A $500,000 grant has been awarded to Kent.  The Small Town Economic Assistance Program grant money from the state will be used to purchase a vacant 1.6 acre lot in the center of town.  Kent is looking to build public restrooms, parking  and a village green.  Tourism is a significant driver of Kent’s economy.  Governor Dannel Malloy says this project would make the town an even more attractive tourist destination. 

The vacant lot sits on Route 7 and was once a Chevrolet dealership.  First Selectman Bruce Adams says it's a blighted property and will greatly benefit the town once it's put to good use.

Adams says a green would be a great place to host events such as craft fairs or movie nights.  He says right now people people stop at the railroad tracks, turn around and go back because it looks like nothing if beyond that.

$100,000 in STEAP funds will go to Cornwall for structural repairs to the North Cornwall Meeting House, including reconstruction of the steeple and repairs to the building itself.

$500,000 in STEAP funds will be used to repair two bridges that cross Beaver Brook on Park Road in Barkhamsted.  The bridges and road incurred significant damage from past storms.  The Department of Transportation rated one of the bridges “structurally deficient” and “functionally obsolete”.  The other bridge was damaged when Beaver Brook flooded during Hurricane Irene.