment project, connecting downtown with the waterfront, creating jobs, and facilitating economic activity. I wish to thank all of the local leaders and community organizations that helped develop this important community-wide initiative. It's important to improve our quality of life."

"Working with municipal partners, we are supporting important capital projects across Connecticut that will boost local economies, strengthen transportation infrastructure, improve the quality of life for residents and increase our overall competiveness as a state," said Governor Malloy. "With the help of this federal grant, we are making a long-overdue, strategic investment in the Waterbury train station that will support regional transit-oriented development and help the city and surrounding communities become more walkable, more accessible, and more attractive to residents and employers alike. I thank Secretary Foxx, the U.S. Department of Transportation, Representative Esty and our state's entire Congressional delegation for their support of this project."

"This powerful investment will transform 60 acres of underused land near Waterbury's train station, reconnecting and revitalizing downtown, nearby neighborhoods and the Naugatuck River Greenway, uniquely advancing regional environmental and economic development opportunities," said Blumenthal. "The Greenway project has reclaimed 44 miles of riverfront land, reviving vacant industrial sites and providing new, needed access to healthy recreation for the whole region. Natural, open space, as well as safe and reliable transportation--including rail, bus, bicycle and pedestrian access--is vital to the economic growth and success of our cities. I will continue to champion Waterbury's vision."

"I'm thrilled to celebrate over $14 million for the Brass City. This money will revolutionize the West Side of downtown, making sense of a dizzying network of roads, mass transit routes, and waterways," said Murphy. "Downtown Waterbury will be infinitely more attractive to businesses after this work is done. I've been fighting tooth and nail alongside Congresswoman Esty, Governor Malloy, Congresswoman DeLauro and Senator Blumenthal to bring this funding to Waterbury, and I can't wait to see new progress in the Brass City."

"The WATER project will catalyze redevelopment of 60 acres of under-utilized land in downtown Waterbury," said DeLauro. Establishing active transportation connections between the train station, downtown and the Naugatuck River Greenway will boost economic activity throughout Waterbury and the region. I am proud to have worked with my colleagues to advocate for such a vital project and look forward to seeing its successes."

"I am ecstatic! This is an absolute game changer for the City of Waterbury. It puts us firmly on track to implement a transformational vision for our future," said Mayor O'Leary. "On behalf of the citizens of this entire region I am so deeply grateful to Governor Malloy, Congresswoman Esty and DeLauro, and Senators Murphy and Blumenthal. They were absolutely incredible in their efforts to make this possible."

The Waterbury Active Transportation and Economic Resurgence (WATER) Project is a multi-faceted mobility enhancement project that is part of a larger ongoing initiative to reform and revitalize the city's landscape. The project will catalyze redevelopment of 60 acres of under-utilized downtown land around the city's train station and establish active transportation connections between downtown and the waterfront. According to the U.S. DOT, TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grants are a nationally competitive grant program where applications must demonstrate five long-term outcomes: safety, economic competitiveness, state of good repair, livability, and environmental sustainability.