Economic development committee highlights grant-writer program, downtown reconstruction timeline

The Economic Development Committee reported to the council on March 26 that a community grant-writer program has produced significant grant funding for local projects and that downtown reconstruction is advancing under a contractor schedule.

Greg Gorman, who presented on the community grant-writer initiative, told the committee the program "has generated about 3,400,000.0 in revenue for a variety of community related projects" over roughly 3.5 years. Committee members said the program demonstrates how pooled grant-writing capacity can support city, school and chamber priorities, though presenters noted that grants often require matching or ongoing maintenance funds.

Museum director Christine Cross gave an annual report noting the New London Public Museum has existed for more than a century and attendance is up relative to pre-COVID levels; she outlined upcoming programs including a historic downtown walking tour tied to the 2024 street reconstruction project.

City staff reported a pre-construction meeting with the DOT and indicated the downtown reconstruction will be completed in phases and — per contract — must be finished by Oct. 15. The committee recommended, and the council approved, inserting the 2023 economic development report card in a utility-bill mailing at a cost of $378 to help publicize recent achievements.

What’s next: Staff will proceed with downtown construction phases under the contract schedule; committee follow-up will evaluate grant-writer program results and potential long-term funding implications.