On Thursday, the city of Hartford announced the creation of a $16.5 million fund dedicated to revitalizing neighborhoods in Hartford.
The fund will be created using the surplus money from the fiscal year 2024.
“I think it’s huge. I’m born and raised in this community, so it’s very personal for me,” Hartford Community Training Centers Coordinator Brian Sullivan said.
Sullivan helps run the Family Wellness Center on Park Street, which provides free training programs to underserved and underrepresented communities.
Get top local stories in Connecticut delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Connecticut's News Headlines newsletter.
“We’re all trying to serve the community and to upgrade our community,” Sullivan said. “I think it’s an amazing, amazing opportunity.”
Officials said $5 million will go towards the creation of Children and Youth Investment Fund, $6.5 million will go towards housing and the remaining $5 million to economic development in neighborhoods in the city.
“We want to build small businesses in the same way we made investment on Pratt Street,” Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam said. “Neighborhood residents should be able to walk to coffee shops. They should be able to walk to restaurants.”
Local
The city does not have a date for when the fund will launch, but said it will be as soon as possible.
Tattoo artist Victor Borrero, who works at Pelican Tattoo and Body Piercing on Park Street, said the neighborhood has had its ups and downs, but he’d take advantage of the program.
“Who wouldn’t want to upgrade? Who wouldn’t want to better themselves and better their future?" Borrero said.
The mayor said he will explore avenues to replenish the fund in the years to come.
