Council looks to divvy up $3.2 million in HUD grant money

NORWALK, Conn. — Requests are being drafted for the federal money that is expected to avalanche into South Norwalk, from historic light fixtures to public artwork at a place to be determined.

While Norwalk Redevelopment Agency staff had followed the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s initial interest in improving the South Norwalk Community Center, Common Council members said this week that ownership of that building is in doubt, and asked that the $100,000 request go somewhere else in the Choice Neighborhood District – perhaps near the Martin Luther King Drive staircase that is slated for a renovation.

Planning Committee members on Monday considered the Redevelopment Agency’s drafted application to HUD for $3.2 million critical community improvements, focusing only on the SoNoCC element. This would come from the $30 million HUD Choice Neighborhoods Initiative grant awarded to Norwalk to help fund the expected redevelopment of Washington Village and improve the general neighborhood The project is on hold as the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) considers issuing a waiver of flood management rules.

Requests included:

• $765,000 for 40 streetlights like the ones on Cedar Street;
• $875,000 to help buy eight multi-family homes in the area, renovate them and sell them with a 20-year covenant to restrict them as low or moderate income housing;
• $375,000 for a façade improvement program wherein 15 homeowners would get $25,000 grants;
• $85,000 to pair with $120,000 of city capital funds to buy a new mobile substation for the Norwalk Police Weed and Seed community policing program;
• $1 million for improvements to Ryan Park;
• $100,000 to create a permanent public art installation at the South Norwalk Community Center

“We have requested $100,000 of Choice Neighborhoods money to continue all of the investment that has been made in the building in the form of an art installation on the front of the building that lends some identity to the neighborhood, people can feel pride in the neighborhood, increase the number of people who use the center and see it as a safe haven in the neighborhood,” Director of Community Development Planning Tami Strauss said.

Councilman Travis Simms (D-District B) said the building at 98 South Main St. is still under litigation as part of the bankruptcy proceedings for Norwalk Economic Opportunity Now (NEON). He called allocating money for the building “premature.”

NEON and SoNoCC were deeded dual ownership of the building. The deed said that if they stopped offering community services the building would revert to the city, but that is in doubt because only one of the organizations stopped.

“What if, hypothetically, the bank court said, ‘Well there is too much debt on the property,’ and the city is left with the property, say, with no alternative other than to sell it,” Simms said. “Now we are putting all this money into the building, for what reason? For what cost? I think we can find other programs that can utilize that funding.”

The city has invested $200,000 of Community Block Development Grant money into renovating the first floor of the building. SoNoCC had requested $186,000 of CDBG funding this year; $100,000 would fund further renovations and $86,000 was requested to fix the roof.

SoNoCC Executive Director Kelly Robertson said Wednesday, in talking to Board of Estimate and Taxation members, that the roof problem had been “resolved.” SoNoCC board Chairman Warren Peña did not return a Thursday email asking about that.

Strauss told Simms that SoNoCC has a right to improve the building.

“HUD specifically picked out the South Norwalk Community Center as a site when they toured the neighborhood. This is a five-year plan, things can be fluid. If that should happen we can always move money somewhere else,” Strauss said.

Councilwoman Sharon Stewart (D-At Large) said SoNoCC has no programs yet. The court might award the building back to the city and, “We are talking about federal money, federal money fixing a building that may become a city building. That’s a repercussion right there. I don’t think we should step into that until the arbitration part is over with and we find out whose building it is,” Stewart said.

Committee members said federal money can be used for city buildings under certain circumstances. Redevelopment Agency Executive Director Tim Sheehan suggested allocating the money to any community center in the district.

“We view the South Norwalk Community Center not as the owner of the building but as the name of the building,” Strauss said, asking if Stewart would prefer that the address of the building be used.

“I would feel more comfortable if you didn’t address it as that,” Stewart said.

Strauss agreed to change the language to include a community center in the Choice Neighborhoods District, delineated by Washington Street, Concord Street, Martin Luther King Drive and Water Street.

The money has to go to a physical purpose, not a program, Strauss said, in response to suggestions made by Simms. Councilman Doug Hempstead (R-At Large) asked if it could be art under the Washington Street railroad bridge, or a mosaic installed on a closed street.

“I would like to see even some of the art around the Martin Luther King area. That way it runs into the same project to take care of the stairs,” Simms said. “I think that would take care of that entire area.”

Straus said she would specify a public art installation at a location to be determined.

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