Council votes to apply for STP Urban grant for Pearl Street reconstruction

The Common Council approved submitting an STP Urban grant application for reconstruction of Pearl Street after the Board of Public Works reviewed the project and recommended application. The board noted that New London had applied three times previously and that an award was not guaranteed. At the Board meeting, members discussed pros and cons for a large project. The board recorded an anticipated budget for preparing the application of $3,000. Committee materials included a probable total project cost estimate ranging from $2,800,000 to $3,200,000. Board members said an STP Urban award could reduce the city’s share to roughly 20 percent of the project cost; the packet contains a transcription error in one sentence listing a dollar figure that is not coherent in context. The Board of Public Works motion to approve and recommend the council STP Urban grant application for Pearl Street carried unanimously; the council subsequently approved the recommendation on the floor. The transcript does not specify grant match commitments, funding sources, or a local construction schedule; those details will be set if and when the grant award is received and after design and bidding.