Stafford Gets $1.3M Grant for Witt School Cleanup

Stafford will use a $1.3 million state grant to complete environmental cleanup of the former Earl M. Witt School site in downtown Stafford's Hyde Park neighborhood.

The State Department of Economic & Community Development approved the Community Investment Fund grant on March 10. Rising remediation costs had created a funding gap in an EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant the town had been pursuing.

The project will remove hazards, eliminate blight, and stabilize the building while the town explores long-term reuse options. First Selectman Bill Morrison said the building's deterioration had concerned residents and civic organizations for years.

State Representative Kurt Vail, State Senator Jeff Gordon, Congressman Joe Courtney, and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal advocated for the funding and visited the site. The State Bond Commission must give final approval.

The Community Investment Fund, approved by state lawmakers in 2021, distributes up to $875 million in grants over five years to distressed municipalities. More information is available on the Stafford Brownfields Initiative page on the town website.