BRISTOL - Bristol and Plymouth have been granted state funding to help transform and better their respective communities.
Bristol has been approved for $6.8 million from the Community Investment Fund for safety upgrades along Route 72 and other enhancements. The improvements will be focused on pedestrian safety enhancements, traffic calming and street-scape improvements along Riverside Ave. and Park St. as part of the "Route 72 Corridor Improvement Plan."
“Bristol is very excited as this will allow us to build on the momentum of downtown development," said Bristol Mayor Jeff Caggiano. "The street-scape project represents a tremendous opportunity to transform an entire corridor. We are very thankful for the great support from the entire CIF Board and DECD, who clearly recognize that Bristol can leverage this support to link the many projects that are currently underway."
Plymouth has also been approved for $250,000 for the 'Plymouth Transformational Plan." This will see the town hire a community development consultant and survey residents to assist with economic development planning.
Plymouth Mayor Joe Kilduff said he is excited that the town will receive the grant. Now, he said, "the real work begins."
"This grant will allow us to hire a consultant who can really look at our downtown and come up with a workable renovation plan," he said. "It will help us to put together projects to give our downtown a face lift. We can then potentially go back to the CIF and ask for funding for those projects. We needed a downtown development plan anyway and this is a fantastic first step for the town."
Read the full story in tomorrow's edition of The Bristol Press.
